When feeling tired, we should take a break and rest for a while. The person who walks fast will arrive sooner, but if we walk slowly, we can still reach our destination. What matters is that we recognize what we need to do and, depending on our strength, try to overcome it. Life is a sea of suffering, but suffering will pass when we overcome it. The issue is that we haven’t realized this yet. For example, when we know that life brings pressure, we must find ways to face it and push through, building our own strength along the way.
Everyone carries their own pain, whether it’s physical or mental. When we have a physical illness, we look for medicine to cure it, but the mind also needs healing. It’s not physical medicine, but a remedy for the soul. For example, when we have a headache, we look for medicine, and when we’re hungry, we find food to satisfy our hunger. Likewise, in life, when we face difficulties, we must try to find ways to overcome them, not letting the challenges stop us.
Trịnh Công Sơn wrote: “Tired, my feet seek a chair to rest.” This means that when we feel tired, we need to take a short break and then continue the journey. Each person must understand their own limits and figure out how to go the long haul. With perseverance, whether the journey is long or short, we will overcome. That’s why learning is an endless journey, and if we keep trying, we will reach our goals.
This article is compiled based on a sermon by Venerable Thích Pháp Hòa.
