DEPENDENCE ON CIRCUMSTANCES (随缘) - A MYSTERIOUS PLAN?

The boat does not need a fixed map, but it has a direction – following the current.

DEPENDENCE ON CIRCUMSTANCES (随缘 / Tuy Duyen)

1/ Like a boat drifting along the river

The boat does not need a fixed map, but it has a direction – following the current. On its journey, if it encounters rocks or obstacles, the rower adjusts according to the circumstances, yet it never strays from the flow. Similarly, the monastic group does not have a rigid plan but always maintains the course – a journey of practice and spreading the Dharma following the Dhutanga path.

2/ Adam Smith's "Invisible Hand" Theory

Adam Smith spoke of the "invisible hand" – meaning that the economy self-regulates according to supply and demand without rigid control. Businesses and investors cannot fully control the market but must adapt to economic fluctuations, consumer trends, government policies, etc. This is the "tuy duyen" (adaptation to circumstances) in economics: those who adapt well thrive, while those who stubbornly go against the flow fail.

3/ Warren Buffett and Flexibility in Strategy

Warren Buffett never sticks to a fixed investment strategy. When the economy changes, he changes too. For example, he used to invest primarily in traditional businesses, but when technology developed, he started investing in Apple – something he had previously avoided. It is thanks to this "tuy duyen" (flexibility) that he became one of the most successful investors in the world.

4/ How many things in life truly go according to plan?

Are you sure that tomorrow when you leave your house, you’ll know exactly what will happen? We can plan, but life often leads us down unexpected paths. You may choose a field of study but end up working in something else. You may plan to stay in one place, but then move thousands of kilometers away. You may plan to marry, but the circumstances change. Whether we like it or not, life operates according to "tuy duyen" – meaning we cannot control everything, but we must learn to adapt and follow the circumstances to move forward.

5/ In nature, everything does not follow a rigid script but operates according to flexible principles:

• Water flows without a fixed shape but always finds a way to flow to a lower point.

• Trees do not grow according to a rigid plan, but they always find a way to reach for the light.

• Evolution has no specific plan, but species that adapt survive, while those that don’t disappear. All of these are "tuy duyen" – not chaos, but a flexible order of nature.

6/ “TUY DUYEN” IS A FORM OF WISDOM IN NATURE

While humans often try to control everything, nature teaches us an important lesson: flexibility is the most sustainable path. A storm can knock down a strong tree, but it cannot break the reed that bends with the wind. In conclusion, "tuy duyen" is like a plan of nature – a plan that does not force but always operates according to the laws of adaptation and balance.

Respectfully,

Than Thanh Vu

MINH TUE PATH

The Dhutanga Community Toward Wisdom and Peace