On the morning of December 20th, the monastic community held a regular meeting to share their impressions from visiting the Van Gogh Museum. Although the paintings are silent, they resonated deeply within us. The masters felt that Van Gogh’s paintings profoundly touch the soul, stemming from his deep understanding of true suffering. Seeing his self-portraits, we sensed his quality of facing his true emotions candidly. He once said, 'To paint the peasants, the best way is to be with the peasants, to feel and think like a peasant.' 


In Buddhism, the practice of the Four Noble Truths—suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path leading to the cessation—is the path to liberation. We connected emotionally with the artist for a moment, feeling the suffering of life through his art, representing the 'Truth of Suffering' in Buddhism. However, Van Gogh did not explore deeply into the cause of suffering, known as the 'Truth of the Origin of Suffering.' To be free from suffering, one must eliminate its causes, which requires realizing the 'Truth of Cessation,' and achieving this cessation requires practice, the 'Truth of the Path.' Van Gogh had a kind heart; his observation and experience of the plight of the common people made him feel their suffering, but he could not alleviate it, expressing it only through his art. Even if these works touch only on the aspect of suffering, they are enough to move many hearts.