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Dharma Talk - Thursday

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Commercially Produced cassette: Sounds True - - Pain, Love and Happiness with Thich Nhat Hanh - September 1-6 1997 Sponsored by the Community of Mindful Living

AI Summary: 

The talk explores the concept of "paramita," particularly focusing on dana paramita (the practice of giving) as one of the six perfections in Mahayana Buddhism. Central to the discussion is the notion that true giving involves offering one's presence and love through mindful actions and understanding, rather than material gifts, to transform suffering into well-being. This concept is further illustrated through practical examples and stories, emphasizing mindfulness and the application of mantras to foster deep connections and promote loving relationships.

Referenced Works:

  • Prajnaparamitra Sutra: Describes understanding as the greatest gift, offering ultimate insight into reality, and liberating practitioners from fear and ignorance.
  • Samadhi Sutra: Discusses young monk Samadhi's conversation with a goddess, emphasizing living happily in the present moment through the Buddha's teachings.

Key Practices:

  • Paramita of Dana (Giving): Stresses the importance of offering one's presence and mindfulness as the highest forms of giving.
  • Prajnaparamita (Insight): Highlights the depth of understanding as a transformative practice extending the practice of giving.
  • Mindfulness Trainings: Especially the five mindfulness trainings, are presented as practices that protect individuals, families, and society by promoting mindful consumption and ethical living.

Relevant Individuals and Contexts:

  • Nelson Mandela's Reflection: Offers insights on the value of simply existing and appreciating presence, akin to the practice of mindfulness.
  • Plum Village Practices: Many examples from the monastic community illustrate the application of mindfulness and loving practices in everyday life, supporting both personal and communal well-being.

Practices Related to the Text:

  • Mindful Breathing and Walking: Techniques that facilitate the gathering of body and mind to produce true presence.
  • Mantras of Presence and Recognition: Encourages establishing deep connections and affirming relationships, displayed in phrases like "Darling, I am here for you."

This summary encapsulates the essential teachings and illustrative stories offered, focusing on the transformative practice of mindful giving and understanding.

AI Suggested Title: Transformative Power of Mindful Giving

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Side: A
Speaker: Thich Nhat Hanh
Possible Title: Dharma Talk - Thursday
Additional text: TNG-6 Tape Two / Pain, Love & Happiness with Thich Nhat Hanh / September 1-6, 1997 / \u00a9 1997. All Rights Reserved / Sounds True Recordings / 800-333-9185

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Notes: 

Recording starts after beginning of talk.

Transcript: 

especially in the Mahayana tradition, there is a practice called paramita. Paramita means perfection. It means crossing over to the other shore. You are on this shore, the shore of suffering, the shore of anger, the shore of depression, and you don't want to stay on on this shore. You want to cross over to the shore of well-being, of non-anger. You have to do something in order to leave this shore and to go to the other shore. That is called paramita. And the first paramita is the practice of giving. To love means to offer joy and happiness.

[01:13]

I will now try to present the six paramitas like the six petals of a flower. And the first paramita is the practice of giving. Dana paramita. That is the practice of love. Giving has the capacity to bring us to the other shore. the shore of well-being, the shore of non-anger, the shore of harmony, the shore of good relationship.

[02:18]

And giving here does not mean that you want to have money. According to the teaching, the best thing you can offer to the person you love is just two presents. and practicing Buddhist meditation, you know how to produce your true presence. You practice mindful breathing in and out, you bring your body and your mind together, you produce your total presence, and that is the greatest gift you can make to the person you love. That is the practice of giving. How can you love if you are not there? To love, you have to be there for the person you love.

[03:22]

And this, the practice of meditation can help. There is a young boy, a young man, 12 years old. His father said, My son, I know tomorrow will be your birthday. Tell me what you want, I'll buy it for you." The young man hesitated. He knows that his father is very rich. He can afford to buy anything that he wants, but it does not seem that he wants anything. Yes, he wants one thing, the presence of his father, but that is so difficult. His father is rich. That is why he has to spend a lot of time in order to continue to be rich. And that is why all his time and energy has to be spent in making money. He could not afford to offer himself to his wife and his children to be rich.

[04:26]

I think that is a disadvantage. And if the young man can say it plainly, he'll say, Daddy, I don't want anything. I want you. I want your presence. And if the father knows something about mindful breathing, he'll say, okay, and then he'll practice mindful breathing in, mindful breathing out, so that he can have one day off. And walking mindfully toward the direction of his son, he sat down. And looking deeply into the eyes of his son, he smiled and he said, Darling, I am here for you. I am really here for you. And that is the greatest gift a father can give to his son.

[05:29]

to make yourself available, to produce your true presence, is the first, the most precious here. And this is my first mantra to be offered to you. A mantra is a magic formula that has the power to transform the situation. If you have someone that you love so much, that you want to make happy, you can practice this. You practice the first mantra. A mantra is something we utter only when we are in a perfect state of concentration. Otherwise, it is not a mantra. Your mind and your body have to be completely united in concentration in order for the mantra to work. Darling, I am here for you.

[06:32]

Here's the mantra. You don't have to practice this mantra in Sanskrit. You can practice it in English. You begin by breathing in and breathing out in order to bring your mind and body together. You may practice walking meditation for half a minute or one minute, and there you are with your true presence. You go to the person you love, you sit down, you look at him or at her, and you open your mouth and you pronounce the first mantra, Darling, I am really here for you. And you sing, the transformation. We have learned that once we are there, something else is also there, life.

[07:55]

When you are really there to 100% of yourself, you can recognize the presence of the person you love. And this is a very deep practice because to be loved means to be recognized as existing. If you say you love him or her, but you don't do anything to prove that you recognize his presence or her presence, that's not true love yet. So after having practiced so that you can produce your true presence, you go to him or to her, Embracing him or her with the energy of mindfulness. And pronounce the second mantra. Darling, I know you are there and I am very happy.

[08:59]

While you pronounce that mantra, you embrace the person you love with the energy of mindfulness, because to love means to recognize the presence of the person you love. These practices are very simple but very powerful. That is the practice of giving. You only have to produce your true presence and then you can do it. And you can guarantee that the practice will be effective. What else can we give? We can give our freshness. We restore the flower-ness in us Maybe we need only to breathe in and out a few times and restore our flower-ness and become more pleasant.

[10:17]

And this is what we offer to the person we love. What else can we offer? We can offer our stability. Again, the children have learned the practice of mountain solid. Breathing in, I see myself as a mountain. Breathing out, I feel solid. Yes, the person we love needs us to be solid, needs us to be stable. That solidity, that stability is a very... precious kind of gift that you can make to the person you love. What else can we offer to the person we love?

[11:21]

Peace. It's so wonderful to sit close to someone that is peaceful. You profit so much from his peace for her peace. And that is why offer him, offer her your peace. Breathing in, I see myself as still water. Breathing out, I reflect things as they truly are. Peace and lucidity, that is something very valuable you can offer to the person you love. And then, what else? Freedom. Space. The person you love needs a lot of space in order to be happy. When you arrange flowers, you know that each flower needs some space around her in order to radiate her beauty.

[12:32]

A person is like a flower. Without space around and without space inside, a person cannot be happy. To be free and to offer freedom to the person you love is wonderful. And you know these things you cannot buy from the supermarket. You have to produce them by your practice. you never run out of it. The more you offer, the more you have more of it. That kind of gift you are giving all the time. And the more you give, the more you have it. Because when you give these things to the person you love, she becomes very happy.

[13:35]

And because she is happy, the happiness goes back to you right away. It means that you may think that you give him that, but in fact you are giving yourself that kind of gift at the same time. Because in that kind of relationship, you and her, you are one. Whatever you give to her, you give to yourself. The Buddha also said, when you are angry at someone, and if you have tried everything, and yet your anger is still there, try, give him something. I was very surprised when I heard that teaching. First, it looks funny, but I have tried, and it works very well.

[14:39]

When you are angry at someone, the natural tendency is to punish him, because he has made you suffer, she has made you suffer. And the natural tendency is to punish him, to punish her, so that you get a relief. But we know, we all know, that when we punish, the other person will suffer more, and she will make us suffer more. That will be an escalation of suffering and anger. The Buddha proposed something different. He said, if you are angry at him, at her, and if you have cries, and everything does not work, then send him a gift. I guess that when you are too angry at someone, you don't want to go and buy a gift and prepare the gift ready. I think when you are not angry at him, take the opportunity to prepare the gift so that it is ready there.

[15:51]

And when you get angry at him, go and post that gift to him or to her. And after it is gone, you feel better right away. The practice of giving can bring you to the other shore very quickly. Whatever kind of gift you make, whether your presence, your stability, your freshness, your solidity, your freedom, or just a material gift can work like a miracle. They are very effective. Whatever you give can bring you over to the shore of non-anger right away. That is why I recommend strongly to you the practice of the first parameter. It's wonderful in dealing with anger. Whether the person who makes you angry is your husband, your wife, your father, your son, next time when you get angry at him or her, practice dhanaparamita, the practice of giving.

[17:10]

It is the practice of love. And you will be surprised to see that. Why? It's so easy. The second practice to help you to cross to the other shore is the practice of understanding of insight. Understanding is prajnaparamita. crossing over by understanding, by insight. You know that understanding is also a great kind of gift. It's so pleasant to live close to a person who is able to understand us, right?

[18:18]

Therefore, understanding is a great gift. If you know how to show that you understand him or her, or you are offering the best kind of yid to him or her. You feel happy, you feel loved when the other person understands you. And that is why practicing looking deeply so that you can understand the suffering, the difficulty, the deepest aspiration of the person you love is also the practice of giving. We find out that the six paramitas inter-are. In prajnaparamita, there is a dana-paravita. The practice of understanding is also the practice of giving. And understanding has several levels.

[19:24]

If you continue your practice of looking deeply, one day you will touch the ultimate dimension of reality. You discover the realm of no birth and no death, no coming, no going. That kind of insight is the highest because it can dissipate all fear and ignorance. And that is the greatest gift you can give yourself and you can give to the person you love. The Prajnaparamita Sutra is an offering of the Buddha to us. If we practice accordingly, we will get the highest kind of understanding that will free us from all illusions and suffering and offer us non-fear.

[20:31]

But to begin to understand the other person is already a great gift, and that is why Prajnaparamita, understanding as a practice of crossing over to the other shore is already something that you can practice right now. The third practice of paramita is the practice of the precepts, the mindfulness training.

[21:33]

If we live according to the five mindfulness trainings, We practice mindful consumption. We protect ourselves. We protect the people we love. We protect our family and society. That is the greatest kind of gift at the same time. Suppose we practice refraining from drinking alcohol. The practice of refraining from The practice of not drinking alcohol is a gift also.

[22:49]

When we practice not drinking alcohol, not only we protect us, but we protect our family, we protect our society. I remember a lady in London. On the eve of the day when the five mindfulness trainings were offered, she struggled very hard for the last time. She said, I have been drinking two glasses of wine every week in the last 20 years, and it has not done me any harm at all. Why should I give up my two glasses of wine? So nice. I said, yes, it's true that in the last 20 years you have been drinking two glasses of wine every week.

[23:58]

It has not done you any harm. But are you sure that it will not do harm to your children? I noticed that if parents drink and then children will imitate. You do not have the seed of alcoholism in you, but who knows? that the seed of alcoholism does not exist in your children. That is why when you give up two glasses of wine, you are doing it not only for you, but for your children and for your society." And she understood. And the next morning she received the five mindfulness trainings. She is doing it as a bodhisattva for everyone, not for herself alone. In France, the Ministry of Health tried to advise people not to drink too much wine. And they advertised on television.

[25:02]

They say, Un verre, ça va? Trois verres, trois verres, bonjour, les dégâts. A glass is okay. Three glasses welcome the damage. They want to say that you have to moderate in drinking. One glass of wine is okay, but three glasses of wine may cause a lot of destruction and damage. I told my students, If the first glass is not there, how could the third glass of wine happen? So not having the first glass of wine is wonderful because that is the highest form of protection. And if you refrain from having your first glass of wine, you are protecting not only yourself, but you are protecting all of us at the same time.

[26:07]

And the practice of mindfulness trainings, the five mindfulness trainings, is also a form of love, the practice of giving. We have learned a little bit about edible food and sent impressions as a source of food. The practice of five mindfulness trainings is really the practice of mindful consumption. It ensures good health and the protection of our family and society. And that is why the third paramita, the practice of mindfulness training, is also a great gift that we can make to our society, to our family, to those we love. And I hope that today we shall have time to discuss about the mindfulness trainings, the five mindfulness trainings.

[27:21]

To me, the five mindfulness trainings are the only way out of our difficult situation. If we live accordingly, according to the five mindfulness trainings, we protect ourselves. we protect our family and our society, and we cut the source of nutriments that have been bringing us sorrow, fear, and ill-being. So please, let us come together and practice looking deeply together into the source of nutriments that have made ourselves suffer so much. And make an effort to end that kind of nutriment, these sources of nutriment. And with the Sangha supporting us, we'll be able to do it and to get out of our difficult situation.

[28:26]

Thank you. My dear friends, I would like to introduce to you Dr. Phap Nguyen, who will offer you a chant for morning meditation. In the morning, we hear the sound of the bell, and then everyone should prepare in order to be

[30:49]

on his or her seat for morning sitting meditation. He's going to chant in the traditional way in Vietnamese, but this is the translation in English. The Zen is love, so that you have enough time in order to prepare, to relax your body and to harmonize your breathing. Morning meditation. The body of the Dharma is bringing morning light. Sitting still, my heart at peace, I smile. This is a new day. I vow to go through this day with awareness, because the sun of wisdom will soon be shining everywhere. Sisters and brothers in the Dharma, please diligently bring your mind into meditation.

[31:57]

Namo Sakyamuni. Sakyamunaya Buddhaya, three times. And when he evoked the name of Sakyamuni Buddha, all the brothers and sisters in the community responded with the same. And after three times of evoking the Buddha's name, there is a sound of the bell, and we begin our morning meditation. And in the evening meditation, we have another chant similar. Please enjoy. Thank you.

[33:41]

oh Love is a gift of God. It's a gift of God. It's a gift of God. Thank you. ¶¶

[36:16]

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Namo Amitabha

[38:37]

Namo Buddhahoodi Namo Buddhahoodi Namo'valokiteshvaraya I was 16 when I became a novice.

[39:54]

And I began to learn that chant. And I had to transmit that chant to my students. And among the students of mine, monks and nuns in Plum Village, Thầy Pháp Niệm is one of those who can receive the transmission more easily than others. I'm very glad to have students like Phap Nien. She called Dinh Nghiem. Sister Dinh Nghiem here is also a good nun. She can chant this very beautifully. Where is Dinh Nghiem? Can you stand up? Chico de Niem was raised in France. She attended school in France, and that is why she speaks French quite well.

[41:02]

She visited Plum Village at the age of 14, and she wrote me a letter when she was 16. And she wanted to become a nun. But her mother did not allow her to become a nun, thinking that living the life of a nun may be difficult. But in fact, she is now a very happy nun. She has almost completed her training four years in Plum Village. She is a fully ordained nun now, and she is able to organize retreats, lead and teach retreats. Maybe she will offer you breathing in and breathing out in French.

[42:11]

Do you like it? Okay, microphone, just a second. Breathing in, breathing out in French. God is near God is near God is near Thank you.

[43:37]

I would like to introduce to you the youngest monk in our group. He came from South Africa. He's only 17. In 2019, he'll be 18. Suju Phap Chau was very happy the day he was ordained as a novice monk.

[45:09]

And one week after his ordination, I asked him, are you still happy? And he said, still happy, very happy. And one month after, I asked him the same question, he said, still very happy, even happier. And we used to have a silent meal together several times a week.

[46:43]

And it is my pleasure from time to time to ask Kashi Tu Fatto whether he is still happy. And up to now, he always said, I am happy. happy to have Shih Tzu, our brother, with us. Although he is young, he has been a monk only for one year, and yet he has brought to us a lot of happiness. Because he is happy, he brings us a lot of happiness. He came from South Africa. I remember one time when the president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, visited France, And he was asked by the French press whether he would like to tell them what is the thing he likes the most, he wants the most. And then Nelson Mandela said, what I want the most is to be able to sit down and doing nothing.

[47:56]

Since the time I was released from prison, I have never had a chance to sit down and do nothing. When we come together in a retreat, we just want to do that, just sit down and do nothing. And we are doing it for Nelson Mandela. I think Sri Chiu Phat Chau has been doing it for his president. I practice for you, I breathe for you, I walk for you, I enjoy a certain meal for you. When you are a monk, you practice not only for yourself, but you practice for your ancestors, your children, your grandchildren, your people, your father, your mother, and your people also. The amount of peace and joy that you generate within yourself is for everyone. Sathya Patel said that the day his father learned that he wanted to become a monk, he was so happy.

[49:04]

Ah, you are not going to be a lawyer or a doctor, you want to become a monk? I'm so happy. It's rare to have a supporting father like him. Many of our brothers and sisters here, they look like Vietnamese coming from Vietnam. But in fact, that's not true. Many of them have been living in Europe and in America. And they have got their education in Europe or in America. Many of them speak French or English or Danish or Dutch better than Vietnamese. Both of them have a double culture. They have come from different environments. And they have come to live, to try to live as a family.

[50:11]

It's not easy in the beginning, but because there is the teaching, the practice, that is why we have been able to make it into a family. And everyone is enjoying his or her sangha now. Brother Thap Niem wrote a beautiful song about how to live happily in the present moment. In fact, the lyrics are not his. The music is his. But the lyrics were written by the Buddha himself. How to enjoy living in the present moment? That is a poem spoken by the Buddha, and Brother Phap Niem has put it into music. Do not regret the past, because the past is already gone.

[51:14]

Do not worry about the future, because the future is not yet there. The wise person goes back to the present moment and lives deeply in the present moment. You have to be diligent to practice in order to liberate yourself from illusion, suffering, and anger. If you don't practice, if you don't go back to the present moment and practice deeply, then it may be too late tomorrow. Those who know how to To dwell deeply in the present moment and live happily deeply in the present moment is the ones that are praised by the Buddha. Now I invite Brother Khatien to sing to you that song he wrote.

[52:21]

And then after that, I would like to invite Brother Khatien to sing it in English because Khatien wrote his own music for the same theater. I want to show my people, just the way that I am. And that should be tough. But I want to show my people, just the way that I am.

[53:23]

Why did you choose to be a man? [...] They are obedient to you, so find them to be your crew. They will come next to you, and they will help you with the strategy. They [...] will help you with the strategy. This is a discourse of the Buddha.

[54:34]

translated as the better way to live alone. That is the teaching of the Buddha as how to enjoy living in the present moment. To live alone here does not mean to be cut off from society. But to live deeply in the present moment and not to live with one idea. That idea may be concerning the past, the future, worries, desires, anxieties. So you have to get rid of that obsession about the past and the future, about that craving, that anger. Because if you live with that, you are not living alone, you are not free. Brother Thach Huyen, Michael, may like to sing it to you in English.

[55:41]

His own music. What is love? My knowing the better way to live our lives. Do not pursue the past. Do not lose yourself in the future.

[56:49]

The past no longer is and the future has not yet come. Oh, look deeply at life, just as it is, arriving in the very here and now. Recognize it, invincible, unshakable, carefully, with your heart and with your mind. We must be diligent today To wait till tomorrow is too late For death comes unexpectedly And how can we bargain with it?

[58:04]

The sage calls one who knows how to dwell in mindfulness night and day. The one who knows the better way to live alone. and her group came from America.

[59:10]

They belong to a firm core sound troupe. they came and recorded the chanting of monks and nuns. And this year is the 15th year of Plum Village. And Sound Story is producing a compact list and two tapes about the singing of monks and nuns in Plum Village. I think they are available here in the beginning of this afternoon. And Tommy wrote and asked us to say a few things about Brother Phap Nghiem, how we should introduce Brother Phap Nghiem, because Brother Phap Nghiem has a number of chant and songs in the city and the tapes. And he asked me, he said, just tell that I am a happy monk and I love singing and chanting.

[60:12]

Brother Phap Hien, Michael, before he became a monk, he came to Plum Village with his girlfriend several years ago. Of course, he put him in the Upper Hamlet, where monks and laymen stayed and practiced. She was a girlfriend in the low hamlet where nuns and women stayed and practiced. They enjoyed being in Plum Village and they stayed there for a long time. After that, they asked permission to go back to America. And in America, they decided to go back to Plum Village and become monks and nuns. His girlfriend is now Sister Han Vien.

[61:20]

Who is there? Would you like to stand up, Sister Han Vien? We are very glad to have them in our community. They are happy monk, happy nun. Don't believe that they don't love each other anymore. They continue to love each other and more deeply with a kind of love that is much broader. As monk and nun, they practice the precepts, the mindful manners, And because they have had a chance to practice so that they can bring out more of their calm, their peace, their stability, that is why they understand each other even more and their love for each other deepens.

[62:29]

And they have begun to make the happiness of so many people come to Plum Village as practitioners. When you become a monk or a nun, it's not because you have suffered so much in the world that you want to avoid suffering, but because there is a kind of energy that is born in your heart, the intention, the desire to make the happiness of not just one person, but many people at the same time. That kind of energy is called bodhicitta. the mind of love, the mind of understanding. And when you've got that kind of energy within yourself, you cannot resist the vocation of becoming a monk or a nun. Our brother Michael did not have any problem with his parents, his father and sister.

[63:40]

He was very happy within his family. Sister Hanum also, she has a loving mother, a loving brother, and their families have come and visited them in Plum Village. And we're very happy to see the happiness of their son and their daughter. The father of Brother Phat Linh is a doctor. and he enjoyed very much his stay in Plum Village and he learned about mindful breathing. Now he is back and he practices mindful breathing and he teaches his patients mindful breathing and he is doing very well with the practice he had learned from Plum Village. When you have a chance to practice, you can bring out your best, your stability, your freshness.

[65:04]

And it's much easier for you to establish a relationship with another person, with many other persons. That is why their understanding and their love for each other and deepened since the day they became monks and nuns. I would like to introduce to you another young monk, fully ordained already, but only 21 years old. Brother Phap Khanh, the mirror of the Dharma. He came also from North America. Although he is young, he is a fully ordained monk. He wanted to be a monk since the age of 14. And only at the age of 17 he could have a chance to be ordained. I am very pleased with him.

[66:07]

He has made me very happy. And since the time he became a monk until now, our relationship can be described as perfect. I think he is a little bit shy. He is a very happy monk because of many other reasons. One of these reasons is that he has a blood sister who has also become a nun and who is now here also. Sister Ye Nguyen, please stand up. Big sister. When you become a monk or a nun, it looks like you are separated from your family.

[67:09]

And yet, you are more available to your family than those who get married. Strange, but that has always been the truth. And you become a spiritual supporter of your family. According to the Hindu tradition, when you are young, you are encouraged to enjoy your youth and the five kinds of sensual pleasures. And you become a monk, you practice, you take up the way and practice only when you have grown up, when you have got your family, when you have raised your children properly, and when your children have become adults and then able to take care of themselves.

[68:18]

And now it's time for you to become a monk and practice intensively. But in the Buddhist tradition, it is different. Because in the time of the Buddha, most of the monks were young. Most of the nuns were young. Because the Buddha said that, my teaching is about living happily in the present moment. If you take up the Dharma and practice, you can enjoy your youth. You can enjoy it right now. You don't have to wait until you are old to practice. There is a sutra called Samadhi Sutra. Samadhi is the name of a young monk, about 21, 22, son of a wealthy family in the city of Rajagaha. One day, Samadhi was taking a swim in a river not very far from

[69:27]

the Griddakutta mountain. It was very early in the morning, so after having brought a sim, he went up to the shore of the river and let the breeze dry his body before he put on his monk robe. And a goddess appears. And there is a conversation between the monk and the goddess. The goddess said, Young monk, you are still very young. Your hair is very young. Your face beautiful. You are healthy. Why don't you enjoy the five kinds of pleasures? Why do you seek happiness, some kind of abstract happiness in the future?

[70:31]

It is not timely what you are doing there. You know the five kinds of pleasures are money, fame, good food, sex, and a lot of sleep. Somebody said, Dear lady, my practice is very timely. I do not sacrifice my youth at all. In fact, I enjoy very much my youth. I am living happily in the present moment. The Buddha said that the five kinds of sensual pleasures, they look very attractive, but there is a lot of danger hiding behind these five kinds of pleasures. If you are not mindful, you can get caught in these kinds of sensual pleasures and you will suffer all your life.

[71:42]

I have picked up the Dharma in practice, and the Dharma of the Buddha can bring you happiness right away, because the Dharma has three characteristics. The first characteristic of the Dharma is dealing with the present moment. It does not deal with the future. It does not concern with paradise or emancipation after you die. In fact, the Dharma is dealing with the real things in the present moment. Sanditika. Sandristika in Sanskrit. And then the second characteristic of the Dharma is akalika. It means it is not a matter of time. Because the moment when you take up the Dharma and practice, you can be happy right away. For instance, when you learn about mindful breathing, as soon as you begin to practice mindful breathing, you can bring this harmony into your body and your mind right away.

[72:56]

You don't have to wait for five years or ten years. That is why the Dharma is prescribed to be not a matter of time. Then walking meditation, sitting meditation, enjoying a silent meal, mindful breathing, drinking your tea in mindfulness, all of these can bring you happiness and peace and calm right away. So it is not a matter of time. Then the third characteristic of the Dharma is everyone can come and see by himself or herself. It means inviting everyone to come and see by himself and herself. You don't need the mediation of someone else. A priest, a monk, you can come and see by yourself and try by yourself in a direct way.

[73:59]

So, young lady, I am not sacrificing my youth. I enjoy very much the present moment. I am not aspiring to some future abstract happiness at all. And the young lady said, how interesting. Can you explain more to me, please? And the monk somebody said, well, I have only taken up the practice for more than a year. If you want to know more, you have to go to the Buddha in order to ask. The Buddha now is residing in the bamboo grove, and you just go there and you ask questions, and he will be glad to answer you. The goddess said, well, you know, it's very difficult to approach the Buddha because the Buddha is surrounded by so many people. If you promise that you'll bring me over there, then I'll follow you. And then the monk Samadhi took the goddess to the Buddha

[75:03]

and introduced her to the Buddha, and she asked a few questions about living freely and happily in the present moment. And the conversation became the content of the sutra we call the Samadhi Sutra. It is interesting that today there are many goddesses like that writing to our monks and nuns and telling them exactly the same thing. Before becoming a monk or a nun, the young people already had their boyfriends or their girlfriends. And because of the fact that they like so much to become a monk or a nun, they just go ahead and become a monk or a nun. And that is why sometimes their former boyfriends or girlfriends would telephone and write.

[76:04]

And our monks and nuns, they always share their letters with me. I don't know why, but they always share their letters with me. I remember about half a year before she became a nun, Sister Dinh Nguyen came to me and said, Thay, my ex-boyfriend is calling on the telephone. Shall I answer him or not? I said, why not? Please use the speakerphone. Thank you. To become a monk or a nun, that does not mean you have to end your relationship with all your friends. In fact, you have to practice and help them to enjoy the Dharma.

[77:05]

That is why it is your duty to talk to him, to talk to her, in order to help her to be freer and to know how to practice the Dharma and to be happier. But in order to be safe, use the speakerphone. Another nun, three or four months after her ordination, brought to me a letter from her ex-boyfriend. The letter said exactly the things that the goddesses said to the monk Samadhi. I am very angry at you. Why have you become a nun? I remember the good time we spent together. in North America. Remember the time when we shared milkshake? Remember the time when we go to the movie together?

[78:10]

Remember the time when we were holding hands and my skin is touching your skin? It's so wonderful. Why do you sacrifice your youth and dream of some abstract kind of happiness in the future? So the language is exactly the language used by the godless. How don't you enjoy the five sorts of sensual pleasures now? Why do you have to bear the hard life of a nun? I am very angry at you, and I am very angry at your teacher also. Sister Vinh Quang told me that even after she became a nun, young men still tried to follow her.

[79:28]

She was ordained as a novice nun in the Vinh Vinh temple in San Jose. And after that, sometime after that, she came and practiced and became a permanent resident in Phlem Relief. Chöko Vinh Quang is here, and she can sing you Breaking In and Breaking Out. In what language? Yes, in what language? Chinese. Seating life, hope to be, sitting life, hope to be, how shall some cry? E'er the land of the free and the home of the brave. If the mountain of pain is not far away, I want to go down there and ask God.

[80:38]

I want to go there, I want to fly there, I want to go there. I want to go there, I want to fly there. You have come to save me. You have come to save me. You have come to save me. Who is it that I feel that my heart is full of space? In this, I am free, I am flying, I am free. I think I don't have time to introduce all of them to you.

[81:42]

Maybe we can continue some other time. Now I would like to ask the brothers and sisters to present to you the incense offering in English. And then maybe praising the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. The first is incense offering in English, and then evoking the name of the Bodhisattva of deep listening. Shall we stand up? Satsang with Mooji In my spiritual life. [...] Thank you.

[82:58]

The great grace of His heavenly Son, Christ the Son of Man in the world to come, presents all our salvation in His Son. O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave Thank you. The nectar of compassion is seen on the willow verge held by the bodhisattva.

[84:51]

A single drop of this nectar is enough to bring back life in the ten directions of the cosmos. May all afflictions of this world disappear totally and may this practice center be completely purified by the Bodhisattva's nectar of compassion. From deep understanding the flower of great eloquence blooms. The Bodhisattva is standing majestically on the waves of birth and death. free from all affliction. Her compassion eliminates all sickness, even thought as incurable. Her light sweeps away all obstacles and danger. The willow branch in her hand, once waved, reveals countless Buddha lands.

[85:54]

Her lotus flower, when blooming, becomes a multitude of practice centers. I bow to her. I see her true presence in the here and in the now. I offer her the incense of my heart. May the bodhisattva of deep listening touch us with her great compassion. Namo Avalokiteshvara Aya. Do canh yu lia ven kam loko nirthi yod nirayu phuong jruhi trung dayi Thank you. Thank you. Cám lộ chữa lành cơn khổ bệnh Thảo quán quét sạch để đi tại Liệu biết thất bại muôn thế giới Sẽ nào để bạn lâu đại

[88:03]

Thank you. [...] Một dòng người phương dưới cung đầy Bao nhiêu trần lịch yêu thương em Nàng đang thanh lịnh ở đây ngay

[89:31]

I love you. [...] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. One day of me.

[91:00]

One day of me. One day of me. One day of me.

[91:08]

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