Did Thay suffer when he started learning meditation?

Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, Thay, answers questions. University of Nottingham, April 2012.

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When you started learning meditation,
did you suffer?

(Sr. Pine) When you started learning
meditation, did you suffer?

No, not at all.

Meditation is something
very pleasant to do.

In fact, when I was ordained
as a novice monk,

my teacher gave me a book
of verses to memorize.

Meditation at that time
consisted in reciting these verses.

Each verse has four lines.

You breathe in with the first line,

breathe out with
the second line, and so on.

So it is very pleasant.

When you put on your shirt,

there is a verse for you to read

in order to breathe in and out
while you put on your shirt.

When you brush your teeth,

there is one verse for you
to recite and to breathe

while brushing your teeth.

Even when you go to the rest room

there is a verse for you to use

while being in the rest room.

When you are about
to turn on the light...

At that time there was
no electricity in my temple.

There was no running water in my temple.

We novices, we had to go
and fetch water from the well.

We had to use kerosene lamps.

Every time you light up the lamp

there is a verse for you
to breathe in and breathe out.

That is the practice of mindfulness.

Before you go to walking meditation,

you read one verse

so that you can
concentrate on each step.

But the first verse of the day
is when you wake up.

Upon waking up,

before searching for your slippers,

you should breathe in
and out with a verse.

That verse is very nice.

It goes like this:

'Waking up this morning, I smile.'

'24 brand new hours
are there for me.'

That is when you breathe in
and breathe out.

'I vow to live each hour deeply'

'and learn to look at people
with the eyes of compassion.'

Breathe in and out,
and in and out.

Only after that you rise.

And when you search for your slippers

there is another verse,
which is very nice.

It goes like this:

'From the morning until the evening'

'everyone has to look
to protect himself, herself.'

'If by accident
I step on one of you'

'I'm sorry.'

'I wish that you will be reborn right away
into the Land of the Buddha.'

Because while walking,
you may crash a tiny insect below.

That is very nice.

That is a practice
of meditation on compassion.

That is one of my favourite verses.

'From the morning until the end'

'everyone, every living being has
to try to preserve himself, herself.'

'If by accident I step on one of you,
I am sorry'.

'I wish you will be reborn right away
into the Land of Bliss.'

That is a very good way
to cultivate compassion.

That kind of meditation
does not make you suffer.

It makes you very happy.

And I learned sitting and walking.

So don't think that
to meditate you have to suffer.

No.

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