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Dear respected teacher

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Dear beloved community

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Today is the 10th of March
in the year 2022

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and we are gathered together
in the Stillwater Hall

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of the Upper Hamlet
at Plum Village, France,

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as well as

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in many places all around the world.

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for this retreat.

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So let us

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start just by enjoying
three sounds of the bell

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as we settle into this moment.
Into our bodies,

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into our feelings,

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into our breath.

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Just allow your mind to be

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guided back to the present moment

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with the sound of the bell.

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(Waking the bell - muted ring)

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(Deep bell sounds)

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(Deep bell sounds)

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(Deep bell sounds)

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Dear respected Thay.

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Dear friends.

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We have come together

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in this three or four day online retreat,

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three and a half day online retreat

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to honor our teacher

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and our beloved abbot Thay Phap Huu.

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And Thay Phap Trien
and Sister Lang Nghiem

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just returned from Vietnam a few days ago

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bearing the ashes
of our teacher's body.

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They made that trip specially just to

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to welcome Thay's ashes back

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to Plum Village.

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And on Sunday
we'll have a ceremony to

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receive his ashes
here in this hall

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and then to take them to

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to spread them

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in the beautiful grounds of
Upper Hamlet that Thay loved so much.

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Where the daffodils are currently

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smiling,

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and I know they will welcome Thay

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back to the earth.

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So we've gathered together

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maybe more than 500 of us

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online and offline

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to honor our teacher

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And yet . . .

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at the same time, we know
that there is a war going on

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And that people are dying

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People are being buried
under piles of rubble

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and many thousands of people

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are dying.

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Millions are fleeing

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their homes

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trying to find shelter somewhere else

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and there's a lot of suffering.

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And so . . .

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I have been asking myself
the last few days

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how can we

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continue with this retreat when we know

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the suffering that is going on.

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And part of me was feeling

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Thay would know what to do.

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Thay would know how to
respond to this moment,

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to this terrible and challenging moment.

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And a . . .

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I think that when Thay passed away

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a month and a half ago

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many of us felt

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a kind of a . . . a need to

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to step up.

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A sense of responsibility,

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because now who will play that role?

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Who will be able to guide the sangha

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in these challenging moments?

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Who will be able to respond

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to the suffering of the world
as Thay would do?

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And . . .

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It's very difficult to know what to do

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(Whispering instructions)

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So as I reflected on this

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I realized that we have
an opportunity in this retreat

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to a . . .

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to make sure that
Thay is very alive.

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Because we know he would know what to do.

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He does know what to do.

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So our job is just
to make sure that he's very alive

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in us and in the whole community.

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And I think we know how to do that.

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I look into my feelings
and my perceptions

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around the passing of our teacher, and

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I can't really say that he's gone,

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and I can't really say that he's dead,

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or that he's not there.

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If anything he feels more there,

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much more.

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Very present, very alive.

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So if we want to know
what to do, we can ask Thay.

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But first we have to help him
to be very present with us.

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And a . . .

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then we will know what to do.

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And what not to do.

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What to say

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and what not to say.

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Because we want to,
we want to help.

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Of course, we want to help.

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But we also know that if we

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if we don't have peace,
if we are not at peace

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then when we try to help
we may make the situation worse.

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And a . . .

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And we want to know 
that we are really helping,

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helping in the right way.

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So Thay said many times
and he wrote beautiful calligraphy

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"Peace in oneself, peace in the world."

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And when I first saw that calligraphy

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I struggled with it
a little bit, if I'm honest.

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I . . .

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I sort of wasn't convinced.

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I thought,
Thay, it's not going to be enough

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if, you know,
I can be at peace, sure, but

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there are still terrible things
happening in the world.

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It doesn't seem to make much difference.

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But as I reflected more

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on that statement

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my feeling about it started to change.

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So first of all
I looked at the inverse statement.

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So if there's no peace in me

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then there's definitely
not peace in the world

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because I'm in the world.

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I'm part of the world.

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So that is true.

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If there's no peace in us

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then how can there be peace in the world?

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And then I asked myself

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how do I know

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that it's not true?
You know, that if there's peace in me

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there would be peace in the world.

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I haven't even really tried.

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I think it's a . . .

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I'm a little bit arrogant
to think that I know

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what peace in me would be.

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Have I really committed myself

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to peace?

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In my life, in my actions

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in my way of consuming,

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my way of speaking.

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And do I risk to underestimate

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peace?

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Real peace.

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So I think it's worth checking.

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To ask ourselves

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Have we really tried yet?

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Thay always liked to say

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that in Plum Village we don't

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our intention is not to

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give you more ideas about peace.

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Because we already have
a lot of ideas about peace.

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We don't need any more.

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But our intention is to

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learn to be peace.

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It's not to talk about it,

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but to be it.

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And we have a way to do that.

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And . . .

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Then we can

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we can see

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for ourselves what is the effect

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of that peace in the world.

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Of course, we know that
the seeds of the current war

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were sown a long time ago.

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And so . . .

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we may not be able to stop

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the current destruction

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the loss of life, the suffering.

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But, we also know that we

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don't want to continue to
sow the seeds of war now,

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for future wars.

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And we have confidence that if we

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truly sow the seeds of peace,

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in ourselves, in our own hearts,

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in our communities,

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then perhaps we can avoid

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other wars in the future.

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Towards the beginning of the war

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I saw somebody posted online

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something like this.
It said,

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When will we learn

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to love our neighbors as ourselves?

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This is from Jesus' commandments to us.

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To love thy neighbor as thyself.

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It's known as the golden rule.

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Do to others as you would be done by.

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And it seems simple.

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It seems that if we could just

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love others as we love ourselves then

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that would already be a
much more beautiful society.

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A much more beautiful world.

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But . . .

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I'm not sure

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that I

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know even how to love myself, really.

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So even if I did
love my neighbor as I love myself

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would I really love them,

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if I can't yet love myself?

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So it seems to me
this is a good place to start.

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And it's a way to act.

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To really take care of ourselves

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is action,

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is engagement,

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it's not turning away.

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It is a real contribution.

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So . . . we know that
we have a physical body

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and we can ask ourselves,

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if we've really been
taking good care of our body.

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Have we allowed

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tension and stress
to accumulate in our body.

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Have we put pressure on ourselves

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to be a certain way

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to work late into the night.

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Have we pushed our body too hard?

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And are we really even paying attention

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to our body.

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This is the first practice

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just to bring the mind back

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to the sensations in the body
right now, in this moment.

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And . . .

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it's not always easy because if we have

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allowed some tension to accumulate,
then when we bring our minds back

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to the body it isn't necessarily pleasant.

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There may be some pain,

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some tension.

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There may be

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traces of past suffering
accumulated in our body.

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The body might not feel

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totally safe to take refuge in.

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It might not feel like a refuge.

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There may be feelings of discomfort.

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So if we

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if we bring our mind back
to our body, and if we find

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some painful feelings,

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some uncomfortable feelings,

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then we need to know how to

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take care of those feelings.

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To embrace those feelings
with all of our love,

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tenderness,

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and to give our body a chance

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to relax.

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To release some of
that accumulated tension,

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and to heal.

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Our body knows very well
how to heal if we give it the chance.

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So, we can do this multiple times a day,

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in any position we happen to find
ourselves we can do a body scan.

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Whether we're sitting, standing
lying down, even while we're walking.

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We can just scan the
different parts of our body and

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give them permission to

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to relax any tension that
might have accumulated.

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We have to be careful not to

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make more pressure.

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"You have to relax!"

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"Why are you so tense?"

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We have a kind of conditioning to

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tend to want to do everything perfectly.

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To do,

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to be good at relaxing,

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to do it well,

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that we may unconsciously put
more pressure on ourselves

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and create more tension.

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So, it's very nice just to

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just to give ourselves permission,

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to give our body permission

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to release, just as much as
as it would like to release

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without any expectation.

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So, I like to do this

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many times a day.

275
00:19:34,397 --> 00:19:36,017
I might start with

276
00:19:36,987 --> 00:19:38,447
with my jaw,

277
00:19:41,037 --> 00:19:43,267
and just check in and say "hello."

278
00:19:44,630 --> 00:19:45,980
"Hello" my jaw.

279
00:19:51,196 --> 00:19:54,715
Have I allowed some
tension to build up here?

280
00:19:55,887 --> 00:19:57,637
Is my jaw locked?

281
00:19:59,437 --> 00:20:01,999
If you want to, you can just release

282
00:20:02,259 --> 00:20:04,959
as much as you would like to release.

283
00:20:05,085 --> 00:20:06,786
Ah . . .

284
00:20:07,569 --> 00:20:09,139
It feels better already.

285
00:20:11,477 --> 00:20:13,401
I can check in with my tongue,

286
00:20:14,817 --> 00:20:16,487
the palate of my mouth,

287
00:20:18,109 --> 00:20:19,959
the gums, even the teeth.

288
00:20:22,324 --> 00:20:24,184
The whole mouth, and the lips.

289
00:20:26,588 --> 00:20:27,938
Just check.

290
00:20:28,922 --> 00:20:30,723
See how it feels right now.

291
00:20:37,449 --> 00:20:40,535
I just let my mouth and my jaw know

292
00:20:42,296 --> 00:20:45,596
it's ok to let go of

293
00:20:46,643 --> 00:20:48,887
whatever you'd like to let go of.

294
00:20:51,250 --> 00:20:54,601
And check my nose, the sinuses,

295
00:20:57,762 --> 00:20:59,042
the nostrils,

296
00:21:03,923 --> 00:21:05,346
the eyes.

297
00:21:12,257 --> 00:21:14,841
And all the little muscles
around the eyes.

298
00:21:15,469 --> 00:21:17,620
We make our eyes work so hard.

299
00:21:18,418 --> 00:21:20,552
Reading and looking at screens.

300
00:21:21,326 --> 00:21:24,146
So it's very nice just to
give them a chance to

301
00:21:25,531 --> 00:21:26,891
to become soft.

302
00:21:27,793 --> 00:21:29,754
Give them permission to rest.

303
00:21:33,583 --> 00:21:36,172
This is a kind of love, already,

304
00:21:37,004 --> 00:21:38,694
that we can offer ourselves.

305
00:21:40,251 --> 00:21:42,501
Kindness, compassion.

306
00:21:44,263 --> 00:21:45,873
"It's ok, my two eyes,

307
00:21:46,295 --> 00:21:47,775
you can rest now."

308
00:21:52,176 --> 00:21:55,806
My forehead may
have accumulated a lot of

309
00:21:56,943 --> 00:21:59,403
intensity, or thinking energy.

310
00:22:00,021 --> 00:22:02,047
I can just let my forehead know

311
00:22:04,482 --> 00:22:06,647
"Hmm, now it's ok

312
00:22:07,523 --> 00:22:08,883
just to be soft."

313
00:22:16,037 --> 00:22:17,841
I can check in with my ears,

314
00:22:21,927 --> 00:22:23,316
my scalp,

315
00:22:28,199 --> 00:22:29,621
my hands,

316
00:22:31,338 --> 00:22:32,847
thumbs and fingers.

317
00:22:36,732 --> 00:22:39,482
Is there any feeling of

318
00:22:39,958 --> 00:22:41,548
tension in my fingers.

319
00:22:43,319 --> 00:22:45,349
Just say "hello" to my two hands.

320
00:22:47,351 --> 00:22:48,681
Hello.

321
00:22:50,830 --> 00:22:52,532
You can let go now.

322
00:22:53,643 --> 00:22:55,185
Nothing to hold on to.

323
00:22:56,241 --> 00:22:57,482
Nothing to grasp.

324
00:23:00,964 --> 00:23:02,394
You can rest.

325
00:23:04,924 --> 00:23:06,734
I can say hello to my arms,

326
00:23:06,843 --> 00:23:08,183
my shoulders.

327
00:23:10,151 --> 00:23:12,897
Maybe there's a
little tension in the shoulders,

328
00:23:13,994 --> 00:23:15,477
or even a little pain.

329
00:23:20,526 --> 00:23:23,461
And say
"Hello, my two shoulders, thank you,

330
00:23:25,543 --> 00:23:29,463
for holding everything
you've been holding, and now

331
00:23:33,654 --> 00:23:37,418
you can release
what ever you'd like to release.

332
00:23:38,787 --> 00:23:40,356
Don't worry.

333
00:23:46,226 --> 00:23:47,926
My arms won't fall off.

334
00:23:50,817 --> 00:23:52,407
You can get back

335
00:23:53,750 --> 00:23:55,990
how ever much of my arms

336
00:23:56,087 --> 00:23:58,037
that you've been holding up.

337
00:23:59,360 --> 00:24:00,945
Just let them hang.

338
00:24:02,201 --> 00:24:04,611
Maybe arms feel a little heavier,

339
00:24:08,555 --> 00:24:10,063
a little more loose.

340
00:24:11,625 --> 00:24:14,055
Maybe the breath comes a little easier.

341
00:24:17,342 --> 00:24:20,413
Be aware of the movement of the chest,

342
00:24:23,023 --> 00:24:25,516
aware of any tightness that may be there.

343
00:24:28,418 --> 00:24:31,220
Just give it permission to soften.

344
00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:38,752
And feel the belly
rising with the inbreath.

345
00:24:38,864 --> 00:24:40,926
Falling with the outbreath.

346
00:24:44,824 --> 00:24:46,830
Hello, my abdomen.

347
00:24:48,173 --> 00:24:50,422
Is there anything
you've been holding on to?

348
00:24:54,204 --> 00:24:55,584
If you want to

349
00:24:56,993 --> 00:24:59,321
you can just release it now.

350
00:25:08,295 --> 00:25:10,926
We can feel our two legs, our feet,

351
00:25:15,648 --> 00:25:18,097
and just give them permission to rest.

352
00:25:19,410 --> 00:25:21,893
You're not going anywhere,
not doing anything.

353
00:25:23,488 --> 00:25:24,858
It's so nice.

354
00:25:27,741 --> 00:25:29,181
Just to rest,

355
00:25:31,066 --> 00:25:34,756
to allow ourselves
to sink a little deeper

356
00:25:36,781 --> 00:25:39,022
into our contact with the ground,

357
00:25:40,156 --> 00:25:41,776
the cushion or the chair.

358
00:25:46,105 --> 00:25:48,925
Feel ourselves resting on Mother Earth,

359
00:25:49,282 --> 00:25:52,207
and to entrust ourselves to Mother Earth.

360
00:25:59,806 --> 00:26:01,266
And maybe . . .

361
00:26:03,089 --> 00:26:07,939
our body feels a little sense of relief.

362
00:26:12,229 --> 00:26:14,538
(Exhales)

363
00:26:17,551 --> 00:26:19,221
And we can smile,

364
00:26:21,516 --> 00:26:24,596
and feel the smile
embracing our whole body.

365
00:26:33,256 --> 00:26:35,086
It's very nice to be

366
00:26:35,824 --> 00:26:38,705
just aware of the
sensations in the body.

367
00:26:41,566 --> 00:26:43,916
And we know our mind
is in the present moment

368
00:26:44,021 --> 00:26:47,445
because those sensations
are only in the present moment.

369
00:26:54,292 --> 00:26:56,952
It's a wonderful way to take care

370
00:26:57,152 --> 00:26:58,592
of our body.

371
00:27:02,726 --> 00:27:06,071
And then, in the body
we may notice some feelings.

372
00:27:08,100 --> 00:27:09,973
There may be a feeling of

373
00:27:10,492 --> 00:27:11,932
pressure,

374
00:27:12,818 --> 00:27:14,928
anxiety, tension.

375
00:27:17,425 --> 00:27:20,511
Some kind of unease or discomfort.

376
00:27:22,764 --> 00:27:25,772
We can say hello
to those feelings as well.

377
00:27:29,122 --> 00:27:32,266
And know that
we are more than those feelings.

378
00:27:35,249 --> 00:27:36,997
That we are vast.

379
00:27:39,395 --> 00:27:42,010
That there is a quality of love

380
00:27:42,992 --> 00:27:47,132
and stability in us
that is capable

381
00:27:48,715 --> 00:27:51,175
of embracing whatever is there

382
00:27:52,590 --> 00:27:54,292
with tenderness.

383
00:28:01,372 --> 00:28:06,912
And those feelings, they like to be held.

384
00:28:07,713 --> 00:28:09,676
You don't need to do much.

385
00:28:15,218 --> 00:28:19,888
Just to allow any feelings
of discomfort or uneasiness to

386
00:28:21,197 --> 00:28:23,640
to take a bath of mindfulness.

387
00:28:26,264 --> 00:28:30,264
To be bathed in the energy of mindfulness.

388
00:28:33,720 --> 00:28:36,710
And that means
just listening to those feelings.

389
00:28:37,229 --> 00:28:39,338
Being there for them.

390
00:28:41,973 --> 00:28:46,193
Taking the time to be fully present

391
00:28:47,863 --> 00:28:49,682
for whatever is there.

392
00:28:55,082 --> 00:28:57,002
It's very nice to do that.

393
00:28:58,989 --> 00:29:02,412
And we may find
that we have some emotions as well.

394
00:29:06,449 --> 00:29:10,449
Maybe there's some anger in our heart,

395
00:29:12,557 --> 00:29:15,400
or despair or anxiety,

396
00:29:18,582 --> 00:29:19,992
or fear.

397
00:29:26,196 --> 00:29:30,946
And those feelings
might have been pushing us to act,

398
00:29:32,690 --> 00:29:34,140
to consume,

399
00:29:37,461 --> 00:29:39,389
to speak.

400
00:29:43,682 --> 00:29:46,472
And somehow, when we're
pushed by those feelings we

401
00:29:47,007 --> 00:29:49,163
we lose a little of our freedom.

402
00:29:50,681 --> 00:29:52,361
We lose our sovereignty.

403
00:29:53,639 --> 00:29:55,659
We're not ourselves.

404
00:30:02,700 --> 00:30:04,495
So it's very nice also to

405
00:30:06,180 --> 00:30:09,418
to create the time, to take the time

406
00:30:11,296 --> 00:30:13,587
to say hello to those feelings,

407
00:30:14,836 --> 00:30:17,643
which may have been there a long time.

408
00:30:25,982 --> 00:30:28,918
To offer them our love, our presence.

409
00:30:30,357 --> 00:30:32,452
Our presence is very powerful

410
00:30:36,074 --> 00:30:37,784
when we're not distracted

411
00:30:38,467 --> 00:30:39,917
by the telephone.

412
00:30:50,760 --> 00:30:53,795
So we learn,
in this retreat how to handle

413
00:30:54,840 --> 00:30:56,231
our emotions.

414
00:30:56,387 --> 00:31:00,077
And if we are to handle them,
first we have the recognize them,

415
00:31:00,207 --> 00:31:01,807
that they are there.

416
00:31:02,429 --> 00:31:05,273
And be humble and honest.

417
00:31:17,223 --> 00:31:18,753
And taken together,

418
00:31:20,960 --> 00:31:22,720
the tension in our body,

419
00:31:24,399 --> 00:31:27,203
the tension in our feelings,
in our emotions,

420
00:31:27,779 --> 00:31:29,929
they form a kind of

421
00:31:31,583 --> 00:31:32,903
background

422
00:31:33,507 --> 00:31:35,427
inclination of our mind

423
00:31:38,493 --> 00:31:42,313
that may have a tendency to push us.

424
00:31:48,894 --> 00:31:52,994
And this inclination of mind
might have been transmitted to us

425
00:31:53,108 --> 00:31:55,048
over many generations.

426
00:31:55,773 --> 00:31:58,903
We may recognize our ancestors in it.

427
00:31:58,988 --> 00:32:00,608
Maybe there's a . . .

428
00:32:02,216 --> 00:32:04,953
just a . . .
it's like a subtle filter

429
00:32:05,442 --> 00:32:06,901
over everything.

430
00:32:08,040 --> 00:32:09,990
It influences our perceptions

431
00:32:12,017 --> 00:32:13,565
of everything.

432
00:32:15,384 --> 00:32:18,233
Maybe it's a kind of subtle cynicism

433
00:32:18,298 --> 00:32:21,250
that things will not work out.

434
00:32:23,752 --> 00:32:25,572
Things won't turn out well.

435
00:32:25,927 --> 00:32:27,467
(Whispers) I just know it.

436
00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:31,605
Maybe there's just a feeling that

437
00:32:33,842 --> 00:32:35,799
it won't go well for me.

438
00:32:37,318 --> 00:32:38,991
No matter what I do.

439
00:32:40,091 --> 00:32:41,771
I'm going to suffer.

440
00:32:44,241 --> 00:32:47,320
Maybe it's a tendency to feel like

441
00:32:48,166 --> 00:32:52,166
ultimately, we will let people down

442
00:32:54,758 --> 00:32:56,660
no matter what, in the end

443
00:32:58,223 --> 00:32:59,992
I will let you down.

444
00:33:02,582 --> 00:33:05,919
Maybe it's a feeling, unconscious,

445
00:33:06,022 --> 00:33:08,863
that in the end, will be betrayed.

446
00:33:10,740 --> 00:33:13,962
That love isn't really
something that we can rely on.

447
00:33:14,072 --> 00:33:16,302
Something that we can trust.

448
00:33:20,195 --> 00:33:21,935
These may be

449
00:33:22,833 --> 00:33:24,937
the kind of attitudes that have been

450
00:33:25,016 --> 00:33:27,636
transmitted over many generations.

451
00:33:28,763 --> 00:33:31,203
And conditioned by real suffering,

452
00:33:31,302 --> 00:33:32,792
by real betrayal,

453
00:33:32,924 --> 00:33:35,072
by real disappointment,

454
00:33:36,119 --> 00:33:37,929
by real pain.

455
00:33:38,301 --> 00:33:40,161
But now, maybe we just have

456
00:33:40,278 --> 00:33:41,668
the attitude.

457
00:33:42,800 --> 00:33:47,420
And it's worth having a deep
conversation with our ancestors

458
00:33:49,298 --> 00:33:52,620
to see if we can update that attitude.

459
00:33:54,958 --> 00:33:58,451
Invite them to look again, check.

460
00:33:59,566 --> 00:34:01,736
I like to talk to my grandfather.

461
00:34:01,809 --> 00:34:03,932
My grandfather was very sure that

462
00:34:05,977 --> 00:34:08,528
ultimately, things wouldn't go well.

463
00:34:10,421 --> 00:34:12,116
There would just be pain.

464
00:34:15,881 --> 00:34:17,241
And he

465
00:34:18,324 --> 00:34:21,414
caused people to suffer

466
00:34:21,564 --> 00:34:23,024
in our family,

467
00:34:23,124 --> 00:34:24,914
caused himself to suffer.

468
00:34:30,960 --> 00:34:32,863
And so he had lots of evidence.

469
00:34:35,181 --> 00:34:37,379
So I like to check in with him and say

470
00:34:40,457 --> 00:34:41,887
Hello.

471
00:34:42,405 --> 00:34:44,469
Look, in this moment

472
00:34:47,474 --> 00:34:49,474
we're not harming anyone.

473
00:34:52,832 --> 00:34:56,297
In this moment,
we're not harming ourselves.

474
00:35:00,807 --> 00:35:02,475
In this moment

475
00:35:04,658 --> 00:35:06,909
we're taking good care of ourselves.

476
00:35:11,381 --> 00:35:15,121
In this moment,
we're doing exactly the thing

477
00:35:15,197 --> 00:35:17,173
that we always wanted to do.

478
00:35:23,036 --> 00:35:25,639
In this moment, we're realizing

479
00:35:26,675 --> 00:35:28,540
our deepest aspiration.

480
00:35:30,680 --> 00:35:32,020
To love,

481
00:35:36,146 --> 00:35:38,257
to cultivate awareness,

482
00:35:38,726 --> 00:35:40,114
to wake up.

483
00:35:43,174 --> 00:35:45,268
And it's like a magic formula.

484
00:35:45,498 --> 00:35:46,838
It's a . . .

485
00:35:48,948 --> 00:35:51,528
It's an instant source of happiness.

486
00:35:52,603 --> 00:35:55,023
To recognize that in this very moment

487
00:35:55,136 --> 00:35:56,688
we're doing exactly

488
00:35:57,668 --> 00:35:59,831
what we wanted to do all along.

489
00:36:04,445 --> 00:36:08,099
Because we need to know how
to generate a feeling of happiness.

490
00:36:09,950 --> 00:36:12,150
Generating a feeling of happiness is

491
00:36:12,276 --> 00:36:15,895
a powerful way to act in the world.

492
00:36:18,126 --> 00:36:19,506
It's a way to

493
00:36:20,735 --> 00:36:24,219
help take care of our pain,

494
00:36:26,292 --> 00:36:27,992
of our painful feelings.

495
00:36:32,156 --> 00:36:33,816
A feeling of happiness will

496
00:36:33,933 --> 00:36:36,901
already help to
embrace our painful feelings.

497
00:36:41,018 --> 00:36:43,610
And it's wonderful when
we are already practicing

498
00:36:43,976 --> 00:36:46,930
just to notice, oh, I'm practicing.

499
00:36:47,490 --> 00:36:48,820
Wow.

500
00:36:50,392 --> 00:36:52,092
That's a source of happiness.

501
00:36:52,257 --> 00:36:55,568
That mindfulness is a source of happiness.

502
00:36:59,976 --> 00:37:02,641
Taking care of our suffering

503
00:37:02,949 --> 00:37:04,772
is a source of happiness.

504
00:37:05,850 --> 00:37:08,129
Now we need to let our ancestors know

505
00:37:08,966 --> 00:37:11,323
and invite them to participate

506
00:37:15,295 --> 00:37:18,074
and gradually,
the inclination of our minds

507
00:37:18,154 --> 00:37:19,684
starts to change.

508
00:37:22,356 --> 00:37:25,167
Maybe we have
a chance to see things anew.

509
00:37:28,782 --> 00:37:31,692
And maybe our perceptions change.

510
00:37:34,194 --> 00:37:37,694
Because our perceptions
are the ground of our action.

511
00:37:38,462 --> 00:37:41,417
And if we have a lot of wrong perceptions

512
00:37:41,515 --> 00:37:44,195
about each other and about ourselves

513
00:37:47,507 --> 00:37:49,827
then it will be very hard to act

514
00:37:49,941 --> 00:37:51,431
with wisdom.

515
00:37:54,722 --> 00:37:56,314
So . . .

516
00:37:58,521 --> 00:38:00,021
when we are able to

517
00:38:00,204 --> 00:38:01,788
to take care of our body,

518
00:38:02,177 --> 00:38:05,177
to relax our body,
to allow our body to relax,

519
00:38:05,739 --> 00:38:07,759
to take care of our feelings,

520
00:38:08,313 --> 00:38:10,379
to take care of our emotions,

521
00:38:12,289 --> 00:38:14,982
the fundamental attitude of our mind,

522
00:38:19,654 --> 00:38:22,696
then we can start to

523
00:38:24,264 --> 00:38:26,299
to be peace.

524
00:38:27,697 --> 00:38:30,177
And then we can really help.

525
00:38:42,717 --> 00:38:45,442
(Waking the bell - soft bell)

526
00:38:48,721 --> 00:38:55,201
(Bell sounds)

527
00:39:33,469 --> 00:39:37,329
So we want Thay to be very alive in us,

528
00:39:37,438 --> 00:39:39,028
and in our community

529
00:39:39,128 --> 00:39:40,978
in these four days.

530
00:39:41,681 --> 00:39:43,101
So I suggest

531
00:39:44,544 --> 00:39:47,731
that we live for these next few days

532
00:39:48,808 --> 00:39:50,668
like Thay.

533
00:39:54,982 --> 00:39:57,593
Thay had a lot of confidence

534
00:39:57,902 --> 00:39:59,897
in his students.

535
00:40:00,835 --> 00:40:02,379
Thay would always say

536
00:40:03,162 --> 00:40:04,472
Thay is in you.

537
00:40:07,484 --> 00:40:10,526
When often people would
come and ask Thay a question

538
00:40:10,723 --> 00:40:13,593
about starting an initiative somewhere,

539
00:40:14,820 --> 00:40:16,658
"I want to start a program

540
00:40:17,089 --> 00:40:19,649
for mindfulness
in hospitals" or something

541
00:40:19,828 --> 00:40:22,878
and Thay would just say,
"Thay is in you."

542
00:40:23,660 --> 00:40:25,842
Go ahead. Do it.

543
00:40:28,472 --> 00:40:30,602
He had a lot of confidence in us.

544
00:40:31,823 --> 00:40:37,253
And he gave himself to us.
His whole self, he held nothing back.

545
00:40:40,981 --> 00:40:43,348
And I think, when we practice

546
00:40:44,462 --> 00:40:47,872
we can feel that it's true.
That Thay is in us

547
00:40:48,577 --> 00:40:50,201
when we practice.

548
00:40:53,627 --> 00:40:54,997
So . . .

549
00:40:55,274 --> 00:40:57,914
if we want to live like Thay

550
00:40:58,514 --> 00:41:00,384
for these few days,

551
00:41:02,229 --> 00:41:04,439
to make sure that Thay is really alive

552
00:41:04,614 --> 00:41:06,404
in the community, in us,

553
00:41:09,714 --> 00:41:11,364
I think it's very easy.

554
00:41:11,674 --> 00:41:14,614
We just have to do
the things that Thay likes to do.

555
00:41:18,260 --> 00:41:22,480
And not do the things
that would hurt Thay in us.

556
00:41:23,396 --> 00:41:25,796
And I think we know what they are.

557
00:41:26,088 --> 00:41:28,238
I think we can tell the difference.

558
00:41:29,434 --> 00:41:31,484
That Thay is very sensitive.

559
00:41:33,480 --> 00:41:36,650
And some things that we
might have a tendency to do, that

560
00:41:36,863 --> 00:41:38,601
he would not do.

561
00:41:41,042 --> 00:41:42,852
So we can ask ourselves,

562
00:41:45,037 --> 00:41:46,974
or let him guide us.

563
00:41:51,417 --> 00:41:54,687
That's very easy.
In the morning when we wake up

564
00:41:56,022 --> 00:41:57,883
we can smile.

565
00:42:01,385 --> 00:42:03,148
It's a real practice.

566
00:42:03,529 --> 00:42:05,359
Waking up, this morning

567
00:42:06,027 --> 00:42:07,407
I smiled.

568
00:42:08,536 --> 00:42:10,278
It's not always easy.

569
00:42:12,871 --> 00:42:17,130
And I need to remember
24 brand new hours are before me.

570
00:42:20,861 --> 00:42:23,879
And to make the vow to live each moment

571
00:42:24,074 --> 00:42:27,234
in mindfulness like Thay.

572
00:42:30,989 --> 00:42:32,339
It's not easy

573
00:42:33,774 --> 00:42:35,448
to really do it.

574
00:42:39,676 --> 00:42:41,776
And to look at all beings

575
00:42:42,139 --> 00:42:44,749
with the eyes of compassion,

576
00:42:45,906 --> 00:42:47,356
like Thay.

577
00:42:49,442 --> 00:42:52,652
Even Vladimir Putin.

578
00:42:57,059 --> 00:42:58,659
Even the Russian soldiers

579
00:42:58,772 --> 00:43:00,622
that are bombing civilians.

580
00:43:01,579 --> 00:43:03,639
Thay didn't have enemies.

581
00:43:04,296 --> 00:43:05,806
He didn't hate.

582
00:43:10,545 --> 00:43:13,855
And that doesn't mean
that we condone the actions.

583
00:43:19,352 --> 00:43:22,212
But if we don't want to
contribute to future wars, then

584
00:43:23,127 --> 00:43:25,087
we cannot hate.

585
00:43:27,595 --> 00:43:30,742
And we have to be very careful
in our way of consuming

586
00:43:30,959 --> 00:43:32,309
the media.

587
00:43:32,513 --> 00:43:35,173
Right now there's a lot in the media

588
00:43:35,732 --> 00:43:37,511
of videos being shared of

589
00:43:37,679 --> 00:43:40,269
Russian tanks being destroyed

590
00:43:41,647 --> 00:43:43,697
by missiles.

591
00:43:44,117 --> 00:43:46,277
And they're shared like it's

592
00:43:46,789 --> 00:43:48,795
something to celebrate,

593
00:43:50,039 --> 00:43:51,469
a victory.

594
00:43:52,370 --> 00:43:54,169
Like it's in a video game.

595
00:43:56,384 --> 00:44:00,552
And you see what people are commenting,
what they post on social media.

596
00:44:07,541 --> 00:44:09,145
It's very hard to know

597
00:44:11,369 --> 00:44:13,044
how to handle that.

598
00:44:15,803 --> 00:44:17,433
Because of course

599
00:44:18,768 --> 00:44:20,128
we . . .

600
00:44:22,971 --> 00:44:24,985
we know that sometimes

601
00:44:25,817 --> 00:44:27,893
the use of force is necessary.

602
00:44:30,235 --> 00:44:31,956
Thay once said that

603
00:44:32,490 --> 00:44:35,044
sometimes non-violence is violence.

604
00:44:37,270 --> 00:44:40,980
If we could avoid the loss of life,

605
00:44:41,086 --> 00:44:43,392
if we could protect civilians,

606
00:44:44,906 --> 00:44:46,678
by the use of force, then

607
00:44:47,133 --> 00:44:49,746
sometimes, we should.

608
00:44:50,807 --> 00:44:52,767
And that is true non-violence.

609
00:44:52,878 --> 00:44:54,488
But it's very hard.

610
00:44:56,802 --> 00:45:01,171
And to do that we have to
have compassion in our hearts.

611
00:45:04,047 --> 00:45:06,097
And we have to know that there are

612
00:45:06,652 --> 00:45:09,012
young Russian men in those tanks,

613
00:45:09,320 --> 00:45:11,270
who have been misled

614
00:45:12,446 --> 00:45:13,820
and . . .

615
00:45:14,442 --> 00:45:17,255
have been fed with a lot of propaganda

616
00:45:18,284 --> 00:45:20,284
and they're dying too.

617
00:45:25,216 --> 00:45:27,556
So, whatever we look at

618
00:45:28,174 --> 00:45:32,374
let us be careful, how we consume it and

619
00:45:32,564 --> 00:45:35,564
to always keep
compassion alive in our hearts.

620
00:45:40,931 --> 00:45:43,921
To look at all beings
with the eyes of compassion,

621
00:45:47,466 --> 00:45:49,573
even though they hold a gun.

622
00:46:00,180 --> 00:46:02,723
And when we make tea

623
00:46:05,096 --> 00:46:07,132
maybe while the water is boiling

624
00:46:07,903 --> 00:46:10,589
my hand starts to twitch
and there's and impulse to

625
00:46:11,401 --> 00:46:13,717
turn on the phone, check the news.

626
00:46:15,644 --> 00:46:17,385
Would Thay do that?

627
00:46:18,034 --> 00:46:19,845
I don't think so.

628
00:46:23,327 --> 00:46:26,157
So we can notice the impulse,

629
00:46:27,049 --> 00:46:29,339
the habit, that we've trained,

630
00:46:29,721 --> 00:46:31,350
see it coming up,

631
00:46:31,927 --> 00:46:33,597
and we don't have to act.

632
00:46:36,212 --> 00:46:38,062
We can say, No, thank you.

633
00:46:39,118 --> 00:46:40,732
I'm making my tea.

634
00:46:41,744 --> 00:46:43,654
I'm going to enjoy my tea.

635
00:46:44,332 --> 00:46:46,342
Like Thay.

636
00:46:48,160 --> 00:46:50,810
And it's very interesting when you resist

637
00:46:50,963 --> 00:46:53,647
an impulse, that you've trained

638
00:46:55,129 --> 00:46:56,969
like checking your e-mail,

639
00:46:57,908 --> 00:46:59,739
or looking at the news.

640
00:47:02,062 --> 00:47:05,600
Because there may initially
be a feeling of discomfort,

641
00:47:05,747 --> 00:47:07,167
it's unsatisfying.

642
00:47:07,577 --> 00:47:09,730
You want to check and

643
00:47:09,849 --> 00:47:12,369
now you're not
allowing yourself to check.

644
00:47:12,504 --> 00:47:14,891
It's kind of uncomfortable, a little.

645
00:47:15,592 --> 00:47:19,138
So it's very interesting to
notice that feeling in the body.

646
00:47:20,272 --> 00:47:22,042
To allow it to be there,

647
00:47:23,286 --> 00:47:24,656
to embrace it,

648
00:47:25,576 --> 00:47:27,169
to smile to it,

649
00:47:28,392 --> 00:47:30,181
to allow it to soften.

650
00:47:32,889 --> 00:47:35,471
And actually, we can also cultivate

651
00:47:36,145 --> 00:47:38,635
a feeling of profound joy.

652
00:47:42,239 --> 00:47:44,761
Just by realizing that in that moment

653
00:47:45,254 --> 00:47:47,034
I was not pushed.

654
00:47:50,135 --> 00:47:52,465
I was able to say No.

655
00:47:53,398 --> 00:47:54,878
No, thank you,

656
00:47:54,993 --> 00:47:56,593
to this push.

657
00:47:58,679 --> 00:48:00,979
And that is a feeling of triumph.

658
00:48:03,104 --> 00:48:04,854
That is a feeling of joy.

659
00:48:06,455 --> 00:48:08,305
A success in the practice.

660
00:48:08,414 --> 00:48:09,904
To be able to stop

661
00:48:14,093 --> 00:48:17,361
and take care of what ever
feeling of discomfort was

662
00:48:17,555 --> 00:48:19,340
pushing us to act.

663
00:48:23,789 --> 00:48:26,131
And then you can
make your tea in freedom.

664
00:48:26,850 --> 00:48:28,390
And that is happiness.

665
00:48:29,706 --> 00:48:31,367
When is the last time

666
00:48:31,998 --> 00:48:35,278
you really savored a sip of tea

667
00:48:35,915 --> 00:48:38,034
in total freedom.

668
00:48:40,864 --> 00:48:43,422
When was the last time
you allowed a drop of tea

669
00:48:43,556 --> 00:48:47,495
to roll on your tongue and
you could feel the cloud in your tea.

670
00:48:51,169 --> 00:48:54,886
And enjoy the magic, the mystery,

671
00:48:55,086 --> 00:48:57,353
the wonder of tea.

672
00:48:57,535 --> 00:48:59,755
Water, the fragrance.

673
00:49:00,927 --> 00:49:03,862
The coming together
of all the causes and conditions.

674
00:49:06,211 --> 00:49:07,964
It's magical.

675
00:49:10,464 --> 00:49:13,680
And Thay has taught us
very well how to enjoy a cup of tea.

676
00:49:14,018 --> 00:49:16,398
We know exactly how to do it. And yet,

677
00:49:16,514 --> 00:49:18,744
maybe we don't always do it.

678
00:49:19,910 --> 00:49:21,550
So in these four days

679
00:49:22,527 --> 00:49:24,729
let's see if we can.

680
00:49:30,012 --> 00:49:32,811
We can become absorbed in the tea.

681
00:49:36,944 --> 00:49:39,655
And then we go
to join the sitting meditation

682
00:49:44,071 --> 00:49:46,851
and we know that Thay loved to breathe.

683
00:49:48,466 --> 00:49:51,268
Thay knew exactly
how to enjoy his breathing.

684
00:49:52,462 --> 00:49:54,462
So we can sit there, and say

685
00:49:57,487 --> 00:49:59,463
Let Thay breathe.

686
00:50:00,561 --> 00:50:02,291
I don't need to breathe.

687
00:50:06,984 --> 00:50:08,564
And it's true.

688
00:50:16,659 --> 00:50:19,191
Thay is breathing.

689
00:50:24,207 --> 00:50:26,399
I just enjoy the breathing.

690
00:50:29,649 --> 00:50:33,319
Thay knows how to breathe very well.

691
00:50:49,664 --> 00:50:52,234
Thay is the breathing.

692
00:50:58,354 --> 00:51:00,451
I am the breathing.

693
00:51:12,187 --> 00:51:14,140
There is only breathing.

694
00:51:19,745 --> 00:51:21,925
There is no 'breather.'

695
00:51:30,429 --> 00:51:32,009
Peace,

696
00:51:33,003 --> 00:51:34,663
while breathing.

697
00:51:40,783 --> 00:51:43,979
Peace is the breathing.

698
00:51:58,964 --> 00:52:00,497
This is something possible.

699
00:52:03,538 --> 00:52:05,920
You can allow Thay to breathe for us.

700
00:52:06,435 --> 00:52:08,561
And he can continue to teach us

701
00:52:11,570 --> 00:52:13,186
how to enter concentration,

702
00:52:14,620 --> 00:52:15,970
stillness.

703
00:52:16,973 --> 00:52:18,658
How to be peace.

704
00:52:23,749 --> 00:52:26,142
And then when we
go to make our breakfast

705
00:52:27,277 --> 00:52:29,425
we can make our breakfast, like Thay.

706
00:52:29,784 --> 00:52:33,014
Thay loved to make his breakfast.

707
00:52:35,359 --> 00:52:37,218
And he wasn't in a hurry.

708
00:52:39,992 --> 00:52:41,952
He didn't have to multi-task.

709
00:52:42,157 --> 00:52:44,437
He didn't have to listen to a podcast

710
00:52:44,623 --> 00:52:46,283
whilst making breakfast.

711
00:52:49,856 --> 00:52:51,936
He didn't have to check his e-mail

712
00:52:52,070 --> 00:52:53,650
whilst making breakfast.

713
00:52:59,983 --> 00:53:02,363
So let's try, and do it like Thay.

714
00:53:02,500 --> 00:53:04,980
Let's just do one thing at a time,

715
00:53:06,959 --> 00:53:09,142
with ease, with freedom,

716
00:53:11,644 --> 00:53:13,189
with joy.

717
00:53:14,611 --> 00:53:16,916
And when we eat our breakfast

718
00:53:18,881 --> 00:53:21,570
before putting the food
in your mouth you can

719
00:53:21,690 --> 00:53:23,080
look at it.

720
00:53:23,288 --> 00:53:24,969
Recognize it.

721
00:53:25,100 --> 00:53:27,490
This is porridge.

722
00:53:29,036 --> 00:53:31,395
Or this is a piece of apple.

723
00:53:34,138 --> 00:53:36,278
Then we can touch gratitude.

724
00:53:38,591 --> 00:53:40,211
We have food to eat.

725
00:53:40,403 --> 00:53:42,033
Not everybody does.

726
00:53:44,774 --> 00:53:46,634
It's already a wonder,

727
00:53:46,778 --> 00:53:48,868
to have something in our bowl.

728
00:53:52,496 --> 00:53:54,511
And when we take a spoonful of

729
00:53:54,598 --> 00:53:56,078
porridge or cereal

730
00:53:57,109 --> 00:53:59,268
and we can put our spoon down

731
00:53:59,636 --> 00:54:01,196
and chew.

732
00:54:02,484 --> 00:54:04,784
And wait until we have swallowed

733
00:54:04,935 --> 00:54:06,875
before picking up our spoon.

734
00:54:08,068 --> 00:54:09,698
It's a real practice.

735
00:54:14,487 --> 00:54:17,430
And we invite Thay
to have breakfast with us.

736
00:54:19,420 --> 00:54:23,320
It's a great honor
to eat breakfast with Thay.

737
00:54:23,600 --> 00:54:25,378
And we can all do it.

738
00:54:25,586 --> 00:54:27,104
It's wonderful.

739
00:54:27,650 --> 00:54:29,830
There's plenty of Thay to go around.

740
00:54:30,123 --> 00:54:31,763
There's no shortage.

741
00:54:36,804 --> 00:54:39,104
Now we can listen to the dharma talk

742
00:54:39,586 --> 00:54:42,285
with Thay's ears, and I know that Thay

743
00:54:44,414 --> 00:54:46,803
will be so happy

744
00:54:46,905 --> 00:54:49,205
to listen to Thay Phap Huu tomorrow,

745
00:54:49,377 --> 00:54:51,437
and Sister Chan Duc on Saturday.

746
00:54:54,458 --> 00:54:56,078
Thay will be so proud

747
00:54:57,714 --> 00:55:00,264
to hear his students sharing the dharma.

748
00:55:03,772 --> 00:55:06,082
And so we can listen with Thay's ears,

749
00:55:06,214 --> 00:55:07,784
with Thay's heart,

750
00:55:08,175 --> 00:55:09,676
with Thay's breath,

751
00:55:12,937 --> 00:55:15,757
with Thay's concentration and stillness.

752
00:55:19,642 --> 00:55:21,732
And then we can walk.

753
00:55:24,506 --> 00:55:26,626
Hopefully each of us has

754
00:55:26,834 --> 00:55:29,900
somewhere we can go
to practice walking meditation.

755
00:55:30,700 --> 00:55:32,880
Whether it's in our yard, or

756
00:55:33,758 --> 00:55:35,588
maybe just along the street,

757
00:55:35,819 --> 00:55:37,389
or in a park,

758
00:55:39,055 --> 00:55:40,825
or even just in our home.

759
00:55:43,169 --> 00:55:45,759
And Thay taught us so well

760
00:55:45,888 --> 00:55:47,391
how to walk.

761
00:55:48,347 --> 00:55:50,167
How to walk in freedom.

762
00:55:52,496 --> 00:55:54,756
How to arrive with every step.

763
00:55:58,709 --> 00:56:01,279
Not to hurry towards our destination,

764
00:56:02,657 --> 00:56:04,822
but to know that
our true destination is

765
00:56:05,188 --> 00:56:06,618
this moment.

766
00:56:07,128 --> 00:56:08,928
This step.

767
00:56:13,580 --> 00:56:16,450
Now we can do that
where ever we have to walk

768
00:56:16,762 --> 00:56:19,112
in our house, even from the bathroom

769
00:56:19,264 --> 00:56:21,168
to the living room, or

770
00:56:21,493 --> 00:56:23,422
as we walk around the kitchen.

771
00:56:24,613 --> 00:56:27,250
We can take steps in freedom.

772
00:56:28,533 --> 00:56:30,303
This is something possible.

773
00:56:36,532 --> 00:56:39,012
And I know if we all do this together

774
00:56:39,143 --> 00:56:41,656
it generates a powerful collective energy

775
00:56:41,760 --> 00:56:43,570
and we support each other.

776
00:56:44,358 --> 00:56:47,104
It's much easier to do it together

777
00:56:47,603 --> 00:56:49,073
than alone.

778
00:56:58,037 --> 00:57:00,567
We may have the
impulse to check the news

779
00:57:00,759 --> 00:57:03,019
many times, coming up in the

780
00:57:03,608 --> 00:57:06,029
spaces in between activities.

781
00:57:06,938 --> 00:57:09,368
It's like, oh, I have some time

782
00:57:09,487 --> 00:57:11,487
before the dharma sharing.

783
00:57:12,163 --> 00:57:13,903
Let me just check the news.

784
00:57:16,923 --> 00:57:19,191
And you can, if you want to.

785
00:57:20,838 --> 00:57:24,228
But try to read the news like
Thay would read the news.

786
00:57:27,073 --> 00:57:28,773
And we can ask ourselves

787
00:57:29,487 --> 00:57:31,567
how much is enough?

788
00:57:33,327 --> 00:57:35,902
How much do we need to take in?

789
00:57:38,140 --> 00:57:41,330
And, can we give ourselves a break

790
00:57:43,506 --> 00:57:45,076
for these few days.

791
00:57:45,185 --> 00:57:47,892
It's up to you.
Each of us can make a decision.

792
00:57:51,094 --> 00:57:54,024
But you may like
to set a timer on your phone.

793
00:57:54,228 --> 00:57:56,355
To give yourself ten minutes.

794
00:57:58,584 --> 00:58:00,654
If you really need to know,

795
00:58:02,633 --> 00:58:05,547
I think ten minutes is enough.
Just to check in.

796
00:58:10,041 --> 00:58:13,741
And then, when you
turn off the phone

797
00:58:17,332 --> 00:58:19,152
it's very interesting to ask

798
00:58:19,382 --> 00:58:20,922
What did I learn?

799
00:58:23,780 --> 00:58:25,447
How do I feel?

800
00:58:27,855 --> 00:58:29,285
Did it help?

801
00:58:31,802 --> 00:58:33,437
Was it important?

802
00:58:34,350 --> 00:58:37,074
What will I now do, as a result

803
00:58:37,985 --> 00:58:39,952
of knowing this?

804
00:58:41,635 --> 00:58:43,605
Is there anything I can do?

805
00:58:46,373 --> 00:58:48,193
Was it important?

806
00:58:48,798 --> 00:58:50,118
Really.

807
00:58:54,266 --> 00:58:55,797
It's very interesting,

808
00:58:55,884 --> 00:58:58,514
if you need to check, check, but then,

809
00:58:58,674 --> 00:59:00,634
ask yourself afterwards

810
00:59:00,767 --> 00:59:02,797
What did you learn?

811
00:59:03,942 --> 00:59:05,805
Was it important?

812
00:59:07,691 --> 00:59:09,091
And how do you feel?

813
00:59:09,284 --> 00:59:11,184
How do you feel in your body?

814
00:59:14,723 --> 00:59:17,173
And how often do you want to do that?

815
00:59:23,475 --> 00:59:27,236
You may like to
install a bell of mindfulness

816
00:59:28,135 --> 00:59:30,245
on your computer or your phone.

817
00:59:30,430 --> 00:59:32,970
We have the wonderful Plum Village app.

818
00:59:33,253 --> 00:59:35,773
You can set a bell to sound

819
00:59:37,810 --> 00:59:39,710
every hour or every half hour

820
00:59:39,893 --> 00:59:41,613
how ever often you want

821
00:59:43,799 --> 00:59:47,069
and that is a practice
that Thay really enjoyed.

822
00:59:50,828 --> 00:59:52,458
Stopping . . .

823
00:59:57,919 --> 01:00:00,078
coming back to the present moment.

824
01:00:02,433 --> 01:00:04,933
We can let the sound of the bell

825
01:00:06,766 --> 01:00:08,690
be the voice

826
01:00:10,007 --> 01:00:12,078
of Thay calling us back.

827
01:00:16,277 --> 01:00:17,607
"Hello."

828
01:00:18,244 --> 01:00:20,826
Would you like to breathe with me?

829
01:00:22,232 --> 01:00:24,466
Would you like to rest,

830
01:00:26,777 --> 01:00:28,107
to relax,

831
01:00:29,662 --> 01:00:32,377
to take care of yourself in this moment.

832
01:00:34,207 --> 01:00:36,607
To greet any stress or tension

833
01:00:36,857 --> 01:00:39,407
or discomfort that may have arisen

834
01:00:39,545 --> 01:00:41,536
with love and tenderness.

835
01:00:42,812 --> 01:00:45,122
It's amazing, in one sound of the bell

836
01:00:45,205 --> 01:00:47,819
you can do a
complete body scan if you want.

837
01:00:48,164 --> 01:00:50,627
Just check.
How does your body feel?

838
01:00:50,764 --> 01:00:53,574
Has any tension gathered anywhere?

839
01:00:56,135 --> 01:00:57,680
It's very nice.

840
01:01:00,106 --> 01:01:02,715
And when you brush
your teeth you can smile.

841
01:01:06,142 --> 01:01:08,452
If you like, you can use the gatha.

842
01:01:11,832 --> 01:01:13,422
Brushing my teeth

843
01:01:13,886 --> 01:01:15,690
and rinsing my mouth

844
01:01:16,420 --> 01:01:20,580
I vow to speak purely, lovingly.

845
01:01:25,394 --> 01:01:28,534
When my mouth is purified,

846
01:01:28,660 --> 01:01:30,690
is fragrant with loving speech

847
01:01:31,836 --> 01:01:34,756
a flower blooms in the garden of my heart.

848
01:01:38,442 --> 01:01:40,322
It's very interesting to check

849
01:01:40,608 --> 01:01:42,108
if that's true.

850
01:01:43,939 --> 01:01:46,279
I sometimes use that gatha to check

851
01:01:47,332 --> 01:01:50,022
in that day, how was my speech?

852
01:01:50,565 --> 01:01:51,975
Was it skillful?

853
01:01:52,885 --> 01:01:54,607
Did I allow myself to be

854
01:01:57,929 --> 01:01:59,548
aggressive or cynical?

855
01:02:00,061 --> 01:02:02,411
Did I use humor to put someone down?

856
01:02:03,271 --> 01:02:05,887
Did I lie?
Did I distort the truth?

857
01:02:09,578 --> 01:02:11,658
Just to check; it's very interesting.

858
01:02:11,771 --> 01:02:14,081
Once a day, or twice a day; to check

859
01:02:14,224 --> 01:02:15,614
How is my speech?

860
01:02:15,781 --> 01:02:18,297
And to notice that, when my speech

861
01:02:18,381 --> 01:02:20,491
really was mindful and kind,

862
01:02:20,761 --> 01:02:24,571
(breathing in) wow, yes.

863
01:02:26,821 --> 01:02:28,181
I can feel

864
01:02:29,582 --> 01:02:31,542
a flower blooms in my heart.

865
01:02:33,987 --> 01:02:37,110
It's very wonderful to notice

866
01:02:38,354 --> 01:02:40,509
when we haven't been unkind,

867
01:02:42,130 --> 01:02:44,512
when we haven't been unfair,

868
01:02:46,345 --> 01:02:49,053
when we haven't taken advantage of anyone.

869
01:02:50,564 --> 01:02:52,578
When we've been generous.

870
01:02:55,672 --> 01:02:57,434
When we've been loving.

871
01:03:00,548 --> 01:03:04,176
And it's also, kind of
letting our ancestors know,

872
01:03:04,676 --> 01:03:06,987
"Yeah, look! We're doing ok."

873
01:03:07,772 --> 01:03:09,412
"It's good."

874
01:03:14,041 --> 01:03:15,581
So we know that Thay

875
01:03:16,669 --> 01:03:18,596
loved life.

876
01:03:19,913 --> 01:03:22,654
He loved to do all these things.

877
01:03:24,767 --> 01:03:27,418
And so it's very easy,
if we want to

878
01:03:28,071 --> 01:03:29,828
live like Thay.

879
01:03:30,124 --> 01:03:32,432
We just do the things that Thay loved.

880
01:03:34,023 --> 01:03:36,844
You may like to stare at the moon.

881
01:03:38,978 --> 01:03:41,788
And just become absorbed in the moon.

882
01:03:43,058 --> 01:03:44,628
I remember one time

883
01:03:46,230 --> 01:03:48,910
I was Thay's attendant
just for a few days, and

884
01:03:50,377 --> 01:03:53,812
I was carrying Thay's bag
during the walking meditation.

885
01:03:55,756 --> 01:03:59,118
And it was in a big retreat there,
many hundreds of people.

886
01:03:59,235 --> 01:04:00,715
But he stopped,

887
01:04:01,049 --> 01:04:03,419
and he turned to me with this huge grin

888
01:04:03,535 --> 01:04:06,085
and he pointed at the trunk of a tree.

889
01:04:06,461 --> 01:04:09,452
He said,
"It's so green!"

890
01:04:10,299 --> 01:04:11,983
Because there was moss,

891
01:04:12,103 --> 01:04:14,776
there was like beautiful emerald moss.

892
01:04:15,890 --> 01:04:17,730
It was so green.

893
01:04:17,961 --> 01:04:20,521
And Thay was just completely

894
01:04:21,701 --> 01:04:24,009
absorbed with this moss.

895
01:04:24,878 --> 01:04:27,408
And there were hundreds of people there

896
01:04:27,505 --> 01:04:29,685
kind of like,
what's Thay doing?

897
01:04:29,903 --> 01:04:31,876
(Whispering)
Why have we stopped? Where?

898
01:04:31,966 --> 01:04:33,522
What's happening?

899
01:04:33,601 --> 01:04:36,394
And Thay's just like,
"Look! It's so green!"

900
01:04:36,656 --> 01:04:38,714
(Laughs)

901
01:04:38,822 --> 01:04:40,822
So you can do that too.

902
01:04:41,382 --> 01:04:43,680
You can fall in love with the moss.

903
01:04:45,119 --> 01:04:47,665
You can say hello to every tiny flower

904
01:04:48,116 --> 01:04:49,696
that crosses your way.

905
01:04:52,364 --> 01:04:55,750
You can look at the blue sky
as if it's the first time.

906
01:05:06,132 --> 01:05:08,114
And I think if we can do that

907
01:05:10,358 --> 01:05:11,768
then . . .

908
01:05:12,695 --> 01:05:14,255
Thay will be with us.

909
01:05:16,164 --> 01:05:18,559
Thay will be alive.

910
01:05:20,763 --> 01:05:23,041
And we will know what to do.

911
01:05:24,583 --> 01:05:25,913
What not to do.

912
01:05:26,310 --> 01:05:27,721
What to say,

913
01:05:28,406 --> 01:05:30,096
and what not to say.

914
01:05:45,728 --> 01:05:49,728
(Wake the bell - soft ring)

915
01:05:49,728 --> 01:05:58,458
(Deep bell sound)

916
01:06:21,963 --> 01:06:32,083
(Deep bell sound)

917
01:06:51,795 --> 01:06:59,535
(Deep bell sound)

918
01:07:15,927 --> 01:07:17,337
(Wake the mini-bell)

919
01:07:17,452 --> 01:07:19,432
(Mini bell rings)