[Três sons to grande sino ...]
Centro de Prática Plum Village, Templo Loving Kindness,
O Caminho do Buddha, Retiro de Inverno 2008 - 2009.
Os Insights que nos ajudam a Libertar-nos de Visões Erradas 14 December 2008.
No passado, quando Thầy recebeu os Grandes Preceitos,
o Pratimoksha,
Thầy teve de os recitar em Chinês.
Chinês clássico.
Thầy não os podia recitar em Vietnamita.
Hoje em dia, os monges e as monjas podem recitar os preceitos em Vietnamita.
No entanto, no Vietnã, a maioria dos monges e das monjas
continua a recitar o Pratimoksha em Chinês clássico.
Sentem que recitá-lo em Chinês
soa mais sagrado do que recitá-lo em Vietnamita.
É como recitar escrituras em Latim cá,
soa mais poderoso,
mais sagrado do que recitá-las, por exemplo, em Francês.
Recitar em Sânscrito
recitar em Latim.
Thầy gosta bastante das palavras introdutórias do Pratimoksha
O Pratimoksha que recitamos na Plum Village
é da escola Dharmagupta (Pháp Tạng Bộ 法藏部).
Os preceitos são como o oceano sem fronteiras. [ Giới như hải vô nhai ] [ 戒如海無涯 ]
Os preceitos são como tesouros preciosos, nunca nos cansamos na sua busca. [ Như bảo cầu vô yếm ] 如寶求無厭 ]
É porque queremos proteger a herança sagrada dos verdadeiros ensinamentos [ Dục hộ thánh pháp tài ] [ 欲護聖法財 ]
que nos juntámos para ouvir a recitação dos preceitos. [ Chúng tập thính ngã thuyết ] [ 眾集聽我說 ]
Dezasseis palavras.
Significa
que os preceitos são como o oceano sem fronteiras.
Os preceitos são como o oceano sem fronteiras.
"Giới như hải vô nhai,"
"Như bảo cầu vô yếm"
significa que os preceitos são como tesouros preciosos de que estamos à procura.
É como ir a uma montanha cheia de pedras preciosas; podemos recolher tantas pedras preciosas.
Mas recolher três pedras preciosas não é suficiente,
cinco pedras preciosas não é suficiente.
Nunca é suficiente.
Então os preceitos também são assim.
Estudar os preceitos, seguir os preceitos,
nunca nos cansamos de o fazer.
Então na altura, como um jovem bhikshu a ler os preceitos, senti que essas palavras eram maravilhosas
mas ainda não as tinha compreendido totalmente.
Não tinha visto claramente que os preceitos
são tão vastos como o oceano,
e que não há fronteiras,
não há limites.
Agora consigo vê-lo.
Vejo que os preceitos realmente não têm fronteiras,
tão vastos.
Quanto mais estudamos, mais profundos se tornam,
quando mais estudamos, mais vemos a sua vastidão.
E agora compreendo claramente a linha “Giới như hải vô nhai,”
que significa, os preceitos são como o oceano sem fronteiras.
No início podemos pensar "São preceitos. Qual é a grande importância?"
Os cinco preceitos, o primeiro é não matar, o segundo é não roubar ...
o que é tão complicado neles que têm de ser considerados
tão vastos como o oceano sem fronteiras,
sem limites?
Como tesouros preciosos que não nos cansamos de perseguir.
Claro, alguns de nós gostam de estudar os preceitos.
Mas mesmo que gostemos de estudar os preceitos,
tem de haver um ponto em que sentimos que é suficiente.
Mas o parágrafo introdutório diz, "như bảo cầu vô yếm."
Então como tesouros preciosos que perseguimos,
não importa quantos encontramos, nunca sentimos que é suficiente.
Os preceitos também são assim,
quanto mais os estudamos, mais vemos quão maravilhosos são.
Então quando estudamos os 5, 10 ou 14 preceitos
e pensamos que chega,
então não tocámos verdadeiramente os preceitos.
Porque os preceitos são muito profundos.
Contêm concentração e insight.
E insight é um baú de tesouro
de compreensão e amor.
E então podemos estudar os preceitos toda a nossa vida e ainda assim sentir que não é suficiente.
"Giới như hải vô nhai, Như bảo cầu vô yếm." [ 戒如海無涯，如寶求無厭 ]
Os preceitos são como o oceano sem fronteiras.
Os preceitos são como uma montanha de pedras preciosas, nunca nos cansamos na sua busca.
"Dục hộ thánh pháp tài, Chúng tập thính ngã thuyết." [ 欲護聖法財，眾集聽我說 ]
"Porque queremos proteger a herança sagrada dos nobres
a sangha juntou-se aqui para ouvir a recitação dos preceitos."
É porque temos uma herança muito preciosa, que são os preceitos.
E se conseguirmos proteger essa herança, continuaremos a ser ricos.
Se perdermos essa herança, então iremos tornar-nos pobres.
É por isso que os preceitos são muito importantes no Budismo.
Preceito é sila.
E estamos prestes a ter uma grande cerimónia de transmissão dos preceitos.
a cerimónia da Transmissão dos Grandes Preceitos da Nova Época do Lótus (Giới Đàn Mùa Sen Mới).
E muitas pessoas estão a pedir a transmissão dos preceitos.
"Sila" significa
preceitos.
E
preceitos levam à concentração.
Concentração é "samadhi."
Quando os nossos preceitos e concentração são poderosos o suficiente,
podemos perfurar a rede de ilusão
e chegar a uma compreensão profunda, a que chamamos "insight",
ou Prajna.
Então os preceitos contêm concentração e insight.
Se os preceitos não contêm concentração e insight,
não são preceitos verdadeiros.
Então devemos saber que preceitos aqui
contêm concentração,
e concentração contém insight.
Aqui está concentração.
E aqui está insight.
Se ao praticarmos conseguirmos desenvolver concentração e insight
é porque os preceitos em si contêm concentração e insight.
Então quando observamos o primeiro preceito de
não matar, de proteger a vida,
sabemos que concentração e insight estão aqui.
Deve haver um tipo de insight
que serve de base para os preceitos.
Nas últimas semanas temos visto claramente que
insight é visão certa.
"Chánh kiến" significa visão certa.
Visão certa.
E visão certa
é a visão que leva a solidariedade e amor,
e não a discriminação e divisão.
É isso que queremos dizer com visão certa.
A visão do co-surgimento interdependente, a visão do interser.
Co-surgimento interdependente. [ Duyên sinh ]
Interser. [ Tương Tức ]
Co-surgimento interdependente significa que isto depende daquilo para se manifestar.
Como a esquerda depende da direita para ser.
Se não existe esquerda, não existe direita.
Isto também é interser.
Esquerda e direita dependem uma na outra para ser.
Se não existe esquerda, nunca vai existir direita.
Se isto não existe, então aquilo nunca vai existir.
Nos sutras, o Buddha ensinou isto muito claramente,
"Isto é porque aquilo é."
É muito simples.
Isto é porque aquilo é. [ Thử hữu tức bỉ hữu ] [ 此有故彼有 ]
Significa, isto é porque aquilo é.
Isto é, então aquilo é.
Isto e aquilo.
Imaginemos que não há esquerda. Como poderá haver direita?
Inicialmente vemos que a esquerda e a direita
são como o sol e a lua, a oporem-se.
Mas de facto, elas envolvem-se.
Na esquerda está a direita.
E na direita está a esquerda.
Onde quer que esteja a esquerda, está também a direita.
É maravilhoso.
Se não há esquerda, não pode haver direita.
Isto é compreensão certa. Aquilo a que chamamos visão certa.
É como quando dizemos "eu" e "tu".
"Eu" e "tu".
Estas duas coisas.
O um e o todo.
O um
e o todo.
O um e o todo. [ Nhất, nhất thiết ] [ 一 , 一切 ]
No Budismo diz-se que o um é o todo.
Este é o um,
este é o todo.
O um. O todo. [ 一 , 一切 ]
Porque é que o um é o todo?
Porque olhando profundamente para o um,
olhando muito profundamente,
podemos ver o todo.
Na Plum Village usamos frequentemente a flor como exemplo.
Olhando profundamente para esta uma flor.
podemos ver que ela contém tudo.
A nuvem, o sol, a terra, até a consciência humana.
não há nada no universo que não esteja nesta flor.
O todo é inerente no um.
E se retirarmos o todo, o um deixa de existir.
Se retirarmos o todo, o um deixa de existir.
Então o um envolve o todo e o todo envolve o um
Fora do um, o todo não existe,
e fora do todo, o um não existe.
É por isso que o um e o todo dependem um do outro para ser.
Não podemos dizer que o todo vem primeiro e depois vem o um,
ou que o um vem primeiro e depois vem o todo.
Então é uma compreensão muito profunda.
E quando conseguimos ver a natureza do interser,
interser,
isto é aquilo,
isto envolve aquilo,
então começamos a compreender.
Como quando olhamos para os preceitos e vemos que contêm concentração e insight,
conseguimos ver a verdadeira natureza dos preceitos.
Mas se virmos que os preceitos não são concentração nem insight,
não compreendemos realmente os preceitos.
Porque preceitos, concentração e insight inter-são.
Eles inter-são.
Esse é o insight a que temos de chegar.
E esse insight não chega a falar ou a ouvir.
Temos de praticar olhar profundamente.
E um dia seremos capazes de ter insight.
Esse insight é a visão certa.
E quando tivermos insight,
os preceitos tornam-se algo muito natural.
Quando virmos que a outra pessoa somos nós, não podemos matá-la.
Porque matar essa pessoa significa matar-nos a nós próprios.
É o mesmo se falarmos sobre o homem e o ambiente.
Homem e o ambiente.
E se tivermos a visão errada (tà kiến),
diremos que o homem é uma coisa e que o ambiente é outra coisa.
Essa não é uma visão certa.
E sem visão certa, ética não é possível.
Segundo os ensinamentos do Buddha
assim como os insights de outros grandes seres
o ambiente é também homem.
Homem vem do ambiente.
E o ambiente cria o homem.
É por isso que podemos dizer que somos o ambiente.
Tu és o ambiente, o ambiente és tu.
When we have this insight, that is right view.
Seeing the inter-being between ourselves and the environment,
we can't possibly harm the environment.
Because harming the environment is harming ourselves.
To kill the environment is to kill the human species.
Nowadays, sociologists and scientists are all able to see this.
They can see it in theory but perhaps not with insight .
So in not harming the environment,
in observing the precepts to not harm the environment,
to not kill other species,
to not kill other people,
that comes from insight.
There is right view.
That's why we say precepts must contain insight
to be called true precepts.
If we just say, "The first precept is no killing,"
but we don't have the insight on why we shouldn't kill,
then we have not understood the precepts.
We need the insight of inter-being:
If you kill that person you kill yourself.
You will suffer a lot.
With that insight, no-killing is possible.
So the precepts contain concentration and insight.
And looking into the precepts,
we'll find it's complete with concentration and insight.
That is why the precepts have no boundaries.
The precepts are like the ocean, without boundaries.
The more we study, the more we see how deep and vast they are.
The more we study, the more we see how precepts contain concentration and insight.
And insight is limitless.
For some, a lake or a pond may already seem large,
but when they encounter a river, and they see that the river is so vast.
But a river is nothing compared to the ocean.
So when we look deeply into the precepts,
we can also see that the precepts are limitless,
Because the precepts contain concentration and insight.
And if insight is limitless, then love is also limitless.
Insight is understanding,
and compassion is love.
Compassion is love. Insight is understanding.
And we have learned that in Buddhism
love is immeasurable.
Love is made of four elements:
loving kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity.
The four immeasurable minds. [ Tứ vô lượng tâm ] [ 四無量心 ]
"Vô lượng" means limitless.
And if love is limitless,
the understanding that generates that love is also limitless.
And because the precepts contain insight, understanding,
they are also limitless.
So now Thay understands clearly that the line,
"The precepts are like the ocean without boundaries," is very true.
The precepts are like the ocean without boundaries.
This is very true.
The precepts are like the ocean without boundaries.
Like precious treasures that we keep looking for.
We've found so many, yet we never get tired,
we still want to keep looking for more.
So, studying the precepts in that spirit,
we are true practitioners.
Wherever there's a precepts class, we go there immediately
to study with the precepts teachers.
Precepts teachers who have studied the precepts for 20 years are very well-learned,
yet they still feel they haven't understood enough,
so they aspire to study for another 10 years, and even so it's not enough,
so they study for another 20 years.
When we have such a desire for the learning the precepts,
they can be considered true precepts.
So 25 years ago, we did some deep looking,
we mobilized the sangha,
and together we renewed the 5 Mindfulness Trainings.
At the time, we felt that version of the 5 Mindfulness Trainings were already so wonderful.
But now, after 25 years of practicing
we are very clear that we need to revise the 5 Mindfulness Trainings.
Because the 5 MTs must be presented in such a way that when we recite them
we can see that they contain concentration and insight.
So during the past 3 or 4 weeks,
the community in Plum Village has been helping Thay revise the first training,
the training on protecting life.
In the past when the Buddha devised the precepts,
it was also done with the support of the senior monks and nuns.
So now as we revise the precepts,
as we revise the precepts
you must also help Thay.
You must do it with Thầy.
Don't leave Thay to do it alone.
That wouldn't be nice.
So in the Dharma sharing sessions, don’t just sit and listen,
you must share your insights on the trainings.
You must truly contribute to the discussion.
You must speak out.
Of course, it may be that in our sharing circle
there are people who are good at taking notes,
or good at choosing the right words to express the sangha’s insights.
They are the editors.
So you may not be an editor, but you have insight.
If you have an insight into the training, you should speak out.
You have the practice, so you can share, you can contribute.
Later you can tell your children that
"In those days, when the 5 Mindfulness trainings were revised,
I was there."
But I was there!
Whether I'm now a venerable nun
or a venerable monk,
I had actively contributed.
I didn't just sit there and listen, and say I'm happy to flow,
No, being happy to flow is not enough.
You have to contribute to the process.
Later, should your children ask about it,
you can say “Yes, I was there and I contributed wholeheartedly.”
That's how it should be.
So today is Sunday,
and we'll continue with revising the fifth training.
No. The first training.
And the sangha has already appointed one person per group
to take notes and to edit.
So all the note takers and editors from the different groups should come together,
gathering all the ideas from their groups
and condensing it into a text for the first training that's not too long.
But it should contain
the concentration and insight on the training of no killing.
So in the training on no killing, it should be presented it in such a way that we can see
that with the insight of interbeing,
with the insight of interdependent co-arising,
we no longer discriminate.
We're no longer dogmatic.
We're no longer angry.
Because
with understanding, there is acceptance and love.
And when there is acceptance and love, then how can one still kill?
Killing that person means killing ourselves.
That's why in the first training
we can help everyone see the insight that serves as the foundation.
And we know that the spirit of Buddhism
is one of openness.
Open to learn and to not get caught in any view,
any doctrine,
theory or religion.
Because in our society,
sometimes in the name of a doctrine
in the name of a theory, a religion or God,
they kill each other.
And in the Buddhist tradition,
we have the practice called non attachment to views,
to not be caught in any doctrine, theory,
or ideology,
even Buddhist ideology or Buddhist theory.
We should see the teachings of the Buddha as guiding means.
They are the finger pointing to the moon,
the raft to cross to the other shore.
We should not worship
or
wage a war just to protect these things.
The things that we consider to be absolute truths.
That's why while in Vietnam last year,
Thay organized requiems to pray
for the six to seven million people who died during the Vietnam war.
In the prayer we were able to say this one sentence.
We were able to say this one sentence.
And that prayer ended up being published in "Giác Ngộ" magazine.
The sentence was, "Before both our spiritual and blood ancestors,
we vow that from now on we will never initiate any idealogical wars."
That line is very important.
The current and future generations should learn this line
because the Vietnam war was essentially an ideological war
between communism and capitalism.
And the country and the people of Vietnam became a battlefield.
Because one side subscribed to Marxism (communism),
and the other side subscribed to capitalism.
Not only did the country adopt ideologies brought in from outside
it also imported weapons from outside
and brothers ended up killing brothers.
That war
was an ideology war.
And brothers of one family killed each other because of ideologies.
So when we are fanatic about an ideology,
we might end up killing each other.
The spirit of Buddhism is openness,
to not get caught in any ideology,
any doctrine or theory—
and it's written very clearly— even Buddhist ones.
We shouldn't be caught in them either.
That is called non-attachment to views,
not being caught in any ideology or theory.
Non-attachment to views.
That's the beauty of Buddhism.
So when we talk about the first mindfulness training,
we have to talk about this.
First, the insight interbeing must be there.
I am you, you are me. Killing you means killing me.
Second, there must be openness.
We are not caught in any doctrine, any theory or any ideology.
That is when the precept on no-killing can be a true Buddhist precept.
Now we see in India and Iraq,
everyday bombs are exploding,
everyday people are dying.
The people are caught in their ideologies, theories or religions.
They punish each other, they kill themselves and they kill others.
So how can we present the first training
so that it can be a bell of mindfulness
for the whole world to wake up,
and see that we need to free ourselves
from the fanatism and intolerance,
in order to put an end
to the violence, the hatred and the killing.
So for the first precept,
how can we keep it short
but still be able to express all the insights.
Insight is the foundation for action.
So precepts.
About precepts, we need to present them in a way
that people can touch the concentration and insight while reciting them.
Maybe we ... teacher and disciples,
in this winter retreat
we can offer a new version of the 5 Mindfulness Trainings.
And maybe they can be used for the next 20 or 30 years.
They can play their role in the next 20 or 30 years.
But in 20 or 30 years, the situation in the world will change,
and it will require us to sit down and revise the trainings again.
Because the trainings must be appropriate.
On one hand, they should be appropriate to the teachings.
They must be in-line with the teachings.
And on the other hand, they should be appropriate to the situation of the world.
In-line with the teachings and appropriate to our times. [ khế lý 契理 , khế cơ 契機 ]
That is called appropriateness.
Today the sangha is invited to work effectively together.
So we have Dharma sharing groups,
or precepts sharing groups.
And in each sharing group, there are some who are active,
some who can share quite deeply,
and some who are capable of taking notes and reporting.
So we should encourage these people to meet similar people in other groups
to form an editorial council.
And Thay will hand over all the materials
and results of last weeks Dharma sharing sessions
so that they can rewrite and present the first training as they wish.
That text will be the result of collective insight,
from teacher and disciple, from all the brothers and sisters.
And it can be our offering to the Three Jewels as the year ends,
on the occasion of Christmas and New Year.
In the past few weeks we have tried to offer some different views.
View or approach.
Three different views.
The first is the view from theistic traditions.
You should already have that printed text.
And we have a paragraph
about the scientific view.
The view of science about the universe and all beings.
Lastly, we have a paragraph about the Buddhist view.
The Buddhist view on consciousness and action.
So we should all have these three texts.
These texts represent the three different approaches,
the theistic approach,
the scientific approach,
and the Buddhist approach.
Buddhist studies can be better described as ethics rather than religion.
Because in Buddhism we don't speak of the creator.
If God is perceived ...
as the ground of being,
if God is perceived as the ultimate reality,
as suchness,
as Nirvana,
then in Buddhism there is God.
But if God is perceived as a man
with a long beard standing high up in the sky
who created humans and all things,
then in Buddhism there is no God like that.
And now people say that
spirituality is possible without God.
Spirituality without God.
But depending on how we understand the word God,
we can see whether God is present in Buddhism or not.
If we say man is created in the image of God,
there is no such belief in Buddhism.
But if we say God is the ultimate reality,
the ground of being then there may be a God.
It is like that.
Thay has proposed a short text—less than a dozen lines—on the Buddhist approach.
And this Buddhist approach
is just a finger pointing to the moon, or a raft to cross the river.
You can come up with another text.
And in the future the Buddhist approach can be improved.
We can present it in a better way.
Just like science. The view representing science here
may no longer be relevant now.
In science, there are those who have made great progress
and there are those who have stay behind.
And the scientists who have made great progress and the scientists who have stay behind,
they strongly oppose each other.
They have very different views.
And so, the view of science is also advancing,
and the view of religion is also advancing.
So the view of Buddhism must also move forward.
Why?
If love is something limitless,
then understanding and wisdom should also be something limitless.
So we cannot say that our understanding ends here.
So if there are any theologians here in the sangha
(theologians)
let's contemplate, let's try to find
a new understanding
of cosmology from the theistic traditions.
Because the view that we have been using
as the foundation for ethics may be outdated.
In the light of science, that view needs to be revised.
In the Buddhist approach, both subject and object of perception ...
manifest from consciousness
according to the principle of interbeing.
"Both subject and object of perception manifest from consciousness
according to the principle of interbeing."
Wherever we go we can see interbeing.
Subject of perception and object of perception
are not two things that exist outside of each other.
The subject contains the object and the object contains the subject.
Just like this flower, it contains the universe
and the universe contains this flower.
They cannot exist outside of each other. This is the insight of Buddhism.
So, "Humankind is present in all things
and all things are present in humankind."
It means that humankind is present in the environment
and the environment is present in humankind.
Human beings and the environment inter-are.
It is clearly consistent with the insight of interbeing.
You contain the environment.
The environment contains you.
You are the environment. That is the insight of Buddhism.
And Buddhism goes further.
"On the phenomenal level,
there seems to be birth, death, being and non-being,
but ontologically, these notions cannot be applied to reality."
"On the phenomenal level,
there seems to be birth, death, being and non-being,
but ontologically,
these notions cannot be applied to reality."
This is very Buddhist.
This is just one person's way of expressing this.
As you study and practice Buddhism,
you may find better ways to express this.
It's the same in science.
If you are a scientist.
—there must be some scientists among us—
like astrophysicists, or nuclear physicists,
uou know that science is also advancing.
It has left behind archaic knowledge,
and is finding ways to be free from views,
to break free from old knowledge to search for new knowledge.
There are scientists who have come very close,
and who have started to have insights that are similar to Buddhist ones.
They're starting to see that the universe is also consciousness,
they're starting to see that the quanta is also consciousness,
first of all their own consciousness.
So dialogue between science and religion
have been going on for decades.
And it is something very exciting.
If scientists can work together with Buddhists,
if scientists learn to meditate and to use a tool called mind,
they can succeed much more quickly.
Because scientists have very sophisticated instruments.
They have very expensive instruments, like particle accelerators.
The one in Switzerland is very expensive.
But in Buddhism, we say the most important instrument is our mind.
When mind is tainted with the afflictions of craving, anger and ignorance,
that instrument cannot realize deep insights.
So if we know how to purify our mind,
how to remove the dust of craving, anger, ignorance,
our mind becomes clear and bright.
With that clarity, we can see more clearly.
That is why scientists must also be practitioners
in order to be successful more quickly and easily.
Scientists can't just use their intellect alone, they also need to make use of their heart.
Everything evolves according to the principle of interdependence,
but there is free will and the possibility to transform,
there is probability.
"The dynamic consciousness is called karma energy.
Everything evolves according to the principle of interdependence, interbeing,
but there is still free will and the possibility to transform.
There is probability.
And the one affects the all, the all affect the one."
The all affect the one, and the one affects the all.
Each sentence contains the insight of interbeing.
To Thay, the principle of interbeing is very scientific.
"Right view allows right action,
leading to the reduction of suffering and the increase of happiness."
"Right view allows right action,
leading to the reduction of suffering and the increase of happiness."
So in Buddhist ethics, right view is very important.
Right view leads to right thinking, right speech and right action.
And one more thing:
happiness and suffering inter-are.
"Happiness and suffering inter-are."
Meaning in happiness there is suffering. In suffering there is happiness.
Happiness and suffering make each other. That is also the insight of interbeing.
Perhaps in other schools of ethics this has been overlooked.
But in Buddhism, without this insight it is not true Buddhist ethics.
And lastly, "The ultimate reality transcends notions of good and evil, right and wrong."
Meaning notions of good and evil, right and left,
right and wrong, are all relative.
There are two domains,
one domain is nature,
or the natural world.
The natural world is the domain of nature.
And the human world is the domain of humans.
Because there is the human world, with its suffering and happiness,
we need to be able to determine
what is right and what is wrong,
what is good and what is bad.
These things are pragmatic.
They are only relative in value.
Don't hold on to them and assume that they are absolute.
Right and wrong, good and evil, are only relative.
We should not be caught and think they are absolute.
This is very important.
Because when we arrive at the ultimate reality,
there is no more right and wrong,
good and evil,
true and false.
So Nirvana transcends all notions of right and wrong,
being and non-being,
good and evil.
Nirvana is not good.
Nirvana is neither good nor evil.
Good and evil are notions
that we apply in the human world.
Nirvana itself is neither good nor evil.
It transcends the notions of good and evil.
It's the same goes for notions of above and below.
Above means to be above something, and below means to be below something.
We are sitting here
in France.
Our head is pointing up,
so we think that this is the below.
But in Viet Nam, they are sitting upside down from us.
What we call the above is actually their below.
So these notions of above and below cannot be applied to the universe.
They can only be applied in relation to the Earth.
So we should not be caught in notions of above and below.
It's the same for the Dharmakaya.
To say that Dharmakaya is pure is not correct.
To say the Dharmakaya is pure is incorrect.
The Dharmakaya is neither pure nor impure.
To say that the Dharmakaya is impure is already wrong,
but to say that the Dharmakaya is pure is equally wrong.
So when Zen master Tuệ Trung Thượng Sĩ was asked by his disciples:
"What is the pure Dharmakaya?" He said, "Cow dung",
"Cow urine. That's what he said
to help people break free from notions of pure and impure.
So what Thầy wants to say is, if you are a theologian,
a Hindu,
Jewish,
or Christian theologian,
you should know that ...
our view on the universe and all things can be improved.
We can move it forward.
We can transcend the old view and to reach a new view.
And we can ...
carry our tradition forward so that it can be closer to science.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama has also said this.
He said, "If I encounter something in Buddhism that contradicts the spirit of modern science,
then I am ready to let them go."
That is the spirit of non-attachment to views.
We have the courage to let go of things
that we find are no longer correct.
This is also the spirit of science.
On the 1st of October, 2008 ...
in the capitol city of New Delhi ...
Thầy gave a teaching to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi.
It was called the Gandhi Memorial Lecture.
Thầy cited an extract from Mahatma Gandhi's speech
from the 9th of April, 1933,
from his journal called "Harijan."
Ghandi said: "In my search after truth," in my journey to seek the the truth,
"I have discarded many ideas and learned many new things."
"In my search after truth, I have discarded many ideas and learned many new things."
This proves that Mahatma Gandhi was someone who was not attached to views.
He was not caught in prior knowledge.
Mahatma Gandhi was not a Buddhist. He was a Hindu.
And in that tradition there is also advancement.
This is the spirit of science.
As Christians or Jewish we can also have that attitude.
We can release old understanding,
in order to reach to higher understanding.
"Old as I am in age,
I have no feeling that I have ceased to grow inwardly."
"Old as I am in age, I have no feeling that I have ceased to grow inwardly."
I am old but I have the feeling that I have never cease to learn
and I continue to grow in my spiritual life.
And I have the feeling that even at the dissolution of this body
my quest for learning, my growth in spiritual life will not stop.
It will continue.
"...or that my growth will stop at the dissolution of the flesh."
It proves that Mahatma Gandhi was not caught in the view of nihilism.
Nihilism means,
the idea that at the dissolution of the body nothing continues.
Nothing is continued. The person is gone.
Mahatma Gandhi is saying after the dissolution of this body, I will continue to learn,
I will continue to grow,
and I can continue to let go of the old truths in order to reach higher truths.
So Mahatma Gandhi was able to break free from nihilism.
This sentence proves that Mahatma Gandhi had two virtues.
The first virtue is the capacity to let go of his own views.
And second is the capacity to transcend the wrong view of nihilism,
which is the view that after death we cease to exist.
Many scientists are still caught in these two things.
Even scientists are still caught in these two things
but Gandhi was not.
These two things are very important in Buddhism.
Which is first, non-attachment to views— the capacity to let go of knowledge.
And secondly, not being caught in nihilism.
We need to move forward a bit
and start talking about the second mindfulness training,
even if we are still working on revising the first training.
Because we only have three months.
The second training is ...
the practice of sharing our resources with those who are in need,
not to appropriate, not to steal, and not to cause social injustice.
The second training must also contain the insight of interbeing.
And when we present the second training,
we have to present it in such a way that it contains the insight of interbeing.
The suffering of the other person is our own suffering.
The suffering, the destruction of the environment
is also the destruction of human beings.
That insight should be embedded in the second training.
The second training is about no stealing,
about sharing our time and material resources with those who are in need.
We see that the objective of the second training
is more about eliminating craving,
more about eliminating greed and craving.
In the first training on no killing, it is also about eliminating greed.
It is because of greed that we kill people,
we invade other countries.
We covet the natural resources of those countries so we come and invade them.
Or we want a market for our products so we invade that country.
So the first training also deals with craving.
The second training deals with craving too.
It's because of craving that we want to seize and appropriate.
It's because of craving for wealth and success
that we destroy the environment.
The object of this craving is assets and wealth.
And when we go to the third training,
no sexual misconduct, it is also related to craving, but for sex.
So in fact all the five trainings deal with craving and greed.
Similarly, all the five trainings also deal with anger.
Because in the first training, no killing, there is anger.
Because of anger there is killing.
And delusion. Delusion is the lack of insight into interbeing,
therefore the killing, therefore the appropriation.
So we see clearly that the five trainings are interrelated, they inte-rare.
In practicing one training well,
we can also practice the other four trainings well.
It's very wonderful.
So when we present the second training on no stealing,
on sharing our time, material resources and energy with those who are in need,
we have to present it in such a way
that allows people to see that the other person whom we are exploiting,
whom we want to appropriate from, is also ourselves.
And that storehouse of natural resources,
that environment that we are exploiting and polluting, is also ourselves.
We are the environment. We must have that insight
for the second training can be deep enough.
So you have to present it in such a way that allows everyone
to see the interbeing between themselves and the other person—
the person whom we want to appropriate from, whom we want to exploit—
the interbeing nature between ourselves and the environment.
That's when second training is a true precept of the Buddha.
The insight of interbeing must be there.
For example, we can say,
"I vow to look deeply to see that the happiness and suffering of others
are related to my own happiness and suffering."
You may think that you have to be rich
in order to be happy.
But your wealth cannot be built on the poverty of others.
"I vow to look deeply to see that the happiness and suffering of others
are related to my own happiness and suffering.
And that true happiness and peace
are not possible without understanding and love."
Because there are some views
that say only when we have the four things—
wealth, fame, power and sex—
we can be happy.
That's what so many people believe.
So in this second training, we have to make clear
that without understanding and love, happiness is not possible.
Even if you have a lot of wealth, fame, power and sex,
if there's no understanding and love, you can suffer enormously.
You can even commit suicide.
So understanding and love are the foundation of happiness.
We have to help people see that
so they can look for happiness in that direction
and not to run after craving.
Only then can this precept be a true precept of the Buddha.
"That true happiness and peace are not possible
without understanding and love,
that running after wealth, fame, power and sensual pleasures can bring much suffering."
"And once I know how to generate understanding and love,
I can help myself and others overcome difficulties and fear, and grow my happiness.
I vow to look deeply to see that I am the environment ...
and the environment is myself.
Harming the environment is harming myself."
With these elements, it is good enough for now.
"I am determied to practice deeply
to see that both happiness and suffering of the other person
have much to do with my own suffering and happiness.
That true happiness is not possible without understanding and love.
And running after wealth, fame, power or sex
can bring about much suffering and despair."
And happiness is the aim of our life.
Even though everyone needs to overcome poverty,
happiness cannot be found in the direction of craving and sensual desires.
In New Delhi, Thầy also talked about ...
Mahatma Gandhi's view on happiness and sensual pleasures.
And Thầy quoted this from Gandhi:
"Our ancestors set a limit to our indulgences."
Our ancestors have learned to stop and practice moderation.
No more indulging without limits.
No more
No more overindulgence.
"Our ancestors set a limit on our indulgences,"
in order not to overindulge.
"They saw that happiness was largely a mental condition."
Our ancestors saw that happiness
was largely a mental condition, our way of seeing things.
Seeing with understanding and love, happiness is possible.
"A man is not necessarily happy because he is rich,
or unhappy because he is poor."
So people are not necessary happy when they are rich,
and not necessarily unhappy when they are poor.
Those who are able to live in moderation, in poor conditions,
especially those who are able to live simply, those who choose
voluntary poverty,
those people are very happy.
They live simply, they may not have a high income,
but they may be able to smile all day, be happy all day, love all day.
So this sentence is very true.
"A man is not necessarily happy because he is rich,
or unhappy because he is poor."
"Observing all this, our ancestors dissuaded us from luxuries and pleasures."
Indulging in sensual pleasures can bring about a lot of suffering.
This insight
is a shared insight.
It's not only found in Buddhism,
but also in Christianity, in Judaism and in Hinduism.
So this insight,
we need to point to it text of the training.
When we read the trainings, we can see clearly that without Dharma sharing,
without coninuous learning, it's impossible to understand that training deeply.
So after you have received the Five Mindfulness Trainings
you should aspire to study them when you get back home.
Studying just one training is enough.
And that training is like the ocean without boundaries.
The deeper we go into that training the more we can see its depth,
because there is an ocean of wisdom,
an ocean of love in that training.
So we have to present the 5 Mindfulness Trainings in such a way
that they contain the immense ocean of Buddhist insight and love.
One practitioner wrote me a letter yesterday.
He said: "I have work to do. I must leave on Tuesday.
That's why I am very sad, because I came to Plum Village
with the intention to receive the Five Mindfulness Trainings.
Dear Thay, please help me find a way to receive the 5 Mindfulness Trainings before Tuesday,
as I must leave on Tuesday."
So Thay handed the letter to brother Pháp Đôn,
and asked him to arrange for this friend to receive the 5 trainings on Monday,
so tomorrow, before he returns home.
And brother Pháp Đôn was very compassionate.
He has arranged for five or six brothers
to transmit the 5 Mindfulness Trainings for that friend.
That is heart of pursuing the precepts.
Because we know that there are precious gems in the precepts.
When we have precepts then we have everything.
Because the precepts contain the Three Jewels:
the Buddha, the Dharma, the sangha;
precepts, concentration and insight.
So someone who practices the precepts is always protected.
They no longer have anything to fear.
Someone with a precept body, the sila body ...
that person is always protected by the Three Jewels,
by the energies of precepts, concentration and insight.
That's why every one of us should pursue the precepts wholeheartedly.
For all those who stay until the end of the Rains retreat,
you can receive the 5 trainings during the Great Precepts Transmission Ceremony.
You can receive them in the New Lotus Season Great Precepts Transmission Ceremony.
At the end of the year,
it seems the monastics in Bat Nha have read this already,
but the monastics in New Hamlet and Lower Hamlet have not.
Thay hopes that after the monastics have had a chance to read this,
they can translate it so our friends can read it i n English, French and German.
Thay has the reports from the Dharma sharing groups from last Thursday.
[ The sound of the bell ]