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(FRENCH)
Dear Thay,
what can I do that I don't get stressed
too much at school, from time?
(Sister Pine) Dear Thay,
what can I do so that I don't get
too stressed in school about time?
About time?
I think we have to tell that
to our school teachers
and to tell that to our parents.
We have the right to do so.
You can go to your school teacher,
and you ask that question,
and ask for help.
You also go to your father,
your mother, and ask that question.
They may not have the answer
right away.
But, they will think about it.
It is very important
that they think about that.
The teachers, they may also
have a lot of stress themselves.
So, they will understand.
So, the first thing is that you arrange
so that one day you have a chance,
to tell your teacher, and
to ask him or her that question.
And you can talk to your friends
also, about this.
You can talk to your classmates.
Because many of them feel like you.
So, you might sit down with them
and discuss how to do that.
Because the teachers
and the parents can help,
but you can help also.
So you sit down with your friends
in the class,
and you discuss how can we deal
with the problem of stress.
How can we have the time
to enjoy ourselves?
How to have the time to relax
and not to worry too much
about the work in school.
And, those of you who have come
to Plum Village for one week or two,
you have learned something.
You have learned from the monks
and nuns and other practitioners.
You know the monks
and the nuns here,
they have a lot of things to do.
Sitting meditation,
walking meditation,
dharma discussion and, then they have
to help people who come to Plum Village
to do the same.
Then they have to supervise
the cooking and welcoming.
They have a lot of things.
And, they learn how not
to be victims of stress.
So, you have learned!
You see that many of us,
although busy,
we are still able to smile
and to be fresh,
because we know how
to release the tension from our body,
how to release the tension
from our feelings.
and when we come to Plum Village,
we learn about releasing the tension
in the body and the feelings and so on.
So, those of us who have come
to Plum Village for one week or two weeks,
we have learned something
about releasing the tension, the stress.
So, when we sit down and meet
with other boys or girls in the school
we might like to discuss
about how to deal with the stress.
You have time to play,
of course.
And you take about 15 minutes
in order to sit down
and discuss about this,
that will benefit many people.
And what you have learned in Plum Village,
you can share with them.
You walk in such a way.
In Plum Village,
every day you walk in such a way
that you release the tension
with every step.
In Plum Village,
we learn total relaxation.
Everyone lies down and
one person leads total relaxation.
In Plum Village, we learn
how to eat relaxingly.
And you have learned these things
in Plum Village,
and you have a lot to share
with your friends.
And maybe, you go
show them how to walk,
and release the tension
with every step.
For instance, when the school bus stops,
and you get down,
and you go into the school,
you walk in such a way that
every step can be releasing the tension.
And you do that, and
you show other boys and girls.
"You see? I walk like this,"
"and I release the tension in my body,"
"so I don't get stressed
during the class."
You have to show them!
But in order to show them,
you need to be able to do it.
And then, you can do things
by yourself
in order to help release tension
and stress.
And then, together you sit down
and write a question
to your school teachers.
You tell them what you are doing
in order not to be victims of stress.
And you ask them how
to have more relaxation,
to have more relaxed time
during the teaching and learning.
There are many wonderful things to do.
Why not discuss about that
this afternoon?
Or even this morning,
it is very important.
So the parents and
the teachers can help.
But we can help ourselves.
And you have learned many things
from Plum Village,
you can put into practice
when you go home.
And, you can share that
with your fellow students.
Thank you!
(Half bell)
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