0:00:00.000,0:00:03.842
in the year 2020

0:00:04.912,0:00:07.561
we are in the New Hamlet of Plum Village

0:00:08.541,0:00:11.127
Right Now in the New Hamlet we have about

0:00:11.947,0:00:16.280
I think a congregation of about 65 people [br]here

0:00:17.362,0:00:20.015
But I'm aware that at this very moment

0:00:20.701,0:00:22.368
I am also there

0:00:23.134,0:00:25.884
in the lower Hamlet, in the Upper Hamlet

0:00:27.054,0:00:30.771
and elsewhere, where [br]friends are joining us

0:00:33.003,0:00:36.104
for the sharing this morning.

0:00:43.174,0:00:46.610
Mindfulness, Cconcentration and Insight

0:00:48.098,0:00:51.338
are the essence of Plum Village practises.

0:00:53.028,0:00:56.872
And we know that we are reminded every day

0:01:00.567,0:01:05.892
to cultivate the energy of [br]Mindfulness, concentration and Insight

0:01:07.703,0:01:10.763
And our that our whole day [br]in the monastery

0:01:11.609,0:01:16.018
from the very first moment that we wake up

0:01:17.203,0:01:21.623
to the last moment [br]when we are in bed falling asleep,

0:01:23.859,0:01:28.199
our practise is, all our practise is

0:01:30.960,0:01:37.311
are in cultivating these energies [br]inside ourself.

0:01:40.601,0:01:43.917
And so

0:01:45.341,0:01:48.337
its appropriate right, [br]to mention that over and over again

0:01:48.872,0:01:51.904
even though you may have heard this

0:01:52.082,0:01:55.755
a thousand times or even more

0:01:56.985,0:02:01.896
But it is always a really good reminder

0:02:06.372,0:02:10.278
to cultivate mindfulness, concentration [br]and insight

0:02:10.938,0:02:13.304
and especially for many of our friends

0:02:13.734,0:02:16.279
who are joining us today, for the talk

0:02:20.285,0:02:22.260
many of you may not be

0:02:23.120,0:02:25.291
very familiar with this

0:02:26.061,0:02:30.789
these practices with mindfulness, [br]concentration and insight

0:02:31.879,0:02:33.121
I wanted just to

0:02:33.401,0:02:36.917
mention very briefly what they are[br]so that we

0:02:37.517,0:02:40.228
we know that

0:02:40.288,0:02:43.115
meditation practice, [br]the essence of meditation practice

0:02:44.525,0:02:48.033
is to cultivate these energies in us

0:02:49.073,0:02:51.130
mindfulness

0:02:52.890,0:02:55.306
is the awareness of

0:02:55.906,0:02:58.928
what's going on inside our bodies

0:02:59.608,0:03:03.324
and our feelings, our mind and our soul

0:03:03.884,0:03:08.053
in the surroundings, [br]what's happening in the surroundings

0:03:08.923,0:03:11.914
and mindfulness is like a light

0:03:13.264,0:03:16.282
that when we are able to

0:03:17.092,0:03:21.398
come back to our breath, [br]when we are able to make mindful steps

0:03:22.508,0:03:24.519
we light up this light in our heart

0:03:25.169,0:03:28.076
in our mind so that we can see

0:03:29.908,0:03:33.583
clearly we can see

0:03:35.193,0:03:38.655
what it is that is unfolding in the[br]present moment

0:03:40.725,0:03:43.051
in the domain of our body

0:03:43.675,0:03:46.860
our feelings, our perceptions

0:03:47.539,0:03:51.041
our mental formations [br]and our consciousness

0:03:52.461,0:03:54.404
and when we are present

0:03:54.874,0:03:57.252
and aware of what is happening

0:03:58.107,0:03:59.998
we're truly there

0:04:03.557,0:04:05.637
we're present we're focussed

0:04:05.895,0:04:09.204
we're not running away anymore in our head

0:04:10.624,0:04:12.252
we're there to see

0:04:13.892,0:04:15.953
and that's called concentration

0:04:16.543,0:04:19.565
we're concentrated in what it is that [br]we are looking at

0:04:20.375,0:04:23.091
of what it is that we are aware

0:04:24.841,0:04:26.957
and its that energies

0:04:27.717,0:04:31.222
of being present and concentrated

0:04:32.142,0:04:34.728
that we begin to see deeply

0:04:35.658,0:04:37.870
see deeply into

0:04:38.660,0:04:40.456
the causes and conditions,

0:04:41.049,0:04:44.267
the roots of [br]why things are the way they are,

0:04:44.747,0:04:46.727
of why we are the way we are

0:04:47.257,0:04:50.013
and that's called insight, understanding

0:04:50.393,0:04:56.628
and its the understanding, it's the insight

0:04:56.628,0:04:59.092
that helps us

0:04:59.092,0:05:02.959
to transform the situation

0:05:04.329,0:05:07.020
that helps us to be free

0:05:07.800,0:05:10.176
from whatever it is

0:05:11.626,0:05:15.268
that we are still clinging onto

0:05:21.259,0:05:23.936
or whatever it is

0:05:24.646,0:05:26.912
that we are not yet free

0:05:27.403,0:05:29.657
and so these three energies are very [br]important

0:05:30.616,0:05:34.668
they are the energies of the buddha

0:05:36.155,0:05:38.582
inside ourselves, the baby[br]buddha inside ourselves

0:05:38.903,0:05:43.466
these energies once they are activated, [br]generated, its like

0:05:43.466,0:05:46.406
the baby buddha in us [br]is coming alive

0:05:47.384,0:05:49.973
and the stronger these[br]energies are

0:05:50.618,0:05:53.010
and the bigger

0:05:54.300,0:05:57.126
that the baby buddha is[br]inside us

0:06:03.816,0:06:08.116
and its such a simple practice, [br]such simple practices

0:06:09.451,0:06:12.555
that we do every day [br]to generate these energies

0:06:15.247,0:06:19.291
breathing, being aware of our breath

0:06:23.451,0:06:26.439
being aware of our body[br]being aware of our steps

0:06:28.633,0:06:31.150
being aware of what's happening

0:06:31.150,0:06:34.605
in our heart, in our mind[br]simple practices

0:06:35.635,0:06:38.046
but once we are able to be aware

0:06:38.966,0:06:42.117
once the energy of mindfulness,[br]concentration and insight are there

0:06:44.474,0:06:50.517
it takes us to a different dimension[br]of experience of these things

0:06:54.937,0:06:56.801
simple isn't it

0:06:59.301,0:07:01.160
and do-able also

0:07:02.200,0:07:05.675
accessible, do-able practices.

0:07:07.351,0:07:10.032
But my question is [br]for myself and for you is

0:07:12.734,0:07:17.351
Why is it that we are [br]still struggling so much?

0:07:18.901,0:07:21.883
Why is it that these practices [br]are simple,

0:07:22.553,0:07:25.967
And yet in our daily life most[br]of the time we are not mindful ?

0:07:27.918,0:07:28.958
Right?

0:07:29.950,0:07:34.699
Who among us here [br]is mindful most of the day?

0:07:39.620,0:07:42.528
Can you raise your hand.

0:07:46.886,0:07:48.664
I don't see any hands!

0:07:49.104,0:07:52.206
I wonder if the lower [br]hamlet has any hands up

0:07:52.916,0:07:56.349
But, anyways, what is it

0:07:57.609,0:08:02.140
why is it, that is my question

0:08:03.050,0:08:04.738
that I ask every single day

0:08:05.118,0:08:07.059
and why is it

0:08:08.049,0:08:10.543
that I know these energies are [br]so important

0:08:10.833,0:08:14.597
and I know these energies are [br]innate in me,

0:08:15.157,0:08:18.427
and all I need to do is just [br]tap into these energies

0:08:19.197,0:08:22.344
with all these practices and voila, [br]I'm enlightened !

0:08:24.384,0:08:28.018
And yet its not as simple [br]to do as it sounds

0:08:32.363,0:08:35.245
and its not because

0:08:35.905,0:08:39.061
you know I don't have the environment[br]to do it

0:08:39.781,0:08:42.473
its not because my sisters are not

0:08:43.083,0:08:46.209
supporting me to practice

0:08:47.384,0:08:51.113
there is something about me[br]about my mind

0:08:52.753,0:08:54.401
thats really preventing me

0:08:54.621,0:08:58.141
from really dwelling [br]deeply in the present moment

0:08:58.621,0:09:02.078
and from really embracing wholeheartedly

0:09:02.818,0:09:06.334
these practices that I know[br]are so beneficial for me

0:09:07.134,0:09:10.217
and that my aspiration as a[br]monastic is to

0:09:11.847,0:09:14.035
really cultivate these energies in me

0:09:14.785,0:09:18.050
so that I can be free so that [br]I can help other people to be free

0:09:18.630,0:09:21.153
and to be happy

0:09:21.784,0:09:24.950
and so why is it? so that's a question[br]that I always ask myself.

0:09:32.452,0:09:37.098
So today we are going to explore why

0:09:38.684,0:09:40.501
and also in the context of

0:09:41.301,0:09:44.152
what we have been talking about[br]during this retreat

0:09:45.052,0:09:48.894
and also what is happening in the world[br]right now with discrimination

0:09:49.734,0:09:51.820
and the question also came up

0:09:52.310,0:09:56.112
where is the discrimination coming [br]from

0:09:56.902,0:09:59.841
is discrimination only happening to

0:10:00.601,0:10:03.403
a certain number of people

0:10:04.353,0:10:06.015
is it only

0:10:06.935,0:10:10.666
in people with particular skin color?

0:10:14.418,0:10:17.897
what is it? where is it coming[br]from?

0:10:28.837,0:10:30.666
we learned that

0:10:31.466,0:10:33.920
and Thay repeated over and over again

0:10:34.650,0:10:36.540
and the Buddha also said

0:10:37.430,0:10:40.041
that everything is [br]a manifestation of our mind,

0:10:40.691,0:10:45.083
even our physical body [br]is a manifestation of our mind

0:10:46.000,0:10:49.400
even our physical illness [br]is a manifestation of our mind

0:10:50.390,0:10:54.671
the environment [br]is a manifestation of our mind

0:10:56.571,0:11:00.009
and so, the study of the mind

0:11:00.999,0:11:06.058
the understanding of the[br]mind, its so crucial

0:11:07.998,0:11:10.338
in the practice

0:11:11.368,0:11:15.371
because without the understanding [br]of how the mind works

0:11:16.667,0:11:18.626
from mind

0:11:21.266,0:11:25.469
we will struggle [br]and we will continue to struggle

0:11:27.175,0:11:28.996
and we will always be in the dark

0:11:29.466,0:11:33.519
not knowing why we are the way we are

0:11:39.849,0:11:42.527
so I'll start with what[br]Sister [Dang/Lang] Nghiem,

0:11:42.857,0:11:47.784
who is here with us now in[br]in the New Hamlet shared last Sunday

0:11:50.450,0:11:52.951
on the

0:11:54.451,0:11:56.236
consciousness already

0:11:56.886,0:11:59.604
so I'm going to mention again

0:12:01.484,0:12:03.906
to refresh our memory

0:12:07.616,0:12:10.795
A lot of us here at Plum Village[br]already know this

0:12:11.665,0:12:15.706
but a lot of our friends [br]may not be very familiar with it

0:12:16.351,0:12:18.169
so bear with me Sisters

0:12:27.739,0:12:32.435
So we love to use this image,[br]a circle

0:12:36.650,0:12:39.366
as our consciousness

0:12:40.426,0:12:42.365
and we learned last week

0:12:42.740,0:12:45.903
that there's many different levels [br]of consciousness

0:12:46.666,0:12:48.628
different layers of consciousness

0:12:50.360,0:12:53.556
we have learned that [br]there is store consciousness

0:12:53.916,0:12:56.697
which is the depth of our consciousness,

0:12:57.527,0:12:59.918
the base of our consciousness,

0:13:09.718,0:13:12.955
the foundation of our consciousness,

0:13:13.935,0:13:16.053
where

0:13:17.153,0:13:19.224
all kinds of seeds

0:13:19.984,0:13:22.658
are preserved and kept

0:13:24.718,0:13:27.334
all kinds of imaginable seeds

0:13:32.534,0:13:34.387
from the most negative

0:13:35.067,0:13:37.733
to the most positive, a whole[br]spectrum of seeds

0:13:38.533,0:13:42.327
in here, thats what we've learned [br]over and over again

0:13:46.952,0:13:50.029
and we know on the

0:13:56.999,0:14:01.634
on the upper level of consciousness [br]are the sense consciousnesses

0:14:04.764,0:14:07.790
there's one thing I want to mention [br]about store consciousness,

0:14:08.150,0:14:10.625
before I go into sense consciousness

0:14:11.225,0:14:14.941
its that store consciousness

0:14:15.951,0:14:18.433
its also impermanent and non-self

0:14:20.842,0:14:24.436
in the sense that there is always input

0:14:24.916,0:14:28.735
and output, that nothing[br]is static in here

0:14:33.967,0:14:39.947
that store consciousness is [br]made of my own consciousness

0:14:40.772,0:14:43.181
the individual consciousness

0:14:43.521,0:14:47.282
but its also made of [br]collective consciousness, so

0:14:50.414,0:14:51.244
both

0:14:52.054,0:14:56.308
its thanks to impermanence and [br]non-self that

0:14:57.378,0:15:00.149
thats why you know

0:15:00.786,0:15:02.915
its individual but

0:15:03.615,0:15:07.807
at the same time its collective[br]and we know that its

0:15:09.430,0:15:12.331
its - there's no separate self

0:15:13.151,0:15:15.946
in store consciousness

0:15:16.736,0:15:20.844
and then on the upper level of [br]consciousness are the five senses

0:15:23.392,0:15:28.221
the eye consciousness, the ear [br]consciousness, the nose consciousness

0:15:30.334,0:15:34.069
the tongue consciousness [br]and the body consciousness

0:15:39.407,0:15:43.184
these are like windows

0:15:44.284,0:15:45.953
windows

0:15:47.814,0:15:49.518
for us

0:15:50.118,0:15:52.698
to come in touch with the[br]outside world

0:15:53.601,0:15:56.334
with store to come in touch[br]with the outside world

0:15:56.551,0:16:00.483
and they do look like windows[br]don't they

0:16:01.116,0:16:02.910
little windows

0:16:03.300,0:16:07.760
these are were the inputs come in [br]and also outputs as well

0:16:10.130,0:16:12.786
and the sixth consciousness

0:16:13.636,0:16:16.617
is mind consciousness

0:16:19.410,0:16:23.300
but today what I wanted to talk about

0:16:23.920,0:16:26.226
the manas

0:16:28.051,0:16:30.240
our friend

0:16:32.150,0:16:36.759
manas, I've always wanted[br]to talk about manas

0:16:39.239,0:16:43.574
and I've never had a chance[br]to do it

0:16:45.234,0:16:50.216
that's because its not [br]the topic for the discussion

0:16:52.336,0:16:55.641
we drew up this diagram

0:16:56.131,0:16:59.787
so that we understand the[br]different levels of consciousness

0:17:00.617,0:17:02.624
but we don't say too much

0:17:02.699,0:17:04.864
I've never said[br]a lot on manas

0:17:05.224,0:17:07.498
but today this is my topic:

0:17:08.338,0:17:11.058
Is manas, the tendencies of manas

0:17:11.528,0:17:14.451
and how is that affecting

0:17:16.821,0:17:20.000
you know, discrimination and all that.

0:17:22.029,0:17:24.229
So Manas,

0:17:25.881,0:17:28.622
it's a function of consciousness.

0:17:30.222,0:17:32.767
Before I go into manas[br]let me just talk

0:17:32.897,0:17:36.052
a little about the six consciousnesses

0:17:36.382,0:17:39.505
because Manas plays with the[br]six consciousnesses.

0:17:39.715,0:17:43.210
are what we call the evolving [br]consciousness

0:17:43.767,0:17:47.799
evolving because it comes out from[br]store consciousness

0:17:47.979,0:17:51.787
it evolves from store[br]consciousness

0:17:52.784,0:17:56.308
Manas is, is one of those evolving[br]consciousness.

0:17:56.462,0:17:58.933
It also comes out of[br]store consciousness.

0:17:59.100,0:18:03.780
It comes from the seed of delusion[br]and craziness in the store consciousness.

0:18:04.190,0:18:05.876
It comes up,

0:18:06.756,0:18:10.248
and then Manas comes back down[br]to store consciousness

0:18:10.468,0:18:14.516
kind of like clinging on to part[br]of the store consciousness

0:18:19.661,0:18:21.755
and claims that part

0:18:22.185,0:18:26.030
of store consciousness[br]as its lover,

0:18:27.444,0:18:28.774
Its self.

0:18:54.878,0:19:02.048
[Bell]

0:19:21.520,0:19:25.417
Manas grasps onto store consciousness,[br]a part of the store consciousness

0:19:25.417,0:19:29.017
and considers it its beloved

0:19:29.969,0:19:33.756
and identifies it as its self.

0:19:35.128,0:19:37.597
As the self.

0:19:41.461,0:19:43.584
And,

0:19:45.895,0:19:49.649
and so manas is where the belief

0:19:50.009,0:19:54.398
or the idea of a [br]separate self stems from.

0:19:55.558,0:19:56.558
It is . . .

0:19:57.368,0:20:01.098
It is also the defense mechanism

0:20:01.778,0:20:06.551
or the survival instinct inside us.

0:20:09.671,0:20:13.282
Manas is the preservation of self.

0:20:18.842,0:20:23.322
And there are four characteristics[br]of Manas.

0:20:23.819,0:20:28.179
The first one is called[br]"nashi" in Vietnamese.

0:20:28.347,0:20:29.697
"Nashi" means

0:20:29.833,0:20:31.743
it's an ignorance

0:20:31.981,0:20:33.721
about self.

0:20:35.494,0:20:36.504
It is the . .

0:20:37.463,0:20:40.614
the ignorance, the delusion

0:20:41.945,0:20:44.923
that claims that there is[br]a separate self

0:20:45.912,0:20:48.392
or separate identity.

0:20:50.765,0:20:53.206
"Nakeen" which is

0:20:54.350,0:20:56.978
the wrong view of self.

0:20:58.905,0:21:00.889
It's a . . .

0:21:02.079,0:21:04.669
It's a view, it's a perception.

0:21:04.872,0:21:07.782
It's an idea of a separate self

0:21:08.707,0:21:11.137
that discriminates self

0:21:12.475,0:21:15.335
from things that are non-self.

0:21:15.802,0:21:17.692
In other words,

0:21:17.924,0:21:20.324
self, my five skandhas,

0:21:20.620,0:21:21.580
body,

0:21:21.820,0:21:24.880
feelings, perceptions, mental[br]formations, and consciousness

0:21:25.101,0:21:26.341
as my self.

0:21:27.838,0:21:30.463
And everything else,[br]is not self.

0:21:40.455,0:21:44.878
And "nyamang," nyamang is[br]a complex of the self.

0:21:46.188,0:21:48.324
It is the pride of the self.

0:21:49.564,0:21:50.994
The arrogance

0:21:51.594,0:21:52.944
of the self

0:21:53.254,0:21:55.894
which is also the cause of[br]looking down on everything

0:21:56.052,0:21:57.572
that is non-self.

0:21:59.402,0:22:02.291
And "na-eye" is the love[br]of the self.

0:22:03.533,0:22:06.573
It's the attachment to the self.

0:22:09.354,0:22:12.344
Or the clinging to the idea of[br]a separate entity

0:22:12.504,0:22:14.554
a separate identity,

0:22:15.275,0:22:17.105
separate existence.

0:22:18.018,0:22:20.153
So we know that these four

0:22:20.295,0:22:22.325
these four characteristics

0:22:23.594,0:22:25.630
are the basis

0:22:28.121,0:22:33.773
of this inherent belief,[br]an idea in a separate self.

0:22:37.217,0:22:40.427
And it is also the cause of[br]a lot of our suffering.

0:22:42.914,0:22:45.533
A feeling of separation,

0:22:46.766,0:22:48.566
loneliness,

0:22:53.523,0:22:55.253
alienation.

0:22:56.221,0:22:58.321
I know a lot of us are,

0:22:58.468,0:23:00.848
especially during this covid time.

0:23:01.048,0:23:03.918
There are a lot of people[br]out there who are,

0:23:04.465,0:23:06.975
who are[br]feeling really lonely,

0:23:07.035,0:23:09.828
really alienated,

0:23:10.079,0:23:12.289
and separated from everything

0:23:12.828,0:23:14.048
and everyone.

0:23:16.656,0:23:18.946
It is also the basis of

0:23:19.245,0:23:21.595
all the killing that's happening.

0:23:22.862,0:23:25.897
And believe it or not, also[br]the climate change

0:23:25.975,0:23:28.675
is coming up from this.

0:23:28.721,0:23:32.721
Because there's this idea that[br]this is me, I protect myself

0:23:32.735,0:23:36.735
and I get, you know, [br]whatever it is

0:23:38.145,0:23:40.875
for my benefit;[br]for the benefit of the self

0:23:40.909,0:23:44.909
disregard of what's[br]happening with the others.

0:23:45.009,0:23:47.679
With the environment,[br]with the Earth.

0:23:50.757,0:23:53.447
And we consume in ways that

0:23:53.713,0:23:56.651
are not really in line

0:23:57.285,0:23:58.941
with respect

0:24:01.178,0:24:04.911
to Mother Earth,[br]and care for Mother Earth

0:24:06.198,0:24:09.512
because we just want to[br]satisfy our needs.

0:24:09.886,0:24:13.886
And our needs are [br]really bottomless.

0:24:14.833,0:24:16.483
Needs,

0:24:17.388,0:24:18.888
comfort.

0:24:19.825,0:24:22.928
A lot of material things.

0:24:23.088,0:24:26.658
I don't know, what do . . . what do[br]people really need out there, anyways?

0:24:28.371,0:24:31.047
A lot of money, maybe?

0:24:31.918,0:24:34.118
A lot of consumption?

0:24:38.004,0:24:42.004
Yeah, there are so many people[br]who have so, so much

0:24:44.238,0:24:47.128
and there are people who don't[br]have anything.

0:24:47.160,0:24:50.110
And if they could just give[br]a little bit of what they have

0:24:51.027,0:24:54.317
maybe the poor people[br]or the people who are

0:24:54.510,0:24:58.131
in disadvantaged situations could be

0:24:58.739,0:25:01.593
could be a great relief for them.

0:25:01.890,0:25:05.788
But that's not always the case.[br]Manas is . . . it's there.

0:25:06.484,0:25:10.484
Manas is there and says[br]"This is me and I have to protect myself

0:25:10.763,0:25:15.543
and I need to get for myself.[br]The more the better.

0:25:16.074,0:25:20.074
And who cares about other people?[br]That's them."

0:25:20.983,0:25:25.903
But we know with the climate situation[br]that's not. The reality is that

0:25:26.858,0:25:28.978
what affects

0:25:29.025,0:25:31.665
the other is also affecting me.

0:25:31.865,0:25:35.865
And we see that very clearly[br]with the climate change, right?

0:25:36.697,0:25:40.427
That what is happening on the[br]other side of the planet

0:25:40.525,0:25:42.295
is affecting us.

0:25:42.335,0:25:47.725
And what's affecting us here,[br]what we are, our behavior here

0:25:47.775,0:25:51.450
is affecting people on the[br]other side of the planet.

0:25:51.543,0:25:55.543
There's this interconnectedness that

0:25:56.527,0:26:00.543
often we really

0:26:02.360,0:26:03.910
don't recognize.

0:26:11.188,0:26:13.148
And so . . .

0:26:13.937,0:26:16.021
So, Manas,

0:26:17.652,0:26:20.060
its function

0:26:22.152,0:26:23.152
is . . .

0:26:25.663,0:26:29.074
to appropriate a self, right?

0:26:29.218,0:26:32.566
And so it avoids

0:26:32.602,0:26:34.132
all kinds of suffering.

0:26:34.242,0:26:37.902
It avoids suffering.[br]It runs away from suffering.

0:26:37.987,0:26:40.717
It doesn't want to face suffering.

0:26:40.812,0:26:43.560
That sounds familiar, doesn't it?

0:26:44.825,0:26:48.825
For a lot of us, it is hard[br]to face our suffering.

0:26:49.842,0:26:52.617
It is really overwhelming

0:26:52.651,0:26:54.171
to look at our suffering.

0:26:54.257,0:26:57.701
Sometimes it's not even[br]possible for us

0:26:58.291,0:27:01.691
to go back to ourselves[br]and look at our suffering.

0:27:04.888,0:27:08.888
Because Manas does not want[br]to admit there is suffering.

0:27:09.120,0:27:12.370
Manas will find all possible ways

0:27:12.472,0:27:14.642
to run away from suffering.

0:27:15.845,0:27:20.535
And Manas ignores[br]the goodness of suffering.

0:27:20.623,0:27:25.532
We know that in the[br]Four Noble Truths

0:27:25.922,0:27:29.077
the first of those truths[br]is suffering.

0:27:30.986,0:27:33.852
And why is it that

0:27:34.072,0:27:37.162
suffering is a noble truth?

0:27:39.981,0:27:42.479
It can only be noble truth

0:27:43.638,0:27:46.356
when we recognize

0:27:47.052,0:27:48.542
that there is suffering.

0:27:48.616,0:27:54.878
We admit that we do have suffering[br]and we are staying with that suffering.

0:27:54.992,0:27:57.285
We are recognizing it.

0:28:00.948,0:28:03.094
We're facing it.

0:28:03.192,0:28:06.396
So that we can understand

0:28:07.860,0:28:09.830
the causes and conditions

0:28:10.150,0:28:12.798
that brought about the suffering.

0:28:14.549,0:28:19.009
Suffering has been made[br]at some point in our life.

0:28:20.265,0:28:22.425
And so . . .

0:28:24.016,0:28:27.566
when we are able[br]to stay with our suffering

0:28:29.545,0:28:33.315
when we are able[br]to practice, embracing,

0:28:33.424,0:28:36.824
being mindful of the suffering,[br]then we can begin to see

0:28:36.867,0:28:38.627
the causes and conditions.

0:28:38.907,0:28:42.017
And that's the second Noble Truth.

0:28:42.117,0:28:45.707
And it's only when we are able[br]to see the causes and conditions

0:28:45.783,0:28:47.625
of our suffering

0:28:49.355,0:28:51.291
that we can,

0:28:53.327,0:28:57.302
that we can do something[br]to transform our suffering.

0:28:57.442,0:29:00.515
And that's the fourth Noble Truth.

0:29:01.640,0:29:08.240
And these practices of the[br]Noble Eightfold Path

0:29:08.430,0:29:10.994
which is the fourth . . .

0:29:14.174,0:29:16.752
which is the fourth Noble Truth

0:29:17.565,0:29:20.565
are practices that help us[br]to experience

0:29:22.548,0:29:24.738
great happiness

0:29:26.361,0:29:28.281
and freedom.

0:29:28.376,0:29:30.706
So it's the suffering

0:29:30.819,0:29:32.789
that helps us to experience

0:29:34.077,0:29:37.322
happiness and freedom.

0:29:37.623,0:29:40.289
Manas does not see that.

0:29:40.695,0:29:45.845
Manas simply does not want[br]to face suffering and does not see

0:29:45.918,0:29:48.556
that there is goodness in suffering.

0:29:49.918,0:29:53.368
And because it doesn't see[br]the goodness of suffering

0:29:54.024,0:29:55.944
it also ignores

0:29:58.572,0:30:02.572
the interbeing[br]between suffering and happiness.

0:30:02.915,0:30:05.006
It doesn't see that

0:30:06.806,0:30:11.446
the lotuses need mud to grow

0:30:12.104,0:30:15.694
and that without the mud

0:30:15.953,0:30:19.013
there wouldn't be any lotuses.

0:30:27.890,0:30:31.890
And Manas, another function[br]of Manas is that

0:30:33.044,0:30:35.451
it seeks pleasures

0:30:36.545,0:30:38.665
regardless of the danger

0:30:38.797,0:30:41.167
or negative consequences.

0:30:41.337,0:30:45.337
Short-lived pleasures,

0:30:45.429,0:30:48.449
pleasures

0:30:48.537,0:30:52.927
that would bring along with it[br]a lot of pain and a lot of suffering.

0:30:56.212,0:31:01.192
Manas doesn't care about the[br]consequences that will come later on.

0:31:01.902,0:31:05.612
Manas only wants to[br]experience pleasure.

0:31:09.112,0:31:15.142
And it ignores the danger[br]of these pleasures.

0:31:17.194,0:31:21.544
It ignores the danger of[br]the pleasure-seeking.

0:31:24.989,0:31:28.989
And it also ignores[br]the law of moderation.

0:31:30.938,0:31:35.358
One of the things, when we,[br]I notice is that

0:31:36.430,0:31:39.410
In New Hamlet we cook[br]really good food

0:31:41.492,0:31:42.832
and sometimes

0:31:42.985,0:31:45.325
because the food is good

0:31:45.598,0:31:48.353
sometimes we take more[br]than what we need!

0:31:50.580,0:31:52.550
And afterward we'll complain,

0:31:52.672,0:31:59.940
"Ah, I'm too full" or "I don't feel very[br]comfortable because I ate too, too much."

0:32:00.703,0:32:04.703
Well, that's Manas playing with us.

0:32:06.086,0:32:10.386
That Manas doesn't know that[br]"You know, you just need to eat enough."

0:32:12.750,0:32:14.370
That you don't need to

0:32:14.482,0:32:19.152
eat too, too much.[br]Manas doesn't know the law of moderation.

0:32:19.372,0:32:24.622
When something that Manas[br]perceives as being pleasant

0:32:25.593,0:32:28.783
good for it, it will hoard.

0:32:31.267,0:32:35.057
And too much of something[br]can make you sick, right?

0:32:35.142,0:32:37.502
Even the good thing.

0:32:42.518,0:32:46.518
Last week Sister (Nhat Ngiem?)[br]talked about the original fear.

0:32:47.101,0:32:49.856
Well, that's the work of Manas.

0:32:50.014,0:32:58.214
Manas is afraid of dying,[br]hunger, loneliness and abandoning.

0:32:59.036,0:33:01.639
These are the original fears.

0:33:04.607,0:33:07.285
In other words, it's

0:33:07.419,0:33:09.099
original desire.

0:33:09.572,0:33:13.712
It's deepest desire is to survive.

0:33:14.134,0:33:16.824
That's the original desire.

0:33:16.993,0:33:20.522
And so it would avoid, it's afraid

0:33:20.964,0:33:23.924
of these things: dying,

0:33:24.093,0:33:27.693
hunger, abandoning.

0:33:32.747,0:33:38.347
And it doesn't see[br]the danger of these fears

0:33:38.742,0:33:42.742
because these fears can[br]be really overwhelming.

0:33:43.186,0:33:46.816
And these fears can lead[br]to destructive behavior.

0:33:50.924,0:33:54.664
And it can prevent us [br]from recognizing

0:33:54.705,0:33:57.866
and enjoying the happiness

0:33:57.917,0:34:00.857
in the present moment.

0:34:03.864,0:34:06.674
It prevents us from enjoying

0:34:09.741,0:34:13.351
whatever it is that we have[br]in the present moment.

0:34:23.344,0:34:27.454
And so it doesn't recognize

0:34:27.561,0:34:31.031
and it doesn't enjoy the happiness[br]in the present moment

0:34:31.211,0:34:34.643
because it is always seeking[br]for happiness

0:34:34.732,0:34:40.142
but it seeks for happiness elsewhere

0:34:40.786,0:34:44.786
not from here, like in the practice.

0:34:47.470,0:34:50.480
And it doesn't see that

0:34:51.853,0:34:55.853
the conditions of happiness[br]are right here and right now.

0:34:56.452,0:35:02.532
All we need to do is to go back[br]and be mindful of what we have

0:35:04.281,0:35:09.121
and we see that we have more than[br]enough conditions to be happy

0:35:10.017,0:35:12.674
here and now.

0:35:15.928,0:35:20.218
We talked about, you know,[br]the feelings

0:35:21.890,0:35:24.081
and we kind of

0:35:25.526,0:35:27.846
mentioned this a little bit.

0:35:27.940,0:35:30.320
There are three kinds of feelings, right?

0:35:30.460,0:35:34.940
Pleasant feelings, unpleasant feelings,[br]and the neutral feelings.

0:35:35.157,0:35:38.887
So we know that Manas would seek out[br]the pleasant feeling no matter what

0:35:38.949,0:35:39.789
right?

0:35:39.889,0:35:42.939
And it would avoid the[br]unpleasant feeling, right?

0:35:43.444,0:35:47.134
But it doesn't recognize[br]these neutral feelings

0:35:47.344,0:35:50.944
that are abundant[br]in our daily life.

0:35:52.887,0:35:57.557
And that with mindfulness[br]we recognize that these feelings

0:35:57.644,0:36:00.984
that we consider neutral,[br]like a, kind of like a

0:36:01.334,0:36:07.204
blah kind of feeling, like[br]kind of blunt, kind of feelings that

0:36:07.831,0:36:13.263
neither excites us nor

0:36:16.773,0:36:19.038
creates suffering for us.

0:36:20.497,0:36:24.497
These neutral feelings,[br]if we are aware of them

0:36:25.942,0:36:29.648
if we recognize them,[br]we realize that they are really

0:36:30.226,0:36:31.886
conditions for happiness.

0:36:32.096,0:36:35.316
And one example that[br]Thay always talked about was toothache.

0:36:37.228,0:36:41.228
That right now a lot of us[br]do not have a toothache

0:36:41.381,0:36:45.381
and we don't recognize the [br]happiness of not having a toothache.

0:36:46.108,0:36:51.168
It is only when we have a[br]toothache that we realize

0:36:51.265,0:36:54.065
that not having a toothache,[br]that neutral feeling

0:36:54.180,0:36:57.470
that we are experiencing[br]right now of not having a toothache

0:36:57.607,0:37:00.368
is an element of happiness.

0:37:02.230,0:37:06.230
So we know that where it's[br]coming from, this kind of attitude

0:37:06.601,0:37:08.874
it's coming from Manas.

0:37:19.923,0:37:21.204
So next time

0:37:21.774,0:37:23.484
next time when we

0:37:24.706,0:37:26.355
notice that

0:37:27.203,0:37:31.443
we're not appreciating anymore[br]the conditions we have here now

0:37:33.450,0:37:35.630
and not appreciating them

0:37:35.762,0:37:39.572
and taking them for granted,[br]we know that it is Manas

0:37:39.729,0:37:45.390
really working to take us away

0:37:47.392,0:37:49.352
from appreciating deeply

0:37:51.021,0:37:53.921
these neutral experiences

0:37:56.151,0:38:00.151
that are really[br]conditions for happiness.

0:38:09.526,0:38:20.316
(Bell)

0:38:37.585,0:38:40.575
Manas doesn't see the environment

0:38:42.709,0:38:44.329
as itself.

0:38:44.392,0:38:50.082
It sees the environment as[br]different from itself.

0:38:53.677,0:38:55.888
and it discriminates.

0:38:56.372,0:38:59.302
"This is self, and this is not self."

0:39:01.184,0:39:04.405
And so it has a tendency to discriminate,

0:39:06.055,0:39:10.055
to reject what is not self.

0:39:15.146,0:39:18.146
And so we know that[br]the root of discrimination

0:39:18.858,0:39:20.458
is really

0:39:21.469,0:39:24.119
in Manas, in every one of us.

0:39:24.596,0:39:29.086
Right? It's in . . . it's a[br]big part of our consciousness.

0:39:29.902,0:39:32.141
This discriminative mind.

0:39:32.982,0:39:38.202
The mind that discriminates,[br]"this is me, and this is mine,

0:39:38.587,0:39:41.217
and this is not me and not mine."

0:39:41.743,0:39:44.203
And that the only[br]thing that I care for,

0:39:44.857,0:39:47.286
that I protect, that I guard,

0:39:48.667,0:39:51.046
with my whole being is this:

0:39:51.565,0:39:53.756
my five skandhas.

0:39:54.744,0:40:01.054
And everything else is there[br]to serve these five skandhas of mine.

0:40:06.808,0:40:11.578
And so, in the[br]context of discrimination

0:40:11.757,0:40:14.601
we see that everybody[br]has this seed.

0:40:15.604,0:40:18.534
Everybody has the tendency[br]to discriminate.

0:40:18.657,0:40:21.447
Not just people with[br]a particular skin color.

0:40:29.983,0:40:32.943
And often the victims[br]of discrimination

0:40:35.696,0:40:40.606
are also perpetrators[br]of discrimination

0:40:41.923,0:40:43.436
as well.

0:40:47.008,0:40:50.068
And that for us to be able to

0:40:52.257,0:40:55.627
really transform the discrimination in us

0:40:57.586,0:41:00.835
we really need to confront Manas.

0:41:05.309,0:41:09.009
And Manas is not something[br]easy to confront, by the way.

0:41:09.081,0:41:13.081
Because store[br]consciousness and Manas

0:41:14.572,0:41:18.572
are functioning in ways

0:41:22.003,0:41:25.035
that's not known to our conscious mind.

0:41:30.249,0:41:33.610
In other words, we don't really[br]have access

0:41:34.217,0:41:36.247
to how they function.

0:41:36.345,0:41:39.815
We can only see different manifestations

0:41:41.084,0:41:45.084
in our consciousness now[br]and then if we are aware of it.

0:41:45.194,0:41:48.494
But actually, Manas is working

0:41:49.144,0:41:50.894
twenty-four hours a day

0:41:50.936,0:41:54.505
and it's affecting[br]everything about us.

0:41:55.025,0:42:00.004
From the way we see our self,[br]from the way we see other people

0:42:00.116,0:42:03.267
from the way we[br]relate to other people

0:42:03.633,0:42:05.483
to the environment,

0:42:05.551,0:42:07.541
to everything.

0:42:10.564,0:42:13.084
And so, how do we practice?

0:42:15.814,0:42:18.764
How do we practice[br]to shed light on Manas?

0:42:18.836,0:42:21.426
How do we practice[br]to recognize manas?

0:42:22.159,0:42:25.159
How do we practice[br]to be free from manas?

0:42:46.234,0:42:50.594
And we know that store[br]consciousness is impermanent,

0:42:51.455,0:42:54.095
and without a[br]separate self, right?

0:42:55.591,0:42:59.140
Manas, the good news[br]is that manas also is impermanent

0:42:59.230,0:43:02.290
and without a separate self.

0:43:06.743,0:43:10.743
Manas is the deluded mind in us.[br]Right?

0:43:13.619,0:43:16.619
And it is manas that limits us,

0:43:17.541,0:43:21.321
the limitations of our consciousness.

0:43:23.361,0:43:26.166
As I'm doing this I think of a horse.

0:43:26.956,0:43:30.956
And you know they put like two boards[br]on the side of the head of the horse

0:43:31.141,0:43:33.601
so that the horse[br]only sees the front

0:43:33.885,0:43:36.275
and that he can go[br]straight to the front

0:43:36.505,0:43:39.555
but he doesn't go sideways,[br]doesn't get distracted.

0:43:41.002,0:43:43.340
Manas is like that.

0:43:45.411,0:43:48.013
It limits us

0:43:49.561,0:43:53.561
from expanding ourselves.

0:43:54.349,0:43:56.130
We are unlimited.

0:43:56.550,0:44:01.230
We have all these unlimited[br]potentials inside ourselves.

0:44:02.372,0:44:05.622
We are much more than we think we are.

0:44:06.994,0:44:09.324
We contain the whole universe.

0:44:10.191,0:44:12.211
We are a miracle

0:44:13.810,0:44:14.860
of life.

0:44:15.146,0:44:19.676
We are a miracle of life. We are[br]a part of these wonders of the universe.

0:44:23.555,0:44:24.625
And yet . . .

0:44:25.575,0:44:28.245
we only see ourselves this much.

0:44:29.118,0:44:32.101
This is how much we see ourselves.

0:44:32.809,0:44:34.759
Through our suffering

0:44:37.366,0:44:42.046
through these dramas[br]that are happening every day.

0:44:44.334,0:44:48.334
Through the power[br]struggles that we are having.

0:45:02.265,0:45:04.515
And so because manas,

0:45:07.528,0:45:09.810
it's impermanent,

0:45:11.592,0:45:14.662
which means that[br]it can be transformed.

0:45:15.124,0:45:17.361
Which means that[br]we can really

0:45:18.392,0:45:20.646
go beyond these limitations

0:45:22.018,0:45:27.258
to experience ourself[br]as a true miracle of life.

0:45:31.272,0:45:33.499
So where do we begin?

0:45:34.297,0:45:38.297
We begin with mindfulness,[br]concentration, and insight. Right?

0:45:43.162,0:45:44.782
That's the key . . .

0:45:46.112,0:45:49.312
in helping to, in[br]transforming Manas.

0:45:51.020,0:45:54.190
It's really mindfulness,[br]concentration and insight.

0:45:58.812,0:46:00.312
The practice is

0:46:04.900,0:46:07.042
In other words we are using

0:46:07.123,0:46:11.723
So the mind consciousness,[br](referring to) six consciousnesses,

0:46:12.106,0:46:14.846
the mind consciousness

0:46:16.574,0:46:17.614
is . . . .

0:46:23.747,0:46:29.027
The mind consciousness[br]relies on manas to manifest.

0:46:31.236,0:46:35.236
So the basis of mind[br]consciousness, is manas.

0:46:36.877,0:46:38.726
But at the same time

0:46:38.844,0:46:40.985
mind consciousness

0:46:41.242,0:46:43.092
can do the work

0:46:44.301,0:46:49.031
of cultivating mindfulness,[br]concentration and insight.

0:46:50.957,0:46:52.417
In other words,

0:46:52.524,0:46:54.264
the mind consciousness

0:46:54.861,0:46:58.113
that can bring the light into manas

0:46:59.248,0:47:01.849
and shed the light on manas.

0:47:08.090,0:47:13.364
And so when we train manas,[br]I mean mind consciousness

0:47:14.011,0:47:18.011
through the practices of[br]mindfulness, concentration and insight.

0:47:21.582,0:47:22.872
We are really

0:47:24.215,0:47:26.175
we are really bringing the light in

0:47:27.635,0:47:29.865
and we are really creating

0:47:31.779,0:47:33.742
neuropathways.

0:47:35.032,0:47:38.242
We are educating manas

0:47:40.480,0:47:41.590
to see

0:47:43.546,0:47:46.342
interbeing,[br]the nature of interbeing,

0:47:46.862,0:47:49.712
to see the nature[br]of interconnectedness,

0:47:51.526,0:47:53.016
to see

0:47:53.709,0:47:56.459
interdependence arising.

0:47:59.002,0:48:01.222
Because we know[br]that manas does not

0:48:01.723,0:48:04.319
see interconnectedness, interbeing.

0:48:04.760,0:48:08.880
Manas only sees discrimination[br]between self and not-self.

0:48:09.852,0:48:13.852
And we're bringing this[br]insight down to manas.

0:48:18.252,0:48:21.279
And we have all our[br]practices in our daily life

0:48:21.610,0:48:26.639
it's really about bringing the [br]light of these insights

0:48:26.889,0:48:28.119
into manas.

0:48:35.989,0:48:39.989
So, when we talk about[br]mindfulness, concentration and insight

0:48:41.365,0:48:44.115
the real practice is for us to stop

0:48:45.793,0:48:48.353
so that we can look deeply, right?

0:48:48.549,0:48:51.029
In order to have this insight.

0:48:51.858,0:48:55.518
The insight of interconnectedness,[br]the insight of interbeing.

0:48:55.744,0:48:57.474
The insight of non-self.

0:48:57.871,0:49:01.871
And that these insights[br]we kind of download

0:49:02.724,0:49:05.271
download them to manas

0:49:06.842,0:49:08.482
so that

0:49:09.043,0:49:10.453
manas

0:49:11.347,0:49:14.697
can be educated, and can be transformed.

0:49:15.650,0:49:18.510
So, all our practices are really

0:49:19.487,0:49:21.517
to educate manas.

0:49:23.534,0:49:26.677
But there are some[br]practices that I found really

0:49:26.930,0:49:28.460
really helpful.

0:49:32.194,0:49:35.504
One of those practices[br]that I really enjoy

0:49:36.088,0:49:38.398
is the practice of the gathas.

0:49:38.517,0:49:42.367
We think that gathas are[br]only used for novices, right?

0:49:42.877,0:49:44.967
But actually they're really

0:49:45.146,0:49:49.146
they're really powerful tools

0:49:49.257,0:49:52.397
to help us to look deeply.

0:49:53.242,0:49:55.714
They're not just helping[br]us to be present

0:49:56.068,0:49:58.767
in everything that we do.

0:49:59.354,0:50:02.774
But also they help us[br]to look deeply as well.

0:50:09.090,0:50:12.040
How many of us here practice the gathas?

0:50:15.175,0:50:18.735
You think the older sisters don't[br]really practice the gathas anymore?

0:50:19.280,0:50:21.709
You think you're beyond that, right?

0:50:23.654,0:50:24.874
Well . . .

0:50:28.254,0:50:30.854
I found them really useful

0:50:32.445,0:50:34.375
to help me to look deeply.

0:50:35.809,0:50:39.809
And the other, and I will read[br]some of the gathas later on

0:50:39.967,0:50:44.217
that are so useful in helping[br]us to see the interconnectedness,

0:50:45.747,0:50:47.678
the interbeing nature.

0:50:49.037,0:50:52.276
The other practices are[br]the guided meditations.

0:50:53.424,0:50:55.514
The guided meditation exercises

0:50:56.561,0:50:59.541
that we've been doing[br]during this Rains Retreat

0:50:59.657,0:51:02.562
are very deep guided[br]meditation exercises

0:51:02.966,0:51:04.516
that help us to see

0:51:05.276,0:51:06.586
our true nature.

0:51:07.542,0:51:10.382
The nature of no birth and no death.

0:51:11.484,0:51:16.574
And that every time we have a[br]chance to go for sitting meditation

0:51:18.839,0:51:22.089
we have a chance to use these[br]guided meditations

0:51:25.504,0:51:27.964
to cultivate the insight

0:51:29.204,0:51:31.234
of interconnectedness

0:51:32.341,0:51:34.256
of interbeing.

0:51:42.839,0:51:45.326
And they help us to reflect.

0:51:48.974,0:51:52.714
But a practice that[br]I really enjoy doing

0:51:53.977,0:51:55.797
is the practice of eating.

0:51:55.925,0:51:58.185
Because that's the most

0:51:58.583,0:51:59.793
concrete

0:52:02.093,0:52:04.363
practice that helped me to see

0:52:07.150,0:52:11.150
the interconnectedness,[br]the interbeing nature.

0:52:13.975,0:52:14.985
The food

0:52:15.665,0:52:17.299
that I consider

0:52:18.155,0:52:22.804
part of the environment that[br]manas considers not itself.

0:52:26.735,0:52:29.975
You know, as you eat this food[br]with mindfulness

0:52:31.085,0:52:34.256
you realize that this food[br]that you're chewing

0:52:37.399,0:52:41.399
it's becoming a part of you.[br]You cannot live without food, right?

0:52:43.370,0:52:45.887
We need this food for survival.

0:52:47.873,0:52:50.490
So in a sense, this food

0:52:52.067,0:52:56.067
once it gets into our body[br]it's part of us, right?

0:52:57.633,0:53:00.460
But think about it.[br]Where's the food coming from?

0:53:01.972,0:53:06.232
Ok, a few things - the sunshine,[br]the rain, the earth, the air

0:53:09.301,0:53:11.071
farmers that bring them

0:53:11.339,0:53:13.261
my sisters who cook them.

0:53:13.418,0:53:16.618
These elements that are[br]non-food elements

0:53:17.131,0:53:18.747
are really also

0:53:20.759,0:53:24.202
a part of me because[br]without these elements

0:53:24.543,0:53:27.575
I wouldn't be able to survive.

0:53:27.729,0:53:30.309
I wouldn't be able to have food to eat.

0:53:30.899,0:53:36.947
So in a sense these elements[br]are also me. A part of me.

0:53:40.633,0:53:44.173
They are indispensible for my survival.

0:53:46.558,0:53:48.478
Manas doesn't see that, right?

0:53:48.546,0:53:51.466
We know that manas doesn't see that.

0:53:52.216,0:53:54.676
But with mindfulness practices

0:53:55.377,0:53:59.707
we're seeing that insight.

0:54:01.286,0:54:03.717
We're seeing that true reality.

0:54:04.843,0:54:07.883
And so the practice of eating meditation

0:54:08.303,0:54:10.568
It's a really powerful practice

0:54:10.703,0:54:17.309
for us to help experience[br]the insight of non-self.

0:54:18.433,0:54:21.193
Of interconnectedness,[br]of interbeing.

0:54:21.769,0:54:25.612
And when we are able to eat[br]in that way, with this insight

0:54:28.086,0:54:30.886
we bring in the light into manas.

0:54:31.589,0:54:34.135
So that manas can see

0:54:37.363,0:54:40.970
that the environment is also a part of us.

0:54:43.479,0:54:46.113
That we are the environment

0:54:46.272,0:54:48.692
and the environment is us.

0:54:53.589,0:54:55.389
And so . . .

0:54:55.469,0:54:56.799
sometimes

0:54:58.873,0:55:03.313
when we eat here in the New Hamlet[br]we like to eat together

0:55:03.451,0:55:05.051
in groups.

0:55:05.277,0:55:08.597
And then we chit chat[br]from the beginning to the end.

0:55:09.598,0:55:11.798
And we miss that opportunity

0:55:13.375,0:55:16.141
to experience this insight.

0:55:17.204,0:55:20.884
And even if we're having[br]twenty minutes of silent meal

0:55:21.361,0:55:24.651
a lot of time we're having this[br]conversation in our head.

0:55:26.003,0:55:27.753
That we missed out

0:55:30.242,0:55:33.632
the experience, also[br]the practice of really seeing

0:55:34.459,0:55:37.079
the interconnectedness between[br]ourself and the food,

0:55:37.183,0:55:40.463
between ourself and the environment.

0:55:49.389,0:55:52.399
And there are so many[br]beautiful gathas for eating

0:55:52.787,0:55:55.951
and one of the gathas that[br]I like to read here is

0:55:56.112,0:55:58.931
Eating in the Historical Dimension.

0:56:00.187,0:56:03.347
I am in the life of my ancestors.

0:56:03.517,0:56:08.007
So I'm feeding myself but at the[br]same time I'm feeding my ancestors

0:56:08.421,0:56:11.111
because my ancestors are[br]not outside of me.

0:56:11.342,0:56:14.412
My ancestors are in[br]every cell of my body.

0:56:14.857,0:56:18.524
That insight, manas does not see.

0:56:19.939,0:56:25.244
And with this gatha, this practice[br]we're training manas to see that.

0:56:28.846,0:56:34.076
An open and upward path[br]for the descendants.

0:56:35.210,0:56:37.788
So my children are also

0:56:39.932,0:56:41.242
a part of me.

0:56:42.199,0:56:45.250
We are monastics. We don't[br]have blood children.

0:56:45.339,0:56:48.149
But maybe my spiritual children.

0:56:48.364,0:56:52.684
Well, I wouldn't say children, but[br]I would say, people who are

0:56:52.853,0:56:55.469
affected by my presence[br]and my practice.

0:56:55.673,0:56:58.483
Whether directly or indirectly, right?

0:56:58.677,0:57:00.657
Because we know that

0:57:02.589,0:57:05.079
energies are something

0:57:06.353,0:57:08.983
that travel through space and time,

0:57:09.153,0:57:12.362
that it's not just confined to my body.

0:57:15.649,0:57:17.699
And that my awakening

0:57:21.657,0:57:25.447
can contribute to the[br]collective awakening of humanity.

0:57:25.703,0:57:27.433
We learned that.

0:57:27.700,0:57:29.070
And so . . .

0:57:30.653,0:57:35.253
my practice, my peace[br]may be affecting other people

0:57:35.453,0:57:36.783
in that way.

0:57:41.274,0:57:42.834
So in a sense,

0:57:45.638,0:57:49.348
they are affected by my practice,

0:57:49.552,0:57:52.362
they are affected by our practice,[br]and they are

0:57:52.635,0:57:54.005
continuation of us.

0:57:55.419,0:57:58.119
Just like we are a continuation of Thay

0:57:58.207,0:58:00.977
and we are continuation of[br]the ancestral teachers

0:58:01.667,0:58:03.624
and of the Buddha.

0:58:09.419,0:58:10.859
And then another

0:58:11.119,0:58:12.809
another opportunity

0:58:15.380,0:58:17.910
for us to practice

0:58:20.688,0:58:23.695
not just once, but many times

0:58:27.211,0:58:28.841
It's going to the toilet.

0:58:29.872,0:58:33.082
It's urinating, defecating.

0:58:34.700,0:58:37.220
It's a really peaceful time.

0:58:37.365,0:58:39.555
You're not distracted by anyone.

0:58:41.554,0:58:44.964
And it's a wonderful[br]opportunity to really see

0:58:47.996,0:58:49.556
the input and output

0:58:51.551,0:58:53.161
directly.

0:58:54.864,0:58:58.014
To see whatever it is[br]you have taken up

0:58:58.583,0:59:00.483
in your meal, you've taken in

0:59:01.468,0:59:04.948
it's now becoming a part of the earth.

0:59:11.210,0:59:13.960
And a gatha that I really enjoy

0:59:14.539,0:59:17.859
Urinating in the Ultimate Dimension

0:59:19.044,0:59:21.764
A wonderful exchange takes place.

0:59:24.941,0:59:28.064
The cosmos and I inter-are.

0:59:28.494,0:59:31.360
There's no increase or decrease.

0:59:34.320,0:59:37.830
In Vietnamese, the cosmos and I inter-are

0:59:39.923,0:59:44.123
(Speaking Vietnamese) I like that better[br]than "the cosmos".

0:59:47.155,0:59:53.255
It's a reminder (Vietnamese) means "I"[br](Vietnamese word) "you - person."

0:59:53.487,0:59:58.585
"You" it could be the cosmos, could be[br]the flowers, it could be my sister.

0:59:59.602,1:00:01.322
You and I inter-are.

1:00:01.539,1:00:04.709
And that's like a constant,[br]that's a really

1:00:06.744,1:00:11.963
a constant reminder every time[br]I'm sitting, you know

1:00:12.234,1:00:13.664
on the toilet.

1:00:16.325,1:00:19.002
That I am connected with my sisters.

1:00:19.200,1:00:22.147
I am connected with the food that I eat.

1:00:23.447,1:00:27.147
And this is another experience for us

1:00:28.817,1:00:31.445
to taste the insight

1:00:32.257,1:00:35.537
of interbeing and interconnectedness.

1:00:38.430,1:00:42.350
And then there's taking a shower ourself.

1:00:45.051,1:00:47.864
Unborn and indestructible,

1:00:48.745,1:00:51.165
beyond time and space.

1:00:52.041,1:00:55.101
Transmitter and inheritor are one.

1:00:55.410,1:00:58.059
This body of mine

1:01:00.399,1:01:02.179
and that of my parents

1:01:04.140,1:01:07.570
are connected, are deeply connected

1:01:10.525,1:01:13.500
in the wonderful nature of reality.

1:01:14.802,1:01:17.072
So these gathas,

1:01:17.438,1:01:19.748
these gathas were written by Thay.

1:01:20.783,1:01:23.423
And they help enormously,

1:01:24.660,1:01:27.140
they help me enormously in

1:01:29.025,1:01:31.965
reflecting, in my reflections,

1:01:32.303,1:01:34.453
in my practice of looking deeply.

1:01:35.240,1:01:38.950
And I also encourage my[br]mentees to write gathas

1:01:39.054,1:01:41.694
so that we can practice.

1:01:42.423,1:01:43.423
Gathas . . .

1:01:44.152,1:01:47.272
things that we have[br]not had a gathas.

1:01:47.802,1:01:51.216
And we create them[br]so that we can practice them.

1:01:59.557,1:02:01.657
And the breathing

1:02:03.557,1:02:06.327
The breathing, we think,[br]well, for us

1:02:06.473,1:02:09.373
when we are able to[br]come back to our breathing

1:02:11.807,1:02:16.917
it helps to cut off all, dispersed[br]thoughts and thinking, right?

1:02:16.990,1:02:19.940
So that we can be really[br]present here and now.

1:02:22.448,1:02:27.028
But also the breathing, it's not[br]just serving us in that way.

1:02:27.311,1:02:28.991
But when you

1:02:29.829,1:02:31.359
breathe

1:02:34.304,1:02:36.744
and you're really there

1:02:37.134,1:02:39.024
what do you see?

1:02:40.370,1:02:42.720
We're taking in this air,

1:02:42.951,1:02:48.071
this air that we think, that[br]manas thinks is the environment.

1:02:49.169,1:02:50.849
That it's not itself.

1:02:52.387,1:02:54.887
We're taking it in. We are

1:02:55.652,1:02:58.192
indispensible without this air.

1:02:58.430,1:03:02.220
We cannot survive without this air.[br]This air is becoming a part of mine.

1:03:02.551,1:03:04.835
And the air that I'm breathing now

1:03:05.007,1:03:08.447
may be the air that you just breathed out.

1:03:11.588,1:03:13.518
And just that fact

1:03:13.888,1:03:16.939
it's that simple reflection and practice

1:03:18.797,1:03:21.607
of conscious breathing can help us

1:03:23.278,1:03:24.788
experience

1:03:26.841,1:03:30.481
the interconnectedness,[br]the interbeing nature

1:03:30.763,1:03:34.763
of ourselves, with [br]everything there is.

1:03:37.465,1:03:41.465
And we think they're so simple[br]practices but they're so powerful.

1:03:42.810,1:03:45.030
They're so powerful

1:03:45.921,1:03:50.281
in shedding of the light,[br]bringing in the light

1:03:51.184,1:03:53.114
into our mind.

1:03:54.856,1:03:57.826
In order to set us free.

1:03:59.655,1:04:02.725
Free from the grasping of manas

1:04:02.876,1:04:05.766
and the manipulation of manas.

1:04:10.330,1:04:11.430
And so . . .

1:04:12.858,1:04:15.710
And, so in a sense, manas

1:04:17.856,1:04:20.966
it's like the mud of consciousness, right?

1:04:24.546,1:04:27.496
And the insights are like lotuses.

1:04:27.897,1:04:32.097
This insight that we practice to[br]cultivate they're like lotuses.

1:04:36.892,1:04:39.792
And the practice is not[br]about throwing away the mud.

1:04:39.882,1:04:42.132
We don't want to throw away manas.

1:04:43.712,1:04:48.022
We don't want to erase manas[br]from our consciousness.

1:04:50.731,1:04:53.041
Because when we are

1:04:53.141,1:04:56.821
when we train manas,[br]when we practice mindfulness

1:04:56.929,1:05:02.149
and we download these insights[br]of interbeing, interconnectedness

1:05:02.293,1:05:05.033
of non-self into manas

1:05:05.638,1:05:08.078
manas transforms.

1:05:10.509,1:05:13.484
When manas transforms[br]it becomes a wisdom.

1:05:13.812,1:05:17.139
It's called the wisdom[br]of non-discrimination.

1:05:17.323,1:05:20.543
(Speaking Vietnamese)

1:05:23.304,1:05:26.411
It's a wisdom that[br]frees us from all views.

1:05:26.501,1:05:30.121
Views of me, and not me.

1:05:34.069,1:05:35.109
Views . . .

1:05:36.526,1:05:38.046
that discrimate

1:05:40.001,1:05:42.798
us and them.

1:05:45.568,1:05:48.708
And also it frees us[br]from all attachments,

1:05:49.010,1:05:52.740
all attachments to[br]views of a separate self.

1:05:53.071,1:05:56.611
When we can really see[br]that my sisters

1:05:57.782,1:05:59.392
are really me.

1:05:59.543,1:06:01.833
My sisters are part of me.

1:06:02.117,1:06:05.477
This air that I'm breathing[br]is part of me.

1:06:06.727,1:06:09.427
That I'm actually swimming

1:06:10.847,1:06:13.167
every moment of my life

1:06:14.387,1:06:16.009
in this

1:06:17.237,1:06:19.837
a part of me that's outside of me.

1:06:23.067,1:06:25.289
When we have this insight,

1:06:25.393,1:06:29.259
the wisdom of non-discrimination,[br]we see wonders and miracles

1:06:29.456,1:06:31.056
unfolding

1:06:32.212,1:06:34.682
in every moment of our life.

1:06:34.856,1:06:40.456
The beauties and the goodness that's[br]unfolding in every moment of our life.

1:06:42.622,1:06:47.612
Recently I've . . . every morning[br]when I go into sitting meditation

1:06:47.833,1:06:52.693
and I look around at my sisters,[br]the Sangha, and I thought

1:06:54.539,1:06:57.559
"Wow, how beautiful."

1:06:59.147,1:07:01.582
How wonderful it is

1:07:03.251,1:07:06.991
that we had voluntarily

1:07:08.463,1:07:11.133
woke up pretty early in the morning

1:07:11.724,1:07:13.754
came into the hall

1:07:14.158,1:07:16.868
and just sat down together[br]not doing anything.

1:07:17.425,1:07:19.245
Sat down and breathed.

1:07:19.383,1:07:21.013
Sounds beautiful?

1:07:22.106,1:07:25.666
And yet, a lot of time we don't[br]really recognize that.

1:07:27.234,1:07:29.364
That alone is

1:07:29.810,1:07:32.723
it's already something really beautiful.

1:07:44.711,1:07:52.121
(Bell)

1:08:08.098,1:08:11.163
and I'm coming in and I sat down

1:08:11.315,1:08:14.285
and I'm breathing in the air that[br]my sisters breathed out.

1:08:14.442,1:08:17.162
I'm also breathing their smells.

1:08:18.445,1:08:20.908
(Laughs)

1:08:23.334,1:08:25.404
They're becoming a part of me.

1:08:25.529,1:08:29.039
Your consciousness is[br]affecting my consciousness.

1:08:29.782,1:08:32.782
You're nourishing me[br]with your practice.

1:08:32.976,1:08:35.826
You're feeding me[br]with your practice.

1:08:35.934,1:08:39.624
And I don't know how your practice is,[br]but the fact that you're coming in

1:08:39.730,1:08:41.690
and sitting there

1:08:41.819,1:08:43.889
you are nourishing me.

1:08:44.932,1:08:47.991
And yesterday one of the sisters said

1:08:48.229,1:08:51.589
"I don't know what it is with[br]the New Hamlet sisters

1:08:52.098,1:08:55.378
but every morning, everyone[br]is there, in the hall!"

1:08:57.763,1:09:00.783
Which is really good news, right?

1:09:00.995,1:09:03.635
That everyone is in the hall.

1:09:04.833,1:09:09.933
We really enjoy the practices[br]and we really enjoy being together.

1:09:10.584,1:09:13.784
And that's the signature[br]of the New Hamlet.

1:09:16.411,1:09:18.971
Right sisters?

1:09:20.449,1:09:22.279
(Laughs)

1:09:27.172,1:09:30.822
And so the mud becomes lotus.

1:09:39.345,1:09:42.045
When there is the wisdom[br]of non-discrimination

1:09:42.157,1:09:45.244
we see the lotuses in the mud immediately

1:09:45.435,1:09:49.435
and then the mud is no longer[br]"the mud."

1:09:49.896,1:09:52.696
But at the same time[br]we see the mud

1:09:53.850,1:09:55.780
as lotuses.

1:10:00.435,1:10:02.807
When manas is free

1:10:04.550,1:10:06.950
from these wrong

1:10:09.481,1:10:11.361
perceptions and

1:10:11.677,1:10:14.257
wrong beliefs in a separate self

1:10:17.655,1:10:20.295
it sees non-discrimination.

1:10:21.385,1:10:24.975
It is the wisdom of non-discrimination.

1:10:25.064,1:10:26.884
And at the same time

1:10:27.658,1:10:30.228
store consciousness is also free.

1:10:30.561,1:10:33.771
Free from the grasping of manas.

1:10:36.701,1:10:39.351
And store consciousness becomes wisdom.

1:10:39.563,1:10:42.903
It's called the Wisdom of[br]the Great Mirror.

1:10:44.394,1:10:46.734
(Speaking Vietnamese)

1:10:47.589,1:10:51.179
It's a wisdom of utmost clarity[br]and purity

1:10:54.248,1:10:57.208
where there is no obstruction whatsoever.

1:11:00.612,1:11:04.612
And so it's like a mirror[br]that reflects everything as they are

1:11:05.790,1:11:07.750
in store consciousness.

1:11:12.128,1:11:15.028
It is . . . suchness

1:11:16.762,1:11:18.912
and the true nature.

1:11:22.733,1:11:24.903
Our true nature.

1:11:26.014,1:11:28.510
Our true nature of reality.

1:11:31.073,1:11:34.223
And also mind consciousness[br]which is

1:11:36.018,1:11:38.278
stemming from manas

1:11:38.368,1:11:40.982
is also transformed and becomes

1:11:42.257,1:11:46.287
a wisdom called (Vietnamese)

1:11:50.347,1:11:53.017
It's the capacity to see deeply into

1:11:53.482,1:11:56.852
hearts and minds of ourselves[br]and of all beings.

1:11:57.158,1:11:59.808
It's like having psychic power,[br]isn't it?

1:12:00.002,1:12:04.002
To see what's going on in the[br]hearts and minds of everybody.

1:12:12.074,1:12:16.074
To see, we look into the hearts[br]and minds of others

1:12:17.205,1:12:19.915
not to discriminate, not to judge

1:12:20.071,1:12:23.521
but to see ways, in order to help.

1:12:25.701,1:12:27.942
To see appropriate ways

1:12:30.058,1:12:32.488
to help relieve the suffering

1:12:33.076,1:12:36.370
and also to see clearly, practices

1:12:37.716,1:12:41.396
and teachings that can be[br]appropriate to that particular person

1:12:41.584,1:12:44.094
to that particular heart and mind.

1:12:45.830,1:12:48.680
That's psychic power, isn't it?

1:12:53.179,1:12:54.933
And the five senses

1:12:55.088,1:12:58.310
the five sense consciousnesses[br]are also transformed.

1:12:58.517,1:13:02.257
They become . . . (Vietnamese)

1:13:03.011,1:13:05.421
It's a wisdom that allows us

1:13:06.749,1:13:08.849
to realize miracles

1:13:10.810,1:13:12.910
in the work of serving.

1:13:17.143,1:13:20.141
So, these wisdoms

1:13:21.638,1:13:25.118
are like miracles.[br]Like psychic power.

1:13:26.968,1:13:29.288
And it's not far-fetched.

1:13:30.918,1:13:33.348
It is within our mind.

1:13:33.567,1:13:36.807
It's already there.[br]It's being covered

1:13:39.596,1:13:40.876
by

1:13:43.478,1:13:46.868
the deluded mind,[br]our deluded mind, by manas.

1:13:50.899,1:13:54.899
When we practice mindfulness,[br]concentration, and insight

1:13:54.983,1:13:56.981
in our daily life

1:13:59.366,1:14:00.566
we actually

1:14:02.147,1:14:04.312
are transforming manas.

1:14:08.360,1:14:10.850
And also transforming the root

1:14:10.918,1:14:13.398
of the tendency to discriminate

1:14:14.557,1:14:17.997
in us, so that we can become the light,

1:14:18.081,1:14:21.706
the bodhisattavas to guide people

1:14:24.156,1:14:26.616
towards great freedom,

1:14:27.748,1:14:29.648
great happiness,

1:14:29.731,1:14:31.801
towards awakening.

1:14:33.332,1:14:36.032
And it's not just the individual awakening

1:14:36.111,1:14:38.381
but it's the collective awakening.

1:14:38.618,1:14:42.868
And we learned that the individual[br]is made of the collective.

1:14:43.068,1:14:45.518
When there is awakening[br]in the individual

1:14:45.737,1:14:48.787
there's also awakening in the collective.

1:14:49.426,1:14:52.616
And so each one of us[br]takes up the practice so that

1:14:55.552,1:15:00.302
we can . . . we can wake up.[br]We can be awakened.

1:15:01.112,1:15:04.824
And it is our awakening that we contribute

1:15:04.966,1:15:08.356
to the collective awakening of humanity.

1:15:11.074,1:15:13.794
So it's a really beautiful endeavor

1:15:13.867,1:15:16.047
that every one of us

1:15:16.136,1:15:18.836
is embarking on

1:15:20.172,1:15:21.962
and taking up

1:15:22.837,1:15:26.297
as our lives and purposes.

1:15:32.047,1:15:33.647
The endeavor

1:15:34.007,1:15:35.857
to experience

1:15:36.698,1:15:39.676
interconnectedness,[br]to experience

1:15:40.427,1:15:44.047
the beauty, the goodness, the truth

1:15:45.519,1:15:47.555
in us and around us.

1:15:50.409,1:15:54.409
Not just for our own benefit[br]and our own awakening

1:15:54.565,1:15:57.605
but also for the collective

1:15:57.735,1:16:00.019
awakening of humanity.

1:16:00.133,1:16:03.262
So thank you so much for being part of

1:16:03.353,1:16:05.823
this journey with us all.

1:16:10.262,1:16:14.872
And happy continuation on[br]this path, on this journey.

1:16:24.942,1:16:26.392
So let us . . .

1:16:29.211,1:16:32.652
listen to the three sounds of the bell.

1:16:38.284,1:16:41.067
Listen while we are

1:16:44.051,1:16:48.057
aware of our breathing[br]and of our body.

1:16:50.747,1:16:52.657
Listen in order

1:16:53.419,1:16:56.584
to quiet down our mind

1:16:58.077,1:17:00.452
to see the oneness

1:17:01.048,1:17:05.128
between ourselves and[br]the air and the sun

1:17:05.335,1:17:06.945
and the earth

1:17:08.990,1:17:11.080
and my community

1:17:13.663,1:17:14.853
and I.

1:17:27.955,1:17:32.055
(Inviting the Bell)

1:17:34.867,1:17:43.697
(Bell)

1:18:06.462,1:18:16.432
(Bell)

1:18:33.420,1:18:44.700
(Bell)

1:19:43.509,1:19:46.409
(Light bell)

1:19:49.270,1:19:51.910
(Light bell)