0:00:08.976,0:00:12.779
Breathing in, breathing out,

0:00:14.162,0:00:17.927
Breathing in, breathing out,

0:00:19.828,0:00:23.295
I am blooming as a flower,

0:00:25.008,0:00:29.726
I am fresh as the dew,

0:00:30.159,0:00:34.310
I am solid as a mountain,

0:00:34.910,0:00:38.878
I am firm as the earth,

0:00:39.177,0:00:45.109
I am free

0:00:46.230,0:00:49.511
I am Joanna Macy

0:00:49.511,0:00:51.562
and I want to introduce

0:00:51.562,0:00:54.110
four people tonight

0:00:54.110,0:00:55.660
I want to introduce a fighter,

0:00:55.660,0:00:57.860
a poet, a philosopher,

0:00:57.860,0:01:00.278
and a teacher brother.

0:01:00.278,0:01:03.893
Actually, it was the fighter

0:01:03.893,0:01:05.744
that I met first

0:01:05.744,0:01:07.741
before I ever saw him.

0:01:07.741,0:01:11.176
I was anguished and desperate

0:01:11.176,0:01:15.092
working in the anti Vietnam war movement

0:01:15.092,0:01:19.879
in the late sixties and seventies.

0:01:19.879,0:01:23.029
And a book came into my hand

0:01:23.029,0:01:26.290
Vietnam, a Lotus in a Sea of Fire

0:01:26.290,0:01:29.077
and everything was there.

0:01:29.077,0:01:31.676
The passion and the insight,

0:01:31.676,0:01:34.029
and such tremendous courage.

0:01:34.029,0:01:38.529
The next one I met was the poet

0:01:38.529,0:01:41.093
and that was when I saw him face to face.

0:01:41.093,0:01:43.194
It was June 1982 and

0:01:43.194,0:01:45.860
a special session on disarmament

0:01:45.860,0:01:49.043
at the United Nations.

0:01:49.043,0:01:51.407
There was a pre-conference

0:01:51.407,0:01:54.043
on the religious bases for

0:01:54.043,0:01:56.074
peace in this time

0:01:56.074,0:01:58.007
and disarmament

0:01:58.007,0:02:00.109
and there were many religious leaders

0:02:00.109,0:02:02.210
and church leaders there.

0:02:02.210,0:02:04.644
And you can kind of imagine

0:02:04.644,0:02:06.512
what that was like.

0:02:06.512,0:02:08.412
And what did I see, but this guy,

0:02:08.412,0:02:10.395
come in in a brown coat,

0:02:10.395,0:02:12.327
and he, he just stood there.

0:02:12.327,0:02:14.576
He didn't have sheafs of paper.

0:02:14.576,0:02:15.929
You remember that, Thay?

0:02:15.929,0:02:17.642
You just stood there.

0:02:17.642,0:02:19.612
And then reached into pockets, and said,

0:02:19.612,0:02:23.593
"Well, many important things have been said here.

0:02:23.593,0:02:26.016
"I don't think I can add anything,

0:02:26.016,0:02:29.129
"but I did write a poem on my way here."

0:02:29.129,0:02:33.911
And then he read it.

0:02:33.911,0:02:37.676
"Call me by my true names"

0:02:37.676,0:02:41.024
That's all he did.

0:02:41.024,0:02:43.227
And so I bow to the scholar

0:02:43.227,0:02:47.146
who teaches the mind,

0:02:47.146,0:02:50.077
helps us to look deeply.

0:02:50.077,0:02:52.927
And lastly, of the four, of course,

0:02:52.927,0:02:54.975
there is the teacher,

0:02:54.975,0:02:56.460
the meditation teacher,

0:02:56.460,0:02:58.627
and I think maybe most of you

0:02:58.627,0:03:00.627
have met him or know him

0:03:00.627,0:03:02.329
in that guise. In that role.

0:03:02.329,0:03:06.962
Maybe it was the first time you spoke

0:03:06.962,0:03:11.444
in Berkeley. I had prepared things to say

0:03:11.444,0:03:14.160
about you, and you said,

0:03:14.160,0:03:16.163
"Don't introduce me. Introduce the people

0:03:16.163,0:03:21.615
"and the audience to me." So I did.

0:03:21.615,0:03:26.112
I said, "Thay, these are my American

0:03:26.112,0:03:28.859
"brothers and sisters that live

0:03:28.859,0:03:32.029
"where I live, in Berkeley, California".

0:03:32.029,0:03:36.060
And I spoke of their concerns with their

0:03:36.060,0:03:38.678
moral responsibilities and with the

0:03:38.678,0:03:42.228
quality of their coffee in the morning.

0:03:42.228,0:03:47.245
[Laughter]

0:03:47.245,0:03:51.329
Since that time, you've come so often.

0:03:51.329,0:03:54.277
You have met so many of my brothers

0:03:54.277,0:03:56.894
and sisters that I think you maybe

0:03:56.894,0:03:59.176
know them better than I do.

0:03:59.176,0:04:01.126
And you've come, and not only have you

0:04:01.126,0:04:04.695
seen us and known us,

0:04:04.695,0:04:09.960
but you've helped us to see ourself.

0:04:09.960,0:04:12.560
To see reaches in us that we didn't

0:04:12.560,0:04:14.845
maybe know were there.

0:04:14.845,0:04:16.910
And all coming from something so simple,

0:04:16.910,0:04:20.828
The great gift of the miracle of life,

0:04:20.828,0:04:26.975
that we can pay attention.

0:04:26.975,0:04:33.061
Breathing in, I see you, Thich Nhat Hanh,

0:04:33.061,0:04:36.344
Breathing out, I smile.

0:04:37.428,0:04:42.596
Thank you Joanna.

0:04:42.596,0:04:46.546
My dear friends, I like to describe my practice,

0:04:46.546,0:04:51.641
my teaching, as the practice of arriving,

0:04:52.192,0:04:55.563
of going home.

0:04:55.563,0:04:59.130
There is a beautiful poem that we use

0:04:59.130,0:05:02.528
to practice arriving and going home.

0:05:02.528,0:05:04.928
It is like this.

0:05:04.928,0:05:10.244
I have arrived. I am home,

0:05:10.244,0:05:14.292
in the here and the now.

0:05:14.292,0:05:17.959
I feel solid. I feel free.

0:05:17.959,0:05:21.877
In the ultimate I dwell.

0:05:21.877,0:05:24.675
And of course, in my practice

0:05:24.675,0:05:26.776
mindful breathing with that poem.

0:05:26.776,0:05:31.176
When you breathe in, you practice arriving

0:05:31.176,0:05:33.711
I have arrived.

0:05:33.711,0:05:38.094
And when you breathe out,

0:05:38.094,0:05:41.009
you practice being at home.

0:05:41.009,0:05:44.841
I am home.

0:05:44.841,0:05:47.244
You may enjoy doing that several times,

0:05:47.244,0:05:49.760
and then you switch into

0:05:49.760,0:05:53.211
"in the here and the now".

0:05:53.211,0:05:56.027
It means, "I have arrived in the here.

0:05:56.027,0:06:02.044
"I am home in the now."

0:06:02.044,0:06:07.127
"I feel solid." That is when you breathe in.

0:06:07.127,0:06:11.461
"I feel free." That is while you [br]breathe out

0:06:11.461,0:06:13.244
At first you may feel

0:06:13.244,0:06:15.573
that you are not so solid.

0:06:15.573,0:06:18.327
But if you continue the practice

0:06:18.327,0:06:21.363
you get more solid.

0:06:21.363,0:06:24.926
And you get freer.

0:06:24.926,0:06:27.262
And then the last line is,

0:06:27.262,0:06:32.128
"In the ultimate I dwell."

0:06:32.128,0:06:37.012
To me, it is very important to go home,

0:06:37.012,0:06:40.446
to arrive.

0:06:40.446,0:06:43.029
In order to make peace with ourselves,

0:06:43.029,0:06:45.727
with our society,

0:06:45.727,0:06:48.509
and with the people we love.

0:06:48.509,0:06:51.660
Sometimes we suffer a little bit too much,

0:06:51.660,0:06:53.962
and we want to go away,

0:06:53.962,0:06:57.127
to run away from home.

0:06:57.127,0:06:59.578
We have the impression that at home

0:06:59.578,0:07:06.075
there is only pain and suffering,

0:07:06.075,0:07:10.011
deception

0:07:10.011,0:07:11.877
and we go and take refuge

0:07:11.877,0:07:13.726
in something else.

0:07:13.726,0:07:16.477
Maybe in the past or the future,

0:07:16.477,0:07:20.030
or in our projects.

0:07:20.030,0:07:24.911
Even projects for social change.

0:07:24.911,0:07:27.514
Learning to go home, to arrive,

0:07:27.514,0:07:32.144
is important.

0:07:32.144,0:07:34.959
We go home to the present moment.

0:07:34.959,0:07:46.139
We go home to the here and the now.

0:07:46.139,0:07:48.680
Sometime we don't want to go home

0:07:48.680,0:07:50.994
because we have the impression

0:07:50.994,0:07:56.161
that it is not pleasant.

0:07:59.210,0:08:04.026
Back home there is things like violence,

0:08:04.026,0:08:09.461
fear.

0:08:09.909,0:08:13.761
Back home there is things like Haiti,

0:08:13.761,0:08:19.228
Somalia. We won't forget.

0:08:24.033,0:08:28.315
Going home, we are afraid [br]of touching our fear

0:08:28.315,0:08:32.711
of touching the war within.

0:08:32.711,0:08:38.328
Sometime we find ourselves

0:08:38.328,0:08:41.193
at war with another person.

0:08:41.193,0:08:43.160
Maybe with our family,

0:08:43.160,0:08:46.411
with our society,

0:08:46.411,0:08:51.161
with our traditions.

0:08:51.161,0:08:53.156
But we may learn that

0:08:53.156,0:08:55.061
when we are at war with someone else,

0:08:55.061,0:08:57.862
there may be war within us.

0:08:57.862,0:08:59.196
And that is why

0:08:59.196,0:09:03.478
we don't want to go home.

0:09:03.478,0:09:06.278
Of course, there is war

0:09:06.278,0:09:08.507
within and around us.

0:09:08.507,0:09:10.494
But there is something else.

0:09:10.494,0:09:12.862
There is also peace and joy.

0:09:12.862,0:09:15.545
And you should learn to go home

0:09:15.545,0:09:18.496
in order to touch the joy and the peace

0:09:18.496,0:09:21.976
within us and around us.

0:09:21.976,0:09:23.546
And this is very important.

0:09:23.546,0:09:26.627
Because all of us need to be nourished

0:09:26.627,0:09:30.377
to be stable,

0:09:30.377,0:09:36.093
in order to be able to go further

0:09:36.093,0:09:41.543
to do something for the people around us.

0:09:43.076,0:09:46.661
I know many of you are very dedicated

0:09:46.661,0:09:50.910
to the cause of peace, of social justice,

0:09:50.910,0:09:58.727
but many of us feel, at times, lost,

0:09:58.727,0:10:03.863
angry, despair.

0:10:03.863,0:10:07.078
We are overwhelmed by the tremendous

0:10:07.078,0:10:10.711
suffering that is there around us

0:10:10.711,0:10:16.313
and even inside of us.

0:10:16.313,0:10:18.794
We need a source of energy,

0:10:18.794,0:10:20.627
a source of peace, of joy

0:10:20.627,0:10:23.110
in order to counterbalance

0:10:23.110,0:10:26.226
because we know that

0:10:26.226,0:10:28.679
if we do not have some amount

0:10:28.679,0:10:31.425
of peace, of joy, of happiness,

0:10:31.425,0:10:33.228
then we can't do anything.

0:10:33.228,0:10:36.627
We cannot continue.

0:10:36.627,0:10:39.362
The practice of arriving helps us

0:10:39.362,0:10:44.160
to touch the peace and the joy within

0:10:44.160,0:10:48.477
in order to get nourished.

0:10:49.143,0:10:52.461
And that practice will help us to generate

0:10:52.461,0:10:55.328
the energy of mindfulness

0:10:55.328,0:10:57.130
that will help us to touch the war

0:10:57.130,0:11:00.611
within and around us.

0:11:00.611,0:11:06.677
Because touching the war without strength,

0:11:06.677,0:11:10.360
without the energy of mindfulness,

0:11:10.360,0:11:13.225
may be dangerous.

0:11:13.225,0:11:15.744
We will be overwhelmed by it.

0:11:15.744,0:11:19.461
We will be shocked by it.

0:11:19.461,0:11:22.576
And therefore, before we learn to touch

0:11:22.576,0:11:25.239
the war within and around us

0:11:25.239,0:11:26.977
we should cultivate

0:11:26.977,0:11:29.625
the energy of mindfulness.

0:11:29.625,0:11:33.094
And that kind of cultivation

0:11:33.094,0:11:34.611
could be realised when

0:11:34.611,0:11:36.678
we learn to go home

0:11:36.678,0:11:38.511
and touch the peace and the joy in us.

0:11:38.511,0:11:45.944
[Bell]

0:11:59.094,0:12:00.861
In the Buddhist tradition

0:12:00.861,0:12:03.659
we usually talk about our consciousness

0:12:03.659,0:12:06.442
in terms of seeds,

0:12:06.442,0:12:12.543
in terms of bijas. 'Bijas' means 'seeds'.

0:12:12.543,0:12:14.146
We have seeds of peace,

0:12:14.146,0:12:16.726
of joy, of happiness.

0:12:16.726,0:12:18.396
There are seeds of war,

0:12:18.396,0:12:24.911
of anger, of despair, right within us.

0:12:24.911,0:12:27.274
There are seeds of peace and joy

0:12:27.274,0:12:30.576
and loving kindness within us

0:12:30.576,0:12:34.259
that need to be touched.

0:12:34.259,0:12:38.226
We should learn to touch them by ourselves

0:12:38.226,0:12:43.979
We should need our friends to come

0:12:43.979,0:12:46.261
and help touching them.

0:12:46.261,0:12:49.343
This is the practice.

0:12:49.343,0:12:51.274
I always encourage my friends

0:12:51.274,0:12:55.977
to begin the practice by touching peace.

0:12:55.977,0:12:59.773
Touching the positive seeds within us

0:12:59.773,0:13:02.276
and touching the positive seeds within

0:13:02.276,0:13:04.563
the other person.

0:13:04.563,0:13:06.392
It's pleasant.

0:13:06.392,0:13:11.330
It helps nourish each other.

0:13:11.330,0:13:14.010
And we know that touching,

0:13:14.010,0:13:16.459
the deepest kind of touching,

0:13:16.459,0:13:19.145
is with the energy of mindfulness.

0:13:19.145,0:13:21.360
And in Buddhist meditation,

0:13:21.360,0:13:24.113
to generate the energy of mindfulness

0:13:24.113,0:13:28.592
to touch peace is very crucial.

0:13:28.592,0:13:30.144
We are encouraged

0:13:30.144,0:13:33.228
not to touch the war first.

0:13:33.228,0:13:35.573
We are encouraged not to touch the pain

0:13:35.573,0:13:43.325
the despair, the suffering first.

0:13:43.325,0:13:45.493
And touching peace, we can do

0:13:45.493,0:13:47.543
as individuals

0:13:47.543,0:13:52.244
we can do as a community,

0:13:52.244,0:13:55.711
we can do as a nation.

0:13:55.711,0:14:01.710
And it is pleasant.

0:14:01.710,0:14:05.776
I may like to touch my eye

0:14:05.776,0:14:10.008
with the energy of mindfulness.

0:14:10.008,0:14:12.261
I have the energy of mindfulness

0:14:12.261,0:14:14.860
which is generated by

0:14:14.860,0:14:20.627
the practice of mindful breathing.

0:14:20.627,0:14:25.062
Breathing in, I know I am breathing in.

0:14:25.062,0:14:28.311
Breathing out, I know I am breathing out.

0:14:28.311,0:14:31.910
That is the practice of touching your [br]breath

0:14:31.910,0:14:36.108
and that practice is called[br]'mindfulness of breathing'.

0:14:36.108,0:14:42.744
Now I use that energy of mindfulness[br]to touch my eye.

0:14:42.744,0:14:56.242
Breathing in, I am aware of my eyes[br]Breathing out, I smile to my eyes.

0:14:57.143,0:15:01.380
When I touch my eyes with the energy[br]of mindfulness like that,

0:15:01.380,0:15:07.377
I find out that my eyes are still [br]in good condition.

0:15:07.377,0:15:12.027
If I touch my eyes deeply, I realise

0:15:12.027,0:15:18.663
that having eyes in good condition[br]is wonderful too.

0:15:18.663,0:15:24.893
Without my eyes, without the ability[br]to look and see things,

0:15:24.893,0:15:28.127
I would suffer very much.

0:15:28.127,0:15:30.726
You only need to open your eyes and look

0:15:30.726,0:15:36.677
and you see many wonders of life [br]around us.

0:15:36.677,0:15:39.643
The blue sky, the beautiful sunset

0:15:39.643,0:15:47.126
the face, the eyes, the smile[br]of your beloved ones.

0:15:47.126,0:15:52.227
You touch these things,[br]these people, with mindfulness

0:15:52.227,0:16:00.776
And you realise that to be alive,[br]to be able to look at them deeply

0:16:00.776,0:16:04.441
is happiness.

0:16:04.441,0:16:07.505
Happiness is something simple.

0:16:07.505,0:16:18.100
When you have mindfulness and you get [br]nourished by that kind of touching,

0:16:18.106,0:16:20.804
when you touch the eyes with mindfulness

0:16:20.804,0:16:25.453
you know that your eyes are [br]the condition of peace and happiness

0:16:25.453,0:16:27.219
and joy for you.

0:16:27.219,0:16:29.048
You know peace is there.

0:16:29.048,0:16:43.369
When you notice that there are trees dying[br]you know that it is a negative thing.

0:16:43.369,0:16:50.017
Touching these things, you suffer.

0:16:50.017,0:16:54.284
But when you touch beautiful trees[br]that are still alive, healthy,

0:16:54.284,0:17:06.169
you realise how wonderful to still[br]have them around us.

0:17:06.169,0:17:10.902
When you touch these beautiful trees,[br]you get nourished.

0:17:10.902,0:17:14.036
And you make the vow to do[br]whatever you can,

0:17:14.036,0:17:18.719
in order to protect them,[br]to keep them alive.

0:17:18.719,0:17:24.385
So touching peace[br]is to give peace a chance.

0:17:24.385,0:17:30.602
Let us practice this exercise[br]of touching together.

0:17:30.602,0:17:32.251
Let us touch our heart.

0:17:32.251,0:17:38.621
Breathing in, I am aware of my heart.

0:17:38.621,0:17:50.535
Breathing out, I smile to my heart.

0:17:59.969,0:18:06.935
When I touch my heart deeply like that[br]I know that my heart is there,

0:18:06.935,0:18:12.935
and it is a good news.

0:18:12.935,0:18:19.922
My heart is a condition of peace[br]and well being and joy for me.

0:18:19.922,0:18:26.769
But if I don't touch,[br]I may cause harm to my heart,

0:18:26.769,0:18:29.333
and I don't get happy.

0:18:29.333,0:18:36.753
My heart has been working hard[br]day and night to keep me alive,

0:18:36.753,0:18:39.621
to give me well-being,

0:18:39.621,0:18:50.602
to pump the blood[br]to irrigate every cell of my body.

0:18:50.602,0:18:55.368
And when I touch it deeply like that[br]I feel thankful to my heart

0:18:55.368,0:18:57.819
My heart is a living thing.

0:18:57.819,0:19:06.035
And when I touch it with my mindfulness,[br]my loving kindness, my heart will feel it.

0:19:06.035,0:19:12.652
It feels very comforted by my touching.

0:19:12.652,0:19:15.820
And if we touch our heart deeply like that[br]we would know what to do

0:19:15.820,0:19:22.249
and what not to do[br]in order to support our heart.

0:19:22.249,0:19:26.003
We would know what to eat,[br]what not to eat.

0:19:26.003,0:19:29.070
what to drink and what not to drink[br]in our daily life

0:19:29.070,0:19:34.687
in order to be of support to our heart.

0:19:34.687,0:19:39.153
We find out that smoking[br]is not a very friendly act

0:19:39.153,0:19:42.470
directed to our heart.

0:19:42.470,0:19:50.835
We know that drinking alcohol is not[br]a friendly act directed to our heart.

0:19:50.835,0:19:59.351
And if we continue touching like that[br]we stop smoking, drinking alcohol,

0:19:59.351,0:20:09.319
and we protect the peace, the well being,[br]and the joy within us.

0:20:09.319,0:20:14.050
We may spend a lot of time thinking [br]of other things.

0:20:14.050,0:20:20.135
We may not have enough opportunity[br]to go back

0:20:20.135,0:20:27.031
and touch the conditions of peace[br]and well being inside.

0:20:27.031,0:20:29.135
We live in forgetfulness.

0:20:29.135,0:20:33.153
Forgetfulness is the opposite of [br]mindfulness.

0:20:33.153,0:20:39.084
We live our daily life in such a way that[br]we destroy the peace, the stability,

0:20:39.084,0:20:41.852
the joy in our body.

0:20:41.852,0:20:49.921
We bring elements of war[br]into our body.

0:20:52.735,0:21:01.705
Mindfulness is the capacity to be aware of[br]what is happening in the present moment.

0:21:01.705,0:21:05.204
If we eat mindfully, [br]if we drink mindfully,

0:21:05.204,0:21:17.618
if we do things mindfully so they are[br]under the light of mindfulness,

0:21:17.618,0:21:22.869
we know what to do in order to bring[br]the elements of peace and joy

0:21:22.869,0:21:26.408
to our body and to our feelings.

0:21:26.408,0:21:35.954
We know what not to ingest in order to [br]prevent the toxins, the poisons

0:21:35.954,0:21:43.203
to enter our body and our consciousness.

0:21:43.669,0:21:47.136
And it is possible that we practice that [br]together.

0:21:47.136,0:21:52.637
"If you love me, please help me to be[br]mindful, and please help to touch

0:21:52.637,0:21:59.648
"the positive, healing and refreshing[br]elements within me.

0:21:59.648,0:22:05.352
"Touch my peace and joy, my seed of joy.

0:22:05.352,0:22:10.901
"Touch the seed of loving kindness in me.

0:22:10.901,0:22:13.051
"Touch the seed of happiness in me.

0:22:13.051,0:22:16.018
"Please do not touch the seed of anger [br]in me.

0:22:16.018,0:22:25.854
"Please do not touch the seed of despair[br]and violence in me.

0:22:25.854,0:22:31.819
"I will suffer, and you will suffer too."

0:22:32.886,0:22:37.616
So if we might like to practise together.

0:22:39.934,0:22:44.187
Sometime we suffer a little too much[br]and we blame the other person

0:22:44.187,0:22:50.953
as the cause of our suffering.

0:22:50.953,0:22:59.987
Our partner. Our son. Our daughter.[br]Our parents.

0:22:59.987,0:23:08.152
We blame them. We consider them to be[br]the cause of our suffering.

0:23:08.152,0:23:13.371
In fact, they do suffer like us too.

0:23:13.371,0:23:18.052
And our enemy is not the other person.

0:23:18.052,0:23:29.121
Our enemy is the seed of despair, anger,[br]frustration, fear, in every one of us.

0:23:29.121,0:23:34.385
You are not my enemy.

0:23:34.385,0:23:41.787
I want you to practice with me in order to[br]transform the seeds of suffering

0:23:41.787,0:23:43.414
in me and in you.

0:23:43.414,0:23:48.187
Because we all suffer the same thing.

0:23:48.988,0:23:55.785
But if partners suffer, we should try not[br]to look at the other person

0:23:55.785,0:24:00.933
as the cause of our suffering.

0:24:00.933,0:24:05.799
We should bring together our intelligence,

0:24:05.799,0:24:10.452
our talent, our mindfulness,[br]in order to work for the transformation

0:24:10.452,0:24:16.748
of the negative things[br]in both of us.

0:24:16.748,0:24:25.419
The tension that exists within us[br]prevents us from helping each other.

0:24:25.466,0:24:30.203
Since we know that we are victims[br]of the same kind of suffering,

0:24:30.203,0:24:35.578
why don't we come together?

0:24:35.903,0:24:39.920
And my ideal practice is that when[br]we come together,

0:24:39.920,0:24:45.083
we practice touching the positive[br]things first

0:24:48.018,0:24:52.234
We practice looking deeply in order to[br]see the seeds of peace, of joy,

0:24:52.234,0:24:59.035
of talent, of happiness in ourselves[br]and in the other person.

0:24:59.035,0:25:09.033
We recognise each other's value because[br]everyone has his or her own talent

0:25:09.033,0:25:16.944
and strength and positive values.

0:25:16.944,0:25:22.070
Everyone has jewels within himself or[br]herself.

0:25:22.070,0:25:27.186
Looking deeply into the other person,[br]in order to recognise these jewels,

0:25:27.186,0:25:35.724
and tell him, and tell her. Appreciating [br]these values is a very wonderful practice.

0:25:35.724,0:25:45.286
[Bell]

0:25:58.221,0:26:02.337
Maybe we can do this exercise.

0:26:02.337,0:26:05.953
We sit and practise breathing in and out

0:26:05.953,0:26:15.070
and identify the positive seeds[br]in the other person.

0:26:15.070,0:26:20.501
And then to tell the other person[br]that we have seen them.

0:26:20.501,0:26:26.022
We appreciate them. And we would like to[br]help watering these seeds

0:26:26.022,0:26:30.869
so that they become more important.

0:26:31.302,0:26:36.821
And that is the kind of practice[br]that you should begin first.

0:26:38.037,0:26:45.454
After some time,[br]the flowers in us will grow.

0:26:45.454,0:26:50.671
And the garbage in us[br]will diminish.

0:26:54.033,0:27:01.016
When the two warring parties[br]come to a peace conference,

0:27:01.016,0:27:12.120
they always begin by accusing each other,

0:27:12.120,0:27:17.766
touching the negative things [br]in each other first.

0:27:17.766,0:27:24.820
They could make the tension [br]more important.

0:27:24.820,0:27:30.252
I suggest that a third party [br]should be there

0:27:30.252,0:27:36.720
and practice what we would call,[br]in Buddhist tradition, 'flower watering'.

0:27:36.720,0:27:42.703
A third party may be presiding over[br]the first meeting,

0:27:42.703,0:27:50.636
and begin to talk about [br]the positive things of each side,

0:27:50.636,0:27:57.619
the values, the jewels, and the tradition[br]of both sides,

0:27:57.619,0:28:02.420
so that the other side will [br]be aware of them

0:28:02.420,0:28:07.304
and it will have more respect,[br]more appreciation of the other side.

0:28:07.304,0:28:12.650
We have the tendency to believe[br]that the other side is worth nothing.

0:28:12.650,0:28:17.337
It is only bandits.

0:28:17.337,0:28:26.203
Let us imagine that the PLO and the state[br]of Israel coming together

0:28:26.203,0:28:29.352
and practice that.

0:28:29.352,0:28:37.350
Because each nation, each tradition[br]has values, has jewels within it.

0:28:37.350,0:28:42.121
That even the people within the group[br]do not want to touch

0:28:42.121,0:28:46.036
because they are so angry,[br]they are so busy.

0:28:46.036,0:28:55.922
And that is why there is war[br]even in the inside of each party.

0:28:55.922,0:28:59.482
Each side.

0:28:59.482,0:29:03.753
It's true that in the PLO, many people[br]don't agree with each other

0:29:03.753,0:29:06.899
as to how to handle the problem.

0:29:06.899,0:29:12.236
The same thing is true with[br]the people in Israel.

0:29:12.236,0:29:18.053
People may have different kinds of ideas[br]and they force each other.

0:29:18.053,0:29:25.085
The practice I offer is that each side[br]go back to their own roots and values

0:29:25.085,0:29:31.418
and practice touching these beautiful[br]healing, refreshing elements

0:29:31.418,0:29:36.836
within their tradition, their culture.

0:29:38.104,0:29:42.820
And after that, each side will restore[br]the balance

0:29:42.820,0:29:49.369
will breathe more easily,[br]will have more harmony within.

0:29:49.369,0:29:56.583
And then it will be much easier[br]to talk with the other side.

0:29:56.583,0:30:00.333
The same thing is true with two persons.

0:30:00.333,0:30:06.253
When two persons are in a conflict

0:30:06.253,0:30:10.986
the fear, the frustration is too big.

0:30:10.986,0:30:16.701
It's difficult for them to reconcile,[br]to make peace.

0:30:16.701,0:30:22.302
The practice of touching peace,[br]touching the positive elements within us

0:30:22.302,0:30:25.567
will be very helpful.

0:30:25.567,0:30:29.219
There are many seeds, positive, wonderful,

0:30:29.219,0:30:34.953
that have been transmitted to us[br]by our ancestors.

0:30:34.953,0:30:39.601
It may be that during our lifetime

0:30:39.601,0:30:43.135
we are not capable of touching[br]these beautiful seeds.

0:30:43.135,0:30:51.852
We only allow people to water[br]the negative seeds in us.

0:30:51.852,0:30:56.302
And that is why it is so important[br]to go back to our roots,

0:30:56.302,0:31:04.167
to go back to ourselves,[br]and touch these beautiful seeds.

0:31:04.167,0:31:10.485
And then we may do it together.[br]We may help each other.

0:31:10.485,0:31:22.284
[Bell]

0:31:22.284,0:31:27.684
In the realm of our feelings[br]there may be also a war on.

0:31:27.684,0:31:33.083
Feelings opposing each other.

0:31:33.083,0:31:37.352
We suffer. We don't want to go home.

0:31:37.352,0:31:40.859
But each feeling is a manifestation [br]of a seed in us,

0:31:40.859,0:31:48.485
the seed of anger, the seed of fear,[br]the seed of distrust.

0:31:48.485,0:31:52.886
But there are other seeds in us[br]that are more positive.

0:31:52.886,0:31:57.703
It is very important for us to practise[br]touching these seeds

0:31:57.703,0:32:02.269
so they will produce wonderful,[br]refreshing feelings

0:32:02.269,0:32:07.185
in order for us to be nourished.

0:32:07.185,0:32:14.338
In the teaching of Buddhism,

0:32:14.338,0:32:19.820
we have all kinds of seeds[br]deep in our consciousness.

0:32:19.820,0:32:25.419
And when these seeds are watered,[br]are touched,

0:32:25.419,0:32:30.019
they will bloom in the upper level[br]of our consciousness

0:32:30.019,0:32:33.354
as mental formations.

0:32:33.354,0:32:37.100
Fear is a mental formation.

0:32:37.100,0:32:39.786
Joy is a mental formation.

0:32:39.786,0:32:42.868
Mindfulness is a mental formation.

0:32:42.868,0:32:48.605
Despair is a mental formation.[br]Hope is a mental formation.

0:32:48.605,0:32:52.354
Loving-kindness is a mental formation.

0:32:52.354,0:32:57.969
In forgetfulness, we don't know[br]how to touch these positive seeds.

0:32:57.969,0:33:01.915
We allow ourselves and the people[br]around us

0:33:01.915,0:33:05.434
to touch our negative seeds.

0:33:05.434,0:33:15.700
Then our mental formations[br]will be of negative nature.

0:33:15.700,0:33:20.387
And they will destroy us.

0:33:20.387,0:33:24.965
Because when a negative seed[br]manifests itself

0:33:24.965,0:33:29.217
on the upper level[br]of our consciousness,

0:33:29.217,0:33:33.265
the seed will be strengthened[br]at the base.

0:33:33.265,0:33:38.000
If we get angry for two hours,[br]during these hours

0:33:38.000,0:33:48.152
the seed of anger keeps growing[br]to be more important.

0:33:48.152,0:33:54.786
And therefore it will be very important[br]to learn how to touch the positive seeds.

0:33:54.786,0:34:01.686
Seeds of joy and peace.

0:34:01.686,0:34:12.419
Suppose you have a sister who has[br]the talent of flower arrangement.

0:34:12.419,0:34:19.584
And if your sister is not so happy[br]you may try to touch the seed

0:34:19.584,0:34:24.365
of flower arrangement within her.

0:34:24.365,0:34:34.103
You say, "My sister, it has been a long[br]time you did not offer us a

0:34:34.103,0:34:36.787
"flower arrangement. You know, every time[br]you arrange flowers,

0:34:36.787,0:34:40.185
"you make the whole family happy.

0:34:40.185,0:34:45.305
"How wonderful to have a pot of flowers[br]arranged by you!"

0:34:45.305,0:34:50.286
That is flower-watering practice.

0:34:50.286,0:34:57.568
You tell the truth, because you realise[br]that that seed is in her.

0:34:57.568,0:35:01.385
First she may not have a reaction.

0:35:01.385,0:35:05.867
But maybe, half an hour later,[br]she will take a pair of scissors

0:35:05.867,0:35:13.285
and she will go to the garden and[br]try to find a beautiful branch of flowers.

0:35:13.285,0:35:17.852
And during the time she goes around[br]like that, she waters by herself

0:35:17.852,0:35:22.570
the seed of flower arrangement,[br]the seed of happiness in her.

0:35:22.570,0:35:26.984
And if she spends half an hour[br]arranging the pot of flowers,

0:35:26.984,0:35:37.937
she also continues to practice[br]watering her seed of happiness.

0:35:37.937,0:35:43.136
It is not so difficult.

0:35:43.136,0:35:48.377
We practice watering the positive seeds[br]by ourselves.

0:35:48.377,0:35:56.768
And we will help water the positive seeds[br]in the other person.

0:35:56.768,0:36:02.988
And she will help also to do the same[br]kind of thing.

0:36:02.988,0:36:06.351
In a relationship[br]we should learn that practice.

0:36:06.351,0:36:15.065
It's easy. It's pleasant.[br]It's very healing.

0:36:15.065,0:36:19.253
After having practised for a few weeks

0:36:19.253,0:36:26.402
touching the positive things[br]with your energy of mindfulness,

0:36:26.402,0:36:29.864
your mindfulness has become[br]more important.

0:36:29.864,0:36:33.384
And with that energy[br]you might begin touching

0:36:33.384,0:36:41.685
the unpleasant things within you[br]and in the other person.

0:36:41.685,0:36:47.566
Suppose someone comes and says[br]something that makes me angry.

0:36:47.566,0:36:53.999
I know now how to practise[br]taking good care of my anger.

0:36:53.999,0:36:57.368
I wouldn't say anything or [br]do anything yet.

0:36:57.368,0:37:02.702
I know that the most important thing now[br]is to take good care of my anger.

0:37:02.702,0:37:06.220
Breathing in, I touch my anger.

0:37:06.220,0:37:10.451
Breathing out,[br]I am taking good care of my anger.

0:37:10.451,0:37:14.585
My anger is an energy.

0:37:14.585,0:37:18.269
My mindfulness is another kind[br]of energy.

0:37:18.269,0:37:22.417
The energy of mindfulness[br]is embracing the energy of anger

0:37:22.417,0:37:25.902
in a most tender way.

0:37:25.902,0:37:30.819
That is a practice called, [br]"mindfulness of anger".

0:37:30.819,0:37:37.703
We don't try to suppress our anger.

0:37:37.703,0:37:44.186
We practise embracing our anger.[br]We know that our anger is us.

0:37:44.186,0:37:49.884
Mindfulness holding anger[br]like a mother holding a baby.

0:37:49.884,0:37:56.236
And if you know of mindful breathing

0:37:56.236,0:38:01.818
you can nourish the energy of mindfulness[br]to be there

0:38:01.818,0:38:06.320
in order to take good care of your anger.

0:38:06.320,0:38:15.204
If your mindfulness is not strong enough,[br]a friend of yours can help you.

0:38:15.204,0:38:21.803
One friend, two friends[br]who know the practice

0:38:21.803,0:38:25.535
may like to sit close to you[br]hold your hand,

0:38:25.535,0:38:31.555
breathe in and out mindfully[br]and help you to touch your anger

0:38:31.555,0:38:34.232
with her or his mindfulness.

0:38:34.232,0:38:41.600
You feel stronger in the presence[br]of someone like that.

0:38:41.600,0:38:50.482
You know that when your little boy[br]or little girl is agitated,

0:38:50.482,0:38:56.604
if you hold his or her hand[br]and you breathe in and out calmly

0:38:56.604,0:39:00.787
and if you ask him or her[br]to breathe calmly

0:39:00.787,0:39:04.768
the two kinds of energy will[br]be combined.

0:39:04.768,0:39:12.535
And you'll be able to calm,[br]to stabilise the child very easily.

0:39:12.535,0:39:18.784
So when we practise touching the [br]negative things in us,

0:39:18.784,0:39:24.967
the despair, the anger,[br]the frustration,

0:39:24.967,0:39:29.119
if we feel that our energy of mindfulness[br]is not strong enough,

0:39:29.119,0:39:38.652
and then we ask a friend,[br]the one who we trust,

0:39:38.652,0:39:42.252
to sit close to us,[br]and we practise together.

0:39:42.252,0:39:47.320
That is what we call[br]practising in a sangha.

0:39:47.320,0:39:53.048
Sangha means a community of practice.

0:39:53.048,0:39:56.769
If you practise alone,[br]it will be more difficult.

0:39:56.769,0:40:01.867
But if you practise among other people,[br]who practise the same

0:40:01.867,0:40:04.334
you get the support.

0:40:04.334,0:40:09.503
You help your brothers and sisters[br]when they need you,

0:40:09.503,0:40:15.169
and they will help you[br]when you need them.

0:40:15.169,0:40:33.802
[Bell]

0:40:33.802,0:40:40.653
In the Buddhist tradition we always[br]consider the community of practice

0:40:40.653,0:40:42.485
as a jewel.

0:40:42.485,0:40:46.952
I take refuge in my sangha.

0:40:46.952,0:40:52.935
Sangha means the community of practice.

0:40:56.235,0:41:05.851
Sometime you lose your practice[br]but the sangha will always rescue you,

0:41:05.851,0:41:13.133
help you to restore your practice,[br]until your practice becomes strong

0:41:13.133,0:41:17.203
so that you can help other people also.

0:41:17.203,0:41:22.720
Taking refuge in the sangha[br]is not a matter of belief.

0:41:22.720,0:41:27.202
It is a matter of practice.

0:41:27.202,0:41:35.834
And you might like to transform[br]your partner, your parents,

0:41:35.834,0:41:42.751
your son, your daughter[br]into your sangha.

0:41:43.268,0:41:48.151
It is possible to do so if you practice[br]well enough.

0:41:48.151,0:41:57.252
You become more pleasant, more smiley[br]and you'll be able to convince him or her.

0:41:57.252,0:42:04.334
You may give a book or a tape on the [br]practice.

0:42:04.334,0:42:16.299
And if you are able to convince a friend[br]or a partner to the practice,

0:42:16.299,0:42:22.902
you get supported by that person.

0:42:24.452,0:42:27.152
Anyone of us would need a sangha.

0:42:27.152,0:42:30.651
If you are a social worker,[br]if you are a doctor,

0:42:30.651,0:42:35.254
if you are a therapist,[br]if you are a politician,

0:42:35.254,0:42:38.770
if you are a teacher, well,[br]you all need a sangha

0:42:38.770,0:42:42.486
to get supported.

0:42:42.486,0:42:49.452
Sangha building is very crucial[br]for our survival.

0:42:50.518,0:42:55.933
I have arrived. That's what you practice[br]when you breathe in.

0:42:55.933,0:42:59.451
Whether in a position of sitting[br]or walking.

0:42:59.451,0:43:06.454
Make a step, breathe in, and say,[br]"I have arrived."

0:43:06.454,0:43:09.422
Don't be afraid of going home.

0:43:09.422,0:43:18.735
Because, going home, you learn touching[br]the most beautiful things at home.

0:43:18.735,0:43:22.285
Home is in the present moment.

0:43:22.285,0:43:25.733
"I have arrived. I am home."

0:43:25.733,0:43:29.236
"In the here and the now."

0:43:29.236,0:43:35.052
Because it is only in the here and the now[br]that you can touch life.

0:43:35.052,0:43:39.886
Of course, life, there is suffering [br]in life.

0:43:39.886,0:43:44.935
But there are many wonders in life.

0:43:44.935,0:43:47.535
If you do not go back to the [br]present moment,

0:43:47.535,0:43:49.971
how could you touch[br]the beautiful sky,

0:43:49.971,0:43:52.472
or the beautiful sunset,

0:43:52.472,0:43:57.885
or the beautiful face of your child?

0:43:57.885,0:44:01.368
If you do not go home,[br]how could you touch your heart,

0:44:01.368,0:44:11.868
your lungs, your liver, your eyes,[br]in order to give them a chance?

0:44:11.868,0:44:18.038
Going home, you will be able[br]to touch the wonders of life,

0:44:18.038,0:44:22.719
the elements that are refreshing,[br]healing and beautiful.

0:44:22.719,0:44:27.034
That is very important.

0:44:27.034,0:44:31.020
When you practice sitting meditation,[br]you practice arriving

0:44:31.020,0:44:35.835
in order to touch many wonderful things.

0:44:35.835,0:44:39.535
First of all, the fact that you are alive.

0:44:39.535,0:44:45.334
The fact that you are alive is a miracle.

0:44:45.334,0:44:52.336
"Breathing in, I know I am alive."

0:44:52.336,0:44:59.919
"Breathing out, I know I do not miss[br]my appointment with life."

0:44:59.919,0:45:05.270
Your appointment with life is[br]in the present moment.

0:45:05.270,0:45:10.121
And if you don't learn how to arrive,[br]to go back to the here and now,

0:45:10.121,0:45:12.285
you miss life.

0:45:12.285,0:45:22.036
Everything that is wonderful[br]must be touched in the present moment.

0:45:22.036,0:45:27.969
In a discourse called, "The Discourse on [br]the Better Way to Live Alone",

0:45:27.969,0:45:35.634
the Buddha taught us that [br]we should not get lost in the past.

0:45:35.634,0:45:37.737
We should not get lost in the future.

0:45:37.737,0:45:41.552
We have to go back to the present moment,

0:45:41.552,0:45:49.666
and observe, and live deeply,[br]life in the present moment.

0:45:49.666,0:45:58.001
That is the most ancient text on [br]how to live in the present moment.

0:45:59.187,0:46:02.520
The present moment contains the past.

0:46:02.520,0:46:06.882
The present moment is made of the past.

0:46:06.882,0:46:09.885
And if you touch deeply the present moment

0:46:09.885,0:46:11.420
you touch the past.

0:46:11.420,0:46:15.070
The past is still available.

0:46:15.070,0:46:21.069
And the damage that was caused in the past[br]can be repaired also

0:46:21.069,0:46:26.021
because the past is there, [br]deep in the present moment.

0:46:26.021,0:46:32.703
If I touch the present moment deeply,[br]I touch also the past

0:46:32.703,0:46:39.155
and I can transform it.

0:46:40.486,0:46:45.002
The future will be made of[br]the present moment.

0:46:45.002,0:46:47.969
There's no use worrying about the future.

0:46:47.969,0:46:56.485
The best way to take care of the future[br]is to take good care of the present moment

0:46:56.901,0:47:01.436
If you do your best to handle the [br]present moment,

0:47:01.436,0:47:05.669
you have done everything for the future.

0:47:08.203,0:47:16.419
That is why, to practice arriving home[br]in the here and the now is very important.

0:47:16.419,0:47:24.070
Maybe, in the beginning you might have[br]the impression that home is not so sweet.

0:47:25.302,0:47:33.804
But with the energy of mindfulness,[br]you will find your home sweet.

0:47:33.804,0:47:40.719
And if it happens that you have to touch[br]the unpleasant things at home,

0:47:40.719,0:47:48.019
you know that touching them with[br]mindfulness will help to transform them.

0:47:48.019,0:47:52.732
Our despair, our anger, our irritation,

0:47:52.732,0:47:58.552
when touched with the energy[br]of mindfulness,

0:47:58.552,0:48:02.152
will be transformed.

0:48:02.152,0:48:07.718
And that is why touching [br]the positive things

0:48:07.718,0:48:10.421
in order to get nourished

0:48:10.421,0:48:13.681
and to cultivate the energy[br]of mindfulness

0:48:13.681,0:48:18.119
is very crucial in the beginning.

0:48:18.119,0:48:22.185
After that, our energy of mindfulness[br]will be strong enough

0:48:22.185,0:48:27.617
to allow us to touch the more,[br]the negative elements

0:48:27.617,0:48:29.801
within and around us.

0:48:29.801,0:48:33.468
And we do it together also.

0:48:34.307,0:48:44.615
[Bell]

0:48:52.749,0:49:01.385
In the practice of Buddhist meditation,[br]we learn to touch our body as a river.

0:49:01.385,0:49:06.136
Because our body always changes.

0:49:06.136,0:49:13.852
We learn to touch our feelings as a river.

0:49:13.852,0:49:21.234
And we learn to touch our perceptions[br]as a river too.

0:49:21.234,0:49:29.520
The Buddha taught us that most of our[br]suffering comes from our wrong perceptions

0:49:29.520,0:49:34.985
It's very important to use the energy of [br]mindfulness

0:49:34.985,0:49:41.119
and touch deeply our perceptions.

0:49:41.787,0:49:47.686
Our perceptions are very often wrong.

0:49:47.686,0:49:50.753
And because of that,[br]we accuse the other person.

0:49:50.753,0:49:59.301
We accuse other people[br]as the origin of our pain,

0:49:59.301,0:50:01.088
our suffering.

0:50:01.088,0:50:08.619
In fact, our wrong perceptions[br]are the cause of our pain.

0:50:08.619,0:50:18.733
Walking in the twilight, we may[br]mistake a piece of rope as a snake.

0:50:18.733,0:50:23.453
And we scream, we run off.

0:50:23.453,0:50:26.250
That is a wrong perception.

0:50:26.250,0:50:33.067
That kind of perception [br]is very usual in our daily lives.

0:50:33.067,0:50:38.651
That is why it is so important [br]to practice and generate

0:50:38.651,0:50:42.600
the energy of mindfulness,[br]in order to go back

0:50:42.600,0:50:46.318
and touch our perceptions.

0:50:46.318,0:50:52.402
The Buddha said, most of our[br]perceptions are wrong.

0:50:52.402,0:50:58.969
At least, they have elements that[br]are wrong in our own perceptions.

0:50:58.969,0:51:05.235
The purpose of Buddhist meditation[br]is described as the practice of calming,

0:51:05.235,0:51:14.838
stopping, concentrating, in order to[br]look deeply into the heart of things.

0:51:14.838,0:51:24.598
If you don't stop, if you don't calm,[br]if you don't concentrate,

0:51:24.598,0:51:32.085
you have no energy for looking deeply.

0:51:32.085,0:51:39.169
The first part of the practice is called[br]samatha. Stopping, calming, concentrating.

0:51:39.169,0:51:45.069
And that can be done with sitting, [br]breathing mindfully.

0:51:45.069,0:51:52.401
The second part of the practice is called[br]vipashyana. It means deep looking.

0:51:52.401,0:51:57.336
And these aspects of the practice[br]help you to discover

0:51:57.336,0:52:02.418
the true nature of what is.

0:52:02.418,0:52:10.968
And the insight you get will be able[br]to liberate you from your own suffering.

0:52:10.968,0:52:15.784
So misunderstanding is the root of our[br]suffering.

0:52:15.784,0:52:20.070
And when we misunderstand,[br]we accuse the other person

0:52:20.070,0:52:23.218
as the root of our suffering.

0:52:23.218,0:52:27.720
The practice, according to the practice[br]you have to help each other.

0:52:27.720,0:52:32.585
You have to come together and[br]deal with your real enemy,

0:52:32.585,0:52:36.155
wrong perceptions.

0:52:41.416,0:52:53.431
And in each of us there is a habit[br]that is the cause of so much difficulties.

0:52:53.431,0:52:59.502
I know of a French lady[br]who left home at the age of seventeen,

0:52:59.502,0:53:07.002
who went to England and lived[br]because she was so angry at her mother.

0:53:07.002,0:53:11.819
She wanted to forget France,[br]to forget her mother.

0:53:11.819,0:53:20.219
But thirty years later,[br]she touched a book on Buddhism,

0:53:20.219,0:53:25.815
and she had the desire to go home,[br]and reconcile with her mother.

0:53:25.815,0:53:33.667
The desire to go back and reconcile[br]was very strong in her.

0:53:33.667,0:53:40.388
And that desire, that willingness,[br]is strong also in the person of the mother

0:53:40.388,0:53:45.754
So both sides wanted to reconcile[br]and to make peace.

0:53:45.754,0:53:53.017
But every time they met, there was[br]an explosion of anger on both sides.

0:53:53.017,0:53:57.636
Because the seed of suffering had been[br]cultivated for a long time.

0:53:57.636,0:54:06.917
It has become a kind of habit energy[br]that dictate both of them.

0:54:07.649,0:54:12.502
The willingness to reconcile [br]is not enough.

0:54:12.502,0:54:15.345
The willingness to make peace[br]is not enough.

0:54:15.345,0:54:17.449
We need to practice.

0:54:17.449,0:54:22.652
So I asked her to come to stay in [br]Plum Village for a few - where I stay

0:54:22.652,0:54:29.303
and practice - to come to Plum Village and [br]stay for two months for the practice.

0:54:29.303,0:54:33.604
She practiced walking meditation,[br]sitting and breathing,

0:54:33.604,0:54:37.586
eating in mindfulness, [br]drinking tea in mindfulness,

0:54:37.586,0:54:40.235
flower watering.

0:54:40.235,0:54:45.883
The energy of mindfulness[br]cultivated by that daily practice,

0:54:45.883,0:54:50.268
she used to touch the seeds of anger

0:54:50.268,0:54:54.654
and to touch the habit energy[br]of reacting like a machine

0:54:54.654,0:54:59.186
every time the seed of anger[br]is watered.

0:54:59.186,0:55:04.586
And I advised her to write a letter[br]of reconciliation

0:55:04.586,0:55:08.520
from time to time, [br]to her mother.

0:55:08.520,0:55:15.120
Write it in mindfulness.

0:55:15.120,0:55:19.586
During the time of writing that letter,[br]her seed of suffering and anger

0:55:19.586,0:55:21.066
was not watered by her mother.

0:55:21.066,0:55:25.318
Her mother was not there,[br]so it was much easier to write

0:55:25.318,0:55:28.335
a letter of reconciliation.

0:55:28.335,0:55:33.470
And to write such a letter[br]is also to practice deep looking

0:55:33.470,0:55:41.169
into herself, and into the person[br]of her mother.

0:55:41.169,0:55:47.668
A number of months later,[br]she was transformed.

0:55:47.668,0:55:53.335
And the letter that she wrote,[br]her mother read, one after one.

0:55:53.335,0:55:57.267
And during the time reading this letter,

0:55:57.267,0:56:00.436
she got the effect of flower arrangement,

0:56:00.436,0:56:03.602
her values were recognised.

0:56:03.602,0:56:06.134
She restored the balance.

0:56:06.134,0:56:09.817
These things, you can do.

0:56:09.817,0:56:13.920
We all can do.

0:56:13.920,0:56:30.268
[Bell]

0:56:35.001,0:56:41.351
Before I continue, I would like to invite [br]you to breathe in and out a few times,

0:56:41.351,0:56:51.569
and then tell you how to stretch,[br]imitating a palm tree.

0:57:16.419,0:57:25.102
[Bell]

0:57:35.804,0:57:45.386
[Bell]

0:57:52.051,0:58:02.536
[Bell]

0:58:08.935,0:58:16.003
In our daily life, we are often[br]distracted.

0:58:16.003,0:58:20.738
Our body may be there but[br]our mind is not there.

0:58:20.738,0:58:25.304
So we are not really present.

0:58:25.304,0:58:31.354
Our beautiful child may be coming,[br]our beautiful little boy or girl,

0:58:31.354,0:58:35.799
may be coming,[br]smiling her beautiful smile.

0:58:35.799,0:58:39.987
She wants to get some of [br]our attention.

0:58:39.987,0:58:42.698
But since we are caught in the future,

0:58:42.698,0:58:49.634
in our projects, or in our regrets,

0:58:50.101,0:58:52.617
we are not available to our child.

0:58:52.617,0:58:55.786
And our child is not available to us.

0:58:55.786,0:58:58.703
Life is not possible.

0:58:58.703,0:59:05.885
That is why, a few mindful breathing[br]may help us to go back

0:59:05.885,0:59:13.218
and to become available to our child,[br]to life.

0:59:13.218,0:59:22.668
And mindfulness of breathing may help you[br]to be present in order to encounter life.

0:59:26.652,0:59:32.865
If you love someone, the greatest gift[br]that you can make to him or her

0:59:32.865,0:59:36.170
is your presence.

0:59:36.170,0:59:40.619
If you are not there, how could you love?

0:59:40.619,0:59:46.669
And therefore, the most meaningful[br]declaration, when you are in love, is this

0:59:46.669,0:59:51.588
"Darling, I am there for you."

0:59:51.588,1:00:00.471
Your presence is very important[br]for him or for her.

1:00:00.471,1:00:04.735
And that cannot be bought with money.

1:00:04.735,1:00:10.819
That could only be practiced[br]by mindfulness.

1:00:10.819,1:00:16.003
So breathe in and breathe out mindfully,[br]and make yourself available

1:00:16.003,1:00:19.703
to your beloved one.

1:00:19.703,1:00:23.286
That is a practice of mindfulness.

1:00:23.286,1:00:29.418
"Darling, I am there for you."

1:00:29.418,1:00:34.605
When you are there,[br]the energy of mindfulness is there,

1:00:34.605,1:00:40.986
and that energy helps you to recognise[br]the presence of the other.

1:00:40.986,1:00:46.851
If you are not there, how can you [br]recognise her presence? Or his presence?

1:00:46.851,1:00:54.185
That is why mindfulness is the energy that[br]helps you to recognise the presence

1:00:54.185,1:01:00.135
of the other. "Darling, I know that you [br]are there, and I am happy."

1:01:00.135,1:01:04.851
So you embrace the person you love[br]with the energy of mindfulness.

1:01:04.851,1:01:09.752
That is the most nourishing thing[br]for him or for her.

1:01:09.752,1:01:14.502
Otherwise she will die slowly.

1:01:14.502,1:01:17.919
You are there,[br]but you are not really there.

1:01:17.919,1:01:24.005
Your presence is not true, not real[br]because you are not mindful.

1:01:24.005,1:01:27.235
If the person you love[br]does not get your attention,

1:01:27.235,1:01:32.785
your mindfulness,[br]she dies slowly.

1:01:32.785,1:01:38.369
Especially when [br]the person you love suffers,

1:01:38.369,1:01:42.502
your presence is most important[br]to her, or to him.

1:01:42.502,1:01:47.568
That is why, when you see[br]the person you love suffer

1:01:47.568,1:01:50.697
you have to make yourself available[br]right away.

1:01:50.697,1:01:55.051
"Darling, I know that you suffer."

1:01:55.051,1:02:01.870
"I know that you suffer, and that is why[br]I am there for you."

1:02:02.234,1:02:04.554
That is the practice of mindfulness.

1:02:04.554,1:02:07.034
And you know how to do it.

1:02:07.034,1:02:12.417
You might use sitting, walking, breathing.

1:02:13.052,1:02:20.471
All these practices aim[br]at making you available, present.

1:02:21.137,1:02:25.902
And if you yourself suffer,[br]you have to do the same thing.

1:02:25.902,1:02:30.685
You have to practice being there,[br]by breathing in and out,

1:02:30.685,1:02:34.583
holding your suffering[br]with your mindfulness.

1:02:34.583,1:02:41.248
Then you go to the person you love[br]and trust and tell her, tell him,

1:02:41.248,1:02:46.837
"Darling, I suffer. Please help."

1:02:46.837,1:02:54.403
These are very simple words to say.

1:02:54.403,1:03:02.351
If your love is true, you should be able[br]to tell him or tell her that you suffer

1:03:02.351,1:03:07.051
and that you need her help, or his help.

1:03:07.051,1:03:12.816
If you cannot go to him or her,[br]and say that something is wrong

1:03:12.816,1:03:19.818
in your relationship, your love is not[br]true enough.

1:03:19.818,1:03:27.003
In true love, pride does not have a place.

1:03:27.003,1:03:30.500
Pride should not prevent you[br]from going to him or to her

1:03:30.500,1:03:39.552
and to tell him or her that you suffer[br]and you need him or her to help.

1:03:45.069,1:03:48.852
We are rooted in each other.

1:03:48.852,1:03:52.936
I need you in order to survive.

1:03:52.936,1:03:58.186
One day, in the Upper Hamlet [br]of Plum Village,

1:03:58.186,1:04:04.086
I happened to see[br]a young lady walking alone.

1:04:04.086,1:04:09.418
And I had the feeling [br]that she is not a human being.

1:04:09.418,1:04:13.085
She was like a ghost.

1:04:13.085,1:04:21.351
I knew right away that she was one[br]of the hungry ghosts of our society.

1:04:21.351,1:04:25.486
Coming from a broken family,[br]coming from a society

1:04:25.486,1:04:33.352
that does not recognise you,[br]that has made you suffer.

1:04:33.352,1:04:42.699
Coming from a tradition that[br]is not capable of nourishing you,

1:04:42.699,1:04:46.520
communicate to you.

1:04:46.520,1:04:55.768
In the past twelve years, I have met[br]several hungry ghosts like that.

1:04:55.768,1:05:01.903
They are without any root.

1:05:01.903,1:05:04.566
They don't believe in their family.

1:05:04.566,1:05:07.634
They get angry at their parents.

1:05:07.634,1:05:12.203
They get angry at their society.

1:05:12.203,1:05:14.234
They get angry at their traditions.

1:05:14.234,1:05:17.620
They want to leave everything behind.

1:05:17.620,1:05:22.552
And they go around[br]looking for something to belong to.

1:05:22.552,1:05:25.317
Looking for something beautiful.

1:05:25.317,1:05:31.168
Something rooted,[br]something true to believe in.

1:05:31.168,1:05:38.151
Many of them have come to[br]practice centres like Plum Village.

1:05:38.151,1:05:41.134
It's very difficult to help these people.

1:05:41.134,1:05:44.751
They have no roots. It's very difficult for [br]them to absorb the teaching

1:05:44.751,1:05:52.881
because they don't trust easily.

1:05:52.881,1:06:04.131
You have to do your best in order to[br]earn their trust before you can help.

1:06:10.018,1:06:14.952
Our society is organised in such a way [br]that we produce tens of thousands

1:06:14.952,1:06:18.234
of hungry ghosts everyday.

1:06:18.234,1:06:23.804
They have not received love from[br]their parents, their society,

1:06:23.804,1:06:26.752
their tradition.

1:06:26.752,1:06:31.536
Nobody has understood them.[br]That is why they are very hungry

1:06:31.536,1:06:35.935
of love and understanding.

1:06:35.935,1:06:41.669
And they are looking for something[br]to believe in.

1:06:41.669,1:06:45.768
And hungry ghosts, even if they have[br]a big belly like this,

1:06:45.768,1:06:49.636
they have a very tiny throat,

1:06:49.636,1:06:55.933
as small as a needle, it is described[br]in the sacred text.

1:06:55.933,1:07:01.170
Hungry ghosts have a throat[br]that is as small as a needle.

1:07:01.170,1:07:04.553
So even if you have a lot to offer,

1:07:04.553,1:07:11.702
it is very difficult for them to absorb.

1:07:11.702,1:07:19.451
Even if you have plenty of food,[br]plenty of water, plenty of love,

1:07:19.451,1:07:22.568
to offer, it is difficult for them[br]to absorb

1:07:22.568,1:07:27.818
because nobody has understood them,[br]nobody has loved them,

1:07:27.818,1:07:35.651
they suspect everything,[br]they suspect everyone.

1:07:35.651,1:07:41.017
We have helped a certain number[br]of hungry ghosts like that.

1:07:41.017,1:07:45.234
We know that it is difficult.

1:07:45.234,1:07:49.968
We know that we need each other[br]in order to help.

1:07:49.968,1:07:53.268
We have to recognise our society[br]in such a way that we

1:07:53.268,1:07:56.801
stop producing more hungry ghosts.

1:07:56.801,1:07:59.485
It is very important.

1:07:59.485,1:08:03.899
We should practice looking deeply[br]in order to be able to understand

1:08:03.899,1:08:09.467
these hungry ghosts, and not [br]to continue to blame them.

1:08:09.467,1:08:13.351
Because they have not received[br]any understanding,

1:08:13.351,1:08:19.619
and therefore, any love.

1:08:19.619,1:08:32.752
[Bell]

1:08:38.035,1:08:43.319
Each person, in order to be happy[br]and stable

1:08:43.319,1:08:46.819
should have at least two families.

1:08:46.819,1:08:53.405
The first is the blood family

1:08:53.405,1:09:04.701
in which father and mother represent[br]the youngest generation of ancestors.

1:09:04.701,1:09:08.901
If your parents are happy with each other,

1:09:08.901,1:09:17.418
they'll be able to transmit to you[br]the values of your ancestors.

1:09:17.418,1:09:24.736
The love and trust that are in them[br]in the form of seeds.

1:09:24.736,1:09:28.584
And you have roots in your blood family.

1:09:28.584,1:09:34.668
If you are on good terms with your parents[br]you are connected with your ancestors

1:09:34.668,1:09:37.086
through your parents.

1:09:37.086,1:09:40.734
But if you are not on good terms with your[br]parents, you get disconnected

1:09:40.734,1:09:42.667
with all your ancestors.

1:09:42.667,1:09:45.854
You become a person without roots.

1:09:45.854,1:09:52.101
And you can become very easily[br]a hungry ghost.

1:09:52.101,1:09:56.539
The other family is the spiritual family.

1:09:56.539,1:09:59.534
You also have ancestors.

1:09:59.534,1:10:07.803
And if the people who represent[br]your traditions are not happy enough,

1:10:07.803,1:10:14.119
if they have not been lucky enough[br]in order to receive the jewels

1:10:14.119,1:10:17.018
of your tradition,

1:10:17.018,1:10:21.135
they would not be able[br]to transmit them to you.

1:10:21.135,1:10:24.701
They could not be able to understand you[br]and your needs.

1:10:24.701,1:10:29.087
They could impose on you[br]things you don't like.

1:10:29.087,1:10:33.720
Communication between them and you[br]is not possible.

1:10:33.720,1:10:41.509
You suffer, and you want to get away[br]from your own traditions.

1:10:41.509,1:10:52.603
And if you are in bad terms [br]with your rabbi, with your pastor,

1:10:52.603,1:11:00.651
with your priest, you get disconnected[br]with your spiritual ancestors.

1:11:00.651,1:11:05.170
And you become a hungry ghost.

1:11:05.170,1:11:10.104
And having so much suffering [br]within yourself,

1:11:10.104,1:11:12.438
you make the person you love suffer.

1:11:12.438,1:11:17.850
And if you have children,[br]you make them suffer also.

1:11:17.850,1:11:21.486
And they too will become hungry ghosts.

1:11:21.486,1:11:27.786
That is why it is so important to practise[br]looking deeply

1:11:27.786,1:11:32.502
to find out what is wrong with our family.

1:11:32.502,1:11:36.202
What is wrong within our blood family.

1:11:36.202,1:11:43.935
What is wrong within our spiritual family.

1:11:43.935,1:11:51.202
The practice of mindful looking[br]may be very helpful

1:11:51.202,1:11:55.718
in order for you to understand [br]your parents

1:11:55.718,1:12:00.719
and the people who represent[br]your tradition.

1:12:00.719,1:12:09.235
If your parents cannot embody[br]the values of your ancestors,

1:12:09.235,1:12:16.101
if your priest, your rabbi, your pastor[br]cannot embody the values

1:12:16.101,1:12:22.117
of your tradition, [br]there must be causes.

1:12:22.117,1:12:24.567
We have to look deeply.

1:12:24.567,1:12:30.719
And when we are capable of looking deeply,

1:12:30.719,1:12:39.534
the insight will come,[br]and that will help us to accept,

1:12:39.534,1:12:41.935
to have compassion.

1:12:41.935,1:12:46.603
And going back home to help our parents.

1:12:46.603,1:12:49.902
To help our rabbi, our priest, our pastor,

1:12:49.902,1:12:53.368
will become possible.

1:12:53.368,1:12:58.435
There is a young American[br]who came to Plum Village

1:12:58.435,1:13:07.866
and told me that he was so angry at his [br]father, to the point that even after his

1:13:07.866,1:13:16.736
father's passing away, he still[br]could not reconcile with him.

1:13:16.736,1:13:29.884
And I helped him, by the teaching of[br]the emptiness of transmission.

1:13:29.884,1:13:35.300
Emptiness of transmission is a way of[br]looking deeply in order to recognise

1:13:35.300,1:13:38.319
that you are one with your parents.

1:13:38.319,1:13:41.519
You are only a continuation[br]of your parents.

1:13:41.519,1:13:47.669
Getting angry at your parents is[br]to get angry at yourself.

1:13:47.669,1:13:50.851
When we talk about transmission,

1:13:50.851,1:13:54.102
we talk about the one who transmits,

1:13:54.102,1:13:56.884
we talk about the object transmitted,

1:13:56.884,1:14:02.635
and we talk about the receiver[br]of the transmission, three things.

1:14:02.635,1:14:06.351
When you have a chance to take a shower,

1:14:06.351,1:14:10.102
when you take a shower, you have [br]a chance to look at your body

1:14:10.102,1:14:14.901
as the object of transmission.

1:14:14.901,1:14:20.102
And you think of your parents as[br]the transmitters.

1:14:20.102,1:14:25.184
Your body, your consciousness,[br]as the object transmitted.

1:14:25.184,1:14:31.885
And you are the receiver[br]of the transmission.

1:14:31.885,1:14:36.520
But looking deeply, we see that[br]three of them are empty

1:14:36.520,1:14:39.485
of a separate self.

1:14:39.485,1:14:46.918
The question we ask is,[br]what did your parents transmit?

1:14:46.918,1:14:49.585
And if you practice looking deeply,[br]you see that

1:14:49.585,1:14:55.668
your parents transmit themselves to you.

1:14:55.668,1:15:01.152
Your body, and all the seeds that you[br]carry within your consciousness,

1:15:01.152,1:15:06.235
are your parents.

1:15:06.235,1:15:11.787
They did not transmit anything less[br]than themselves.

1:15:11.787,1:15:16.135
All the seeds of suffering,[br]all the seeds of happiness and talent

1:15:16.135,1:15:23.053
they received from the ancestors,[br]they have transmitted everything to you.

1:15:23.053,1:15:30.571
So the transmitters and the[br]transmitted one and you are also one

1:15:30.571,1:15:34.485
with the object transmitted.

1:15:34.485,1:15:40.818
So you cannot escape the fact[br]that you are only the continuation

1:15:40.818,1:15:46.586
of your father. You are your father.

1:15:46.586,1:15:51.085
And to reconcile with your father,[br]is to reconcile with yourself.

1:15:51.085,1:15:53.983
There is no other way.

1:15:53.983,1:16:00.352
That young man, he put a picture[br]of his father on his desk.

1:16:00.352,1:16:08.834
And put a little lamp.[br]Every time he goes to his desk,

1:16:08.834,1:16:18.299
he would look in the eyes of his father,[br]and practise breathing in and out.

1:16:18.299,1:16:23.505
And to touch the fact[br]that he is his father.

1:16:23.505,1:16:30.854
He is only a continuation[br]of his father.

1:16:30.854,1:16:37.469
And he realised the fact that his father[br]was not capable of transmitting to him

1:16:37.469,1:16:44.084
the seeds of love and trust[br]that lie deep in his consciousness.

1:16:44.084,1:16:48.721
Because he did not have the [br]capacity to do so.

1:16:48.721,1:16:53.186
He was not helped by anyone[br]to touch these seeds

1:16:53.186,1:16:56.968
in order to get nourishment.

1:16:56.968,1:17:03.018
And of course, the seed of trust and love[br]in him was covered up by

1:17:03.018,1:17:08.884
so many layers of suffering.

1:17:08.884,1:17:13.435
And when you have become[br]aware of that, you can forgive

1:17:13.435,1:17:17.836
you can understand.

1:17:17.836,1:17:22.351
There is a wonderful guided meditation[br]on the five year old boy

1:17:22.351,1:17:27.570
that we used to offer to hungry ghosts[br]who come to Plum Village.

1:17:27.570,1:17:34.752
"Breathing in, I see myself as a five [br]year old boy. Or girl.

1:17:34.752,1:17:41.452
"Breathing out, I smile to that five[br]year old boy or girl, who is me."

1:17:41.452,1:17:48.882
And that you practise for one or two[br]weeks.

1:17:48.882,1:17:56.203
A five year old boy or girl[br]is always very vulnerable.

1:17:56.203,1:17:59.403
Very fragile.

1:17:59.403,1:18:03.504
A stern look may already [br]hurt him or her.

1:18:03.504,1:18:07.734
A shout may already [br]hurt him or her.

1:18:07.734,1:18:12.451
That is why we are very fragile[br]when we are five.

1:18:12.451,1:18:16.219
And if you see yourself as a [br]five year old boy like that,

1:18:16.219,1:18:18.900
And if you breathe out and smile to you

1:18:18.900,1:18:22.154
the smile will be the smile of compassion.

1:18:22.154,1:18:24.154
Understanding.

1:18:24.154,1:18:32.987
I suffer because, as a five year old [br]boy, I was deeply wounded.

1:18:32.987,1:18:39.584
And two weeks later, I could give him[br]the other half of that practice.

1:18:39.584,1:18:45.133
"Breathing in, I see my father[br]as a five year old boy.

1:18:45.133,1:18:53.302
"Breathing out, I smile to the[br]five year old boy that was my father."

1:18:53.302,1:19:03.485
Maybe you have not imagined[br]that your father could be

1:19:03.485,1:19:07.540
a five year old boy, but he was[br]a five year old boy.

1:19:07.540,1:19:11.317
He had been a five year old boy.

1:19:11.317,1:19:14.235
And if you are capable of breathing in[br]and seeing your father

1:19:14.235,1:19:16.618
as a five year old boy,

1:19:16.618,1:19:20.468
you would see that he is also fragile.

1:19:20.468,1:19:22.253
Vulnerable.

1:19:22.253,1:19:24.582
Easily to get hurt.

1:19:24.582,1:19:33.285
And he may be like you, the victim[br]of your grandpa.

1:19:33.285,1:19:36.018
And practise like that.

1:19:36.018,1:19:40.999
Smiling to that five year old boy[br]with compassion.

1:19:40.999,1:19:46.385
One day you will understand[br]that your father is also a victim.

1:19:46.385,1:19:50.052
That is why he was not capable[br]of nourishing himself

1:19:50.052,1:19:54.849
with the seed of love and trust.

1:19:54.849,1:20:00.218
And if you don't practise,[br]that seed of love and trust in you

1:20:00.218,1:20:03.707
will remain very small.

1:20:03.707,1:20:07.620
And tomorrow, when you have a child

1:20:07.620,1:20:12.518
you will do exactly like your father.

1:20:12.518,1:20:18.672
The wheel of samsara.

1:20:18.672,1:20:23.616
And many have profited[br]from that exercise.

1:20:23.616,1:20:28.735
They have gone back[br]to help their own parents.

1:20:28.735,1:20:33.083
And through their parents,[br]they get connected again

1:20:33.083,1:20:38.216
with their ancestors.

1:20:38.216,1:20:41.702
And the same practice can be directed[br]to your tradition.

1:20:41.702,1:20:45.150
Your spiritual family.

1:20:45.150,1:20:51.019
If you understand, by the practice[br]of mindfulness,

1:20:51.019,1:20:57.147
you may discover that there are values[br]in your own tradition.

1:20:57.147,1:21:03.218
I always tell my students that the[br]equivalent of mindfulness

1:21:03.218,1:21:10.484
could be seen in the tradition of[br]Judaism and Christianity.

1:21:10.484,1:21:15.186
And when you have practised mindfulness[br]in a Buddhist centre,

1:21:15.186,1:21:21.217
you may discover that these jewels[br]are also in your own tradition.

1:21:21.217,1:21:25.250
And you are urged to go back [br]in order to help out,

1:21:25.250,1:21:31.216
to rediscover these values[br]for your own nourishment

1:21:31.216,1:21:36.468
and the nourishment[br]of your children.

1:21:36.468,1:21:43.568
Because, a person without roots[br]cannot be a happy person.

1:21:43.568,1:21:51.316
Getting back and touch our roots[br]and rediscover the positive seeds

1:21:51.316,1:21:56.935
the jewels within our tradition,[br]blood or spiritual,

1:21:56.935,1:21:59.302
is a very important practice.

1:21:59.302,1:22:06.503
And the practice of mindfulness can help.

1:22:07.105,1:22:21.153
[Bell]

1:22:21.153,1:22:23.735
My dear friends, it's 9.30.

1:22:23.735,1:22:26.736
I like to ask Sister Chan Khong,[br]True Emptiness

1:22:26.736,1:22:30.103
to offer you a song on[br]mindfulness practice.

1:22:30.103,1:22:39.534
Thank you for being there,[br]mindful.

1:22:39.534,1:26:26.430
[singing in Vietnamese]