0:00:01.753,0:00:02.729 (Half bell) 0:00:08.399,0:00:18.333 (Bell) 0:00:26.763,0:00:29.259 Dear Thay, dear Sangha, 0:00:32.192,0:00:34.134 (Japanese) [br]I came from Japan. 0:00:37.372,0:00:40.390 Dear Thay, dear Sangha,[br]I come from Japan. 0:00:46.091,0:00:49.431 (Japanese) I am Shinto priest [br]at the shrine at the foot of Mount Fuji. 0:00:51.000,0:00:55.758 I am Shinto priest at the shrine[br]at the foot of Mount Fuji. 0:00:59.254,0:01:05.240 (Japanese) At the same time, I am also [br]practicing the Rinzai's Zen meditation. 0:01:10.480,0:01:17.225 At the same time, I am also practicing [br]the Zen meditation in the Rinzai school. 0:01:20.889,0:01:24.716 (Japanese) [br]Japanese people don't laugh very often. 0:01:27.461,0:01:30.356 Japanese people don't laugh very often. 0:01:34.471,0:01:38.529 (Japanese) Especially in Rinzai school,[br]we were told that we are not allowed 0:01:38.529,0:01:42.385 to show our teeth in first three years[br]after we are ordained. 0:01:43.217,0:01:48.757 Especially in Rinzai school after [br]you were ordained for first three years 0:01:49.441,0:01:53.456 you should never show your teeth... [br]means you should never laugh. 0:01:56.716,0:02:02.342 (Japanese) We are taught to do traditional[br]ways in practicing Zen meditation, 0:02:02.342,0:02:10.513 no face expression, body still and[br]to hold the tension if it exists. 0:02:12.067,0:02:16.727 So the way I have been taught in school[br]is also when I practice Zen meditation, 0:02:17.695,0:02:24.087 I have to keep my face still, body still,[br]and hold tension. 0:02:25.548,0:02:30.225 (Japanese) I also have this tension, which[br]is a characteristic of Japanese culture. 0:02:31.442,0:02:37.281 And this tension, I find it is also[br]a characteristic of Japanese culture. 0:02:39.241,0:02:47.362 (Japanese) But I love Thay's teaching[br]of smiling and relaxing in Plum Village. 0:02:48.662,0:02:53.444 But I love the practice and[br]teaching of Plum Village. 0:02:54.902,0:02:57.779 I love the smiling of Plum Village[br]very much. 0:02:58.099,0:03:02.237 (Japanese)The day after tomorrow, I [br]return to that land of non-smiling. 0:03:03.537,0:03:05.035 (Japanese) Day after tomorrow. 0:03:06.375,0:03:10.515 Day after tomorrow, I have to return [br]to the land of non-smiling. 0:03:14.289,0:03:17.386 (Japanese) While I like that culture [br]of my native country, 0:03:18.152,0:03:21.048 I also love Thay's teaching[br]in Plum Village. 0:03:21.194,0:03:26.056 In my heart, these two teachings[br]are mixed together. 0:03:28.396,0:03:39.707 After I return to Japan, I wish to[br]collaborate these two teachings better, 0:03:40.322,0:03:42.534 how should I do this? 0:03:43.513,0:03:46.795 So, I love this practice of Plum Village.[br]I love smiling. 0:03:47.885,0:03:49.262 But at the same time, 0:03:49.262,0:03:53.484 I really cherish my own tradition of[br]Japanese culture of non-smiling. 0:03:54.587,0:03:57.264 So day after tomorrow, [br]when I have to go back to Japan, 0:03:58.572,0:04:01.988 I don't know how I can continue [br]to practice in a way that 0:04:01.988,0:04:05.551 I can combine [br]these two different practices. 0:04:05.597,0:04:06.961 (Japanese)I want to combine. 0:04:07.090,0:04:08.867 I hope to be able to combine. 0:04:11.325,0:04:14.299 (English) How to combine, Thay? 0:04:14.752,0:04:17.752 (Laughter) 0:04:18.841,0:04:21.179 I think it is possible. 0:04:28.459,0:04:31.873 In the history of Zen Buddhism in Japan, 0:04:33.916,0:04:37.546 there are many Zen masters [br]who are capable of smiling. 0:04:39.287,0:04:45.308 They enjoy the beauty of nature very much. 0:04:47.901,0:04:51.555 In their writing,[br]in their speaking, 0:04:51.839,0:04:56.292 they have expressed [br]a lot of love and appreciation for nature. 0:04:57.321,0:05:00.758 When you enjoy that much, [br]you cannot refrain from smiling 0:05:00.826,0:05:03.710 although nobody sees you smiling. 0:05:12.143,0:05:15.159 You can smile during the night,[br]nobody sees you. 0:05:17.239,0:05:20.618 (Crowd laughs) 0:05:34.489,0:05:39.703 And you know that smile like that[br]is not a diplomatic smile. 0:05:44.273,0:05:46.788 Smiling, and even laughing. 0:05:49.276,0:05:52.224 I think many friends of us in Japan, 0:05:52.224,0:05:55.778 they want to show that [br]they are practicing seriously. 0:05:59.281,0:06:02.854 Of course, their intention is[br]to succeed in the practice. 0:06:04.437,0:06:06.742 You cannot do half-practice. 0:06:07.444,0:06:12.525 You have to practice wholeheartedly, you [br]have to show your seriousness in practice. 0:06:13.790,0:06:18.081 And if you go a little too far, [br]you become too solemn, too grim. 0:06:20.956,0:06:23.366 And some of us overdo it. 0:06:25.794,0:06:29.875 It is good to practice seriously, [br]we agree with them. 0:06:30.421,0:06:34.420 We tell them that we agree that [br]we have to practice seriously. 0:06:34.967,0:06:41.550 But we should not overdo it to become[br]grim, tense, and things like that. 0:06:43.069,0:06:51.751 Because a beautiful Buddha statue [br]always has a very light smile. 0:06:56.602,0:07:03.459 So you can go home and [br]tell your colleagues in practice: 0:07:04.118,0:07:07.503 There are two kinds of smile,[br]two kinds of laugh. 0:07:12.000,0:07:20.076 And when you smile mindfully,[br]that is good. 0:07:22.060,0:07:28.334 Even if you laugh very loud, [br]if you do it mindfully, it is good. 0:07:30.434,0:07:33.330 When it is mindful, it is good. 0:07:33.417,0:07:36.154 When it is not mindful, that is not good. 0:07:37.487,0:07:42.464 So you should allow a good laugh and [br]a good smile to be accepted. 0:07:44.104,0:07:50.069 So, be a good teacher and bring[br]mindful smiling, mindful laughing back 0:07:50.069,0:07:53.406 into your tradition and [br]make it more beautiful. 0:07:54.352,0:07:57.738 Especially, advice them to eat slowly. 0:07:58.329,0:08:01.503 Because in the Soto tradition,[br]they eat very quickly. 0:08:01.663,0:08:03.533 (Laughter) 0:08:03.873,0:08:08.517 We should be able to enjoy eating. 0:08:10.466,0:08:14.308 Tell them to chew at least 30 times. 0:08:14.308,0:08:16.659 50 times is very good. 0:08:19.233,0:08:20.942 Thank you. 0:08:24.747,0:08:26.125 (Half bell) 0:08:29.409,0:08:38.661 (Bell)