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[gong sounds]

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Good morning, dear respected Thay,[br]dear noble Sangha,

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today is November the 16th[br]in the year 2017

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and today I have the great opportunity

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to offer the first Dharma talk[br]of the winter retreat.

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Looking at the community,[br]I see a very big family.

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For any of you who is here[br]for the first time at our winter retreat,

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welcome to the Plum Village family,

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welcome to the spiritual family.

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I hope that during your time with us,

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you will arrive and [br]feel at home at every moment.

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When you walk you'll see that you're not[br]walking in a foreign place

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but you feel that this is your home too.

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In our tradition the winter retreat has [br]a very important aspect for us monastics

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but also for all those who aspire to live

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and to put into practice [br]the life of mindfulness.

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In this tradition that carries[br]the spirit of calming, of being at home,

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learning to still oneself in mind and body

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and also to enrich and deepen[br]our practice, our aspirations,

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and at the same time, learn to live [br]in harmony with the community.

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Today I would like[br]to break it down one by one

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with the practices that I have used[br]throughout my years in these retreats.

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As a monk, I never knew[br]that we would travel so much.

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The idea was, you go and shave your head,[br]you wear a robe and you sit all day

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but actually it's quite opposite.

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The more you learn [br]and the more you practice,

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you actually see that what you have,[br]you don't want to be selfish about it

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you want to be able [br]to share it with other people.

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So, in this tradition we have [br]the culture of opening our doors

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to welcome the many people [br]to come and learn and practice with us

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and at the same time as a monastic,

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we have the opportunity to travel [br]to different places around the world

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to be in touch with different cultures,

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to be in touch with different environments

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and in order to share what we [br]have invested our self into,

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to touch the wonderful [br]seeds in other people.

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So actually, as a monk [br]we also travel so much

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and travelling has its benefits,

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we get to expand our horizons

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we get to see and learn[br]new things to enrich our life

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but at the same time, learning to be home [br]and learning to be still is as important.

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Going home,

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what is important is to be [br]in touch with ourselves

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with the real how, who we are [br]how we are doing

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we have to always come [br]back to that question

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because mindfulness is the ability

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to know what is going on[br]inside of us and around us

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it's easier sometimes to take care of [br]somebody else than to take care of oneself

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so here we need to learn

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and we need to really put our energy [br]in caring for ourselves

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in order to fuel ourselves [br]with the practice,

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with the energy of mindfulness

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so that we have something[br]that we can offer throughout the year.

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I see that our roots are very important.

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All of us, we have roots that we have to [br]be in touch with and have to connect to.

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And as a monastic, as a practitioner

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the roots of our spiritual family

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is something that we always [br]have to be in touch with

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and as a lay member we can also [br]be in touch with those spiritual roots

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they're coming from our ancestors

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coming from our culture

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it is deep down inside

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the feeling of wanting [br]to be able to touch peace

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the ability to be in touch with happiness

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the ability to make one mindful in-breath

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those are all spiritual elements [br]that are deep down inside of us.

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And we have this very special opportunity

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every day, to enrich it,

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every day to deepen it,

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every day to cultivate it.

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These roots are what connects[br]all of us in this room

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we all have aspiration

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but how can we live in harmony[br]and how can we be happy together?

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It's because deep down inside[br]we all do have a same aspiration

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and when we are in touch with that,[br]we can feel the connection,

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we can feel the interbeing of one another.

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Me and my brown brothers,[br]my brown sisters,

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me, brown eyes in the robe, [br]the brown family,

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we have to see that,[br]we have to see those roots

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that connect all of us.

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There's always a void [br]that comes from time to time

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the feeling of loneliness,

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a feeling of separation is there,

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but when you can make an in-breath,

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or you can connect to your brothers' [br]or your sisters' energy of practice,

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then, somehow you feel embraced [br]by their presence,

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you feel embraced by their practice.

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That connection is one of the values

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and one of the treasures [br]of being in a community,

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and as a member of this community [br]we also have the responsibility

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to offer that to our brothers and sisters,

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to offer that to our community.

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So, just like the practice [br]of mindful breathing,

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the first exercise is to identify [br]the in-breath and the out-breath.

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Very basic but very crucial.

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When you have the capacity to recognize

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and to identify just the in-breath [br]and the out-breath

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then that means you will have the capacity

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to identify your suffering[br]and your happiness.

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The things that are going on[br]happening inside.

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So if you cannot identify [br]your in-breath and your out-breath

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at any moment that you need,[br]then there's some training to do.

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If we cannot identify our [br]in-breath and out-breath,

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then how can we recognize[br]what is going on inside of us?

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That's why the basic,[br]fundamental practice is very crucial.

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It lays our foundation,

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for us to go deeper [br]into other elements in our practice.

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So at any moment in the day [br]in the retreat you feel lost,

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you know there is a friend with you,

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and that is your breath.

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The breath is always with you, [br]no matter what.

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As long as you are alive, [br]that breath is with you.

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So identifying and [br]being one with the breath,

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it's a discipline and [br]it's an important practice

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because that is what is the beginning[br]of the practice of awareness.

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The beginning of mindfulness,

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just one in-breath and one out-breath.

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And when we follow along [br]with the second practice,

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if we follow our in-breath[br]from the beginning to the end

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and we follow our out-breath [br]from the beginning to the end,

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when we're able to practice in that way,

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we give rise, and there is [br]a concentration that is born within us.

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And when you are concentrated like that,[br]you give your mind a break,

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a break from running [br]from thought to thought,

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from this to that,

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but concentrated with just one [br]in-breath and one out-breath

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and that develops the concentration [br]which helps still the mind.

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And at the same time,[br]when the mind is still,

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then the body will also follow.

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Sometimes the mind is too active.

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Then we pay attention to the body,

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that's what comes at third practice.

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As you breathe in,[br]you become aware of your body

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as your body is a physical presence.

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It's sometimes easier to be aware [br]of the physical presence.

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Sometimes the mind is harder to grasp,[br]it's harder to follow

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but the body is something you can feel.

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The tension, the pain or the relaxation.

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A relaxation you can offer to your body.

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Aware of your body as you breathe in,

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and relaxing the body as you breathe out.

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You can feel it in your shoulders,[br]you can feel it in your neck

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your chest, your abdomen,[br]your whole body.

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And when we learn [br]to be in touch with the body,

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we are one with the body,

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then we're also welcoming [br]the mind home to the body.

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And the more we are able to recognize,[br]and be with the body and the mind

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then we are enhancing our presence [br]in the here and the now.

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The practice is to be[br]in the here and the now,

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and that is the aspiration.

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But I don't think we can always [br]be in the here and the now,

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not many of us are there yet.

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If you are, you are the Buddha

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and we'll be bowing to you.

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But most of us,[br]we are part time Buddha's, right?

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Like what Thay says, not full time, [br]but we are part time.

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So the more we are in touch with the [br]present moment, with our body and mind,

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the more we enhance our capacity of[br]being in the present moment,

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and we are nourishing more [br]our Dharma body.

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Each and every one of us [br]has our physical body

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that we care for by exercising

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by sleeping, by resting and by food,

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but when you start to practice [br]and you are in this community

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there is a second body you give rise to

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and that manifests as you practice

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and that is the Dharma body.

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The Dharma body also needs food,

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and the food comes from the practice.

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You know, every morning when we do sitting[br]and we hear the morning chant,

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the Dharma body is bringing morning light.

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So each and every one of us [br]has this fire within,

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this fire that glows.

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When you look...

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one of the reasons why I[br]became a monk...

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... was because I saw how[br]beautiful the monastics were

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they had this glow,[br]and many of you still do.

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They had this glow

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this glow that didn't[br]need words to express

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but they carry it[br]through just a way of being

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the way of walking,[br]the way of approaching me,

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the way of sharing.

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I will never forget [br]my first encounter with a monk,

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a Plum Village monk.

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it was in 1996,[br]my first time to Plum Village.

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My father said, we were going to France

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so I thought, oh, Paris, Eiffel Tower,

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but the first stop[br]was Village des Pruniers.

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I had no idea what[br]we were getting ourselves into

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and I remember the monk picking us up[br]from Sainte-Foy-La-Grande.

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He was the first young monk [br]that I've ever met in my life,

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and the way he greeted us,[br]kind of blew me away.

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Just the way he bowed.

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He joined his palms[br]and he bowed to us.

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And I was only nine

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and I somehow felt, oh my god![br]A monk is respecting me,

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wow! this is weird, this is rare...

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and I was really in awe by his presence.

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And then the way he took our luggage,[br]the way he brought us to our room,

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he showed us where to serve our food.

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Just a very small detail[br]I carried in my heart

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I carry in my consciousness, too, now,

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it's something that changed my perspective[br]of Buddhism or of a monastic

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and that wasn't done by word,

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that wasn't done by a Dharma talk.

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That was done just by his presence,

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but that was done, and what [br]I saw, was his Dharma body.

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His Dharma body that he has cultivated [br]through many years of practice,

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and that has been[br]translated into his daily life.

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So each and every one of us

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we have this Dharma body that we are[br]cultivating and nourishing.

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And nourishing it is as important [br]as nourishing our physical bodies

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and in this winter retreat,

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it really carries the essence [br]of deepening the practice,

0:18:39.233,0:18:41.119
of resting, of being at home.

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It's like a big reunion, [br]a big family reunion

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for many of our brothers and sisters[br]from afar, coming home,

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and many of our lay friends,

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having the courage to come for 90 days,

0:18:59.628,0:19:01.874
to let go of the outside

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to let go of the noise outside [br]and cut ourselves off

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and to come and to rest.

0:19:12.044,0:19:14.794
So it's something [br]that is very, very valuable,

0:19:15.317,0:19:20.078
these moments, that we have to recognize,

0:19:20.679,0:19:22.721
just like the in-breath and out-breath,

0:19:23.356,0:19:25.072
every day, we have to recognize.

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One of my younger brothers said, wow, [br]today is day 89 of the winter retreat!

0:19:33.903,0:19:36.185
I don't know if he's [br]counting it down as in,

0:19:36.753,0:19:42.439
I have to value 89 more days, or as,[br]oh man, I got 89 more days.

0:19:43.115,0:19:45.427
well I leave it for that brother to see,

0:19:46.634,0:19:50.067
but every day is an opportunity.

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Just like our gatha,

0:19:53.266,0:19:55.836
<i>Waking up this morning,[br]24 brand-new hours</i>

0:19:57.012,0:20:01.929
and we can say, waking up this morning[br]another day with the community

0:20:02.691,0:20:03.992
how lucky we are!

0:20:10.890,0:20:15.909
And being in the winter retreat [br]is also the practice of not going out

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and not going out here,

0:20:19.207,0:20:24.814
our teacher expanded it not to [br]just physically go out of the boundaries

0:20:24.814,0:20:27.371
that's why we have boundaries[br]in the winter retreat.

0:20:28.360,0:20:33.035
It's to help our habits of running,[br]of wanting to go out.

0:20:34.640,0:20:37.100
So to rest means to be still,

0:20:38.142,0:20:41.338
and to heal, we also [br]have to learn to be still.

0:20:43.163,0:20:45.322
So we can learn from the animals.

0:20:46.917,0:20:49.499
The animals, when they are hurt[br]they know how to rest.

0:20:50.037,0:20:52.001
They don't have medication like we do,

0:20:54.086,0:20:55.337
but they know how to rest.

0:20:55.340,0:20:58.411
We have medication, but sometimes [br]we don't know how to be still.

0:21:00.638,0:21:04.628
So going out and having [br]the boundary, is a practice,

0:21:04.817,0:21:10.724
it's something to help us, [br]it's a helping hand

0:21:12.242,0:21:14.120
so that we don't have the urge.

0:21:14.276,0:21:16.668
Sometimes our habit is the urge[br]to always go out,

0:21:17.259,0:21:21.019
never feeling still,[br]stillness.

0:21:23.203,0:21:25.005
And to go deeper into this practice,

0:21:26.660,0:21:29.471
going out here, is also in here.

0:21:31.332,0:21:36.209
So for many of the winter retreats,[br]our teacher always encouraged us

0:21:37.680,0:21:39.557
to take a break from social media.

0:21:41.065,0:21:45.020
That's also very important and [br]maybe a bit difficult practice.

0:21:46.651,0:21:52.851
Being online is a necessity,[br]but there should be a limit

0:21:52.875,0:21:54.923
and there should be a practice to it.

0:21:57.331,0:22:02.077
So going out here is not just [br]physically, but also mentally.

0:22:02.581,0:22:05.437
So that is also the practice [br]of the winter retreat,

0:22:05.675,0:22:08.783
and the spirit of the winter retreat.

0:22:09.556,0:22:12.183
Learning to be with oneself,

0:22:12.886,0:22:16.081
learning to be with this community.

0:22:26.047,0:22:34.273
To rest is such an important practice[br]and it sounds so simple, resting.

0:22:35.510,0:22:37.273
I think we all need this,

0:22:38.660,0:22:45.404
but at the same time it's so hard [br]because there is so much to do

0:22:46.351,0:22:49.529
there's so much we want to learn,

0:22:49.749,0:22:53.200
there's so much we want to achieve.

0:22:54.994,0:22:56.513
But the question always comes,

0:22:56.513,0:23:00.831
how much are we sacrificing [br]in order to reach those achievements?

0:23:03.099,0:23:08.197
Even as a monastic, there's so much to do.

0:23:10.313,0:23:11.964
I'm the abbot of Upper Hamlet

0:23:13.356,0:23:19.351
and I see, the more I'm a monk, [br]it seems like the more I'm busy.

0:23:22.881,0:23:24.788
and it's my koan this winter retreat,

0:23:25.354,0:23:27.568
how do I rest? How to rest?

0:23:28.717,0:23:33.668
How to rest more and [br]how to be more present for the community,

0:23:34.981,0:23:37.735
it's my ongoing koan, my ongoing practice

0:23:38.753,0:23:42.140
because there is [br]a restlessness that I have.

0:23:43.799,0:23:47.463
I feel that moments [br]where I'm not doing something,

0:23:48.138,0:23:52.463
it's a moment that I[br]should be doing something, right?

0:23:52.596,0:23:58.196
I think I'm not the only one [br]that had this feeling.

0:24:01.663,0:24:04.896
So learning to rest is a necessity

0:24:04.983,0:24:07.846
because I always ask myself

0:24:10.960,0:24:17.892
to do that, to finish something [br]do I feel more achieved,

0:24:20.057,0:24:21.835
or do I feel more connected?

0:24:23.507,0:24:26.691
Sometimes I feel I achieve [br]a lot of things for the community

0:24:27.552,0:24:30.928
but I am distancing myself more[br]from the community.

0:24:31.989,0:24:35.350
So there's one side, [br]I'm achieving for the Sangha

0:24:36.463,0:24:39.992
but at another side, I'm distancing [br]myself from the community.

0:24:43.194,0:24:45.485
So I have to revisit this

0:24:45.713,0:24:53.102
and I have to see what are my[br]relationships with work, with service?

0:24:54.594,0:25:01.163
Service is a very important aspect [br]of a monastic or as a person

0:25:01.626,0:25:06.436
we all want to feel that we are [br]offering something back to society,

0:25:07.659,0:25:15.242
but to what expense [br]and how much of stability

0:25:15.482,0:25:20.657
and of value, of peace [br]and happiness that we have

0:25:21.392,0:25:24.257
that is actually the real thing [br]that I want to offer

0:25:24.677,0:25:27.429
to my brothers and sisters[br]and to the community.

0:25:29.601,0:25:33.562
That was my beginner's mind, but somehow,

0:25:35.907,0:25:40.291
slowly it became more projects,[br]and projects, and projects.

0:25:42.934,0:25:46.525
so for those of us [br]who are in the community

0:25:48.599,0:25:54.336
today I feel I have this opportunity [br]to speak more to the internal family,

0:25:54.638,0:25:56.741
because we're all[br]here for the three months

0:25:56.913,0:26:01.350
and we're all of the monastics [br]that are here at another residence,

0:26:03.831,0:26:07.911
because all of us, [br]we go through the same thing

0:26:08.820,0:26:14.301
we all go through the sense [br]and the feeling of doing too much,

0:26:16.111,0:26:18.378
not having enough time to rest,

0:26:19.339,0:26:23.878
not having enough time to be [br]in touch with our real aspiration.

0:26:25.914,0:26:30.236
Yes, my real aspiration was, [br]I think it was to be enlightened,

0:26:30.896,0:26:34.704
and I shouldn't forget that, right?

0:26:35.646,0:26:39.484
And I think each and every one of us [br]has to come back to it,

0:26:42.040,0:26:44.538
and not be carried away by the projects.

0:26:45.052,0:26:49.493
The projects are there,[br]it's always gonna be there,

0:26:51.948,0:26:58.114
but at the same time we have [br]to revisit our beginner's mind,

0:26:59.161,0:27:01.239
our bodhicitta from the beginning.

0:27:04.655,0:27:06.606
And when we are not in touch with that

0:27:07.443,0:27:15.114
then it's very easy to take a detour.

0:27:16.757,0:27:20.367
And this detour, [br]how long it goes depends on us.

0:27:21.873,0:27:28.335
It depends on our capacity to be [br]with the in-breath and out-breath,

0:27:28.619,0:27:29.889
recognizing again,

0:27:32.091,0:27:36.650
what is our aspiration? [br]What was it that brought us here?

0:27:43.712,0:27:51.772
So I know that to be restful [br]and to heal, and to be there,

0:27:52.943,0:27:57.487
means, I have to be true [br]and I have to honor my aspiration,

0:27:58.764,0:28:00.377
I have to honor my goals.

0:28:09.940,0:28:12.627
And that means, having to retrain oneself

0:28:13.686,0:28:15.365
re-disciplining oneself.

0:28:19.750,0:28:23.208
The monastic culture in the [br]tradition in the monastery,

0:28:25.294,0:28:29.891
there is a discipline,[br]and this discipline is not to...

0:28:32.330,0:28:40.138
the discipline here is not, [br]if you do something wrong, you get a stick

0:28:41.208,0:28:42.851
or you're gonna get scolded,

0:28:43.736,0:28:51.634
but the discipline here is a discipline[br]to enhance our beginner's mind,

0:28:52.324,0:28:53.554
our aspiration,

0:28:54.162,0:28:55.821
because we have habits.

0:28:56.808,0:29:03.279
All of us have habits and [br]if we don't have a discipline

0:29:03.478,0:29:05.495
if we don't have a training

0:29:08.260,0:29:11.900
then it's too easy [br]to fall back into our habits.

0:29:14.189,0:29:15.880
Just like when you exercise, right?

0:29:16.700,0:29:23.937
the exercising to build the body [br]doesn't mean just a physical activity

0:29:24.504,0:29:30.090
but it also means our diets,[br]what we eat, what we intake.

0:29:31.150,0:29:36.623
So, in the community, in the schedule in [br]this sangha it's the same, we have that.

0:29:39.763,0:29:44.886
So our guideline, the spine [br]of the community is the schedule,

0:29:45.957,0:29:47.174
the community schedule.

0:29:48.603,0:29:53.189
And the community schedule [br]is what unites all of us,

0:29:53.602,0:29:58.632
and what collects [br]the energy of the community,

0:29:58.824,0:30:02.184
collects every individual presence,

0:30:02.767,0:30:04.430
and when everybody is there,

0:30:05.455,0:30:11.438
you just are embraced by this powerful [br]collective energy of mindfulness,

0:30:11.875,0:30:13.240
energy of presence.

0:30:14.134,0:30:15.212
Just like yesterday,

0:30:16.020,0:30:18.289
I don't know how you felt,[br]but in the ceremony,

0:30:19.169,0:30:21.859
when the community chanted together,

0:30:23.718,0:30:26.320
I ride the wave of the[br]Sangha at that moment,

0:30:26.473,0:30:29.271
I said wow, this is awesome!

0:30:31.163,0:30:34.033
You have to be able [br]to recognize those moments,

0:30:34.906,0:30:36.993
to ride the wave of the Sangha

0:30:37.942,0:30:41.230
because the energy of the[br]Sangha are waves that come,

0:30:42.115,0:30:44.841
and if you have a surfboard,[br]you can go very far.

0:30:47.412,0:30:50.953
and sometimes you may [br]drown a little bit, right?

0:30:51.125,0:30:53.720
Suffering comes from time[br]to time, that's okay,

0:30:55.169,0:30:57.150
but there are other safeguards,

0:30:57.370,0:31:01.404
there are other surfboards[br]that are always riding these waves

0:31:02.940,0:31:08.438
and having the capacity,[br]having the realization

0:31:09.333,0:31:12.589
to take refuge into our[br]brothers and sisters,

0:31:12.694,0:31:14.939
our friends or practitioners,

0:31:15.745,0:31:21.510
it's at the same time[br]as essential as practicing for oneself.

0:31:23.365,0:31:29.157
So the wave of the Sangha is there, [br]the surfboards of the sanghas are there,

0:31:30.578,0:31:34.117
and we sometimes have [br]to learn to open our hearts.

0:31:34.875,0:31:36.445
Open ourselves a little bit.

0:31:37.192,0:31:40.193
It doesn't mean you have to show us[br]everything at the beginning,

0:31:40.696,0:31:43.415
you know, you can [br]take it step by step.

0:31:43.737,0:31:47.194
Sometimes we have [br]to see also what is inside of us,

0:31:48.260,0:31:51.365
what is going inside [br]and how much to bring out,

0:31:52.289,0:31:54.708
because everything has [br]to come with moderation

0:31:56.670,0:31:59.145
Plum Village is not a transformation box.

0:32:00.112,0:32:06.173
Some people have the idea, you come to [br]Plum Village and you go out as a flower.

0:32:06.594,0:32:10.802
You come in one end and then [br]you come out as a different form.

0:32:12.891,0:32:18.014
That means that you [br]don't have the capacity

0:32:18.893,0:32:22.126
to see the mud that's also there,

0:32:24.646,0:32:29.267
and then we set our goals too high, [br]and we set our own expectation

0:32:29.490,0:32:33.924
or we set the expectation [br]of the community too high.

0:32:36.060,0:32:39.389
I love the way Thay shared, [br]that the community is an organism,

0:32:40.251,0:32:45.805
it's a living body, and each and [br]every one of us is a member,

0:32:47.228,0:32:49.060
is a cell in this body.

0:32:50.405,0:32:53.923
And when the cells are in harmony, [br]then the body is healthy

0:32:54.614,0:32:56.193
and it works, it's strong.

0:32:57.803,0:33:04.131
But sometimes there are some parts [br]of the body that aren't working so well,

0:33:05.116,0:33:06.858
but it doesn't mean the body dies.

0:33:08.187,0:33:10.453
But the other parts would take care,

0:33:12.328,0:33:16.240
take care of the place that is injured,[br]the place that needs healing.

0:33:17.701,0:33:22.109
So we have to also see ourselves[br]as a cell in this body.

0:33:24.134,0:33:27.333
So the moments when we serve [br]and we support the community,

0:33:28.951,0:33:31.987
like the cooking, the washing up, [br]the raking of the leaves,

0:33:33.599,0:33:36.905
all of that is caring for this body

0:33:37.712,0:33:40.091
and then when we come [br]to the sitting meditation,

0:33:40.895,0:33:44.036
we come to the walking meditation,[br]we come to the meals,

0:33:45.124,0:33:47.790
those are also caring for the body.

0:33:49.387,0:33:56.607
When there is unison, the Harmony brings [br]about the strength of the collectiveness,

0:33:57.384,0:34:00.892
and the collectiveness here, [br]in the body of the community.

0:34:02.621,0:34:04.839
So let us all breathe together

0:34:05.362,0:34:07.271
as we listen to a sound of the bell,

0:34:08.055,0:34:14.645
to harmonize the collective energy of[br]everyone that is here in this hall.

0:34:22.460,0:34:28.568
[gong sounds]

0:35:14.490,0:35:19.501
Sometimes it's good to have [br]a refresh button in ourselves,

0:35:20.674,0:35:23.705
in what is going on[br]inside of our life with our life,

0:35:25.334,0:35:28.368
and sometimes there needs [br]to be a new opportunity,

0:35:29.172,0:35:35.820
a new condition in order for us to feel [br]that we have the opportunity to refresh.

0:35:37.017,0:35:39.658
Just like a computer has [br]the button to reboot,

0:35:40.916,0:35:42.755
sometimes we also need that.

0:35:44.580,0:35:50.821
So the winter retreat is an opportunity[br]to press that reboot button,

0:35:52.422,0:35:57.099
whether you are a monastic or you're a[br]lay, it's all the same,

0:35:57.422,0:36:03.010
we have this opportunity to refresh[br]and to reboot ourselves.

0:36:06.827,0:36:11.437
It's like the changing of the season,[br]it's a new season, a new beginning,

0:36:12.881,0:36:20.327
and in a new beginning, you feel like[br]everything is possible, right?

0:36:20.782,0:36:25.196
A lot of us come here, I think, [br]we have goals, we have an aspiration

0:36:26.258,0:36:30.493
I think for ourselves, too, [br]the monks and the nuns in the community

0:36:31.284,0:36:34.210
we should also have the goals [br]and aspiration,

0:36:34.674,0:36:37.627
even though this is home, [br]but it's a new season

0:36:38.871,0:36:48.026
and every season we want to feel and [br]see that we can enrich our life more,

0:36:49.076,0:36:51.778
and we can enrich our Dharma body more.

0:36:54.358,0:37:02.605
So we need certain moments in our life[br]that contain momentum to push ourselves.

0:37:05.726,0:37:15.340
For myself, every winter retreat is [br]a time to revisit my aspiration.

0:37:17.468,0:37:23.752
just like I shared, just to come back [br]to my bodhichitta, my beginner's mind.

0:37:24.688,0:37:28.884
Come back, ask yourself, [br]what is it again that made me a monk?

0:37:29.671,0:37:32.247
What is it again that made me a nun?

0:37:33.987,0:37:40.437
and for our lay friends, what is it that [br]made me come to Plum Village to practice?

0:37:41.928,0:37:45.736
And when you are in touch with that, [br]and you can answer that,

0:37:48.058,0:37:52.052
then you can see, ah, [br]first of all I want to be here,

0:37:53.700,0:37:56.984
and when you want to be here,[br]that's a source of energy.

0:38:00.589,0:38:03.498
I hope nobody forced you to be here

0:38:07.191,0:38:14.203
because when you see that you want to[br]be here, then your attitude also changes.

0:38:16.200,0:38:20.712
Your attitude towards[br]living in the community,

0:38:21.565,0:38:26.760
your attitude towards the activities, [br]your attitude to the practice.

0:38:31.865,0:38:39.884
I've been a monk for 15 years now, [br]and yes, sometimes it gets boring.

0:38:41.440,0:38:43.874
And sometimes I take it for granted.

0:38:44.979,0:38:48.299
I'm like, oh man, [br]I gotta go and sit again!

0:38:53.073,0:38:57.803
you know, oh man, I got to line up[br]and eat, have cold food...

0:39:02.038,0:39:05.131
and then sometimes you're in line, [br]you hear the scraping sounds,

0:39:05.131,0:39:07.841
oh man, the cooking team [br]didn't cook enough food again...

0:39:09.430,0:39:10.634
you know?

0:39:14.826,0:39:17.613
so there are moments like[br]that you know we all go through,

0:39:18.734,0:39:24.671
and there are moments sometimes that if we[br]are not careful, then it carries us away,

0:39:24.870,0:39:26.486
that carries us very far away.

0:39:28.791,0:39:32.691
So the winter retreat for me [br]is always this rebutton

0:39:33.295,0:39:38.304
this button to click, to restart, refresh.

0:39:41.054,0:39:42.745
And we all know, for the monastics,

0:39:43.406,0:39:46.924
at the end of the winter retreat,[br]we all get this report card, right?

0:39:47.656,0:39:49.753
we all get this shining light letter,

0:39:50.622,0:39:56.215
that tells us the things that we[br]have enriched ourselves in,

0:39:56.447,0:40:01.096
and things that we need to put [br]more energy into transforming,

0:40:01.465,0:40:03.143
or put more energy into[br]training.

0:40:04.327,0:40:09.913
But for me it's like, why do I have [br]to wait until the end of the retreat?

0:40:11.398,0:40:16.024
Why do I have to wait until the [br]closing ceremony to receive that letter?

0:40:18.620,0:40:22.845
Why don't I see that [br]right now, right here?

0:40:23.718,0:40:29.124
This is a new opportunity. [br]This is a new start to refresh oneself.

0:40:31.431,0:40:35.080
And it's funny, like, [br]as a monk, I live in this community,

0:40:36.189,0:40:39.381
and I would say, [br]I have all the best conditions [br]

0:40:39.836,0:40:42.867
to enrich my life [br]in the practice of mindfulness,

0:40:43.415,0:40:48.358
in the practice of sitting,[br]of walking or studying.

0:40:50.298,0:40:53.538
But sometimes, when I go on a home visit

0:40:54.452,0:40:58.461
and I say, okay, I'm gonna make [br]the best out of this, I'm gonna...

0:40:58.807,0:41:02.928
every day I'm gonna wake up [br]at five o'clock, drink tea,

0:41:03.442,0:41:06.483
there's no schedule, [br]I can do whatever I like

0:41:06.886,0:41:09.869
I can sit as long as I want, [br]I want to read as much as I want,

0:41:10.524,0:41:18.251
so but then I ask myself, [br]but why can't I do that in this community?

0:41:20.021,0:41:24.778
Why can't I do this in this [br]environment, where this is home?

0:41:27.244,0:41:28.512
This is my field!

0:41:29.091,0:41:36.167
This is my field where I have planted [br]all these seeds that I want to harvest.

0:41:38.224,0:41:40.447
and I just see, it's just a state of mind.

0:41:40.700,0:41:42.151
The mind is a painter, right?

0:41:43.041,0:41:47.678
So sometimes we have to mentally[br]tell ourselves, this is a new beginning.

0:41:49.004,0:41:50.632
We have to refresh that button.

0:41:51.692,0:41:55.769
We have to refresh our aspiration,[br]we have to refresh our practice.

0:41:57.874,0:42:01.202
And each and every one of us [br]has now 89 days to do that,

0:42:02.373,0:42:04.242
and when you look at it, that's a lot.

0:42:05.356,0:42:09.072
That's a lot of days, [br]a lot of opportunities.

0:42:14.488,0:42:24.575
and what I've learned to do is, [br]I have to learn to break down.

0:42:25.879,0:42:28.684
I break down my aspiration,[br]I got to break down my goals.

0:42:30.491,0:42:36.540
So like I said, we may sometimes carry[br]a very high expectation for oneself,

0:42:37.651,0:42:42.025
and then there's a moment you say, [br]oh I'm not I'm not giving myself 100%.

0:42:43.231,0:42:50.059
Then you start to lose motivation [br]and then you lose your energy

0:42:50.236,0:42:54.799
of wanting to arrive [br]at the goals that you set.

0:42:55.945,0:42:59.410
So as a practitioner, you have [br]to learn to break it down,

0:42:59.596,0:43:02.838
we have to learn to break our[br]aspiration down, break our goals down.

0:43:05.318,0:43:09.242
Don't just try to be [br]a fully enlightened Buddha.

0:43:10.684,0:43:15.451
See and value the part time[br]Buddha that we can become.

0:43:18.065,0:43:19.882
So we have to take the baby steps.

0:43:21.645,0:43:26.841
For example, Thay gave us many [br]homeworks throughout the years.

0:43:27.657,0:43:32.528
I remember one year, Thay printed out[br]for each and every one of us

0:43:33.051,0:43:37.080
it's like a business card [br]and it said, 100% .

0:43:39.778,0:43:43.788
and anything we do, we have to see, [br]I want to do it 100%.

0:43:45.873,0:43:47.636
So you got to break down your day.

0:43:49.682,0:43:54.214
Today, our aspiration is to be[br]mindful throughout the day.

0:43:55.110,0:43:59.267
That's the aspiration. [br]Reality? Not so much.

0:44:00.439,0:44:03.705
So we have to be real [br]and we have to choose.

0:44:04.558,0:44:07.258
All right, today, [br]every time I open the door,

0:44:07.381,0:44:09.171
I'm gonna close the door mindfully.

0:44:11.700,0:44:13.449
Make that a practice.

0:44:14.330,0:44:18.232
And the next week, choose something else.

0:44:19.455,0:44:25.668
The moment I see the brother, [br]the sister I don't like, I will smile.

0:44:27.470,0:44:30.306
I don't need them to smile back[br]but I will smile to them.

0:44:32.646,0:44:38.577
That's a very difficult practice, [br]but that's our aspiration right?

0:44:39.491,0:44:43.331
To grow compassion, [br]and to grow understanding.

0:44:46.069,0:44:51.811
Another aspiration,[br]every moment I come into the hall

0:44:53.638,0:44:56.983
I don't wait until I sit in the hall [br]to practice sitting,

0:44:57.710,0:45:00.362
but the moment I'm in the hall, [br]the first step I take,

0:45:00.832,0:45:02.688
that should be a step of mindfulness.

0:45:04.419,0:45:14.454
so, be skillful, be creative, and [br]make these small aspirations into reality.

0:45:15.636,0:45:18.321
Make these small goals into reality.

0:45:19.869,0:45:23.764
and when you can taste [br]the fruit of those practices,

0:45:24.131,0:45:26.233
and you can see those achievements,

0:45:26.947,0:45:30.532
then you see, ah, [br]I have the capacity to do this.

0:45:33.059,0:45:37.643
Not only Thay can do this, not only [br]my elder brothers and sisters can do it,

0:45:38.431,0:45:40.035
but I can do it, too,

0:45:41.004,0:45:46.008
and when you can taste and you can [br]feel and you can recognize

0:45:46.557,0:45:51.323
those fruits of practice,[br]that gives you so much more motivation.

0:45:51.826,0:45:53.728
It gives you more aspiration,

0:45:55.779,0:46:00.025
like when you help somebody,[br]you get back so much,

0:46:01.686,0:46:07.323
that's the same. When you can see [br]the goals that you set and you can do it,

0:46:08.046,0:46:09.702
it gives back to you so much.

0:46:10.275,0:46:14.045
And at the same time, it gives [br]to the community just the same,

0:46:15.011,0:46:18.302
to the collective practice and[br]collective energy of the Sangha.

0:46:29.458,0:47:16.507
[gong sounds]

0:47:18.056,0:47:20.707
So take this opportunity [br]to rekindle our fire.

0:47:22.299,0:47:26.381
We all have a very strong fire [br]at the beginning,

0:47:28.658,0:47:38.541
and for some of us, the fire has dimmed [br]down quite a bit and we need to rekindle,

0:47:38.794,0:47:40.181
we need to relight that fire,

0:47:40.951,0:47:42.382
we need to enhance it again.

0:47:44.252,0:47:46.947
Because with that, it gives warmth within,

0:47:47.716,0:47:50.698
and it gives warmth [br]to our aspiration and our goals,

0:47:51.193,0:47:52.581
and it gives purpose.

0:47:54.725,0:47:57.563
A feeling that we have a purpose.

0:48:00.255,0:48:04.959
It's so important because [br]the purpose brings connection,

0:48:06.661,0:48:11.366
and connection is something that is [br]very important in community life.

0:48:15.559,0:48:17.823
For some of you [br]who are here for three months,

0:48:18.084,0:48:22.917
this may be the first time you're living [br]in a room with eight people together.

0:48:24.483,0:48:30.463
You're sharing the space [br]and this practice is very deep,

0:48:31.696,0:48:33.378
it's a practice of no self.

0:48:34.720,0:48:37.203
You see, their well-being [br]is your well-being.

0:48:37.826,0:48:39.985
And your well-being is their well-being.

0:48:41.216,0:48:43.705
Their happiness is your happiness.

0:48:45.600,0:48:48.037
Your happiness is their happiness.

0:48:49.219,0:48:56.688
And you get to learn, you get [br]to see somebody else's transformation,

0:48:56.932,0:48:58.373
and somebody else's practice.

0:49:00.764,0:49:03.938
And this is something[br]that is very meaningful.

0:49:05.200,0:49:06.771
It's something you will remember,

0:49:07.882,0:49:12.163
because it will also touch you.

0:49:13.605,0:49:16.734
Touch the roots that you have[br]planted in this community,

0:49:18.727,0:49:22.029
and for monastics [br]we also have the opportunity,

0:49:22.333,0:49:26.472
every winter retreat we get new roommates.

0:49:27.656,0:49:31.539
We change rooms and we get new roommates.

0:49:32.553,0:49:36.292
And this is also [br]an opportunity for us to learn,

0:49:37.961,0:49:44.646
to really learn to be open [br]to our new brothers,

0:49:44.777,0:49:46.381
our new sisters in a room,

0:49:47.300,0:49:52.035
and also the practice of no self,[br]seeing them in you and you in them,

0:49:54.667,0:49:56.949
and the support that you can offer,

0:49:58.109,0:50:01.067
it's not just for them,[br]but it's for you too.

0:50:03.816,0:50:08.932
and one of the things that I have[br]learned when living with somebody

0:50:09.697,0:50:15.008
is that their transformation [br]sometimes is your transformation.

0:50:15.949,0:50:21.124
Sometimes they transform something [br]and it moves inside of you, too.

0:50:21.364,0:50:23.884
and you kind of thank them, [br]thank you for practicing

0:50:24.417,0:50:25.884
now I don't have to do that.

0:50:26.475,0:50:29.402
But at the same time, [br]the things that you are practicing[br]

0:50:29.785,0:50:33.186
and that you are transforming, enhancing,[br]also affects them.

0:50:34.386,0:50:41.626
And in our practice, that's called the[br]interbeing, interconnectedness.

0:50:44.047,0:50:51.067
In the community, [br]taking refuge is a practice.

0:50:53.041,0:50:56.005
Refuge here is not just a shelter,

0:50:57.595,0:51:02.807
but also, sometimes we have to learn [br]to surrender ourselves to the community,

0:51:05.496,0:51:10.680
and sometimes we have to learn[br]to borrow the energy of the Sangha.

0:51:13.748,0:51:16.729
Sometimes, our teacher would say,

0:51:17.786,0:51:21.004
when you're feeling down, and you feel [br]like you want to be alone,

0:51:22.223,0:51:25.771
that's actually a time when you [br]need to be with the Sangha,[br]

0:51:26.935,0:51:31.812
to borrow and to take the collective[br]energy of the community.

0:51:33.419,0:51:36.454
Sometimes when you're feeling down, [br]if you're feeling weak,

0:51:37.202,0:51:40.813
oh yeah, maybe I'll skip [br]sitting meditation today,

0:51:42.413,0:51:45.678
the community will understand, [br]I'm feeling down, I'm feeling weak.

0:51:46.090,0:51:51.782
They'll say I need space, but actually,[br]if you go, and you sit,

0:51:53.531,0:51:56.621
and then you take in [br]the collective energy of the community,

0:51:57.229,0:52:02.390
that may be actually what you really[br]need, that energy of the community,

0:52:02.524,0:52:03.948
this collectiveness.

0:52:04.825,0:52:13.398
So the community is there, [br]and we all will be challenged at times,

0:52:13.562,0:52:17.335
like, do I go with the community [br]or do I not? Do I go, do I not?

0:52:17.957,0:52:21.046
and sometimes this yoyo, [br]this back and forth, back and forth,

0:52:21.195,0:52:24.706
sometimes you just gotta learn [br]to let go, I just go, I just flow.

0:52:27.023,0:52:32.132
That's part of our training in the [br]monastic community and the Zen tradition

0:52:33.315,0:52:36.998
so sometimes we have to see [br]not just our own needs,

0:52:38.203,0:52:40.761
we'll have to see the collectiveness.

0:52:42.022,0:52:46.391
that sometimes are our own thinking is[br]what's distancing ourselves more and more,

0:52:47.277,0:52:52.076
but when you learn [br]to be embraced and to surrender

0:52:52.875,0:52:56.014
that can enrich yourself much more.

0:52:57.625,0:53:03.266
So that is something I think each and [br]every one of us will be challenged with

0:53:03.750,0:53:06.075
throughout this winter[br]retreat from time to time.

0:53:06.996,0:53:13.458
and just remember, sometimes [br]learning to let go is what is needed.

0:53:14.851,0:53:18.719
Let go, just go for it,[br]why not? Give it a try.

0:53:20.503,0:53:24.412
Just like the courage why not? [br]I'm here for three months, you know?

0:53:29.210,0:53:36.274
So all of these moments that we have [br]here together, will later become a past.

0:53:38.567,0:53:42.637
and so every moment is a precious moment

0:53:43.135,0:53:45.749
and there's a moment for you [br]to draw and to paint.

0:53:47.209,0:53:54.460
The practice, the Sangha, are the paint,[br]they are the brushes that we give to you

0:53:55.762,0:53:58.665
and each and every one of us [br]will paint our own picture,

0:53:59.387,0:54:02.520
and we'll paint our own foundation [br]in this winter retreat.

0:54:04.589,0:54:10.849
I hope we make use of the paint [br]and of the brush and of the paper

0:54:11.651,0:54:14.378
that the community is offering for us,

0:54:15.462,0:54:17.564
so that in the future when we look back,

0:54:18.788,0:54:21.968
like, wow, those three [br]months were really rich,

0:54:23.198,0:54:26.127
those three months [br]really enhanced my life.

0:54:28.048,0:54:32.732
And as for a monk or a nun, wow, those [br]three months being with the community,

0:54:34.133,0:54:38.425
the collectiveness, really helped me[br]develop, really helped me grow.

0:54:39.928,0:54:45.731
So every moment that we have,[br]eighty nine more days,

0:54:46.423,0:54:47.998
they're all opportunities .

0:54:50.958,0:54:53.168
So you become the painter now

0:54:54.719,0:55:01.066
and you have to paint this picture that [br]for the future can become a foundation,

0:55:01.413,0:55:03.402
and that can become a beautiful past.

0:55:05.137,0:55:14.650
A few days ago, I received a letter [br]from a friend in England who I don't know,

0:55:15.465,0:55:17.718
but wrote to Thay and the community,

0:55:18.884,0:55:28.266
and our friends shared that a few years [br]ago, he was training to do the marathon,

0:55:29.424,0:55:35.426
but he fell into an accident [br]which fractured his spine,

0:55:37.334,0:55:41.625
and through the healing, [br]there was some obstacle,

0:55:42.378,0:55:46.751
where now he cannot move a lot[br]and cannot go very far.

0:55:48.694,0:55:57.064
And through that pain and through [br]that suffering, he found Plum Village.

0:55:58.608,0:56:00.559
And guess what? Through YouTube.

0:56:03.142,0:56:06.685
And from YouTube he expanded to books,

0:56:07.559,0:56:12.098
and then following Thay's Facebook page[br]and following Plum Village Facebook page,

0:56:12.836,0:56:15.867
and I didn't know this, [br]but apparently there are people

0:56:16.983,0:56:20.758
who do also follow our winter [br]retreat through Facebook.

0:56:22.075,0:56:28.898
So they also apply the same principle [br]of the schedule in their daily life,

0:56:30.616,0:56:35.447
and they follow the Dharma talks that are[br]offered throughout the winter retreat,

0:56:36.974,0:56:41.651
and our friend shared that he has done[br]two winter retreats with the community

0:56:42.594,0:56:46.557
via Facebook...[br]I was like... wow!

0:56:48.662,0:56:52.386
and here we are physically in Plum Village

0:56:53.348,0:57:00.356
here we are physically with a community,[br]monks, nuns, lay men, lay women

0:57:01.415,0:57:03.241
how rich and how lucky we are!

0:57:04.036,0:57:09.325
So after reading that letter I said okay, [br]you know, I can't take this for granted.

0:57:09.670,0:57:15.442
This is such a rich and [br]such an important moment for me.

0:57:17.164,0:57:21.613
So I wish everyone a very happy[br]and successful winter retreat.

0:57:24.138,0:57:26.176
So let us be there for each other,

0:57:26.480,0:57:31.258
let us enjoy the practice [br]and let us enrich our lives,

0:57:31.825,0:57:34.632
so that we can also enrich society

0:57:35.575,0:57:40.213
that very much needs the [br]collective energy that we cultivate here.

0:57:41.407,0:57:43.109
Thank you,[br]brothers and sisters