Good morning

Dear respected Thay, dear brothers 
and sisters and dear friends

Today is Sunday the 18th of December
in the year 2016

and we are in the New Hamlet.

In this winter retreat we are looking 
at the Noble Eightfold Path.

Today i would like to share with you 
a little bit about right livelihood.

Last week Brother Phap Lai 
spoke about right action

and mentioned something about 
Right Livelihood and monastics,

so as I sat down here,
that thought came to me,

Am I practicing right livelihood,
right now?

In my mind I see the Buddha 
going out on alms round

receiving alms to be nourished

and the Buddha will offer the Dharma

there is an exchange of dana and Dharma.

I guess I am continuing,

we are all continuing 
the career of the Buddha

and the Buddha practices Right Livelihood

offering Dharma for dana

so i guess that I'm practicing 
Right Livelihood.

It is possible for monastics

So, the Noble Eightfold Path.

There are times,

the Noble Eightfold Path is at times 
presented in three groups

One group for ethics, “Sila”,

one group for “Samadhi”, 
concentration

and one group for “Prajna”, insight.

Sila, or the mindfulness trainings

Thay teaches us that 
the mindfulness trainings

are a very concrete 
expression of mindfulness

and the logo of Plum Village is 
Smrthi, which is mindfulness,

Samadhi, concentration, Prajna, insight.

So, I would like to start 
with sharing with you

how the eight elements 
of the Noble Eightfold Path

are divided up in those three groups.

Maybe I'll write them on the board

Big and small inter-are

Right view, right livelihood

One, or two? One.

Mindfulness

Usually we present them in a circle

So, for ethics we have Right View 
and Right Thinking

Sila

excuse me,

I'm trying to look at the paper 
instead of looking into my mind

Right Speech, Right Action, 
Right Livelihood is ethics, Sila

Right Concentration, Right Mindfulness, 
Right Effort

is Right Concentration, samadhi

Right View, Right Thinking 
is Prajna, insight,

When our way of living is ethical,

if it goes in the direction of 
non-violence for ourselves and others

we feel joyful, we have energy,
we're happy

And this is very easy 
for ourselves to check.

Right Speech for instance.

If the first thing we said to the person 
we met in the morning,

was kind, loving, understanding,
you feel well

and we go to work,
we feel happy and joyful

When we feel happy and joyful,
it's very easy to concentrate,

to have concentration.

When we have concentration,
we can look deeply and we get insight.

If the first thing we say 
when we get up in the morning,

makes another person feel awful,
we will also feel awful

we may go to work but somewhere 
in the depths of our mind

is this uneasy feeling.

We have concentration, but it may 
not be the same kind of concentration

as when we're happy and at ease

When we look at this path, 
the Noble Eightfold Path

we can ask the question where to enter

What is the entry 
into the Noble Eightfold path?

Mindfulness,

that's the door through 
which we enter the Noble Eightfold path

When we practice mindfulness, 
we're bringing our mind home to our body.

There is a saying that goes 
'working from home'

I like to think about 'living from home'

I bring my mind home to my body,

and I live from that place of being aware.

When we go back to ourselves,
bring our mind home to our body,

we will notice what is happening 
inside of us and around us

and we will have the clarity and calm 
in order to know how to respond

to what is happening inside of us 
and around us.

Not just around us,
in our direct environment

but also to the world and society at large

So let's practice with the bell

and do exactly that,
bring our mind home to our body

and we will be able to find out

what is happening inside of us,

what are we doing, body and mind

and how are we doing it.

Two aspects, what and how

So, make yourself comfortable

bring your mind home to your body

to sort of sink into the present moment.

Just become aware of what is happening 
inside of us, in our body and mind

To stop being carried away 
by our thinking,

our feelings, our emotions,

and coming home to our body,

is the foundation of our practice 
of the Noble Eightfold Path

Traditionally, Right Livelihood

is described as having a profession

that does not harm human beings, 
animals, nature, mother earth

It doesn't cause any harm, 
physically or mentally, morally

which means not to deal in weapons,
this is how it's mentioned.

Not to slaughter animals 
for consumption and meat,

not to deal in poisons or drugs,

no human trafficking for instance

and today I would like to look 
a little bit at Right Livelihood

in the light of our mindfulness trainings

We have the five mindfulness trainings

and the 14 mindfulness trainings 
of the Order of Interbeing.

Right Livelihood is,

looking at how we're making 
a contribution to the world

how do we interact 
with the world at large?

Also, looking to see and to become aware
of the impact we have on the world

so that we can go in the direction 
of non-violence

not harming ourselves, others, 
animals, mother nature.

We practice being responsible 
citizens and consumers

So, Right Livelihood

There are two calligraphies by Thay

that, for me, express very beautifully

the state of mind that helps us to go 
in the direction of Right Livelihood

and one is: “You have enough”

I think we can all see 
how that relates to Right Livelihood

as well as:
“Happiness is not an individual matter”

We have enough,

we do not take more 
from others and from mother nature

and we do not take more from others 
and mother nature than we need,

and we share what we have with others 
you don't take what belongs to them.

These two calligraphies help us 
to look deeply into our Livelihood

When we look at 
the five mindfulness trainings,

they give us guidelines 
for our actions of body, speech

Throughout the day we make many choices

what to do, what not to do, 
what to say, what not to say

what to buy, what not to buy, 
where to go or not to go

how to go, how not to go.

We make choices throughout the day, 
the whole time.

The five mindfulness trainings are 
a very good point of reference,

a guidance for us, to make choices

that enhance not only our own well-being

but also the well-being of others 
as well as the mother earth.

So, the first mindfulness training
has the name “reverence for life”

we practice protecting life.

The second one is "true happiness"

we practice sharing our time and energy

with others and material resources.

"True love,"
to live in a committed relationship

we practice deep listening and loving 
speech to keep our relationships happy.

And "mindful consumption" as nourishment 
and healing for healthy living

The 14 mindfulness trainings 
of the order of Interbeing

reflect the Noble Eightfold Path.

The Noble Eightfold Path,

when we write them in a list,

they start usually with the mind.

Right View, Right Thinking

and the 14 mindfulness trainings 
also start with the mind.

We have seven mindfulness trainings

that are related to our mind.

I pull out the book

I will read some of that a little later.

The first three mindfulness trainings 
of the order of Interbeing

speak about our attitude of mind
what kind of attitude do we have.

The first one is "openness", 
we call it openness

and that is not to be bound 
to any doctrine.

So many wars have been waged 
because of doctrines

that we hold on to for many, many decades

so doctrines or ideologies.

The second one is 
"non-attachment to views"

to be open to other people's 
views and opinions,

to be inclusive

to go in a direction 
of the collective insight.

The third one is "freedom of thought"

we do not impose our views onto others.

Everyone has the right to look deeply 
and to decide for themselves

what to do, how to be, what to choose 
what to believe, what to believe

freedom of thought.

When you look into 
this mindfulness training

we see also that a lot of suffering 
has been caused

by not allowing others to choose
what to believe.

And the fourth and the seventh,

they speak about a personal practice.

We learn to take care of our suffering

to look deeply into our suffering

and look into the suffering of the world.

And for the fifth,
we go in the direction of healthy living

and for the sixth, 
we take care of our mind.

These are our own personal practices

like we take care of anger for instance

and that can be anger, irritation

upset

so we take care of our anger

And the seventh, how we can dwell
happily in the present moment

and the eighth and the ninth are 
about communion and communication

and truthful and loving speech.

It's about interactions that we have 
with others

and the tenth trough the 14th 
are for acting in society.

We protect and nourish the Sangha.

To bring about a change in society 
we need the sangha, we can't do it alone

so a sangha is a precious jewel
it's a place of refuge

it's where we get the support.

We all know already that we may be 
on this path of mindfulness

and when we go home, we look for others 
who also practice the same thing

because standing alone in society 
is not so easy

but having a sangha to practice with,

we're able to stand by the choices 
we make in our life.

As a sangha, we can do it.

The 11th mindfulness training 
speaks of Right Livelihood

The 12th about reverence for life

The 13th about generosity

and the 14 about Right Conduct,
about our intimate relationships,

true love.

When we look at the Noble Eightfold Path,
we'll find the 14 mindfulness trainings

when you look at 
the 14 mindfulness trainings

you'll find all the elements 
of the Noble Eightfold Path

we're looking into 
the mindfulness trainings

so we can understand ourselves better.

We all want to go 
in the direction of happiness

not only for ourselves but for all others.

And looking into ourselves in the light 
of the five mindfulness trainings

we can see how we can...

enhance our practice

of going in a direction 
of non-violence and true happiness.

Right Livelihood is expressed 
also in the way we think,

and in the way we speak and 
how we spend our time and energy.

At this point I'd like to read 
the 11th mindfulness training

Right Livelihood

“Aware that great violence and injustice

has been done to our environment 
and society,

we are committed 
not to live with a vocation

that is harmful to humans and nature.

We will do our best to select a livelihood

that contributes to the well-being 
of all species on earth

and helps realize our ideal 
of understanding and compassion.

Aware of economic, political and 
social realities around the world

as well as our interrelationship 
with the ecosystem,

we are determined to behave responsibly
as consumers and as citizens.

We will not invest in, 
or purchase from companies

that contribute to the depletion 
of Natural Resources,

harm the earth and deprive others 
of their chance to live.”

So, in this training 
we see very clearly that

it is not just what we do, 
as a profession

but also, how do we live,

what are the choices that we make.

As i said before, choices that may,

choices that support others 
in their livelihood

For instance if we are a teacher

we have the heart...

to nurture our students

in a way that will give rise 
to compassion and understanding in them

and we can say we have Right Livelihood.

Then afterwards, we go to the supermarket 
and we put things in our basket

we may use products that have chemicals 
that pollute the environment

and as long as we put those articles 
in our basket

they will be produced.

So in that way, we are supporting 
the livelihood of someone else

that pollutes the environment

and when we look at that way

the choices we make in our life

we can clearly see that Right Livelihood 
is not an individual matter.

It is a collective matter

and if we want to bring about a change

then we need a collective awakening.

Maybe we can have a bell 
before we continue?

All our actions of body of speech of mind
have an effect on other people

so when we go to work, go to the office 
or wherever we may be working

the way we interact with others 
has an effect on others

so we can practice Right Livelihood
to the way we speak.

If we speak from understanding 
and compassion

others will build up trust in us.

They will be able to listen to us

they will open up to us

and they may see how we live.

They may become aware 
of what choices we make

and this may inspire them 
to look at their choices.

When we practice being open to their views

to allow them to believe 
what they want to believe,

all that is part of Right Livelihood.

Right Livelihood is not just 
the actual work that we do.

When I was much younger,

some 20 years old or so,

and I did some job 
to earn some money in my holiday.

So I went to one of those offices 
where you get temporary job, temps office,

One day I was sent 
to an advertising agency

Since I can type, 
they asked me to type the notes

of the meeting they had the day before,

because their secretary was sick,
I was replacing the secretary.

As was typing these notes,

there was a sentence, 
one input from one member

that was sort of in the direction of,
we really would like this product to sell

We cannot straight out say 
it's much better than other products

because actually it's not exactly the case

but we like to word it in a way 
that it sounds that it is better

we cannot say it's better, but we'll 
word it so it sounds like it's better

so I typed up all the notes.

I had to breathe when I came to that part,
you may understand.

When I was ready, I went to the person 
who'd asked me to type

and I gave it back

She said “well that's all for today”

and I said “thank you very much”

and I didn't bow because..

I said “thank you very much, 
have a nice day”, and I left

and on the way to the station
I stopped at the agency and I said to them

“I don't think I'll go back there, could 
you please give me something else to do?”

And the lady said “No,

they want someone for an X number of days
and that is what we give you."

I said “well, I'm sorry, I cannot take it,

I will go somewhere else”, I said,

and she said,

“you may not find something else 
to do elsewhere.”

I said “it's ok, I'll find a job, 
I'll clean toilets

but, I don't feel comfortable 
working for this company”

so I went home and I told my mother,
“don't believe anything you see in an ad.”

And at that time, you know, 
I didn't realize,

I could have gone back, 
the people were very nice

and maybe at some way or another,

I could have helped and raise 
their awareness of Right Livelihood

They're there, you know they need a job 
they have a family to feed

they are doing their best

I still type things from time to time, 
but it is all about the Dharma

so I feel very comfortable typing it.

But this is just to say that 
if we are in a job, we need a job,

we need something to do, we need 
to have some bread on our plate, or rice.

What impact do we have on the world 
and the people around us

this is not about going about and

you know, moralizing,

going about and telling everybody 
they're not ethical etc

but, what is our intention in life?

From where do we live?

What is our intention 
when we interact with our co-workers?

What do we water in them?

Do we water something in them 
that helps all of us

to go in the direction 
of non-harming, non-violence?

What do we do?

As teachers, we can do many things.

As a secretary we can do many things.

Maybe one day we will be 
the director of the company

we can look and see what kind of products

or how would we like 
to promote the market.

There's many, many possibilities
to practice Right Livelihood

Today, we have a little bit 
of a different program for this morning

not quite the same as the days before.

I've just shared a little bit with you 
about Right Livelihood

for you to reflect...

on how to bring 
this aspect in your daily life

or to say, how to bring a spiritual 
dimension in your daily life

through the practice 
of the Noble Eightfold Path,

maybe the five mindfulness trainings

and 14 mindfulness trainings 
of the Order of Interbeing.

Maybe we can enjoy a sound of the bell?

To go in the direction of non-harming,
in Plum Village, we also follow this path.

When i first came to Plum Village,
we were vegetarian

we had cheese.

In France, at the time at least,
you could buy a bar of cheese

a square bar, about this size.

On the table in the morning, there were 
neatly cut slices of square cheese

square slices of cheese that we could have

and then when we became aware 
of the dairy industry

we became vegan

going in the direction 
of being totally vegan.

Slowly also we became aware 
of the impact on the earth

of the products that we use in our hamlets

so we looked into biodegradable products

and we're still going in that direction.

Sometimes we have many

sometimes a little bit less

but we're going in the direction 
and that's very important.

Nowadays, when we travel from one 
hamlet to another, we have buses

before, we asked everybody to please 
use their car and fill them up with people

until we realized that's many cars.

So now we use buses, it's just one big 
vehicle for many people to go into

We're going in the direction of trying 
to combine trips to the town

This usually works around Christmas

when we have one day when we can go and
buy some material to make some presents

if we don't find materials here.

So the important mindset is 
to go in the direction

to go in the direction 
is very compassionate.

It also avoids us from becoming dogmatic

we go in the direction of Right Livelihood.

The Buddha walked everywhere

for us, it's a bit far to walk from the 
Lower and Upper Hamlet to the New Hamlet

so, we drive.

We also try to look into vehicles that 
are not so polluting for the environment

so the choices we make are very important.

When we have a profession 
that is in the media

we reach many, many people.

It's very clear, 
the impact we have on the world

When we are an artist 
we also reach many people

We also have an impact on the world

We know that art has always been 
a messenger to educate people

So, for today we have invited two 
of our friends, two practitioners

to share with us a little bit 
about their personal spiritual journey

I would like to invite Paz and Jo

and Sister True Dedication who will be the
facilitator of this part of our program