0:00:04.631,0:00:05.744
(Bell)

0:00:10.496,0:00:16.317
(Bell)

0:00:33.207,0:00:39.182
(Bell)

0:00:52.537,0:00:58.866
(Bell)

0:01:16.508,0:01:21.241
Good morning dear respected Thay,[br]dear sangha,

0:01:21.522,0:01:26.809
today is the 15th of November[br]in the year 2018,

0:01:27.408,0:01:35.832
and we are in the lay day mindfulness day[br]for the lay friends in New Hamlet,

0:01:36.356,0:01:41.449
in the Rains Retreat. And today[br]we are going to learn with each other

0:01:41.601,0:01:43.788
the Discourse on Love,

0:01:44.037,0:01:47.769
which is in Saturday evening chanting,

0:01:47.908,0:01:52.430
in the Plum Village's daily chanting book.

0:01:53.325,0:01:59.590
And also we are going to share[br]with each other some ways

0:02:00.140,0:02:06.405
to practice cultivating happiness,[br]cultivating joy and happiness.

0:02:08.423,0:02:11.722
On the way to this hall,

0:02:12.761,0:02:16.631
I picked up an autumn leaf,

0:02:16.842,0:02:21.866
and I just remembered and invite[br]our teacher to be here with me,

0:02:22.032,0:02:24.743
to be here with us this morning.

0:02:24.870,0:02:27.940
Do you hear me well? Okay.

0:02:30.585,0:02:33.734
The Buddha is an autumn leaf.

0:02:33.944,0:02:40.647
Our teacher Thay, is an autumn leaf, and[br]each of us is also an autumn leaf.

0:02:45.951,0:02:53.272
And we enjoyed some guided meditation[br]before the sharing,

0:02:53.531,0:02:56.796
and we allowed ourselves

0:02:58.546,0:03:02.829
to be penetrated[br]by the beauty of the nature,

0:03:03.522,0:03:06.035
like in the song,

0:03:06.195,0:03:15.973
"And when I fall, let me fall gracefully".[br]Like a leaf.

0:03:18.317,0:03:22.877
Now the autumn is ripening everywhere.

0:03:24.903,0:03:27.562
Yesterday, when we -

0:03:27.684,0:03:32.509
Yesterday, and the day before, on Tuesday,[br]in Lower Hamlet,

0:03:32.692,0:03:37.424
we had a walking meditation[br]down to the forest.

0:03:38.157,0:03:43.395
There is a pond in the forest[br]which is full of water.

0:03:46.237,0:03:50.451
In the summertime,[br]the sisters and the lay friends

0:03:50.657,0:03:53.617
we had community work down there

0:03:53.772,0:03:58.988
to clear the branches, the dead trunks,

0:03:59.140,0:04:03.495
and we made a new path for walking.

0:04:03.810,0:04:06.758
And I was so happy walking

0:04:07.807,0:04:10.161
with the sangha.

0:04:10.328,0:04:17.264
I felt myself like - I see myself[br]resting in each step.

0:04:18.805,0:04:26.949
It's quite easy for us to contemplate[br]resting in the autumn time,

0:04:27.140,0:04:29.862
in the autumn season.

0:04:30.256,0:04:34.727
Somehow, we penetrate[br]the energy of the cosmos.

0:04:34.945,0:04:39.231
We absorb the energy of the nature,[br]from the nature.

0:04:39.463,0:04:46.268
The trees, the plants, all beings[br]are preparing

0:04:47.438,0:04:50.228
for the winter.

0:04:50.710,0:04:53.711
Each of us have to really

0:04:55.632,0:04:57.697
let go

0:04:58.993,0:05:01.986
of some small habit energies,

0:05:02.172,0:05:06.526
just like to prepare ourselves[br]for a challenging time

0:05:07.087,0:05:11.848
that we would like to focus[br]on the main thing.

0:05:12.054,0:05:16.860
Just like the tree on focusing[br]how to sustain life,

0:05:17.068,0:05:20.083
so that all the tree

0:05:20.315,0:05:23.377
needs to let go the leaves

0:05:23.543,0:05:29.877
so that it can withdraw inside[br]to reserve the energy inside,

0:05:30.025,0:05:35.867
to really bring the life-force down[br]to the trunk of the tree,

0:05:36.015,0:05:40.026
so that it can survive through winter.

0:05:40.203,0:05:45.707
Even if we know that spring[br]is always there, in the trees,

0:05:46.803,0:05:50.123
but all the trees are doing this thing.

0:05:50.312,0:05:56.534
And somehow in autumn season I feel myself[br]as kind of the same energy.

0:05:56.725,0:06:00.665
This time is a very special time[br]for the whole sangha,

0:06:00.855,0:06:05.257
for each of us, as monastics disciples[br]of our teacher,

0:06:05.442,0:06:09.179
and for each of you as lay disciple[br]of our teacher,

0:06:09.344,0:06:12.319
for everyone here in the sangha,

0:06:12.493,0:06:16.649
to really preserve our energy[br]for the challenging times,

0:06:17.421,0:06:22.326
which is, we are preparing[br]the transformation of our teacher.

0:06:28.310,0:06:31.769
And in order to go

0:06:33.703,0:06:39.322
to the teaching of this sutra,[br]I would like to go

0:06:41.443,0:06:44.780
overview of the Buddha's teachings

0:06:44.951,0:06:50.871
so that we have the picture of[br]the whole teachings of the Buddha

0:06:51.902,0:06:57.303
more than 2600 years ago.

0:06:58.480,0:07:05.000
[The Buddha Teachings]

0:07:06.631,0:07:10.727
So the Buddha's teachings contain -

0:07:11.412,0:07:20.423
The essential teachings of the Buddha[br]can be divided into three baskets,

0:07:20.705,0:07:24.181
the three canon.

0:07:24.942,0:07:33.331
[Three Basket Canon]

0:07:38.963,0:07:42.741
The first one is the Sutra Canon.

0:07:44.118,0:07:49.186
In Pali called Sutta Pitaka.

0:07:49.761,0:07:52.096
[Sutta Pitaka]

0:07:52.241,0:07:55.147
Vinaya, which is the trainings.

0:07:55.476,0:07:58.944
[Vinaya Pitaka]

0:08:00.551,0:08:06.157
[Abhidhamma Pitaka]

0:08:12.408,0:08:18.224
These two baskets of the sutras

0:08:18.414,0:08:24.122
were collected by the Buddha's disciples

0:08:24.306,0:08:31.266
from the first time, after the Buddha's[br]passing away.

0:08:31.556,0:08:35.710
And this is about the commentaries

0:08:36.694,0:08:42.102
taught by our ancestors

0:08:43.273,0:08:47.473
many hundreds years after the Buddha.

0:08:51.481,0:08:56.012
In these sutras there are five.

0:09:00.976,0:09:05.728
The first collection we call (Vietnamese).

0:09:08.238,0:09:11.641
Digha Nikaya.

0:09:12.320,0:09:17.564
[Digha Nikaya - Majjhima Nikaya]

0:09:17.769,0:09:20.577
And Majjhima Nikaya.

0:09:23.430,0:09:25.851
The third one is

0:09:28.367,0:09:33.539
Samyutta Nikaya.

0:09:34.187,0:09:38.307
[Samyutta Nikaya]

0:09:44.245,0:09:45.970
(Vietnamese)

0:09:46.079,0:09:48.488
I speak in Vietnamese.

0:09:57.135,0:09:59.667
Anguttara Nikaya.

0:09:59.818,0:10:02.174
[Anguttara Nikaya]

0:10:02.924,0:10:08.401
And (Vietnamese), Khuddaka Nikaya.

0:10:08.864,0:10:11.725
[Khuddaka Nikaya]

0:10:11.882,0:10:15.041
And the sutra we are going to[br]learn with each other this morning

0:10:15.206,0:10:18.454
belongs to this collection.

0:10:18.628,0:10:24.446
We have fifteen books of these sutras,

0:10:24.599,0:10:27.498
and the sutra we are going to[br]learn with each other

0:10:27.659,0:10:30.626
belongs to the fifth one,

0:10:31.915,0:10:35.594
we call it Sutta Nipata.

0:10:35.818,0:10:39.705
[The 5th Sutta Nipata]

0:10:39.868,0:10:45.237
This is the group of discourses,[br]the short discourses,

0:10:45.651,0:10:50.384
and they belong to one of the[br]main canon

0:10:50.558,0:10:53.628
of the Buddha's teachings.

0:10:55.782,0:10:58.902
In Vietnamese we call it (Vietnamese),

0:10:59.360,0:11:07.042
in English, Thay translated it into[br]the Discourse of Happiness.

0:11:08.809,0:11:14.882
[Discourse of Happiness]

0:11:15.529,0:11:24.478
And in Pali it is the Mahamangala Sutta.

0:11:24.827,0:11:29.524
[Mahamangala Sutta]

0:11:29.714,0:11:33.614
And 'maha' means 'great',

0:11:33.842,0:11:36.608
and 'mangala' in Pali means

0:11:36.715,0:11:41.703
'fortune' or 'blessing', something good.

0:11:42.075,0:11:46.851
We wish each other 'have a good day',[br]'have a beautiful day'.

0:11:47.024,0:11:51.203
This meaning is- The root,[br]the original meaning

0:11:52.302,0:11:56.026
is 'auspicious', 'auspicious sign',

0:11:56.179,0:11:59.820
something that let you know before

0:11:59.947,0:12:03.191
that there are some good things[br]that will happen.

0:12:03.384,0:12:10.177
In different countries, different[br]cultures, we have different signs

0:12:10.324,0:12:14.143
for auspiciousness.

0:12:14.473,0:12:17.746
Sometimes, like in Asia,

0:12:21.510,0:12:25.152
when people get out of their house,

0:12:25.261,0:12:31.396
if they encounter a monastic,[br]they may feel, "That is a great fortune!

0:12:32.140,0:12:38.968
I'm going to have good things[br]happening in the day."

0:12:39.304,0:12:43.052
But in the West, that is not sure, right?

0:12:43.977,0:12:49.992
Maybe people see a monastic[br]with bold head and weird gowns out there,

0:12:50.121,0:12:55.050
and they may say, "Oh! What a weird people[br]going on in this street.

0:12:55.199,0:12:57.933
That may bring something[br]not so good for me."

0:12:58.093,0:13:02.933
So it is different from[br]culture and country.

0:13:03.229,0:13:05.547
And this sutra,

0:13:06.821,0:13:10.045
because the lay friends[br]in the Buddha's time

0:13:10.328,0:13:16.949
were not so sure about what are[br]the auspicious signs for them

0:13:17.417,0:13:24.087
to practice living a happy life,[br]they come to the Buddha and ask.

0:13:24.408,0:13:30.435
It is in the Pali canon, [br]but in the Chinese canon it is -

0:13:31.183,0:13:34.325
The background of the sutra is different,

0:13:34.455,0:13:37.938
but the content of the sutra[br]is very much the same.

0:13:38.093,0:13:42.212
This sutra, Discourse of Happiness,[br]in the Chinese canon,

0:13:47.170,0:13:49.577
we call

0:13:57.892,0:14:02.382
(Vietnamese) also means[br]auspicious signs.

0:14:04.627,0:14:07.872
This sutra belongs to the sutra[br]

0:14:08.144,0:14:15.885
Dharmapadavadana sutra.

0:14:16.112,0:14:21.300
[Dharmapadavadana sutra]

0:14:22.347,0:14:29.787
Chapter 42 in Dharmapadavana sutra[br]in Chinese canon.

0:14:30.019,0:14:34.368
And the content is very much the same.

0:14:36.400,0:14:43.210
The way they describe how the Buddha[br]taught this sutra is different,

0:14:43.467,0:14:47.394
but the content is very much the same.

0:14:48.718,0:14:57.337
People ask the Buddha, 'What can I do,[br]what can I practice for a happy life?'

0:15:02.196,0:15:06.008
And we are going to share something[br]about the happiness.

0:15:08.688,0:15:13.178
There are two kinds of teachings[br]from the Buddha

0:15:13.587,0:15:18.099
we need to understand, to distinguish,

0:15:18.548,0:15:22.760
so that there is clearer understanding.

0:15:23.174,0:15:27.594
Some teachings belong[br]to the absolute truth,

0:15:27.789,0:15:32.271
and some teachings belong to[br]the relative secular truth.

0:15:32.474,0:15:39.935
This sutra describes relative truth,

0:15:40.203,0:15:42.732
[relative truth]

0:15:42.915,0:15:45.429
or secular.

0:15:50.207,0:15:56.626
Which means that it can be different[br]from cultures and countries,

0:15:56.840,0:15:59.654
from areas.

0:16:00.527,0:16:03.529
And the absolute truth,

0:16:04.158,0:16:07.236
like the Heart Sutra,

0:16:07.410,0:16:11.754
that is the Buddha describes[br]the truth which is absolute.

0:16:12.272,0:16:18.414
But this sutra describes a truth[br]which is secular or relative.

0:16:18.641,0:16:23.910
It means that you can apply[br]to our daily life,

0:16:24.078,0:16:29.505
but also we can combine, observe,[br]and understand the culture

0:16:29.801,0:16:33.604
of that area, so that it will not like -

0:16:33.763,0:16:37.330
create conflicts in ourselves.

0:16:41.610,0:16:46.656
And about the teaching of happiness,

0:16:50.223,0:16:56.992
maybe we have heard[br]a lot of this word in Plum Village.

0:16:59.681,0:17:04.205
I would like to ask you one question.

0:17:06.084,0:17:16.454
We can see that even a child[br]or young people know

0:17:16.895,0:17:22.039
that from time to time[br]we suffer from different things.

0:17:22.629,0:17:27.929
Whatever, even the weather changing[br]can create suffering.

0:17:28.534,0:17:33.791
There are many sisters in Lower Hamlet[br]who are sick right now.

0:17:34.441,0:17:39.514
And I also had headache for many days.

0:17:39.725,0:17:44.719
Specially when the time[br]of the changing season.

0:17:44.943,0:17:48.458
And now is that time.

0:17:49.049,0:17:51.918
Or people can suffer from

0:17:52.873,0:17:57.813
the bigger things, like war,[br]or starvation.

0:17:58.024,0:18:04.995
So I would like to double check that.[br]Is there any of you sitting here

0:18:06.576,0:18:10.462
who have not suffered?[br]Please, put your hand up.

0:18:16.306,0:18:18.899
Okay, great relief.

0:18:21.973,0:18:26.732
Yes, I think so. Everyone of us has[br]suffered for something.

0:18:27.838,0:18:31.975
Our teacher always teaches us

0:18:37.175,0:18:42.938
that with the background of suffering,[br]we can be able to recognize

0:18:44.495,0:18:48.479
and cultivate happiness.

0:18:48.688,0:18:54.614
It is like the background of the board,[br]which is white, we can see clearly

0:18:54.799,0:18:57.612
the writing in black.

0:18:58.498,0:19:04.982
If we have never had headache,[br]or toothache,

0:19:07.051,0:19:13.270
we don't really enjoy the non- toothache[br]or the non-headache situation.

0:19:14.143,0:19:18.004
So I have headache quite often,

0:19:18.655,0:19:24.592
and I really enjoy the days when my head[br]is quite clear and light.

0:19:25.044,0:19:27.362
And it is easy for me

0:19:27.956,0:19:34.242
not only to be happy,[br]but also to be not irritated

0:19:35.585,0:19:38.702
towards others.

0:19:39.478,0:19:43.992
So for me happiness is also a habit.

0:19:44.259,0:19:51.281
A habit to be happy, a habit to think[br]in the direction of being happy.

0:19:51.791,0:19:56.872
The habit of enjoying[br]the happiness of others.

0:19:57.204,0:20:01.973
Because somehow,[br]if there is something blocking here,

0:20:02.163,0:20:06.008
and we are not so free,[br]we are not so light,

0:20:06.363,0:20:12.057
we feel not so happy[br]when we see others happy. Right?

0:20:12.237,0:20:15.169
Has it happened to you?

0:20:17.339,0:20:20.393
Happiness is a habit.

0:20:21.157,0:20:25.713
And here, living in the sangha,[br]we have the opportunity

0:20:26.780,0:20:32.508
to experience that. The sangha[br]gives us many opportunities

0:20:32.818,0:20:36.312
to train ourselves to be happy.

0:20:37.964,0:20:39.946
And also,

0:20:44.560,0:20:48.541
for some people, when they come and share,

0:20:48.749,0:20:52.814
we can see that when people

0:20:56.054,0:21:03.538
are using drugs or drinking alcohol[br]to cover some loneliness,

0:21:05.070,0:21:08.181
a suffering inside of them,

0:21:09.253,0:21:12.492
yes, at that time they are joyful,

0:21:12.757,0:21:18.187
at that time they can forget everything.[br]Just enjoy in alcohol or in drugs.

0:21:18.734,0:21:21.586
In the very like -

0:21:23.929,0:21:27.222
Up here feeling.

0:21:28.360,0:21:34.646
But we can ask ourselves,[br]or we can ask the society the question,

0:21:35.525,0:21:38.160
is that true happiness?

0:21:38.296,0:21:41.247
Because we all know that after,

0:21:42.148,0:21:46.650
behind that joy, behind that excitement[br]there is something.

0:21:46.963,0:21:52.005
There is something that[br]makes us drown into that consumption.

0:21:57.592,0:22:00.072
For example,

0:22:01.769,0:22:04.838
there is a time that when -

0:22:07.746,0:22:10.707
In the year 2009,

0:22:17.660,0:22:22.276
we call it the Bat Nha event,

0:22:22.497,0:22:25.859
something happening in one[br]of our centers in Vietnam

0:22:26.010,0:22:28.719
in the year 2009,

0:22:28.927,0:22:33.105
we were monastics and aspirants.

0:22:33.849,0:22:37.366
We were about 400 people,

0:22:37.511,0:22:41.135
and we were harassed[br]and pushed away from our center

0:22:41.309,0:22:45.323
for many reasons,[br]that is a very long story.

0:22:45.504,0:22:50.124
And at that time I was here[br]in Plum Village,

0:22:50.334,0:22:56.053
because I spent four years[br]with them in Bat Nha.

0:22:58.128,0:23:02.964
And when I was here[br]listening to that news,

0:23:03.152,0:23:06.318
my heart was so heavy.

0:23:06.485,0:23:10.732
And I suffered so deeply about

0:23:11.213,0:23:14.480
how terrible

0:23:17.367,0:23:20.139
the people in Vietnam

0:23:21.842,0:23:26.083
behaved like that towards monks and nuns.

0:23:26.678,0:23:32.440
We didn't do any harm to others,[br]we just practiced the way.

0:23:32.679,0:23:37.327
And how come they didn't allow us[br]to stay in the temple?

0:23:38.405,0:23:45.065
So Thay asked me and some sisters[br]to go over Vietnam

0:23:45.317,0:23:50.528
after just one week to help.[br]I don't know how we could help,

0:23:50.883,0:23:54.904
but Thay just sent a group of sisters[br]to come to support.

0:23:56.489,0:24:01.523
And I knew that there is danger,[br]there are difficulties,

0:24:01.805,0:24:06.081
there are obstacles[br]happening all the time.

0:24:09.320,0:24:14.561
And we were not allowed[br]to go directly to Vietnam.

0:24:14.732,0:24:18.492
We had to fly to Thailand and go by bus.

0:24:18.652,0:24:20.700
It is like -

0:24:21.287,0:24:25.252
The police could stop us at the airport.

0:24:26.764,0:24:34.341
So even going to the area which I knew[br]before there were a lot of difficulties,

0:24:35.530,0:24:38.203
and sometimes dangers,

0:24:38.362,0:24:42.375
but I see something fulfilled in my heart,[br]I don't know why.

0:24:42.600,0:24:47.413
I'm not a person who likes[br]adventures a lot, or risk.

0:24:48.716,0:24:54.402
But then, when we know that[br]hundreds of our brothers and sisters

0:24:54.727,0:24:57.931
are put into a very difficult situation,

0:24:58.976,0:25:05.312
somehow the aspiration, the need inside[br]that I would like to be there.

0:25:05.468,0:25:08.753
I don't know what can I do,[br]but I just want to be there,

0:25:08.889,0:25:11.097
to be with them.

0:25:11.256,0:25:17.579
Just to maybe to endure together[br]the suffering that we had at that time.

0:25:17.786,0:25:20.829
And even it is going through difficulties,

0:25:20.989,0:25:23.797
but it is a kind of happiness.

0:25:23.934,0:25:27.943
So for me, happiness is not[br]a blessing feeling only,

0:25:28.113,0:25:31.545
it is not like when something[br]satisfies ourselves

0:25:31.714,0:25:34.191
and we feel pleasant.

0:25:34.312,0:25:36.848
At that time, I felt unpleasant,

0:25:37.012,0:25:41.449
I felt I suffered in my heart,[br]but at the same time, there was happiness.

0:25:41.580,0:25:46.554
It is as I understand the teaching about[br]how a Great Being

0:25:48.344,0:25:55.648
made a Great Vow to rescue people[br]and to go the realms of hell or difficulty

0:25:55.803,0:25:58.602
to help people.

0:25:58.764,0:26:04.018
So just a little thing,[br]a little compassion in my heart

0:26:04.205,0:26:09.587
at that time to help me understand[br]what is true happiness.

0:26:10.573,0:26:17.157
Many people understand,[br]if we have this house,

0:26:17.975,0:26:21.303
and if we have that car,

0:26:21.462,0:26:26.406
then we will be happy. We normally[br]wait for something to be happy.

0:26:26.866,0:26:29.959
Normally we think that -

0:26:32.136,0:26:35.593
Or people may say many times that

0:26:37.094,0:26:39.966
for men, they can say that,

0:26:40.434,0:26:44.122
'Until I marry that woman[br]I won't be happy'

0:26:44.231,0:26:49.417
or for women, you may say that[br]'When I marry that man I will be happy'.

0:26:49.599,0:26:52.187
I just listen from you, eh?

0:26:52.348,0:26:55.778
I don't understand this very much.

0:26:57.880,0:27:02.944
My brother said that, 'Oh! The monks[br]and the nuns know a lot!'

0:27:04.494,0:27:11.425
It is not because we are not[br]in your position that we know a lot,

0:27:11.678,0:27:14.957
but through consultations.

0:27:16.304,0:27:22.296
So we have a lot of consultations[br]from you, all of you, from time to time,

0:27:22.463,0:27:24.853
and we know everything.

0:27:25.157,0:27:27.218
(Laughter)

0:27:30.910,0:27:33.249
Okay, we go to the sutra.

0:27:33.400,0:27:35.743
(Laughter)

0:27:36.590,0:27:43.082
So this sutra, I would like to start[br]from the second paragraph,

0:27:43.331,0:27:46.426
that I will read for you:

0:27:48.804,0:27:51.869
Discourse on Happiness.

0:27:54.846,0:27:58.695
Okay, we go through,[br]this is the Buddha's answer.

0:27:58.894,0:28:02.498
The upper part is the question from

0:28:09.595,0:28:11.737
from a deva.

0:28:11.929,0:28:14.534
"Late at night, a deva appeared,

0:28:14.705,0:28:19.762
whose light and beauty made[br]the whole Jeta Grove shine radiantly.

0:28:20.449,0:28:23.481
After paying respects to the Buddha,

0:28:23.621,0:28:27.871
the deva asked him a question[br]in the form of a verse:

0:28:29.718,0:28:33.071
Many gods and men are eager to know

0:28:33.243,0:28:39.405
what are the greatest blessings which[br]bring about a peaceful and happy life.

0:28:39.694,0:28:43.398
Please, Tathagata, will you teach us?

0:28:43.903,0:28:46.759
This is the Buddha’s answer:

0:28:46.906,0:28:50.824
Not to be associated with[br]the foolish ones,

0:28:51.222,0:28:59.936
to live in the company of wise people,[br]honoring those who are worth honoring,

0:29:00.673,0:29:03.009
this is the greatest happiness.

0:29:03.847,0:29:09.793
To live in a good environment,[br]to have planted good seeds,

0:29:10.323,0:29:13.786
and to realize that[br]you are on the right path,

0:29:14.240,0:29:16.856
this is the greatest happiness."

0:29:17.113,0:29:21.486
So, in these two chapters,[br]in these two paragraphs,

0:29:21.653,0:29:24.704
the Buddha talks about the environment.

0:29:28.522,0:29:33.443
And planting good seeds. So I would like[br]to go a little bit deeper about this.

0:29:43.294,0:29:46.095
[manas]

0:29:46.582,0:29:51.242
[Store C.]

0:29:53.077,0:29:56.180
[Mind C.]

0:30:04.836,0:30:07.734
[eyes]

0:30:14.677,0:30:17.572
[ear]

0:30:18.520,0:30:20.852
[nose]

0:30:21.373,0:30:23.865
[tongue]

0:30:24.455,0:30:26.744
[body]

0:30:28.189,0:30:33.916
In Buddhist psychology,[br]we call it the psychology of the mind,

0:30:34.223,0:30:39.372
this is the simplest way[br]for us to understand

0:30:39.621,0:30:42.613
according to the Buddhist psychology.

0:30:42.780,0:30:47.854
It divides the mind into eight parts.[br]That is easier for us to understand.

0:30:48.583,0:30:53.754
This is the store consciousness,[br]the manas, the mind consciousness,

0:30:54.395,0:30:58.662
and the five sense consciousness,[br]which are the eye consciousness,

0:30:58.866,0:31:03.373
the ear consciousness, the nose[br]consciousness, the tongue consciousness,

0:31:03.876,0:31:06.585
and the body consciousness.

0:31:11.140,0:31:14.669
And when we live in the environment,

0:31:17.334,0:31:23.601
it is not only that we contribute to[br]our individual consciousness,

0:31:30.950,0:31:38.157
but we also absorbe and also add[br]to the collective consciousness.

0:31:41.535,0:31:46.118
Sometimes we think that if[br]I say this thing or I say the other thing

0:31:46.359,0:31:51.278
it doesn't matter,[br]it will not relate to any of you.

0:31:51.457,0:31:56.668
I just want to speak from my own view,[br]but actually,

0:31:57.208,0:32:02.693
the individual consciousnesses[br]are affected.

0:32:05.429,0:32:08.160
The collective consciousness.

0:32:08.387,0:32:11.951
It is like when we are here,[br]together in this hall.

0:32:12.342,0:32:16.202
Our energy affects each other.

0:32:16.418,0:32:20.197
It is like the many, many ways

0:32:20.465,0:32:25.909
of relating to each other[br]through our energy.

0:32:28.385,0:32:31.679
And in the store consciousness,

0:32:32.025,0:32:35.305
we have also learned a lot from -

0:32:35.488,0:32:38.641
I think many of you know a lot[br]about this teaching.

0:32:39.241,0:32:42.399
There are many seeds[br]in our store consciousness

0:32:44.629,0:32:48.209
including wholesome seeds[br]and unwholesome seeds.

0:32:48.384,0:32:54.956
Wholesome seeds like mindfulness,[br]faith, happiness, joy, etc.

0:32:55.650,0:33:01.693
As well as the unwholesome seeds like[br]anger, or jealousy, despair, etc.

0:33:03.543,0:33:10.083
And the quality of our lives depends[br]quite a lot on these seeds,

0:33:10.230,0:33:13.236
on the quality of these seeds.

0:33:13.448,0:33:16.247
And also as -

0:33:18.432,0:33:23.257
We can together contemplate[br]the image of a garden.

0:33:24.559,0:33:33.954
There is a gardener who sows a seed of,[br]for example, lettuce, or carrots,

0:33:35.953,0:33:38.952
any plants.

0:33:39.569,0:33:45.734
And suppose he already did the soil up[br]and put the seed down to the earth.

0:33:47.934,0:33:52.018
The weather is quite nice.[br]There is a lot of sun,

0:33:52.556,0:33:57.707
enough rain, and also appropriate manure.

0:33:59.296,0:34:04.805
I think the happy farmers[br]can understand this a lot, more than me.

0:34:06.420,0:34:10.933
But then, the last condition,[br]which is the earth.

0:34:11.588,0:34:19.159
So we need to give space and time[br]for the earth so that the seed can sprout.

0:34:19.453,0:34:29.336
I'm just thinking about a gardener[br]who is worried sometimes.

0:34:29.795,0:34:34.393
And he would like to make sure[br]that the seed is still there,

0:34:34.621,0:34:37.532
and make sure that -[br]He just would like to see

0:34:37.749,0:34:40.075
what is going on with the seed.

0:34:40.236,0:34:44.184
And after one day, he goes to the garden[br]and digs the soil up and he looks,

0:34:44.372,0:34:47.381
'Okay, you are there'. And then,[br]puts it back down.

0:34:47.532,0:34:51.006
And after three days,[br]digs the soil up again.

0:34:51.322,0:34:55.104
Just to see, to make sure[br]that the seed is still there.

0:34:55.392,0:34:57.624
So, what happens?

0:34:57.785,0:35:00.933
I don't think the seed[br]will sprout on time,

0:35:01.105,0:35:05.523
or if it sprouts, it will be[br]quite weak in the future.

0:35:05.708,0:35:08.407
For us it's the same.

0:35:08.561,0:35:11.283
Our mind is the same.

0:35:11.449,0:35:14.792
If we sow the seed of,[br]for example, mindfulness,

0:35:14.953,0:35:17.504
we come here,

0:35:17.844,0:35:21.076
and you are to do everything[br]in mindfulness.

0:35:21.358,0:35:27.504
You are guided to eat in silence,[br]to walk in silence.

0:35:27.699,0:35:32.593
We are sowing the seed[br]of mindfulness in the store consciousness.

0:35:33.425,0:35:40.231
And with some conditions,[br]spiritual friends, a sangha, the nature,

0:35:40.565,0:35:46.464
the food, everything, the seed[br]of mindfulness already like -

0:35:49.235,0:35:52.277
It was in the earth,

0:35:52.551,0:35:56.511
in the store consciousness, in the earth[br]of our consciousness already.

0:35:56.633,0:36:00.600
The last thing we should do is[br]to give it time and space,

0:36:00.802,0:36:06.451
be patient with our store consciousness,[br]be patient with the earth.

0:36:06.753,0:36:14.046
Some day, when we have enough time[br]and space, and faith,

0:36:15.978,0:36:20.994
the seed of mindfulness will sprout

0:36:21.694,0:36:24.599
and become a tree,

0:36:24.869,0:36:27.132
a flower, in here.

0:36:27.979,0:36:32.641
And you become peaceful, and mindful.[br]It is a process.

0:36:32.983,0:36:35.095
So my practice is

0:36:35.309,0:36:39.317
we try to provide the good conditions,

0:36:39.954,0:36:42.846
the supporting conditions for the seed

0:36:43.018,0:36:48.467
so that it can be taken care of[br]and have faith in our store consciousness.

0:36:51.371,0:36:56.253
When learning about this,[br]it is the Manifestation Only teaching,

0:36:56.672,0:37:02.231
when I was learning about this[br]I found it quite interesting,

0:37:02.431,0:37:04.936
because I ask myself a question,

0:37:05.101,0:37:09.630
when do I have to have faith[br]in the store consciousness?

0:37:11.956,0:37:19.151
How do we know that the store[br]consciousness can take care of everything?

0:37:22.293,0:37:27.668
We can see that. I try very hard,[br]but my habit energy stays still,

0:37:28.037,0:37:30.191
no changing.

0:37:30.326,0:37:36.010
And after three weeks, or two months,[br]three months, and a year in Plum Village

0:37:36.180,0:37:39.600
I see my anger is still there.

0:37:39.982,0:37:44.423
So I kind of lose faith in the practice.

0:37:44.689,0:37:49.086
Some friend - It has happened[br]to some of us.

0:37:50.023,0:37:56.614
Also some monastic brothers and sisters,[br]after quite a long time practicing,

0:37:57.016,0:38:01.041
we take everything for granted.

0:38:01.844,0:38:07.012
We say, 'Oh! The practice is not[br]so beneficial for me.'

0:38:07.764,0:38:14.512
That is why we lose our faith[br]in our store consciousness.

0:38:14.763,0:38:23.285
And I keep asking myself, why? Why I must[br]have faith in the store consciousness?

0:38:26.852,0:38:30.336
When asking that question,

0:38:30.949,0:38:36.455
it was a great opportunity for me[br]to learn more.

0:38:37.614,0:38:41.906
And after a while, when Thay taught about

0:38:43.285,0:38:47.948
the functions of store consciousness,[br]I was very fulfilled.

0:38:50.593,0:38:54.265
I would like to share briefly about this,

0:38:54.399,0:38:59.944
why do we practice being faithful[br]to the store consciousness

0:39:00.577,0:39:06.333
and let the store consciousness[br]take care of our life.

0:39:07.048,0:39:12.186
One example that Thay gave quite often

0:39:12.379,0:39:18.086
about how to describe the role[br]of the store consciousness

0:39:19.557,0:39:23.452
is a person who learns to drive.

0:39:23.667,0:39:30.332
At the begining he needs to spend[br]a lot of energy

0:39:30.937,0:39:36.919
to try to control the car,[br]how to guide the car,

0:39:37.098,0:39:40.468
how to understand the car, etc.

0:39:40.614,0:39:46.180
And he needs to use the mind consciousness[br]all the time to really control the car.

0:39:46.370,0:39:50.410
But after a while of driving,[br]he gets used to it.

0:39:50.543,0:39:57.202
And actually, when you drive you don't[br]really focus a lot in driving.

0:39:57.598,0:40:02.962
That is the time[br]the store consciousness works.

0:40:04.014,0:40:07.508
Even that, if something happens,

0:40:07.674,0:40:12.680
that can bring danger[br]to you or your passengers,

0:40:12.951,0:40:16.486
the store consciousness reacts[br]very quickly.

0:40:16.903,0:40:20.496
You can turn, or make something,[br]or you brake,

0:40:20.648,0:40:24.303
anything to save ourselves[br]from the situation.

0:40:24.463,0:40:29.200
That is also the work[br]of the store consciousness.

0:40:33.154,0:40:39.223
[1. Holding, restoring]

0:40:39.587,0:40:43.979
It is the first function[br]of our store consciousness.

0:40:44.153,0:40:49.338
Holding and restoring things,[br]just like the hard disk of the computer.

0:40:49.590,0:40:55.400
Whatever we say, or we think, or we feel[br]through these senses,

0:40:55.571,0:41:00.119
through eyes, ears,[br]these five senses

0:41:00.311,0:41:02.724
and also through the mind,

0:41:02.874,0:41:07.003
the store consciousness[br]stores and holds everything

0:41:07.157,0:41:09.216
back down here.

0:41:09.315,0:41:14.112
So it is also the meaning[br]how to choose the environment to live in,

0:41:14.256,0:41:18.399
how to choose food to eat.

0:41:20.640,0:41:24.234
And the second is learning. [br]It is a function.

0:41:27.850,0:41:31.064
The nine functions of store consciousness.

0:41:31.491,0:41:34.037
[9 Functions of Store C.]

0:41:34.363,0:41:36.754
[2. learning]

0:41:36.926,0:41:40.514
The store consciousness[br]has the function of learning.

0:41:43.293,0:41:46.221
When you first come to Plum Village

0:41:46.911,0:41:52.220
you may not really be confident[br]in walking meditation, for example.

0:41:53.640,0:42:00.233
And you tell yourself, 'No, no.[br]It is too slow for me.

0:42:00.653,0:42:07.590
I should walk a little bit faster.'[br]Things like that.

0:42:07.856,0:42:12.178
But actually, after one week[br]in Plum Village,

0:42:12.342,0:42:16.520
naturally and gradually you slow down.

0:42:16.681,0:42:19.730
It is the capacity[br]of the store consciousness.

0:42:19.911,0:42:24.317
You observe things and learn things[br]and change.

0:42:25.592,0:42:30.714
Also from this meaning[br]the store consciousness is organic.

0:42:31.012,0:42:35.296
The nature of impermanence,[br]the nature of changing

0:42:35.819,0:42:38.764
the nature of transforming.

0:42:38.944,0:42:41.475
For me it is good news,

0:42:41.719,0:42:47.573
because our difficulties, our suffering,[br]when it gets enough conditions,

0:42:47.721,0:42:51.089
enough training, can be transformed.

0:42:51.213,0:42:56.309
It is not something stuck,[br]that stays there forever.

0:42:59.365,0:43:04.280
[3. Processing]

0:43:05.768,0:43:09.394
And the third function is processing.

0:43:09.500,0:43:12.549
Yes, it receives information

0:43:13.032,0:43:15.184
and it is processing.

0:43:15.375,0:43:19.545
That will produce[br]more beautiful results for us.

0:43:20.364,0:43:22.873
And the fourth is

0:43:23.748,0:43:26.285
[4. Maturation]

0:43:26.475,0:43:28.562
Maturation.

0:43:28.953,0:43:35.584
About the capacity to[br]make things ripe on time.

0:43:36.434,0:43:39.492
For example, we may say that,

0:43:41.588,0:43:48.104
'Oh! I practice not so well.[br]I lose mindfulness all the time.'

0:43:48.328,0:43:53.459
But actually, it will depend[br]on the time and the way.

0:43:53.933,0:44:01.528
Our store consciousness needs time[br]to get things mature, to get things ripen

0:44:02.201,0:44:04.064
on time.

0:44:04.548,0:44:07.186
Like the orange tree.

0:44:07.573,0:44:12.424
It needs time, manure and everything,[br]all the conditions

0:44:12.571,0:44:19.451
so that the oranges can be ripe,[br]can get the orange color

0:44:19.627,0:44:21.572
and we can eat them.

0:44:21.728,0:44:24.944
It is the same for the things[br]happening in our mind.

0:44:26.167,0:44:29.823
And the fifth function is

0:44:35.548,0:44:37.457
nourishing.

0:44:37.721,0:44:40.978
[5. Nourishing]

0:44:41.188,0:44:43.598
The sixth is healing.

0:44:43.778,0:44:46.468
[6. Healing]

0:44:48.399,0:44:52.516
These two capacities[br]of store consciousness

0:44:56.401,0:45:00.325
also need to be recognized[br]by a practitioner

0:45:00.819,0:45:09.035
with the practice of sitting meditation,[br]walking meditation, eating in silence,

0:45:09.357,0:45:14.463
we allow ourselves to be nourished[br]and to be healed

0:45:17.883,0:45:21.165
by the beauty elements in ourselves[br]and in the sangha,

0:45:21.607,0:45:23.573
in the environment.

0:45:23.767,0:45:28.483
And in the sutra, the Buddha says that

0:45:29.184,0:45:32.753
to be able to live in the environment,

0:45:32.923,0:45:35.341
this is the greatest happiness.

0:45:35.521,0:45:39.390
For me it is really[br]related to each other.

0:45:41.301,0:45:45.718
For example, you live in Bordeaux,[br]or in Paris,

0:45:46.838,0:45:50.334
in Amsterdam, or in Hanoi,

0:45:51.371,0:45:55.509
it is a very busy and crowded city.

0:45:58.223,0:46:01.666
And after a long arrangement,[br]you come here.

0:46:03.113,0:46:07.606
Even if you haven't arrived[br]to the countryside yet,

0:46:07.778,0:46:13.336
but when you get out of the busy city,[br]you already feel

0:46:15.722,0:46:20.185
very well, and you already feel[br]light inside

0:46:20.547,0:46:23.627
with the view of the green around.

0:46:24.237,0:46:27.009
There is one time,

0:46:27.413,0:46:31.325
I went to Italy with my brothers[br]and sisters for a retreat,

0:46:31.494,0:46:34.690
a quite long retreat, one month.

0:46:34.870,0:46:40.597
We went to different places[br]to have retreats there.

0:46:41.332,0:46:43.849
It was in spring time.

0:46:44.277,0:46:50.822
We went to Pisa and [br]many big cities in Italy.

0:46:51.314,0:46:55.496
And we went also to visit Venice.

0:46:55.652,0:47:00.596
Yes, it was very beautiful,[br]but it was very noisy for me.

0:47:02.191,0:47:09.897
And when we were able to take the train[br]back to Verona,

0:47:10.275,0:47:17.661
where we were staying together[br]before we came back to Plum Village,

0:47:18.377,0:47:21.433
I was so relieved.

0:47:22.034,0:47:24.041
It was like -

0:47:24.979,0:47:27.975
All the noise in my head -

0:47:28.550,0:47:31.571
So I understand this feeling.

0:47:31.742,0:47:38.796
When we go back from Bordeaux or Paris[br]to Plum Village, even on the way here

0:47:39.694,0:47:44.209
we already feel very fresh.

0:47:49.972,0:47:57.770
So that is the 5th and the 6th function[br]of the store consciousness.

0:47:58.081,0:48:00.272
And the seventh,

0:48:01.596,0:48:06.267
[7. auto-piloting]

0:48:07.535,0:48:09.829
the eighth,

0:48:10.252,0:48:13.351
(Vietnamese)

0:48:14.031,0:48:17.434
sustaining life.

0:48:17.778,0:48:21.173
[8. sustaining life]

0:48:23.064,0:48:29.250
[9. manifesting as environment]

0:48:42.864,0:48:45.656
(Vietnamese)

0:48:50.281,0:48:52.754
I would like to go to the number nine.

0:48:52.897,0:48:56.574
This is concerning the non-self practices,

0:48:57.527,0:49:00.223
I wouid like to go here.

0:49:00.478,0:49:04.070
Our store consciousness has the capacity

0:49:04.366,0:49:10.020
to manifest as an environment.[br]It means that

0:49:13.975,0:49:16.969
when we are able to be here,

0:49:17.153,0:49:22.170
we already have sown the seed[br]of mindfulness, of peace, of happiness

0:49:22.591,0:49:25.952
sometime in the past already.

0:49:26.601,0:49:31.351
Why you don't remain in your city?

0:49:31.850,0:49:36.368
You choose to come here. Or maybe[br]someone forced you to come here.

0:49:36.585,0:49:39.497
That is also a good condition.

0:49:41.707,0:49:43.766
This is like

0:49:45.016,0:49:48.581
even if we don't know how and what,

0:49:48.880,0:49:51.287
but all of us have something

0:49:52.059,0:49:56.237
similar to each other,[br]so that we are here today together.

0:49:57.846,0:50:03.619
Our store consciousness knows[br]how to direct our life

0:50:04.021,0:50:10.961
into the direction that describes[br]the very deep desire inside of us.

0:50:11.913,0:50:16.711
Like the people who are gifted

0:50:19.823,0:50:23.144
in singing, they can join with each other.

0:50:23.335,0:50:28.709
Or people who are gifted in arts,[br]they find each other.

0:50:29.279,0:50:34.289
And we, gifted in happy life,[br]mindful life,

0:50:34.526,0:50:37.945
we are finding each other.[br]That is the meaning.

0:50:38.157,0:50:45.569
For me, be patient and be deep,[br]be ourselves,

0:50:45.826,0:50:49.478
so that our capacity of auto-pilot

0:50:49.678,0:50:56.143
can direct us to a very good environment,[br]which expresses our deepest aspiration.

0:50:57.538,0:51:02.754
Of course, all of us have the aspiration[br]to have a happy life,

0:51:03.028,0:51:06.797
to have a mindful life, so that[br]be can be able

0:51:07.875,0:51:12.920
to have ourselves suffer less,[br]and have our beloved ones suffer less.

0:51:13.974,0:51:18.274
But because of many reasons,[br]we forget this.

0:51:18.878,0:51:25.685
We are struggling, fighting[br]with the conditions outside.

0:51:25.992,0:51:32.791
Then, we lose our own capacity[br]to be auto-piloting ourselves.

0:51:33.622,0:51:34.830
(Bell)

0:51:40.636,0:51:47.118
(Bell)

0:51:57.704,0:51:59.480
Okay, then.

0:52:02.667,0:52:06.176
When we are able to be here[br]as a community,

0:52:08.065,0:52:12.588
we have an opportunity to sow good seeds.

0:52:15.606,0:52:20.647
The seed of mindfulness, the seed[br]of happiness, the seed of peace,

0:52:21.711,0:52:25.677
not only in ourselves but also[br]in the people around us.

0:52:26.118,0:52:30.345
I know you are also doing this,

0:52:31.054,0:52:33.830
because, for example,

0:52:37.079,0:52:39.572
at the beginning of the day,

0:52:41.760,0:52:45.793
(instead of being) busy and[br]worry about your work,

0:52:46.989,0:52:50.256
you get up and light up the awareness

0:52:52.927,0:52:56.533
of being in Plum Village,[br]I have nothing to do.

0:52:56.949,0:53:02.084
Just go to the bathroom,[br]and go to the meditation hall.

0:53:02.964,0:53:06.606
And enjoy sitting in silence and peace.

0:53:10.245,0:53:15.012
For me, that is a great fortune.

0:53:15.347,0:53:22.969
I know my parents worked a lot[br]to take care of us, seven children.

0:53:23.948,0:53:28.513
And me, I don't have to work a lot,[br]as my mum.

0:53:30.024,0:53:35.151
In working meditation time, just one hour,[br]or one hour and a half.

0:53:35.627,0:53:39.480
But we do this in a very joyful[br]and relaxing way.

0:53:39.651,0:53:43.499
No one pushes me to finish the work.

0:53:44.833,0:53:47.164
There is no boss.

0:53:47.982,0:53:51.283
You don't have to be afraid of your boss.

0:53:51.989,0:53:56.527
You don't have to try to[br]get a progress in the work

0:53:56.736,0:54:00.029
so that you have to get more salary.

0:54:00.235,0:54:07.845
When I am aware of this path in my life,[br]I feel very grateful.

0:54:09.083,0:54:14.679
I don't know which good seeds[br]I have sown in the past,

0:54:15.324,0:54:17.884
or my parents sowed in the past

0:54:18.158,0:54:21.652
so that today I have[br]such a wonderful life.

0:54:22.224,0:54:26.509
Of course, we have difficulties and[br]challenges in monastic life.

0:54:26.736,0:54:29.560
If you would like to know,

0:54:29.946,0:54:32.059
you are welcome.

0:54:33.693,0:54:37.474
But then, the happiness,[br]and the joy, and the peace

0:54:38.440,0:54:42.219
is full, is everywhere.

0:54:42.803,0:54:46.493
It is available all the time.

0:54:50.380,0:54:54.696
We have many opportunities

0:54:56.079,0:55:01.452
not only to sow good seeds in ourselves[br]but also in others,

0:55:01.794,0:55:04.602
and also in the society.

0:55:04.778,0:55:10.318
I remember when I read the book[br]about mother Theresa,

0:55:10.521,0:55:15.154
there is a sentence that I like a lot,[br]that she said that,

0:55:16.801,0:55:21.641
if you would like to change the world,[br]come back to your family

0:55:22.155,0:55:24.903
and love your family members.

0:55:25.099,0:55:30.345
Wow! It is very simple![br]Very simple and doable!

0:55:35.049,0:55:38.809
As practitioners, we are also gardeners.

0:55:39.175,0:55:42.400
The mind consciousness is a gardener,

0:55:42.555,0:55:45.638
and the store consciousness is the garden.

0:55:45.822,0:55:51.507
We use the mind consciousness[br]to sow the seed, to garden,

0:55:53.135,0:55:57.296
like to put manure, and everything,[br]weeding,

0:55:57.435,0:56:02.231
to help our garden grow beautifully.

0:56:02.608,0:56:08.474
But if some day there is[br]a dead tree in your garden,

0:56:09.115,0:56:15.476
or there is a lot of weed in your garden,[br]don't be too worried about that.

0:56:17.133,0:56:26.287
Somehow we, human beings, we remember[br]suffering easier and more often

0:56:26.531,0:56:29.693
than we remember happiness, right?

0:56:30.334,0:56:32.816
Like, during a day,

0:56:32.987,0:56:38.160
there is like ten times moments[br]you feel happy,

0:56:38.767,0:56:44.836
and suppose there is one time[br]that you feel difficult with someone.

0:56:46.040,0:56:50.378
And somehow, at the end of the day[br]you remember that difficult moment

0:56:50.630,0:56:54.185
more than the other ten times [br]of happiness.

0:56:54.310,0:56:58.749
So I would like to suggest[br]one exercise for all of us.

0:56:59.500,0:57:04.083
How many days you remain in Plum Village?

0:57:04.313,0:57:10.374
Please, find some time[br]to do this exercise,

0:57:10.827,0:57:15.789
which is to write down[br]the list of happiness.

0:57:16.501,0:57:18.497
The list of

0:57:20.438,0:57:23.431
things you feel grateful to.

0:57:23.626,0:57:27.819
Instead of preparing the list of shopping,[br]shopping list,

0:57:29.373,0:57:32.226
you make a happiness list.

0:57:41.232,0:57:47.774
Even an autumn leaf can be added[br]in that catalog.

0:57:49.167,0:57:52.234
A list of happiness.

0:57:54.867,0:57:57.927
Okay, we go to the next,

0:57:58.114,0:58:07.767
“To have a chance to learn and grow, to[br]be skillful in your profession or craft,

0:58:08.529,0:58:14.149
practicing the precepts and loving speech,[br]this is the greatest happiness."

0:58:18.379,0:58:22.364
So the Buddha taught us[br]in very concrete ways,

0:58:22.550,0:58:25.170
how to cultivate happiness.

0:58:30.722,0:58:32.669
If you have a -

0:58:32.861,0:58:39.919
If you have been doing a job, which[br]does not bring any harm to yourself,

0:58:40.185,0:58:42.872
to the Earth, to the environment,

0:58:43.760,0:58:49.376
you must recognize that it is[br]my greatest happiness.

0:58:51.572,0:58:54.343
In the Buddha's teaching,

0:59:01.511,0:59:07.277
to be skillful in your profession[br]means that you have a right livelihood.

0:59:09.838,0:59:15.979
And livelihood means you have a vocation[br]that is beneficial to humans,

0:59:16.478,0:59:22.041
animals, plants, and the Earth,[br]or at least, minimally harmful.

0:59:22.724,0:59:27.953
Which is the definition[br]of the right livelihood.

0:59:33.390,0:59:37.101
Yesterday, in Lower Hamlet,

0:59:37.313,0:59:39.622
the group of sisters

0:59:42.321,0:59:45.824
offered to the monastic sangha

0:59:46.046,0:59:50.468
a presentation on the topic[br]about the environment,

0:59:50.707,0:59:56.362
protecting planet Earth,[br]and global warming, etc.

0:59:59.540,1:00:03.191
And there is a research from a sister,

1:00:03.476,1:00:05.906
I was very impressed,

1:00:06.121,1:00:11.366
she worked on the transportation[br]of Lower Hamlet's sisters,

1:00:11.951,1:00:16.089
and how transportation of the community

1:00:16.821,1:00:20.142
helps reducing the global warming.

1:00:21.379,1:00:24.150
She told that

1:00:25.256,1:00:27.717
in one month,

1:00:29.380,1:00:34.304
the whole monastic sangha,[br]we are about 60 sisters,

1:00:35.014,1:00:39.425
and in one month we drive

1:00:41.061,1:00:48.085
53,000 km for one year

1:00:49.956,1:00:53.346
for the 60 people.

1:00:53.605,1:01:03.311
And the average for a French driver,[br]he will drive 20,000 km one year.

1:01:04.139,1:01:11.326
So we are 60 people, but we just[br]drive 53,000 km.

1:01:11.470,1:01:19.845
But a French driver, in general,[br]he will drive 20,000 km for one year.

1:01:20.021,1:01:23.640
So we don't really do anything,

1:01:23.835,1:01:27.589
but as a community[br]we contribute quite a lot

1:01:27.808,1:01:32.272
to help reducing the global warming,

1:01:32.457,1:01:39.784
the quantity of carbon to the environment,[br]to the air.

1:01:40.394,1:01:42.730
And after that,

1:01:43.247,1:01:48.108
she also presented a point[br]which is quite funny.

1:01:50.679,1:01:56.410
In order to take one round[br]around the Earth,

1:01:57.807,1:02:03.991
people would drive 40,000 km[br]one year.

1:02:04.904,1:02:07.174
So it means that

1:02:08.120,1:02:17.858
60 sisters in Lower Hamlet in one year,[br]we make one round around the planet Earth.

1:02:19.333,1:02:21.594
So it is also -

1:02:24.375,1:02:30.018
The sister told me it is still a shame[br]we use a lot of energy.

1:02:30.732,1:02:33.911
But then it is already a good news.

1:02:34.119,1:02:37.381
Because if we live as individuals,

1:02:38.343,1:02:41.802
we use quite a lot the car.

1:02:42.958,1:02:45.883
And she also presented

1:02:47.698,1:02:55.654
the four ways of supporting transportation[br]to reduce using cars.

1:02:56.158,1:03:00.791
One of that ways was[br]we were thinking about bicycles.

1:03:02.125,1:03:06.659
And the sister was so happy with that,

1:03:07.059,1:03:11.690
because there is many long term friends[br]in Lower Hamlet using bicycles,

1:03:11.906,1:03:15.868
even electric bicycles,[br]it is already wonderful.

1:03:23.091,1:03:27.804
So the next paragraphs of the sutra[br]I would like to read.

1:03:28.067,1:03:32.121
“To be able to serve[br]and support your parents,

1:03:33.124,1:03:36.594
to cherish and love your family,

1:03:36.749,1:03:41.959
to have a vocation that brings you joy –[br]this is the greatest happiness.

1:03:43.030,1:03:46.913
To live honestly, generous in giving,

1:03:47.262,1:03:51.406
to offer support to relatives and friends,

1:03:51.742,1:03:57.012
living a life of blameless conduct,[br]this is the greatest happiness."

1:03:58.310,1:04:04.285
I remember in one session[br]of Q&A in Lower Hamlet,

1:04:04.779,1:04:08.352
there was a young woman.

1:04:08.766,1:04:11.106
She asked a question about -

1:04:15.225,1:04:18.728
Her parents divorced when she was two.

1:04:19.886,1:04:23.394
And she was brought up by her mum.

1:04:23.601,1:04:30.610
And her dad never came to visit her[br]or gave any support to her mum.

1:04:32.108,1:04:34.956
And even he has his own family.

1:04:38.280,1:04:44.511
Sometimes she had to come[br]to stay there with him.

1:04:45.124,1:04:48.471
And she didn't feel any love from him

1:04:48.704,1:04:52.725
as well as from her stepmother.

1:04:54.147,1:04:58.384
She was crying a lot[br]when asking this question.

1:04:59.939,1:05:03.724
And she shared, how can[br]she overcome this suffering

1:05:04.659,1:05:11.127
and this blame in her towards her parents,[br]towards her dad.

1:05:13.089,1:05:20.665
Because she tried her best,[br]but he could not accept her. Why?

1:05:21.006,1:05:27.004
Why her dad leaved her[br]when she was just two?

1:05:28.414,1:05:31.490
What happened between them

1:05:32.076,1:05:36.416
so that things happened like that?

1:05:36.861,1:05:39.937
And she was crying and suffered.

1:05:41.989,1:05:44.444
And she said that

1:05:44.623,1:05:47.341
with the practice, she knew that

1:05:48.268,1:05:51.765
she should love her dad.

1:05:52.140,1:05:57.653
But she felt that very deep down[br]in her heart

1:05:58.776,1:06:04.755
she didn't accept her dad.[br]She wanted to push him away.

1:06:05.099,1:06:10.668
She didn't want to do anything with him.[br]She didn't want to see him.

1:06:11.252,1:06:16.896
She didn't want to do anything[br]relating to her dad.

1:06:20.154,1:06:25.316
And I was there, I was so moved[br]from the story.

1:06:27.339,1:06:30.021
We shared with her that -

1:06:34.303,1:06:40.810
I asked her, dear friend, do you see[br]that you are more lucky than your dad?

1:06:41.501,1:06:44.852
And she didn't understand[br]why I asked that question.

1:06:45.034,1:06:48.155
But actually I see that she is more lucky[br]than her dad,

1:06:48.326,1:06:50.875
because she knows the practice.

1:06:51.039,1:06:56.173
She knows even deep down in her heart[br]that she didn't accept

1:06:56.509,1:06:58.886
but she knows that,

1:06:59.111,1:07:02.255
she wants to reconcile with her dad.

1:07:02.428,1:07:07.221
And she knows how to breathe,[br]to embrace her suffering.

1:07:07.426,1:07:12.777
She knows how to do walking meditation[br]even if she lives in Paris,

1:07:13.327,1:07:17.957
she practices walking meditation[br]in the park in Paris.

1:07:18.454,1:07:21.869
So many people pass by and stop[br]and stare at her.

1:07:23.294,1:07:28.158
I saw she is very courageous,

1:07:28.465,1:07:31.506
to keep practicing.

1:07:32.273,1:07:36.325
And we shared that we are lucky,[br]because we know the practice.

1:07:36.509,1:07:39.630
For me, that is the point.

1:07:40.381,1:07:45.861
Because of the suffering[br]that our parents could not continue,

1:07:46.748,1:07:57.007
but there are no parents on this Earth[br]who don't love their children.

1:07:57.664,1:08:00.574
Just because of some reasons,

1:08:00.757,1:08:05.641
because they cannot embrace[br]their suffering, their difficulties.

1:08:05.921,1:08:13.423
And maybe that suffering was transmitted[br]from their parents too.

1:08:14.034,1:08:17.089
Maybe your dad suffered as a child.

1:08:18.095,1:08:21.145
So just by practicing,

1:08:23.344,1:08:26.009
we have the way.

1:08:26.342,1:08:33.472
Even if our mindfulness and compassion[br]are not strong enough yet

1:08:33.999,1:08:36.664
to embrace this suffering,

1:08:37.132,1:08:42.679
we should have faith[br]in our store consciousness.

1:08:43.258,1:08:46.329
We practice more, and more, and more.

1:08:46.637,1:08:52.556
And one of my practices is also[br]to restart over, to start over everything.

1:08:52.741,1:08:58.551
Renew again even the very basic practices.[br]Do it again, just do it again.

1:08:58.897,1:09:01.877
After some time, we feel,

1:09:03.467,1:09:07.287
we feel that we are not interested[br]in sitting meditation anymore.

1:09:07.737,1:09:12.958
We need to be creative[br]to renew our practice.

1:09:13.275,1:09:16.590
Do it again, and again, and again.

1:09:20.984,1:09:26.095
With this line of this teaching[br]from this sutra,

1:09:26.560,1:09:30.142
I see that in order to -

1:09:33.187,1:09:38.403
In order to practice being happy[br]in ourselves,

1:09:38.931,1:09:42.953
normally we would like to be fulfilled,

1:09:43.687,1:09:48.878
the two needs of all human being[br]which is understanding and love.

1:09:49.393,1:09:52.373
We have that need inside,

1:09:52.561,1:09:55.659
we want to have understanding[br]and love for others.

1:09:55.925,1:10:00.377
And also we would like[br]to be understood and loved by others too.

1:10:00.580,1:10:06.157
They can be our parents, our friends,[br]our relatives, our neighbours,

1:10:06.379,1:10:09.369
or even nature, etc.

1:10:10.297,1:10:14.815
So, with the practice,[br]when we are able to

1:10:15.896,1:10:18.396
take care of our parents,

1:10:18.604,1:10:23.019
when we are able to be a good friend,[br]that is the greatest happiness.

1:10:25.038,1:10:28.703
Do we recognize that happiness[br]that we have right now?

1:10:30.078,1:10:34.200
By recognizing, by watering

1:10:35.860,1:10:38.499
the seed of joy and happiness,

1:10:38.639,1:10:41.657
joy and happiness will sprout,[br]will flower,

1:10:42.063,1:10:46.477
sooner or later, it depends.[br]But it is already in here.

1:10:46.785,1:10:52.226
I would like to go to the next paragraph.

1:11:00.131,1:11:04.919
"To persevere and be open to change,

1:11:05.624,1:11:09.081
to have regular contact[br]with monks and nuns,

1:11:09.497,1:11:14.649
and to fully participate[br]in Dharma discussions,

1:11:15.127,1:11:17.895
this is the greatest happiness.

1:11:18.243,1:11:24.456
To live diligently and attentively,[br]to perceive the Noble Truths,

1:11:24.907,1:11:29.153
and to realize Nirvana,[br]this is the greatest happiness."

1:11:32.301,1:11:37.003
To live attentively here means[br]to live mindfully.

1:11:41.244,1:11:47.853
In the sixteen exercises of breathing, in[br]the Sutra of the Awareness of Breathing,

1:11:48.099,1:11:52.341
the Buddha taught[br]sixteen exercises of breathing.

1:11:52.702,1:11:55.995
And the exercise number 5 and number 6

1:11:57.153,1:12:07.118
teach about cultivating joy, I breathe in,[br]and I breathe out,

1:12:08.490,1:12:13.467
and cultivating happiness, I breathe in,[br]and I breathe out.

1:12:18.497,1:12:22.167
Normally, for example,

1:12:23.460,1:12:29.974
we are on the way back to Plum Village,[br]when I was on the way back to Plum Village

1:12:30.507,1:12:32.514
after a long trip,

1:12:34.011,1:12:36.236
I had excitement.

1:12:36.585,1:12:40.865
I mean that, oh! I will get home,[br]I will be able to rest,

1:12:41.696,1:12:45.726
and to see my sisters![br]That was joy.

1:12:46.351,1:12:49.506
And there was excitement in it.

1:12:49.936,1:12:55.870
But when I was able to really arrive[br]to Lower Hamlet,

1:12:56.793,1:13:03.010
really step on the land of Lower Hamlet,[br]go back to my room and lie down,

1:13:03.306,1:13:07.240
that is happiness.[br]That is something peaceful.

1:13:07.594,1:13:11.241
Something very deep down in here.

1:13:11.513,1:13:15.139
Practicing meditation is the same.[br]At the beginning,

1:13:15.296,1:13:22.091
we may have some joy and excitement[br]in the quality of meditation.

1:13:23.587,1:13:29.518
But later on, just like the people[br]who are thirsty,

1:13:29.880,1:13:35.005
and who are on the way to get water,[br]there is joy and excitement in it.

1:13:35.174,1:13:40.192
But when he drinks the water,[br]and the water goes into the body,

1:13:40.421,1:13:43.450
he feels the freshness of the water.[br]That is happiness,

1:13:43.642,1:13:50.281
which is something very deep. And in[br]happiness there is the element of peace

1:13:52.143,1:13:55.068
very deep inside.

1:13:59.444,1:14:02.205
And instead of

1:14:06.989,1:14:12.510
living in the busy city, right now[br]you choose Plum Village to stay,

1:14:15.209,1:14:19.971
and go back to the countryside[br]and have a simple life here.

1:14:20.236,1:14:23.501
In the Buddha's teaching, that is,

1:14:24.441,1:14:30.916
the Buddha calls, by the practice[br]of letting go we create joy and happiness.

1:14:31.470,1:14:34.492
That is, you would like to[br]let go of something

1:14:34.696,1:14:39.079
that makes you tired and lose your energy.

1:14:40.273,1:14:45.999
You would like to choose an environment[br]which brings peace, and joy, and relax

1:14:46.398,1:14:49.329
to our body and mind.

1:14:51.809,1:14:56.857
There is a practice of meditation called[br]'dwelling happily in the present moment'.

1:15:02.391,1:15:06.072
In Vietnamese, (Vietnamese).

1:15:06.946,1:15:11.016
Letting go by the practice -

1:15:11.338,1:15:15.451
By the practice of letting go,[br]you cultivate joy and happiness.

1:15:19.445,1:15:22.173
For the people who think that

1:15:22.354,1:15:26.820
in order to be happy, I need to have[br]that beautiful house.

1:15:27.900,1:15:33.674
Or in order to be happy, I need to have[br]that car, I need to buy that car.

1:15:35.471,1:15:39.989
The Buddha asks whether that is you cow.

1:15:40.597,1:15:45.846
There is a sutra - [br]The Buddha was teaching about

1:15:46.342,1:15:49.903
a farmer who lost his cows.

1:15:50.261,1:15:56.055
He was very worried, and running around[br]the hamlet to try to find the cows.

1:15:57.212,1:15:59.483
And the Buddha told the monks,

1:15:59.639,1:16:02.826
'Monks, you are lucky. You don't have[br]any cows to lose.'

1:16:06.535,1:16:12.709
From that sutra, our teacher teaches about[br]letting go of our cows.

1:16:14.195,1:16:17.051
But if you have any cow,

1:16:19.051,1:16:24.080
if you are caught in something[br]that prevents you from being happy,

1:16:24.585,1:16:28.085
you can recognize that is a cow.

1:16:30.585,1:16:36.178
That obstacle prevents us from being[br]happy. It may be the idea of happiness.

1:16:36.978,1:16:45.472
That idea of a house, that idea of a car,[br]the idea of a partner, etc.

1:16:46.653,1:16:50.781
Or for the monastics,[br]maybe the idea of liberation.

1:16:51.854,1:16:58.695
That I need to be liberated,[br]then I will be happy. Things like that.

1:16:59.304,1:17:01.162
Sometimes,

1:17:02.461,1:17:06.085
I notice that I was caught[br]in the idea of freedom.

1:17:06.489,1:17:09.144
I want to be free.

1:17:09.396,1:17:13.526
I want to practice in order to be[br]a free person, or a happy person.

1:17:13.911,1:17:18.033
And if I am not careful with my practice,

1:17:18.295,1:17:22.560
if I do not stick to the basic practices,

1:17:22.780,1:17:28.531
I see that that idea easily[br]lifts me up to the sky.

1:17:29.541,1:17:33.192
And it is like dreaming about[br]the liberation.

1:17:36.000,1:17:38.817
And the second suggestion from the Buddha

1:17:39.008,1:17:42.073
about the practice of[br]cultivating happiness

1:17:43.011,1:17:45.872
is (Vietnamese).

1:17:46.068,1:17:53.747
The practice of mindfulness[br]helps to cultivate joy and happiness.

1:17:56.501,1:18:01.903
By practicing mindfulness,[br]we cultivate joy and happiness.

1:18:04.979,1:18:07.765
I think this is quite clear for all of us.

1:18:14.953,1:18:16.988
And in here,

1:18:20.042,1:18:23.985
the Plum Village meditation[br]practice tradition

1:18:24.240,1:18:30.522
is very much the same to the line[br]of the meditation we call (Vietnamese),

1:18:30.955,1:18:37.125
'dwelling happily in the present moment',[br]'drsta-dharma-sukha-vihara'.

1:18:37.382,1:18:42.935
This word is repeated quite a lot in here.

1:18:43.654,1:18:47.547
Dwelling happily in the present moment.

1:18:47.852,1:18:51.926
Whenever we are able to be in touch[br]with the present moment,

1:18:52.421,1:18:57.006
we can be in touch with happiness.

1:18:59.542,1:19:06.899
And by the practice of breathing,[br]like in the exercise number 5 and number 6

1:19:07.166,1:19:10.906
in the sixteen exercises of breathing,

1:19:11.552,1:19:14.717
Cultivating Joy, Cultivating Happiness,

1:19:14.911,1:19:19.532
we continue to maintain the practice[br]of our mindfulness,

1:19:21.991,1:19:26.745
to support us in every day,

1:19:27.695,1:19:30.673
in the daily activities

1:19:31.133,1:19:36.802
so that we are able to more and more[br]cultivate the energy of mindfulness.

1:19:40.847,1:19:44.550
When we first enter the practice,

1:19:45.992,1:19:50.967
we normally see that[br]our awareness is very weak,

1:19:51.253,1:19:53.958
we forget all the time.

1:19:54.171,1:19:57.737
We are walking in the autumn forest,

1:19:58.214,1:20:01.398
the leaves are very beautiful,

1:20:01.602,1:20:07.019
but we are drown in our own[br]difficulties and suffering.

1:20:07.348,1:20:11.159
We are planning about something else.

1:20:12.775,1:20:17.309
And by the training, by the support[br]of our friends, our sangha,

1:20:17.563,1:20:23.278
we can be able to remind ourselves[br]to come back again, and again.

1:20:23.979,1:20:26.596
And this is also a training.

1:20:26.936,1:20:29.533
For me, it is also a training,[br]a really -

1:20:31.433,1:20:37.029
We really make a commitment with ourselves[br]that we would like to train ourselves

1:20:38.224,1:20:43.448
so that we can get the new habit[br]of being mindful.

1:20:49.249,1:20:58.283
And the third practice which the Buddha[br]and our teacher suggested about this

1:20:58.771,1:21:01.383
is (Vietnamese),

1:21:01.610,1:21:04.938
by the practice of meditation,[br]concentration,

1:21:05.401,1:21:08.779
you can create joy and happiness.

1:21:09.697,1:21:12.876
So the mindfulness, concentration[br]and insight

1:21:13.269,1:21:17.074
are essential teachings[br]of the Buddha's teachings.

1:21:20.641,1:21:25.126
Actually, one contains the other.

1:21:25.385,1:21:27.996
When we practice mindfulness,

1:21:28.284,1:21:31.865
in mindfulness there is[br]the element of concentration and insight.

1:21:32.721,1:21:39.767
And in concentration there is the element[br]of mindfulness and insight too.

1:21:40.879,1:21:47.236
And the fourth method is (Vietnamese),

1:21:47.499,1:21:53.728
by the practice of insight,[br]you create joy and happiness.

1:21:55.477,1:21:59.535
() is joy, and () is happiness.

1:22:09.184,1:22:14.340
I remember one time when I gave a[br]consultation for a friend in Lower Hamlet.

1:22:18.403,1:22:22.025
When she started to share,

1:22:24.279,1:22:30.389
I was surprised, because[br]after sharing her difficulties,

1:22:31.906,1:22:36.011
she shared what she thought[br]about that difficulties.

1:22:36.184,1:22:40.935
She shared how she suffered,[br]and acknowledged,

1:22:41.780,1:22:45.076
and knows the way out of that suffering.

1:22:45.520,1:22:48.913
And when she finished sharing, that woman,[br]I asked her,

1:22:50.272,1:22:54.859
'I see you know everything.[br]Why don't you put it into practice?

1:22:55.307,1:23:01.923
You know everything about the human mind,[br]the habit energy,

1:23:02.946,1:23:06.247
and even the way to practice mindfulness.'

1:23:06.609,1:23:11.304
And I was surprised that[br]she still suffered about that thing.

1:23:11.916,1:23:15.244
And she shared that

1:23:16.183,1:23:20.201
'Yes, sister. I know this, but[br]I don't have any support.

1:23:20.580,1:23:25.267
I don't know how to start.[br]I cannot do it by myself.'

1:23:27.327,1:23:30.894
And when I listened to that,[br]I felt quite impressed,

1:23:31.110,1:23:34.804
because she knew the wisdom about her,

1:23:35.026,1:23:40.242
and then she was very open to share[br]that with me, everything with me.

1:23:42.487,1:23:48.258
And I see that everyone of us[br]has all the insights, everyone of us,

1:23:48.530,1:23:52.030
small insights, or bigger insights,[br]about something.

1:23:53.760,1:23:57.055
I see when people ask questions,

1:23:57.664,1:24:01.362
in that question somehow[br]they know the answer.

1:24:02.053,1:24:04.015
But then,

1:24:04.605,1:24:08.131
for me, when I share[br]in the questions and answers session,

1:24:08.389,1:24:13.000
I share from my own experiences[br]about that issue.

1:24:13.796,1:24:17.743
And I believe that everyone of us[br]have our own answer.

1:24:18.074,1:24:23.864
If we really understand our mind,[br]if we really love our soul,

1:24:24.458,1:24:27.526
then we will find our own answer.

1:24:27.767,1:24:30.748
And the thing is to put it into practice.

1:24:31.491,1:24:33.400
And we are lucky.

1:24:36.119,1:24:38.441
Living in the community,

1:24:38.607,1:24:42.788
even if some of you come here[br]for just one week.

1:24:44.276,1:24:50.581
Our teacher always said that one week[br]is enough for you to change your life.

1:24:51.146,1:24:53.690
Challenging, eh?

1:24:53.878,1:24:58.598
Yes, he said that one week is enough[br]for you to change your life.

1:24:58.750,1:25:03.061
And it has happened[br]for quite many of our friends.

1:25:04.937,1:25:08.718
It is very impressive for me.

1:25:08.921,1:25:12.965
Many of them come back for a second time,[br]a third time.

1:25:13.329,1:25:18.468
It is normal. But there are some friends[br]just coming for one week,

1:25:19.397,1:25:23.747
and they really make good use[br]of the time of one week

1:25:24.049,1:25:28.663
to really garden so that they can[br]transform their garden.

1:25:29.426,1:25:34.881
So I would like to read[br]the last paragraphs to end.

1:25:37.115,1:25:44.031
“To live in the world[br]with your heart undisturbed by the world,

1:25:45.541,1:25:52.114
with all sorrows ended, dwelling in peace,[br]this is the greatest happiness.

1:25:52.976,1:26:00.129
For he or she who accomplishes this,[br]unvanquished wherever she goes,

1:26:00.715,1:26:07.007
always he is safe and happy.[br]Happiness lives within oneself.”

1:26:09.243,1:26:14.335
Yes, happiness comes from ourselves,[br]not from the sky.

1:26:14.683,1:26:20.172
Happiness is something that we can[br]train ourselves to have and to be.

1:26:24.700,1:26:33.073
When I prepared the sharing this morning,[br]I wrote down a sentence:

1:26:34.286,1:26:37.425
'Thay, I'm going to share for you."

1:26:38.780,1:26:44.001
Yes, I'm not really good at[br]sharing Dharma talks.

1:26:44.536,1:26:48.455
But then, this is the practice[br]as a Dharma teacher.

1:26:48.900,1:26:52.221
You are trained to give Dharma talks,

1:26:52.424,1:26:55.931
and also it's your responsibility[br]to give Dharma talks.

1:26:56.127,1:27:00.354
And this morning, I wrote down on[br]my notebook, 'I do this for you'.

1:27:03.952,1:27:07.230
By this I invite Thay to be here with us.

1:27:07.430,1:27:09.768
And in order to end the sharing[br]this morning

1:27:09.970,1:27:14.483
I would like to read for you[br]some paragraphs in one of Thay's poems

1:27:14.676,1:27:17.120
that I like a lot.

1:27:25.806,1:27:29.219
Thay called himself 'a lazy monk'.

1:27:30.337,1:27:35.167
'A lazy monk have done quite[br]enormous things'.

1:27:38.860,1:27:41.264
Yes, for the world.

1:27:42.783,1:27:46.115
And for me, Thay is a happy person.

1:27:46.477,1:27:49.049
When being around him,

1:27:49.459,1:27:54.268
I see that in very small things,

1:27:55.978,1:27:59.793
Thay is able to be happy.[br]Amazing!

1:28:00.029,1:28:02.467
Even the birth of a flower!

1:28:02.656,1:28:06.802
One time he walked me around his garden

1:28:07.583,1:28:11.584
just to watch the birth of the -

1:28:13.925,1:28:18.616
A plum flower was blooming,[br]was about to bloom.

1:28:20.438,1:28:27.112
And his face, his expression,[br]was full of joy and excitement!

1:28:28.220,1:28:31.334
And he was eighty something.

1:28:31.678,1:28:34.258
And I was twenty something.

1:28:34.436,1:28:41.268
And I was surprised by this happy, joyful,[br]and excited old man,

1:28:42.849,1:28:47.185
watching and enjoying[br]the birth of a flower!

1:28:47.908,1:28:51.574
That stuck in my heart all the time.

1:28:52.063,1:28:55.702
Specially whenever I feel[br]a little bit bored,

1:28:57.775,1:28:59.789
or something.

1:29:01.847,1:29:07.978
And also we were very moved

1:29:08.353,1:29:12.143
when Thay decided to come back[br]to the root temple and stay,

1:29:12.384,1:29:14.497
you know that?

1:29:16.098,1:29:23.650
This poem was composed by him[br]when he was in New York, in America.

1:29:24.697,1:29:29.739
And he was asked by his brothers[br]in the Buddhist Delegation

1:29:30.369,1:29:33.621
to go back to Vietnam to help.

1:29:34.268,1:29:39.385
To call for peace. And he knew

1:29:40.032,1:29:42.270
that he had wounds.

1:29:46.412,1:29:49.954
Even with the love[br]and the faith in his heart,

1:29:50.162,1:29:53.509
he was not healed yet

1:29:53.748,1:29:56.316
from the wound he got

1:29:56.443,1:30:00.362
during the Vietnam war.

1:30:01.451,1:30:07.153
And in this poem, Thay was talking about[br]the two hands.

1:30:07.669,1:30:12.000
Here are my two hands I would like to[br]bring back for you.

1:30:12.362,1:30:17.703
You here is what Thay called the beloved[br]one, is the Buddhist Association,

1:30:18.564,1:30:21.654
is Vietnam's people,[br]Vietnam's country,

1:30:21.828,1:30:25.833
to whom he would like to offer his hands,

1:30:25.935,1:30:32.716
the hands of young people full of love,[br]full of faith, full of hope.

1:30:33.318,1:30:35.426
Because at that time,

1:30:35.577,1:30:39.326
there were many young people[br]already losing their hope.

1:30:39.693,1:30:43.528
They came and asked Thay,

1:30:44.735,1:30:48.358
whether this war would end sometime.

1:30:48.557,1:30:51.725
And even in the very dark times,

1:30:52.561,1:30:59.373
Thay felt very painful in his heart about[br]the very long time of the war at that time

1:31:00.287,1:31:07.112
but he shared that, 'I had to breathe[br]deeply before I answered that question,

1:31:07.787,1:31:11.374
because if I answered no,[br]we have no hope,

1:31:11.904,1:31:15.098
I would kill the hope[br]in the young people.'

1:31:15.668,1:31:21.056
So Thay answered in a very skillful[br]and compassionate way to the young people:

1:31:24.461,1:31:28.160
'As the Buddha teaches,[br]everything is impermanent.

1:31:28.486,1:31:31.175
War is impermanent.

1:31:31.557,1:31:34.070
As a community, as a sangha,

1:31:34.228,1:31:38.906
we need to cultivate and nourish[br]our hope in our hearts.'

1:31:39.048,1:31:43.295
When I read that part, I was crying.

1:31:43.584,1:31:48.769
Because I saw how caring he was,

1:31:49.524,1:31:55.694
how hard was for him to hold[br]the suffering in his heart,

1:31:56.977,1:32:00.426
so that he can transmit the mission,

1:32:00.612,1:32:04.076
transmit the love and the hope[br]to the young people.

1:32:04.678,1:32:08.862
In the year 1963,

1:32:09.092,1:32:14.922
that is a time when Thay accepted the[br]invitation to go back to Vietnam to help.

1:32:15.903,1:32:21.190
And maybe it is the last time Thay chooses[br]to come back to Vietnam.

1:32:21.620,1:32:25.366
Maybe to rest, but it is not only resting.

1:32:25.791,1:32:28.031
We know that Thay is like

1:32:31.206,1:32:33.730
helping the root temple

1:32:34.149,1:32:41.016
by his presence, by his own body[br]and mind residing there.

1:32:41.383,1:32:43.801
"Here are my hands

1:32:44.348,1:32:49.692
that are also my heart, my mind,[br]my life -

1:32:50.136,1:32:52.371
all that remains.

1:32:53.090,1:32:56.094
Their sole power is[br]having bled

1:32:57.094,1:33:00.031
on the frets of love.

1:33:01.068,1:33:06.181
Here are my hands.[br]Let me give them back to you.

1:33:07.555,1:33:11.481
Remember,[br]Mother taught us to love

1:33:13.373,1:33:17.381
the withered grass on tombs[br]even so,

1:33:17.866,1:33:20.404
the blooming roses.

1:33:21.699,1:33:24.582
For them,[br]as for everything,

1:33:24.819,1:33:29.647
love is[br]the immaculate morning dew.

1:33:32.299,1:33:34.675
Here are my hands.

1:33:34.919,1:33:38.569
With bowed head, I give them to you.

1:33:39.426,1:33:43.432
Look, the old wounds have yet to heal.

1:33:44.510,1:33:47.148
Their blood is still fresh,

1:33:48.097,1:33:52.556
and on the fingertips,[br]your soul may rest

1:33:53.663,1:33:56.286
as the dew rests,

1:33:56.724,1:34:01.698
glistening[br]on the trembling blades of grass.

1:34:04.327,1:34:06.800
Here are my hands,

1:34:06.935,1:34:12.662
reborn once again[br]but still carrying old wounds.

1:34:14.063,1:34:16.654
And here is my smile

1:34:17.748,1:34:20.947
because I never hated.

1:34:21.401,1:34:25.317
And here is my heart,[br]my pure heart

1:34:26.410,1:34:29.317
from days gone by.

1:34:31.089,1:34:33.706
Here are my hands,

1:34:33.982,1:34:39.785
brought back to you[br]unhealed beneath their bandages.

1:34:40.625,1:34:45.354
I pray[br]they will not be crushed again.

1:34:45.929,1:34:49.136
And I beg[br]the stars

1:34:49.423,1:34:51.646
to be my witness.

1:34:52.783,1:34:53.961
(Bell)

1:34:58.331,1:35:04.942
(Bell)

1:35:21.053,1:35:28.068
(Bell)

1:35:40.338,1:35:46.568
(Bell)

1:36:07.831,1:36:09.529
(Small bell)