0:01:03.460,0:01:10.720
Dear Sangha, today is the 20th Nov.[br]in the year 2008.

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We are in the Lower Hamlet, Plum Village,[br]in the Assembly of Stars Meditation hall.

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Today, we will listen[br]to the first Dharma Talk

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of the three months[br]Winter Retreat 2008 – 2009.

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Yesterday, the Sangha assembled[br]in the Still Waters Meditation Hall

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in Upper Hamlet for the Face-to-Face[br]ceremony to open the Rains’ retreat.

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I was informed that there are 52 lay practitioners

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joining the three months with the monastics.

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Usually, many lay friends are busy with their jobs

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and are rarely able to set aside three months [br]to practice the Rains or Winter Retreat.

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And now in Plum Village there are 52 friends

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who can follow the three months[br]Rains retreat.

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That is an improvement.

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We heard that in Germany, at the[br]Intersein Practice Center in Hohenau ...

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there are also 50 lay friends practicing [br]for the three months Rains retreat

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under the guidance of our lay[br]Dharma Teachers, Karl and Helga.

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In the Buddha's time, the Rains retreat was only for monastics.

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Now we have lay friends practicing with us during the Rains retreat.

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That is an improvement!

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We have done better than in the time of the Buddha.

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So the Buddha must be very happy about this.

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We should take the spirit of the Rains retreat seriously.

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We should not leave the boundaries of the Rains retreat.

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And we can practice in such a way

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that each moment of the Rains retreat

0:04:04.589,0:04:07.940
becomes a moment of real practice.

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Practice to touch peace,[br]to touch happiness,

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to transform the pain, the grief,

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the difficulties in our heart.

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Practicing with the Sangha is much[br]easier than practicing alone,

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because in the Sangha there is collective energy.

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And if we know how to take[br]refuge in that collective energy

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we can easily give rise to a more powerful energy of mindfulness and concentration,

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because all around us,[br]there are people who are practicing,

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both monastics and lay practitioners.

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So while they practice mindful walking, [br]standing, lying down or sitting,

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they generate the energy of mindfulness

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and concentration.

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And those energies will support[br]us and protect us,

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and help us to come back to our own[br]mindfulness and concentration.

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That is why the collective[br]energy is very beneficial for us.

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When we gather in one place to[br]practice dwelling peacefully —an cư—

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we can benefit from that collective energy.

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The venerable monks and nuns in Europe or America ...

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are all aware of the necessity[br]of the three months retreat.

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They try their best

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but in some places even if the monastics gather in one place

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they are only able to practice together for a few weeks.

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It is such a pity.

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Because they have so much work to do

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they have lost the tradition of the three months Rains retreat.

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And it is a loss, a significant loss.

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We are very happy that in Plum Village we've been able [br]to keep the tradition of the three. months retreat.

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And that is why yesterday[br]in our Face-to-Face ceremony in Upper Hamlet,

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I shared before the Buddha and ancestors.

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I said: “Thank you, World Honored One,

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for having established the tradition[br]of three months retreat.

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Thanks to that, I can stay put[br]in the Sangha for three months.

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Otherwise, people from different countries would[br]invite me to go here and there to teach.

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And so having this three months retreat is very good.

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Thank you, World Honored One, for giving us a chance [br]to not go anywhere for three months.

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And we will try our best to hold on to this tradition.

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At minimum, we'll have three months of not going anywhere.

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And I also said that the bhikshu sangha

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is a place of refuge for me,

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and a source of happiness for me.

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To have a place to take refuge in [br]and to be happy for three months

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is a real blessing.

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So Thầy asks that the Sangha continue [br]to be a refuge for Thầy

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and a source of joy for Thầy.

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So when we are aware that

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we are so lucky to practice for the three months,

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that awareness brings about[br]a great deal of happiness.

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Because in our world, even[br]within the Buddhist congregation,

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many people cannot afford

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to stop and practice the three months retreat.

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This morning,

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while ...

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turning on the water to wash my face,

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I felt ...

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the refreshing water flowing [br]from the faucet on my fingertips,

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and I was aware that water comes[br]from the high mountain sources,

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from deep sources in the Earth,

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and comes right into our bathroom.

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And because it is cold outside,[br]the water from the faucet is also cold.

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When I scooped water to wet my two eyes,

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it felt very refreshing,

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like drops of Dharma nectar.

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And I felt the cold water made me fresher and more awake.

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And in that moment I was very happy.

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Just turning on the cold[br]water,

0:10:11.140,0:10:14.810
just allowing the cold water[br]to run over two fingers

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and bringing it to our two eyes in mindfulness,

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that alone can make us very happy.

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And when we brush our teeth,

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we can be free.

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We take our time to brush our teeth,

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we dwell peacefully in the present moment,

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and we can be very happy in those few minutes.

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Happiness depends on us,

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depends on whether we are mindful and concentrated.

0:11:06.800,0:11:11.600
A moment ago, before the Dharma Talk,

0:11:12.330,0:11:18.760
I heard the sound of the[br]bell invited by sister Thi Nghiêm.

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Listening to the bell, [br]I came back to the present moment,

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and I saw clearly outside, the bamboo grove on the left

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and the woods on the right.

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And I saw clearly that I'm here.

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The bell brings me back to my true home.

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Listen, listen. This wonderful sound of[br]the bell brings me back to my true home.

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In Vietnam for a long time people[br]have loved singing this song:

0:12:11.080,0:12:16.800
Home is the sweet star fruit tree, [br]where I climbed and picked the fruits every day.

0:12:17.770,0:12:20.300
Home is the path from school to home…

0:12:25.050,0:12:27.900
Home is the kite flying in the blue sky... [br][part of a poem by Đỗ Trung Quan]

0:12:32.260,0:12:34.780
In the spirit of our practice,

0:12:34.780,0:12:38.800
home is different than that.

0:12:46.850,0:12:51.340
Home is not just a memory

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that we carry with us.

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Because the bunch of sweet star fruits

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may only belong to the past.

0:13:09.600,0:13:13.920
The kite in the blue sky may only belong to the past.

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Of course, for many of us

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we've had happy moments in our childhood.

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When we grow up,

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we are busy with the demands of life.

0:13:45.820,0:13:50.320
That is why whenever we[br]remember those childhood moments,

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times when we were able to fly a kite ...

0:13:53.100,0:13:58.220
or climb the starfruit tree and pick the fruits,

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or catch butterflies on the way to school.

0:14:03.920,0:14:11.800
And perhaps in those moments of flying kites or chasing butterflies,

0:14:14.370,0:14:16.240
we were truly happy,

0:14:16.240,0:14:21.650
but we may not have been aware [br]that we were happy.

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To be happy is one thing,

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but to be aware that we[br]are happy is another thing.

0:14:28.450,0:14:31.520
To be fortunate is one thing,

0:14:31.520,0:14:35.980
but to be aware that we[br]are fortunate is another thing.

0:14:37.260,0:14:40.220
To be aware here means to be mindful.

0:14:41.240,0:14:45.000
When we sing the song home is[br]a bunch of sweet star fruits,

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a kite flying in the blue sky,

0:14:50.880,0:14:53.100
a little ferry boat,

0:14:54.363,0:14:58.098
we are nostalgic,

0:14:58.098,0:15:01.300
we remember the paradise of the past.

0:15:02.640,0:15:07.580
And that is why such a home is a lost home,

0:15:08.180,0:15:10.740
the home of our childhood.

0:15:13.690,0:15:18.460
That home is only in our memory;[br]it is not a reality in the present.

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Meanwhile, as a practitioner,

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our home is the present.

0:15:34.820,0:15:39.085
The home of the past may have a banana tree, [br]but there are no banana trees here.

0:15:39.097,0:15:43.440
Here, there are oak trees, apple trees.

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So home is not just a[br]banana tree or a banyan tree,

0:15:50.240,0:15:53.450
it can be an oak tree or an apple tree.

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That is why right in the present moment,

0:15:57.160,0:16:01.860
on this land, we can be in[br]contact with our true home.

0:16:11.480,0:16:18.680
When we listen to the bell,[br]we come back to our breathing,

0:16:20.680,0:16:25.083
we see that we are truly present

0:16:25.083,0:16:29.060
and the wonders of life are there all around us.

0:16:31.360,0:16:36.300
The white clouds, the blue[br]sky, the apple tree, the oak tree,

0:16:37.610,0:16:40.386
friends who are practicing around us,

0:16:40.386,0:16:43.780
all these things belong to home.

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All these things are there[br]in the present moment,

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even though the sweet starfruits[br]and the little ferryboat are not there.

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And so to practice is to touch our true[br]home right in the present moment.

0:17:07.260,0:17:10.000
Wherever we are we can be at ease,

0:17:10.000,0:17:13.040
wherever we are we can be at home.

0:17:13.040,0:17:15.780
That true home is life itself.

0:17:20.290,0:17:25.420
In the present moment, there are [br]so many things that we do not cherish.

0:17:26.300,0:17:29.074
Only when they are no longer there

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or when we are separated from them that[br]we start to appreciate them.

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And if we only appreciate it after having parted with it,

0:17:38.894,0:17:41.940
it already belongs to the past.

0:17:41.940,0:17:44.580
It is the home of the past.

0:17:44.580,0:17:50.610
For a practitioner, home must[br]be in the present moment.

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That is what we mean by our true home.

0:17:55.600,0:17:58.839
"Quê hương đích thực" means true home,

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not just nostalgia for the past.

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And so we should practice in such a[br]way that the Sangha becomes our home.

0:18:09.770,0:18:15.380
The Sangha is everywhere,[br]the Sangha is our joy.

0:18:19.530,0:18:22.584
Already at the start of the three[br]months retreat, we see many

0:18:22.596,0:18:25.980
brothers, sisters and lay friends[br]from other places gather here,

0:18:25.980,0:18:30.220
and we feel the joy of reuniting as a sangha.

0:18:30.220,0:18:35.060
And we kick start our three months[br]winter retreat with that joy.

0:18:38.040,0:18:40.911
And so for the three months[br]retreat

0:18:40.911,0:18:47.008
we should find a way for our true home [br]to be present right here right now.

0:18:52.650,0:18:58.000
For this rains retreat Thầy has two new attendants,

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brothers Đức Tạng and Pháp Thuyên.

0:19:03.730,0:19:08.100
I heard that brother Đức Tạng can[br]only stay in Plum Village for this winter.

0:19:08.100,0:19:12.556
After, his master has asked him[br]to go back to take care of their monastery,

0:19:12.556,0:19:15.508
maybe to become an abbot.

0:19:16.600,0:19:20.910
Thầy told him: “You should[br]tell your master that

0:19:20.922,0:19:25.080
you must graduate from Plum Village first,

0:19:25.080,0:19:29.034
you must stay until you become [br]a Dharma teacher in training

0:19:29.046,0:19:32.500
and receive the lamp transmission [br]before going back.

0:19:33.120,0:19:36.280
You must write to your master."

0:19:52.840,0:19:59.600
If we take refuge in the Sangha to practice,

0:20:01.180,0:20:06.940
if we see the setting of[br]the retreat as our home,

0:20:06.960,0:20:12.010
we will have a lot of happiness.

0:20:14.580,0:20:21.220
The theme for the three months[br]retreat this year is "The path of the Buddha."

0:20:25.770,0:20:27.880
"The Path of the Buddha"

0:20:30.520,0:20:33.620
The path that the Buddha has taken ...

0:20:34.650,0:20:39.920
and the path that the Buddha has shown us.

0:20:54.720,0:20:58.340
The path that leads to happiness,

0:20:59.090,0:21:03.800
the path that leads to the[br]transformation of suffering.

0:21:15.920,0:21:22.880
The path of the Buddha or “Phật đạo”.

0:21:24.140,0:21:26.570
The Path of the Buddha.

0:21:26.690,0:21:29.750
We have had retreats with the themes [br]“The Heart of the Buddha”,

0:21:29.750,0:21:32.868
“The Eye of the Buddha”,

0:21:34.800,0:21:37.720
“The Feet of the Buddha”,

0:21:37.720,0:21:41.440
now we have “the Path of the Buddha”.

0:21:56.700,0:22:02.900
We have to ask, have we ever NOT[br]learned about the path of the Buddha?

0:22:02.900,0:22:06.730
It is not only this year that we[br]learn about the path of the Buddha.

0:22:06.730,0:22:10.535
Everything we've studied from[br]the sutras, the vinaya, the abhidharma,

0:22:10.536,0:22:17.608
are part of the Buddha's path, so why are we talking [br]about the path of the Buddha this year?

0:22:21.580,0:22:25.400
It is because there is a new need.

0:22:28.980,0:22:39.170
It is because our world is moving[br]into a new order called “globalization”.

0:22:40.290,0:22:45.454
There is a new order called “ global order”.

0:23:02.040,0:23:05.100
A new global order.

0:23:12.260,0:23:19.060
It is because the economy[br]is moving towards globalization.

0:23:19.060,0:23:22.320
Politics is moving towards globalization.

0:23:24.300,0:23:27.300
And education ...

0:23:32.930,0:23:36.960
is also on the path of globalization.

0:23:38.440,0:23:47.940
That is why ethics also needs [br]to go on the path of globalization.

0:23:48.640,0:23:56.370
A global order requires a global ethics,

0:23:56.370,0:24:03.260
an ethics that is accepted[br]by the whole of humanty.

0:24:04.730,0:24:16.560
Because up to now different cultures, [br]different nations have their own ethics.

0:24:19.130,0:24:27.600
And each set of ethics has its[br]own values and criteria.

0:24:29.520,0:24:35.228
So how can we move toward

0:24:35.228,0:24:39.306
acknowledging the values that we hold in common,

0:24:39.306,0:24:43.720
our common values,

0:24:46.280,0:24:53.960
in order to establish a global ethics.

0:24:55.010,0:25:10.080
That is why a new global order[br]calls for a new global ethics.

0:25:10.080,0:25:17.720
A new global order calls[br]for a new global ethics.

0:25:25.160,0:25:36.290
(repeat)

0:25:39.650,0:25:44.580
As Buddhist practitioners,

0:25:45.370,0:25:49.180
we have the responsibility to speak out ...

0:25:49.180,0:25:58.320
about the Buddhist contribution to the new global ethics.

0:26:00.240,0:26:06.001
What does Buddhism have to offer

0:26:06.013,0:26:11.560
to contribute to the new global ethics?

0:26:14.920,0:26:21.060
Of course, there are many different[br]wisdom traditions in the world.

0:26:21.060,0:26:29.770
And each tradition has[br]their own insights, wisdom ...

0:26:29.770,0:26:34.340
and experience of ethics and morality.

0:26:34.410,0:26:39.060
Each religion or philosophy

0:26:43.200,0:26:49.978
also has its own insights,[br]wisdom and experience

0:26:49.978,0:26:58.420
and each can contribute[br]their part to a global ethic.

0:27:02.920,0:27:06.420
So from a Buddhist standpoint,

0:27:06.420,0:27:10.632
what gems do we have

0:27:10.632,0:27:16.580
that can be a contribution[br]to that new global ethic?

0:27:17.130,0:27:22.780
That is the theme of[br]this year’s winter retreat.

0:27:24.730,0:27:27.200
The Path of the Buddha,

0:27:31.610,0:27:38.810
the Buddhist contribution to a global ethic.

0:27:38.850,0:27:59.800
the Buddhist contribution to a global ethic.

0:28:25.090,0:28:29.963
That is why our theme[br]for this year's Winter Retreat

0:28:29.975,0:28:34.250
is the "Path of the Buddha" –

0:28:34.250,0:28:39.210
Buddhist contribution to a global ethic.

0:28:50.980,0:28:55.020
And we have three months[br]to go deeply into these topics.

0:28:56.160,0:29:01.840
Thầy's teachings and Dharma talks will be in Vietnamese ...

0:29:01.840,0:29:06.820
and will be translated into English, French.

0:29:08.120,0:29:13.200
Then next year, in the 21-Day Retreat,

0:29:13.200,0:29:17.760
we will also use this[br]theme but we will condense

0:29:17.772,0:29:22.250
these teachings into[br]the 21-Day Retreat setting.

0:29:22.250,0:29:28.060
The 21-Day Retreat will be taught[br]in English with the same theme:

0:29:28.920,0:29:34.540
The Path of the Buddha - [br]Buddhist contribution to a global ethic.

0:29:35.850,0:29:39.529
We study now in Vietnamese[br]and next year we study again

0:29:39.541,0:29:43.100
in English with the compact[br]version of 21-Day Retreat.

0:29:43.100,0:29:47.000
We have as many as 90 days now - isn't that wonderful?

0:29:47.000,0:29:49.370
And we can go deeply.

0:29:49.370,0:29:53.964
In the past, we had a retreat with the theme, “The Heart of the Buddha”

0:29:53.964,0:30:00.048
for more than 90 days, in Vietnamese.

0:30:00.060,0:30:08.560
Then we condensed it into the [br]21-Day Retreat in English.

0:30:10.620,0:30:17.100
So if we can master the[br]content of the 90-Day Retreat,

0:30:17.100,0:30:22.690
then when the 21-Day Retreat comes in June,

0:30:23.960,0:30:30.420
we can contribute a lot in Dharma[br]sharing sessions by sharing ...

0:30:30.880,0:30:35.040
and guiding newly arrived friends.

0:30:36.200,0:30:39.743
Our way of study should not be the same way as one studies in universities.

0:30:39.755,0:30:43.200
At universities you need to read many[br]books and read them really fast ...

0:30:43.200,0:30:46.800
because there are so many [br]materials to read.

0:30:48.660,0:30:55.340
Because at universities [br]the emphasis is on knowledge,

0:30:58.120,0:31:01.200
conceptual knowledge.

0:31:02.860,0:31:08.730
Here ... the emphasis is [br]more on looking deeply.

0:31:08.730,0:31:14.010
If there are too many readings,[br]there wouldn't be time for deep looking.

0:31:14.010,0:31:18.440
You could read one page[br]very quickly in a few minutes,

0:31:19.290,0:31:23.093
but you only pick up a few ideas.

0:31:23.105,0:31:27.260
You don't have a chance to[br]contemplate these ideas.

0:31:27.260,0:31:31.700
So our way of study is very[br]different to that of universities.

0:31:33.040,0:31:38.420
We read very little, [br]but we contemplate a great deal.

0:31:38.420,0:31:50.240
In this retreat you will be given some reading materials...but very few.

0:31:51.340,0:32:05.520
First, there will be material from a[br]parliament of the world's religions in Chicago.

0:32:07.920,0:32:19.240
The Parliament of the World's Religions was convened in Chicago in 1993.

0:32:26.040,0:32:39.610
That parliament of religions [br]brought out a declaration -

0:32:45.370,0:32:50.840
the "Declaration toward a global ethic". [br]It's only 10 pages of reading.

0:32:51.640,0:32:57.650
You read to reflect; [br]read to look deeply;

0:32:59.650,0:33:07.120
read to see the ways in which we can[br]contribute to that global ethic.

0:33:08.780,0:33:12.280
The material is in English.

0:33:12.280,0:33:17.610
You might find the German online, [br]so there is no need for translation.

0:33:17.610,0:33:19.360
It may be in French, too.

0:33:19.360,0:33:31.300
So I ask the brothers and sisters to[br]download the English and French versions.

0:33:31.300,0:33:33.850
I don't think it is in Vietnamese.

0:33:33.850,0:33:38.040
We might need a Vietnamese translation.

0:33:45.940,0:33:54.700
The German theologian Hans[br]Küng summarized the meetings

0:33:54.700,0:34:02.100
of world's religions from that parliament [br]in this booklet -

0:34:10.300,0:34:19.760
The Declaration of the Parliament of[br]World's Religions Toward a Global Ethic.

0:34:23.780,0:34:28.860
This is one material we will use to look deeply.

0:34:28.860,0:34:34.517
While using the material,[br]our seeds of insight and experience

0:34:34.529,0:34:40.420
will be touched; they will sprout.

0:34:40.440,0:34:50.380
And these sprouts will be our[br]contribution toward a global ethic.

0:34:59.960,0:35:03.480
Now I entrust this to Thầy Pháp Hữu:

0:35:04.820,0:35:14.610
Please find a way to have it in[br]English, French, German and Vietnamese.

0:35:14.610,0:35:17.020
A copy for each of us.

0:35:30.610,0:35:33.840
In Vietnamese there is the word “đạo đức”,

0:35:40.180,0:35:42.960
and also the word “luân lý”.

0:35:45.610,0:35:51.140
Often we translate “luân lý” as "morality".

0:36:01.420,0:36:09.920
The word “đạo đức” can[br]also be translated as "morality" or "ethic".

0:36:17.740,0:36:40.465
The word “luân lý” is of Chinese origin: 倫理.

0:36:50.560,0:36:52.120
“Luân lý” (倫理)...

0:36:55.520,0:37:05.593
“Luân” means the way of [br]conduct between people.

0:37:06.530,0:37:11.720
How to conduct ourselves to not have suffering but to have happiness.

0:37:13.880,0:37:16.460
A code of behavior.

0:37:17.060,0:37:22.140
A way of behavior between humans

0:37:22.210,0:37:26.215
to reduce the sufferings and difficulties,

0:37:26.227,0:37:29.360
to be happy.

0:37:30.440,0:37:32.060
We have the word “nhân luân”.

0:37:32.060,0:37:35.490
“Nhân” means human -

0:37:35.490,0:37:50.884
“nhân luân” (人倫) means human ethics.

0:37:56.050,0:37:59.340
And “Lý” (理) means the principles,

0:38:00.130,0:38:03.100
there are basic principles ...

0:38:17.900,0:38:20.280
for actions and rules.

0:38:21.210,0:38:35.320
These principles are the foundation for the rules, actions, conduct.

0:38:38.660,0:38:40.280
“Luân lý” ...

0:38:42.280,0:39:10.968
could be the abbreviation[br]of “luân thường đạo lý”.

0:39:15.280,0:39:20.733
“Luân thường đạo lý” (倫常道理)

0:39:25.020,0:39:29.840
“Thường” (常) means "common",

0:39:38.290,0:39:40.220
it means "in general",

0:39:45.180,0:39:51.120
accepted by everyone,[br]common for everyone.

0:39:59.810,0:40:05.720
And it continues like that, [br]not changing from time to time.

0:40:09.600,0:40:13.289
“Luân thường” (倫常)

0:40:14.740,0:40:22.020
is a principle of conduct between humans

0:40:22.850,0:40:30.280
that is accepted by everyone and [br]maintained throughout time.

0:40:31.040,0:40:34.385
“Đạo” (道) is "path".

0:40:35.680,0:40:39.640
"Lý” (理) is “lý trí” (reason) ...

0:40:40.970,0:40:46.700
or “nguyên lý”, principles, or reasons.

0:40:47.570,0:40:51.130
“Lý” (理) has at least two meanings:

0:40:51.130,0:40:52.530
One is...

0:40:56.400,0:41:00.410
“nguyên tắc", principles, "nguyên lý”.

0:41:00.940,0:41:05.120
Two is “lý luận”, reasoning,

0:41:05.120,0:41:09.600
because we need to use [br]our wisdom to examine things.

0:41:10.300,0:41:13.650
We cannot just use faith, [br]but to use wisdom.

0:41:13.650,0:41:18.176
“Luân lý đạo đức” (ethics, morality) must involve wisdom.

0:41:18.810,0:41:24.450
“Trí tuệ”, la raison, reason - [br]in order to contemplate,

0:41:24.450,0:41:30.414
to examine and discover [br]the basic principles,

0:41:30.426,0:41:38.872
which form the foundation of our conduct.

0:41:39.240,0:41:44.530
To be more correct, it should be called “luân thường đạo lý” -

0:41:45.600,0:41:57.090
the basic principles that create [br]a path forward.

0:42:00.370,0:42:04.260
“Đạo” (道) is the path.

0:42:05.370,0:42:16.500
A path that is manifested as the way human beings behave towards each other,

0:42:16.500,0:42:21.640
and is accepted by everyone.[br]That is “luân thường đạo lý” (倫常道理).

0:42:23.930,0:42:30.680
It is morality in the[br]sense of Eastern ethics.

0:42:34.090,0:42:41.080
The guiding principles, the[br]reasonings that lead to a path,

0:42:42.410,0:42:52.970
manifested as the conduct between[br]humans and are accepted by everyone.

0:42:52.970,0:43:01.100
These are two meanings of ethics and morality of people in the East.

0:43:02.330,0:43:15.853
And this word “đạo đức” (道德)

0:43:18.560,0:43:22.380
can also be translated [br]as "morality" or "ethics".

0:43:22.380,0:43:25.780
It contains the the word “đạo” (道) - the path,

0:43:38.720,0:43:45.280
and “đức” (德) - virtues or good qualities.

0:43:46.970,0:43:50.290
Đức means virtues, les vertus,

0:43:51.980,0:43:57.580
such as integrity, charity...

0:43:59.850,0:44:03.810
The qualities that bring us happiness

0:44:03.810,0:44:06.200
and do not bring suffering to others.

0:44:06.200,0:44:09.970
These are virtues, virtuous conduct,

0:44:09.970,0:44:11.970
a path,

0:44:14.810,0:44:16.680
the virtues

0:44:21.660,0:44:25.330
that can show us a path of conduct

0:44:25.330,0:44:30.410
where we do not make[br]ourselves or others suffer.

0:44:30.770,0:44:37.100
Where we can be happy and help[br]others be happy. That is called “đạo đức”.

0:44:37.920,0:44:43.170
"Đạo" and "đức" - path and[br]virtue, or the path of virtue.

0:44:43.210,0:44:49.180
We can translate the word “đạo[br]đức” as the path and the virtues,

0:44:50.130,0:44:52.820
or as the virtues ...

0:44:57.920,0:45:02.640
that show us the way to behave.

0:45:02.640,0:45:05.778
The virtues that show us...

0:45:09.048,0:45:12.669
the way to act,

0:45:15.000,0:45:16.802
to behave.

0:45:18.480,0:45:21.720
The virtues

0:45:23.530,0:45:26.020
that shine the light for us,

0:45:26.020,0:45:30.660
to show us the way to act

0:45:30.660,0:45:36.610
so that we do not suffer, [br]and do not make others suffer.

0:45:36.610,0:45:41.080
For us to be happy and from there,[br]bring happiness to others.

0:45:43.570,0:45:51.650
That is the Eastern definition of[br]“luân lý” (倫理) and “đạo đức” (道德).

0:46:27.730,0:46:32.700
When the World Honored One[br]was enlightened, “thành đạo”,

0:46:33.610,0:46:37.740
he immediately thought of the path.

0:46:45.780,0:46:48.840
We have the expression “thành đạo”,

0:47:05.153,0:47:07.153
(成道)

0:47:12.370,0:47:18.860
which can be called “realizing the way”,

0:47:20.940,0:47:21.820
or ...

0:47:24.220,0:47:26.730
“became enlightened”.

0:47:28.480,0:47:33.010
The Tathagatha became enlightened under the bodhi tree. What does "became enlightened" mean?

0:47:33.010,0:47:36.475
It means complete awakening.

0:47:36.487,0:47:41.330
Awakened. Free.

0:47:44.440,0:47:49.440
That is why “đạo” (道) here does not just mean "path".

0:47:49.440,0:47:53.720
It also means "truth".

0:47:54.240,0:47:58.340
"Thành đạo" is to see the truth.

0:47:59.880,0:48:02.760
Realization of the truth.

0:48:09.600,0:48:18.680
"Đạo" here is truth, reality, a great wisdom.

0:48:19.880,0:48:24.930
A vision, a great insight that can free us.

0:48:24.940,0:48:27.080
That is “đạo” (道).

0:48:30.640,0:48:37.100
In the East, the first meaning [br]of “đạo” is "path".

0:48:40.370,0:48:47.180
Then it means the ultimate[br]and deepest wisdom.

0:48:53.170,0:48:57.740
We can say that "đạo" is the great wisdom,

0:48:57.740,0:49:02.120
as well as the path to that great wisdom.

0:49:02.120,0:49:07.170
“Đạo” is the great wisdom,[br]freedom, awakening.

0:49:07.170,0:49:11.420
“Đạo” is also the path leading to[br]that great wisdom.

0:49:29.060,0:49:31.260
We often translate ...

0:49:35.020,0:49:41.860
“tông giáo” as "religion".

0:50:03.780,0:50:08.960
But the word “tông giáo” (宗教)[br]does not mean "religion".

0:50:11.970,0:50:14.740
”Tông” means "tradition".

0:50:16.040,0:50:24.770
”Tông” is "tradition".

0:50:26.170,0:50:28.760
“Giáo” means "teachings".

0:50:32.690,0:50:36.720
A tradition of teachings, of practices.

0:50:42.770,0:50:52.330
Meanwhile, the word "religion" in [br]Western literature relates to God,

0:50:54.330,0:50:56.500
the creator,

0:50:57.520,0:51:03.860
and faith in God, in the creator.

0:51:05.210,0:51:08.900
But with the word “tông giáo”,

0:51:09.320,0:51:17.660
there doesn't necessarily need to be [br]a god or faith in a god.

0:51:17.660,0:51:28.480
”Tông giáo” is the "tradition of a teaching".

0:51:28.540,0:51:38.810
“Giáo” (教) here means [br]"to teach", "teaching".

0:51:45.620,0:51:50.125
Sometimes we translate "religion" as “đạo”, like “đạo Bụt” (Buddhism),

0:51:50.137,0:51:54.460
“đạo Chúa” (Theistic religions).

0:51:58.440,0:52:03.800
The word "đạo" just means "path".

0:52:05.810,0:52:11.460
It is not so correct to use “đạo” for "religion".

0:52:11.460,0:52:19.690
Because in religion, there often has to be a creator, a god.

0:52:21.120,0:52:28.650
But “đạo” may not refer to god or creator.

0:52:32.340,0:52:36.868
That's why it is not so correct to[br]translate religion as “tông giáo”,

0:52:36.880,0:52:41.020
or as “đạo”.

0:52:42.820,0:52:46.720
However, in "đạo Bụt" (Buddhism),

0:52:49.490,0:52:53.020
the idea of a path is very clear.

0:52:53.820,0:52:56.700
“Con đường” is "magga" ("path" in Pali).

0:53:04.140,0:53:11.020
We are learning the [br]path of the Buddha in this retreat.

0:53:11.960,0:53:15.720
Buddha’s magga. Buddha magga.

0:53:29.671,0:53:42.132
The first teaching that the Buddha[br]offered to his five spiritual friends ...

0:53:43.780,0:53:48.440
set the foundation for an ethic.

0:53:50.720,0:53:56.300
In that teaching, called the "Discourse on Turning the Wheel of the Dharma",

0:53:58.000,0:54:02.120
he taught about the Four Noble Truths,

0:54:02.120,0:54:06.800
and the path of the Eight Right Practices.

0:54:10.300,0:54:18.980
When we speak of Buddhist ethics or Buddhist morality,

0:54:18.980,0:54:22.040
we should remember this sutra.

0:54:23.040,0:54:27.500
After realizing the path, the Buddha[br]wanted to share his insight.

0:54:35.480,0:54:37.340
After enlightenment,

0:54:38.360,0:54:43.960
he enjoyed his time, visiting the lotus pond,

0:54:44.620,0:54:47.300
going to the forest and[br]playing with the children.

0:54:47.300,0:54:53.860
Maybe during those few[br]weeks he was thinking of ...

0:54:53.860,0:54:59.180
how to share the insights[br]he had realized.

0:55:02.650,0:55:05.850
He might have thought,[br]“Whom should I share with?”

0:55:05.850,0:55:09.040
And he thought of his five companions,

0:55:10.200,0:55:15.880
the five friends including Kondana.

0:55:20.530,0:55:25.900
From Deer Park in Sarnath ...

0:55:26.840,0:55:34.200
he walked on foot, ah no, from Bodhgaya –

0:55:34.690,0:55:38.880
the bodhi tree at Bodhgaya ...

0:55:40.210,0:55:46.120
he walked on foot to Deer Park in[br]search of his five old spiritual friends.

0:55:51.480,0:55:57.700
He must have walked for at[br]least two weeks before arriving.

0:56:00.270,0:56:03.550
He walked on paths[br]through the rice paddies.

0:56:03.550,0:56:07.530
Searching. A teacher[br]searching for his disciples.

0:56:07.530,0:56:10.100
The first five disciples.

0:56:11.020,0:56:15.440
On our recent tour in India, our sangha...

0:56:19.960,0:56:27.600
went by bus from Sarnath or the old Deer Park ...

0:56:27.600,0:56:33.520
where the World Honored One gave[br]his first teaching to his five friends,

0:56:33.520,0:56:35.640
to the Bodhi Tree.

0:56:37.710,0:56:42.780
The trip was quite tiring, even[br]though we sat properly on the bus.

0:56:44.320,0:56:51.120
How long did it take us? Six hours on the bus.

0:56:52.400,0:56:58.640
In the past, the Buddha had walked, [br]step by step, in mindfulness

0:56:58.640,0:57:04.140
from the foot of the [br]Bodhi Tree to Deer park.

0:57:09.720,0:57:16.360
He heard that his five[br]friends were at Deer park;

0:57:16.360,0:57:19.540
so he set out to find them.

0:57:19.560,0:57:22.280
He wasn't certain if they were[br]still there or not, but he kept on going.

0:57:22.280,0:57:26.303
Fortunately for him and[br]fortunately for the five friends,

0:57:26.315,0:57:30.940
they were still there and the [br]Buddha met them.

0:57:32.140,0:57:37.246
He sat down and shared with them

0:57:37.258,0:57:42.820
about the Four Truths and the path[br]of Eight Right Practices.

0:57:43.900,0:57:48.640
That is the content of the "Discourse on Turning the Wheel of the Dharma".

0:57:49.870,0:57:58.840
This sutra could be the foundational material for Buddhist ethics.

0:58:00.960,0:58:03.220
It is very practical.

0:58:04.670,0:58:07.180
It is not philosophy.

0:58:08.060,0:58:10.260
It is not science.

0:58:13.520,0:58:17.620
It is teaching on ethics and morality.

0:58:21.080,0:58:26.580
The Buddha spoke of human suffering and

0:58:27.900,0:58:31.500
how to transform suffering.

0:58:38.080,0:58:44.880
And he offered the methods of practice,

0:58:45.500,0:58:49.940
a path to transform suffering.

0:58:50.520,0:58:56.940
That is the essence of the Four[br]Noble Truths or the four wondrous truths.

0:59:02.750,0:59:05.040
"Tứ Diệu Đế" (四妙諦)

0:59:16.840,0:59:21.840
are the four noble, wondrous truths.

0:59:23.120,0:59:25.880
“Diệu” (妙) means "wondrous".

0:59:26.780,0:59:31.920
It is sometimes translated as the "Four Holy Truths" (Tứ Thánh Đế, 四聖諦).

0:59:38.080,1:00:02.040
"The four holy truths."

1:00:08.170,1:00:12.080
And sometimes as the "Four Real Truths" (Tứ Chân Đế, 四真諦).

1:00:21.850,1:00:23.770
“Chân” (真) means ...

1:00:27.500,1:00:31.740
real, not fake, authentic.

1:00:32.360,1:00:40.110
It is not fake, it is genuine.

1:00:52.080,1:00:55.465
The words “Diệu” (wondrous), “Thánh” (holy), and “Chân” (real)

1:00:55.477,1:00:59.200
are different translations of the word “Arya”.

1:01:01.440,1:01:05.600
"Arya" means "noble" and "true".

1:01:08.600,1:01:12.560
Catvari Arya Satyani

1:01:28.170,1:01:35.660
"Catvari" is "four". [br]"Arya" is "holy" or "noble".

1:01:36.940,1:01:42.590
"Satya" is "truth".

1:02:00.890,1:02:03.000
During our tour in India,

1:02:03.690,1:02:08.780
I was invited to give a[br]talk in the Indian Parliament

1:02:12.300,1:02:15.740
on the topic of leadership.

1:02:15.870,1:02:28.650
How to lead with non-fear and compassion?

1:02:31.160,1:02:38.090
It was a teaching, a[br]presentation about the path and

1:02:38.090,1:02:43.760
the virtues essential to a political leader.

1:02:43.760,1:02:48.600
Leading with courage and compassion.

1:02:52.990,1:02:57.880
The person who wrote the [br]letter of invitation was

1:03:11.040,1:03:26.640
the President of the Indian Council for International Cultural Relations.

1:03:34.060,1:03:38.400
He invited me to his house for tea.

1:03:39.440,1:03:45.660
And invited me to go[br]upstairs to visit the altar.

1:03:47.400,1:03:51.240
He belonged to the Brahmana caste.

1:03:52.440,1:04:01.440
In the old days, he was the crown prince [br]of a Kashimiri kingdom.

1:04:03.640,1:04:08.490
He could have become a king, but[br]he chose the path of democracy

1:04:08.490,1:04:16.160
and became a member of Congress - [br]one of its most senior members.

1:04:21.470,1:04:29.610
On his altar there was also a Buddha statue.

1:04:31.120,1:04:36.330
He said, “Dear Thầy, I also[br]recite the Three Refuges.

1:04:36.330,1:04:43.880
I read: 'Buddham saranam gacchami,[br]Dharmam saranam gacchami.

1:04:43.880,1:04:53.020
But I don’t read Sangham saranam gacchami, there is no Sangha in India.

1:04:53.020,1:04:58.400
So I read: Satyam saranam gacchami."

1:05:04.270,1:05:07.170
That is - I take refuge in[br]the Buddha, I take refuge in the Dharma,

1:05:07.182,1:05:09.710
and I take refuge in the Truth.

1:05:09.710,1:05:18.540
Instead of "Sangham saranam [br]gacchami", he read "Satyam ...

1:05:22.430,1:05:24.620
saranam ...

1:05:26.670,1:05:27.940
gacchami."

1:05:31.260,1:05:35.160
I take refuge in the Truth.

1:05:37.420,1:05:40.010
Sadly, there is no Sangha [br]for him to take refuge in,

1:05:40.010,1:05:43.820
so he had to take refuge in the Truth.

1:05:50.380,1:05:53.700
Truth, “đế”, (諦),

1:06:05.400,1:06:06.910
satyam.

1:06:14.330,1:06:21.300
According to the Buddha's first teaching,

1:06:22.200,1:06:29.740
the First Truth is that there are real[br]sufferings in life.

1:06:36.030,1:06:44.720
"Dukkha" - we translate it as "ill being".

1:06:48.120,1:06:58.810
“Khổ đế” (苦諦) - the truth about suffering.

1:07:03.360,1:07:13.460
Right from this First Truth, we can see that the Buddha was a very practical person.

1:07:17.160,1:07:18.840
Practical.

1:07:22.320,1:07:29.200
He did not spend time talking[br]about the universe and all phenomena,

1:07:30.600,1:07:35.940
about who created this world.

1:07:37.500,1:07:47.200
He brought us back to the truth that there[br]are sufferings in our heart and in society.

1:07:48.650,1:07:50.520
It is a truth.

1:07:51.920,1:07:55.120
It is the object of our attention.

1:07:57.950,1:08:01.240
It is the work we have to do -

1:08:01.240,1:08:06.620
to recognize the presence of[br]suffering in order to resolve it.

1:08:09.760,1:08:14.400
Ethics or morality (“đạo đức[br]học”, “luân lý học”) is like that.

1:08:14.940,1:08:23.960
Instead of casting our mind out to research the universe and the stars,

1:08:24.720,1:08:32.700
we bring our mind home[br]to re-examine our sufferings:

1:08:32.700,1:08:36.720
the frustrations, the difficulties; to[br]find a way to resolve them.

1:08:37.310,1:08:43.240
Ethics and morality is to find a path.

1:08:43.240,1:08:44.730
How to act,

1:08:44.730,1:08:47.440
what we ought to do,

1:08:47.440,1:08:49.680
what we ought to be.

1:08:50.320,1:08:57.120
So philosophy here is the[br]philosophy of action and not of theory.

1:09:04.190,1:09:16.640
A few of the Buddha's disciples did not [br]fully understand his intention.

1:09:18.270,1:09:23.020
When they heard him[br]teach that "suffering is a truth",

1:09:23.020,1:09:27.920
they wanted to prove[br]that suffering is a truth.

1:09:27.920,1:09:32.510
They spent all their time to[br]prove that everything is suffering.

1:09:32.510,1:09:34.580
Being born is suffering.

1:09:35.680,1:09:40.460
Ageing is suffering. Illness is suffering. Dying is suffering.

1:09:42.880,1:09:44.730
Everything is just suffering!

1:09:44.730,1:09:48.380
In order to prove the Buddha’s words.

1:09:49.400,1:09:56.560
But the Buddha's purpose was not to [br]say that everything is suffering.

1:09:58.030,1:10:01.280
He just wanted to say[br]that suffering is there,

1:10:01.280,1:10:04.977
we need to take care of it, to transform it.

1:10:04.989,1:10:08.860
Buddha did not say that[br]everything is suffering,

1:10:14.890,1:10:17.040
that there is no joy whatsoever.

1:10:24.400,1:10:28.721
There are many people who [br]follow that reasoning and say

1:10:28.733,1:10:32.900
that there are three kinds of suffering.

1:10:35.000,1:10:38.520
The first kind is the "suffering of suffering",

1:10:40.190,1:10:42.857
which means the [br]suffering itself is suffering.

1:10:42.869,1:10:45.720
For example, toothache[br]is a "suffering of suffering".

1:10:47.370,1:10:51.740
Losing a loved one is a [br]"suffering of suffering".

1:10:51.740,1:10:55.370
It is true to say that a[br]suffering itself is painful.

1:10:55.370,1:10:58.580
Then there is the "suffering of formations".

1:11:05.920,1:11:09.940
“Hành” here refers to phenomena.

1:11:20.140,1:11:30.695
The word "hành" here is translated [br]into English as "formation".

1:11:41.867,1:11:48.581
"All formations are suffering."

1:11:53.630,1:12:01.220
For example, having a toothache is suffering,

1:12:04.520,1:12:08.300
but not having a toothache is also suffering,

1:12:08.300,1:12:13.360
because our tooth is a formation.

1:12:14.810,1:12:17.150
"Formation" in Sanskrit is

1:12:20.830,1:12:22.220
"samskara".

1:12:42.800,1:12:47.040
"Formation" is a technical [br]term in Buddhism.

1:12:47.690,1:12:53.220
All phenomena that gather due to conditions are formations.

1:12:53.560,1:12:56.340
For example, this flower is a formation.

1:12:57.290,1:13:05.240
In it are the seed, clouds,[br]the sun, soil, fertilizer, the gardener...

1:13:05.240,1:13:10.140
all of which are conditions [br]that have brought about the flower.

1:13:10.140,1:13:16.200
Anything that manifests as a result of conditions is called a "formation".

1:13:17.320,1:13:20.830
It is said that "all formations are impermanent"in the sutras.

1:13:20.830,1:13:25.420
All formations are impermanent. [br]This is a truth.

1:13:27.390,1:13:32.060
There is no formation, no phenomenon [br]that is not impermanent.

1:13:32.970,1:13:39.450
Not only is our toothache impermanent, [br]our tooth is also impermanent.

1:13:39.450,1:13:43.910
It's very true. [br]There is nothing that is not impermanent.

1:13:43.922,1:13:47.880
"All formations are impermanent" is[br]something the Buddha really said.

1:13:48.220,1:13:53.120
But then people said, [br]"all formations are suffering,

1:13:53.120,1:13:56.780
wherever there are formations, [br]there is suffering."

1:14:00.240,1:14:05.435
Toothache is suffering and [br]no toothache is also suffering.

1:14:06.300,1:14:10.520
When our tooth aches we suffer, [br]but when it stops aching we still suffer.

1:14:10.520,1:14:23.230
This is to push the words[br]of the Buddha too far.

1:14:30.520,1:14:36.680
If all formations are suffering, what is there that is not suffering?

1:14:40.990,1:14:45.900
Then there's the third kind - [br]the "suffering of decay" (壞苦).

1:14:51.560,1:14:54.970
It means everything is decaying.

1:14:54.970,1:14:59.660
If it has not yet decayed, it will decay,

1:14:59.660,1:15:03.150
that is why there is the "suffering of decay".

1:15:03.150,1:15:07.180
Not yet decayed is also suffering.

1:15:07.180,1:15:11.621
That idea shows that [br]people really wanted to prove

1:15:11.633,1:15:16.280
that the Buddha's words were right.

1:15:17.390,1:15:19.193
"Everything is suffering."

1:15:19.205,1:15:21.280
But the Buddha did not intend to say that.

1:15:21.280,1:15:27.860
He said that suffering is present and[br]we must find ways to resolve it.

1:15:30.120,1:15:33.000
We have be a little more intelligent.

1:15:33.000,1:15:40.400
We should not be dogmatic. We should not misunderstand the Buddha's words.

1:15:41.020,1:15:43.845
His purpose was not[br]to say that everything is suffering

1:15:43.857,1:15:46.940
and so let's just die to end it.

1:15:46.980,1:15:53.260
He said - suffering is present,[br]we need to take care of it.

1:15:57.080,1:16:02.350
So now, when you teach about[br]the First Truth, you need to be skillful.

1:16:02.350,1:16:05.378
Don't be carried along by the idea [br]that everything is suffering.

1:16:05.390,1:16:08.680
It is true that "everything is impermanent; [br]everything is without a separate self".

1:16:08.680,1:16:16.160
But “everything is suffering”,[br]I'm afraid is not true.

1:16:16.160,1:16:23.160
In our society, when a[br]child is born, it is a joy.

1:16:25.850,1:16:28.140
Giving birth to a child is a joy.

1:16:29.660,1:16:36.560
And when the birthday comes, [br]we celebrate and sing “Happy birthday”.

1:16:37.390,1:16:40.180
Then why do we say birth is suffering?

1:16:40.200,1:16:46.255
If we accept that birth is[br]suffering, then let's stop singing

1:16:46.267,1:16:52.040
“happy birthday to you”, [br]don't celebrate anymore.

1:16:54.720,1:16:58.720
"Everything is suffering".[br]Growing old is also suffering.

1:17:00.060,1:17:05.000
Growing old is sometimes very[br]joyful. I am old, so I know.

1:17:05.920,1:17:11.939
Growing old can be very joyful.[br]When we grow old, in our body

1:17:11.951,1:17:18.080
there are no more the excessive[br]exuberance or frustrations of youth.

1:17:18.080,1:17:22.040
Old age is very relaxed.

1:17:22.940,1:17:29.420
It is very calm, we can live deeply,[br]we have wisdom.

1:17:30.140,1:17:34.400
So growing old is not necessarily suffering.

1:17:34.400,1:17:39.120
Don’t be afraid. Growing old is wonderful.

1:17:40.240,1:17:47.080
When young, we are like a stream[br]dancing high on the mountain -

1:17:48.400,1:17:52.248
we are restless, wanting to reach the ocean

1:17:52.260,1:17:56.200
as soon as possible.

1:17:56.890,1:18:02.040
But as we descend to the plain and[br]become a river, we slow down.

1:18:02.720,1:18:09.580
As the river slows, we start to [br]see the clouds reflected in our midst.

1:18:10.880,1:18:16.420
The river can reflect the blue sky[br]and white clouds. There is tranquility.

1:18:17.120,1:18:24.020
Not only being a stream is joyful. Being a slow flowing river is also very joyful.

1:18:26.990,1:18:29.140
"Illness is suffering."

1:18:31.320,1:18:34.060
Now we might agree that [br]illness is suffering.

1:18:34.720,1:18:37.280
But we can look again more carefully.

1:18:40.300,1:18:45.160
In the sutras it also says that[br]illness helps us to have insight.

1:18:46.810,1:18:53.680
If we do not know of illness, [br]we are too far removed from reality.

1:18:55.130,1:18:57.540
If as a child

1:18:58.120,1:19:05.760
we were not sick from time to time, our[br]immune system would be very weak

1:19:05.760,1:19:08.360
and we could die at any moment.

1:19:08.360,1:19:13.542
Thanks to the child[br]being sick from time to time,

1:19:13.554,1:19:19.220
the body could create a [br]strong immune system.

1:19:19.930,1:19:24.533
And thanks to that strong immune[br]system, as the child grows up

1:19:24.545,1:19:29.160
they can resist the invasion of[br]countless pathogens from outside.

1:19:29.160,1:19:36.120
So illness helps a child to grow stronger and able to resist diseases.

1:19:36.120,1:19:40.360
Illness is not necessarily [br]something negative.

1:19:44.440,1:19:48.788
In the “Jewel Cloud Samādhi” [br]commentary, it is said that

1:19:48.800,1:19:53.240
if there is no illness,[br]sensual desire can arise.

1:19:54.760,1:19:58.940
And so being sick once [br]in a while is very good.

1:20:00.170,1:20:04.040
The monks, nuns and[br]lay friends have seen that.

1:20:04.040,1:20:08.960
When we are sick, we have[br]the time to lie still and reflect back -

1:20:08.960,1:20:11.622
we realize how good it is to be healthy.

1:20:11.634,1:20:14.120
So don't be so sure that [br]illness is only suffering.

1:20:14.120,1:20:20.980
It can also be a favorable condition[br]for our happiness to grow.

1:20:26.120,1:20:29.100
So illness is not necessarily suffering.

1:20:29.112,1:20:32.300
It can also be a favorable [br]condition for happiness.

1:20:33.150,1:20:35.050
Death is also like that.

1:20:35.050,1:20:40.040
We usually say death is suffering. [br]But without death, how can there be life?

1:20:40.040,1:20:44.400
Without death, where would[br]we find the land for our children to live?

1:20:44.400,1:20:47.849
How could our children have a future?

1:20:47.861,1:20:51.200
We would grow very old: [br]100, 500, 5000 years old.

1:20:51.200,1:20:54.884
The earth would be full of[br]hunched up people

1:20:54.896,1:20:58.280
who go around coughing as they walked.

1:20:58.280,1:21:03.440
There wouldn't be room [br]for the children on the land.

1:21:03.440,1:21:07.534
We see clearly that in our body, [br]if no cells die,

1:21:07.546,1:21:11.980
how can new cells be born, for us to grow?

1:21:11.980,1:21:14.860
So death is very crucial.

1:21:15.950,1:21:20.193
When we die with the insight [br]that we are not really dying

1:21:20.205,1:21:24.460
but are leaving room for future births; [br]such a death is not suffering.

1:21:24.480,1:21:32.080
So the old ways of explaining the First Truth of suffering is too out of date.

1:21:32.960,1:21:36.399
Birth is suffering, ageing is suffering, [br]illness is suffering,

1:21:36.411,1:21:40.300
death is suffering, this[br]is and that is suffering.

1:21:40.300,1:21:47.600
We need to recognize the sufferings of now.

1:21:54.330,1:21:58.760
In the past there was not the[br]phenomenon of global warming,

1:22:00.440,1:22:04.680
which is a great human suffering now.

1:22:04.680,1:22:06.680
A catastrophe.

1:22:09.320,1:22:13.101
We have to present the[br]Noble Truth of suffering in terms

1:22:13.113,1:22:16.720
of what is happening now - [br]that the earth is heating up,

1:22:17.840,1:22:21.240
climate change.

1:22:22.220,1:22:24.540
It is a threat.

1:22:24.540,1:22:31.500
And we need time to look deeply[br]and find ways to transform it.

1:22:32.490,1:22:35.940
Now, there is a great deal of violence in society.

1:22:36.670,1:22:45.820
Violence and terrorism are[br]new kinds of suffering

1:22:50.220,1:22:53.480
that were not there in the old days.

1:22:57.150,1:23:04.180
There are many people with mental[br]illness. There are many religious wars.

1:23:04.920,1:23:07.930
These are the sufferings that we need to note down

1:23:07.942,1:23:10.840
in order to look deeply into them.

1:23:11.610,1:23:14.760
We need to recognize these sufferings:

1:23:23.150,1:23:26.970
fanaticism, division,

1:23:30.750,1:23:34.480
violence, terrorism,

1:23:36.520,1:23:38.600
economic crisis,

1:23:43.980,1:23:50.540
environment destruction... all[br]these sufferings need to be recognized.

1:23:51.470,1:23:55.180
We must have a new way of seeing the Noble Truth of suffering.

1:23:56.010,1:24:01.130
We need to know the path, to see the path

1:24:01.142,1:24:06.900
that leads to the transformation[br]of this suffering.

1:24:12.010,1:24:18.890
This is the truth of suffering. [br]The first truth is to recognize

1:24:18.890,1:24:23.920
and call our sufferings by their name.

1:24:26.330,1:24:28.140
The real sufferings,

1:24:29.240,1:24:35.180
collective sufferings of humans, of all beings, and our personal sufferings.

1:24:37.920,1:24:46.040
There are of course personal sufferings that are connected to that of the entire Earth -

1:24:46.040,1:24:49.450
including human beings and other species.

1:24:49.450,1:24:53.120
But we do have our individual sufferings.

1:24:53.120,1:24:59.550
We need to recognize them. [br]It could be despair,

1:24:59.550,1:25:03.400
hatred,

1:25:04.720,1:25:07.480
anxiety.

1:25:08.090,1:25:14.400
We need to acknowledge our suffering[br]in order to find a path to transform it.

1:25:15.390,1:25:19.040
It's not about finding ways [br]to prove that life is suffering.

1:25:19.040,1:25:23.242
But to call the suffering by its true name,

1:25:23.254,1:25:28.080
acknowledging that it is real in[br]order to find a path to transform it.

1:25:49.520,1:25:55.140
If we want to see a path

1:25:55.980,1:26:02.740
to transform the suffering,[br]we must see the roots of the suffering.

1:26:05.470,1:26:10.420
For example, if we want to reverse[br]the situation of global warming,

1:26:11.290,1:26:16.240
we must see why this phenomenon exists.

1:26:18.250,1:26:25.560
Our way of daily consumption,

1:26:27.000,1:26:29.100
car use,

1:26:32.520,1:26:35.680
deforestation,

1:26:36.170,1:26:40.160
raising cattle for meat...

1:26:40.960,1:26:46.780
all these are contributing to global warming.

1:26:48.000,1:26:55.820
So we have to see the Second Truth, tập đế.

1:27:08.260,1:27:09.640
"Samudaya".

1:27:23.040,1:27:24.990
"Accumulation".

1:27:28.840,1:27:32.640
"Roots of suffering".

1:27:34.750,1:27:36.700
Tập đế (集諦).

1:27:49.320,1:27:52.380
"Tập" is to accumulate.

1:27:57.290,1:28:00.640
It also means to converge (chiêu tụ, 招聚).

1:28:19.221,1:28:24.941
That is, to gather, an accumulation.

1:28:26.976,1:28:31.451
We use cars too much,

1:28:32.270,1:28:35.920
we burn and destroy too many forests,

1:28:35.920,1:28:39.660
we eat too much meat, we consume too much,

1:28:39.660,1:28:57.800
we cause too much CO2 emission, etc.,

1:28:58.730,1:29:03.900
that is why the phenomenon of [br]global warming is there.

1:29:04.590,1:29:06.740
We have to discover the causes.

1:29:07.400,1:29:11.142
This is the Second Truth.[br]If we cannot see the Second Truth,

1:29:11.154,1:29:15.180
we cannot hope to transform[br]the suffering.

1:29:16.160,1:29:21.720
It means looking into the nature of[br]the suffering to find its root causes -

1:29:21.720,1:29:24.900
"the making of ill-being".

1:29:25.690,1:29:28.820
The First Truth is ill-being.

1:29:29.280,1:29:33.530
The Second Truth is about where the [br]ill-being comes from -

1:29:33.530,1:29:36.200
"the making of ill-being".

1:29:37.320,1:29:40.040
We must see it, see it clearly!

1:29:41.210,1:29:49.440
This is already a Buddhist contribution[br]to a global ethic. It is very practical.

1:29:49.440,1:29:52.773
We are not speaking vastly about[br]everything under the sun.

1:29:53.100,1:29:58.840
But to bring people back to the truth[br]that there is real suffering here.

1:29:58.840,1:30:04.200
We need to find ways[br]to recognize the roots

1:30:05.150,1:30:08.640
that have brought about that real suffering.

1:30:09.760,1:30:18.560
These are the basic principles that can give us a clear vision of a global ethic.

1:30:20.200,1:30:30.000
The First and Second Truths on suffering and its roots can also be applied individually.

1:30:30.110,1:30:36.240
We have our own pain and[br]suffering, physically and spiritually.

1:30:37.720,1:30:44.200
We need to look deeply to see[br]where they come from.

1:30:45.290,1:30:47.700
Only then we can resolve them.

1:30:49.320,1:30:53.420
It is similar to the principles of medicine.

1:30:53.420,1:30:58.380
We are sick. [br]What are the causes of that sickness?

1:30:59.640,1:31:04.360
Sometimes it is our diet;[br]sometimes it is too much anxiety;

1:31:05.480,1:31:10.700
sometimes it is working too much [br]with no time to relax.

1:31:10.700,1:31:13.400
We need to discover all these causes.

1:31:13.420,1:31:18.720
There is no hope of transforming[br]our suffering if we cannot see its roots.

1:31:19.770,1:31:24.240
It is true for ourselves and for the world.

1:31:24.240,1:31:27.520
What sufferings and difficulties are there right now in the world?

1:31:28.680,1:31:32.980
Not only the world of humans, [br]but also the world of all beings.

1:31:34.010,1:31:39.060
Where are the sources of the world's [br]pains and sufferings?

1:31:42.650,1:31:47.280
Why is there an economic crisis now?

1:31:47.280,1:31:52.900
Why is the environment being polluted now?

1:31:53.840,1:31:57.070
Why is there the situation of [br]global warming now?

1:31:57.120,1:32:02.060
Why is there so much [br]violence and hatred?

1:32:02.970,1:32:07.790
We ask these questions and[br]find the Second Truth –

1:32:10.860,1:32:15.485
the Truth about the roots of suffering.

1:32:38.380,1:32:42.440
"Khổ đế" (苦諦), the Truth about[br]suffering, is the First Truth.

1:32:43.550,1:32:46.560
The Second Truth is “Tập đế” (集諦),

1:33:00.010,1:33:04.900
the Truth about the roots (of suffering). Strictly speaking it should be

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“Khổ tập đế” (苦集諦)

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The truth of the accumulation of sufferings.

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Suffering is the First Truth.

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The Second Truth is the roots, [br]the accumulation,

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the build up or the making of[br]suffering, or the causes of suffering.

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We often say that the First Truth is "khổ" (suffering), the Second Truth is tập (the accumulation).

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But strictly speaking it should be "khổ tập" - the root causes that have led to suffering.

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"The making of suffering".

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The making of suffering.

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We also invite those of other[br]ethical and religious paths to look deeply.

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Whether our friends are Christian, [br]Jewish, or Muslim,

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you also acknowledge[br]that the sufferings there are real.

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And these sufferings have their [br]root causes near and far.

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We can sit down together[br]to find out those causes.

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It is not because you are[br]Christian, Jewish or Muslim

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that we cannot work together or[br]agree collectively on this matter.

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That is why first of all, we[br]need to name the sufferings

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that are present in us and around us.

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Secondly, we need to look carefully[br]and deeply to see the root causes ...

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that have brought about the sufferings.[br]This is the Buddhist way.

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It does not require us[br]to have faith in anyone.

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We don’t need to believe in the Buddha, the Bodhisattvas, in God, in anyone.

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We just use our insight to[br]acknowledge that there are sufferings,

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and there are causes for those sufferings.

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That is why Buddhist contribution [br]is not religious in nature.

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It is based on insight and experience.

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The Chicago Declaration[br]Towards a Global Ethic was signed

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by representatives of [br]many different religions.

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You can read it and see.

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While reading, we need to contemplate - [br]what can Buddhism contribute?

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We should read in[br]a spirit of free enquiry.

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When we read it in that[br]spirit we will have insight.

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We can then complement it and contribute from a Buddhist perspective.