1 00:00:05,521 --> 00:00:07,621 Dear friends, 2 00:00:07,621 --> 00:00:14,121 please enjoy your breathing one more time as we listen to the sound of the bell 3 00:00:15,057 --> 00:00:22,217 With the inbreath, just feel refreshed, breathing in fresh oxygen 4 00:00:23,462 --> 00:00:26,904 breathing out, letting go 5 00:00:35,928 --> 00:00:39,830 [three sounds of the bell] 6 00:01:41,731 --> 00:01:49,099 With all respect to our beloved teacher Thay and to our other brothers 7 00:01:49,099 --> 00:01:54,438 and sisters who are with us, and with the sangha and our friends here 8 00:01:55,797 --> 00:01:57,874 This is a happy moment 9 00:01:57,953 --> 00:02:05,087 we are surrounded by all my brothers and sisters here 10 00:02:05,583 --> 00:02:11,262 my sister Dieu Nghiem next to me and the sangha is gathered 11 00:02:11,549 --> 00:02:14,947 and on behalf of our teacher, who is in San Francisco 12 00:02:17,157 --> 00:02:19,895 we thank you for coming to support the sangha 13 00:02:20,333 --> 00:02:22,537 and being here with us this evening 14 00:02:25,526 --> 00:02:31,867 Our teacher's deepest wish has always been to build a community 15 00:02:31,948 --> 00:02:34,447 a beloved community 16 00:02:34,455 --> 00:02:38,883 as he shared his conversation with Martin Luther King 17 00:02:39,797 --> 00:02:47,227 that's our teacher's deepest wish, is to form a family, a spiritual family 18 00:02:47,694 --> 00:02:52,437 and so, tonight, sitting here among my brothers and sisters, 19 00:02:52,768 --> 00:02:58,800 I think this is one of the few times where we manifest like this 20 00:02:59,129 --> 00:03:04,529 to, in a way, continue our teacher as he is not physically here 21 00:03:07,446 --> 00:03:10,850 So we thank you for coming together 22 00:03:11,340 --> 00:03:18,560 This is something our teacher always gets nourished by, and so do we 23 00:03:27,706 --> 00:03:32,334 Tonight we, my sister Dieu Nghiem, she's my oldest sister 24 00:03:32,900 --> 00:03:41,763 she's asked me to share first so I will, I tried to get her to share for us 25 00:03:42,328 --> 00:03:44,169 this is the first time we're doing this, 26 00:03:47,028 --> 00:03:49,564 She was supposed to represent the Dharma 27 00:03:50,031 --> 00:03:53,031 and I was supposed to represent the humor, I guess 28 00:03:55,031 --> 00:03:57,734 just to let you know that that's, I guess, the intention 29 00:04:02,006 --> 00:04:07,535 tonight, just being together already, I think we know how powerful it is 30 00:04:08,069 --> 00:04:10,908 when people gather with the same intention 31 00:04:12,234 --> 00:04:15,494 To learn, to open up, to really touch something deeper 32 00:04:15,494 --> 00:04:18,638 than what we normally do outside 33 00:04:20,427 --> 00:04:22,996 I think that's the truth that I'm feeling 34 00:04:25,168 --> 00:04:29,356 This e vening, the talk we're supposed to share, 35 00:04:29,356 --> 00:04:39,539 the theme, “Stop waiting and start living” is quite American 36 00:04:44,869 --> 00:04:47,706 When I found out that's what it was, 37 00:04:48,059 --> 00:04:53,957 I was quite “wow, this is like a subtitle somewhere” but it is 38 00:04:55,458 --> 00:04:59,152 and I reflected on the theme of waiting 39 00:05:00,628 --> 00:05:07,466 this morning we had a walk in the park over here 40 00:05:08,625 --> 00:05:14,271 and we sat in front of, I think, George Washington, the statue, 41 00:05:17,161 --> 00:05:25,732 and there were people protesting, voicing support for the Syrian people, refugees 42 00:05:27,267 --> 00:05:30,829 We sat there, I don't know how long but it was very peaceful, 43 00:05:30,829 --> 00:05:39,102 to be sitting there and supporting that effort and acknowledging and being there 44 00:05:39,102 --> 00:05:43,622 and contributing our peace, and then sharing lunch 45 00:05:45,661 --> 00:05:48,531 I had the chance to touch deeply 46 00:05:48,531 --> 00:05:52,633 and be reminded that I was a refugee myself, our family, 47 00:05:57,827 --> 00:06:08,033 In 1979, our family escaped Vietnam on a boat with maybe 200, 300 people, 48 00:06:09,891 --> 00:06:12,662 and I was maybe six, seven years old 49 00:06:15,007 --> 00:06:18,058 I touched that, sitting there in the park, 50 00:06:18,745 --> 00:06:22,339 'cause we heard some of the voice and some of the speech 51 00:06:25,342 --> 00:06:29,342 we also know that this country is built on that, 52 00:06:29,661 --> 00:06:33,671 refugee, we all come from somewhere, 53 00:06:34,008 --> 00:06:38,963 but not from this land, this continent, most of us at least 54 00:06:41,184 --> 00:06:46,377 so I feel grateful to be here and 55 00:06:47,291 --> 00:06:52,908 reflected on our time where we were in the refugee camp, my family, 56 00:06:53,428 --> 00:06:58,393 and we were waiting for some country to sponsor us 57 00:06:59,797 --> 00:07:03,882 I find out later, as a kid I was just playing around in the refugee camp, 58 00:07:03,947 --> 00:07:05,920 throwing rocks and things, 59 00:07:07,130 --> 00:07:14,273 we were on an island off of Hong Kong, and, reflecting, 60 00:07:15,296 --> 00:07:21,269 there was this huge warehouse, maybe the size of this auditorium 61 00:07:21,692 --> 00:07:27,396 and we were all, each family had little spots, mats on the floor 62 00:07:27,886 --> 00:07:37,455 and that was our waiting spot until someone, some country or some place 63 00:07:37,848 --> 00:07:39,608 sponsor us 64 00:07:41,130 --> 00:07:46,853 and we were sponsored by a Christian family in Oregon 65 00:07:47,455 --> 00:07:49,546 for us to come over 66 00:07:49,561 --> 00:07:53,950 and I think this is, there was a lot of movement back then 67 00:07:53,950 --> 00:07:58,094 between the Buddhist community and the Christian community, to help 68 00:07:59,274 --> 00:08:06,625 so many churches rose to the occasion to gather and sponsor one family 69 00:08:07,127 --> 00:08:13,067 and I remember another family that sponsored us, the church actually, 70 00:08:13,334 --> 00:08:17,680 is not just one family but I remember it was many families from that church 71 00:08:17,680 --> 00:08:20,759 and they each contributed something, 72 00:08:20,961 --> 00:08:25,903 they bought a hous e for our family, it was a two story house 73 00:08:26,673 --> 00:08:30,247 they bought it and they filled it up with furniture and food and everything 74 00:08:30,247 --> 00:08:37,800 and I remember opening the cabinet full of food and canned food and all kinds of food 75 00:08:37,929 --> 00:08:42,094 and I couldn't believe how much food was in that house 76 00:08:43,099 --> 00:08:45,966 as well as toys, there was a room full of toys 77 00:08:46,701 --> 00:08:50,021 I think they collected from other church members 78 00:08:50,700 --> 00:08:53,396 and I remember opening the door and seeing toys 79 00:08:53,629 --> 00:08:58,492 and didn't know how to play some of them I remember, 'cause it was so new 80 00:08:59,831 --> 00:09:06,899 and the top floor was maybe 4 or 6 rooms, there was many rooms and they wanted, 81 00:09:07,190 --> 00:09:13,130 my mom and dad, there was four of us, so they gave us each a room 82 00:09:15,123 --> 00:09:18,484 I had a room, my sister had a room, my brother had a room 83 00:09:18,484 --> 00:09:20,966 even though they were little, they each had a room 84 00:09:21,322 --> 00:09:25,423 but we ended up staying in one room my parents' room 85 00:09:25,903 --> 00:09:29,027 in fact, I think my two brothers, and I think I did too 86 00:09:29,027 --> 00:09:31,467 we slept on this huge bed 87 00:09:31,849 --> 00:09:36,281 you know, that's what we were used to at the refugee camp 88 00:09:36,325 --> 00:09:39,233 So that's, you know, sitting there in the park today, 89 00:09:39,233 --> 00:09:46,683 these memories of, of you know, of having a place to come back to 90 00:09:48,416 --> 00:09:50,192 and feeling grateful, 91 00:09:50,722 --> 00:09:54,312 my mom kept in touch with our, they call them sponsors 92 00:09:56,137 --> 00:09:59,896 I never actually learned their names, because around the house 93 00:10:00,131 --> 00:10:03,702 they were just mentioned as sponsors 94 00:10:06,763 --> 00:10:12,453 and this is a beautiful image of people coming together 95 00:10:13,101 --> 00:10:15,429 to help those in need 96 00:10:15,897 --> 00:10:19,103 and this is what I remember around the house growing up 97 00:10:19,899 --> 00:10:23,138 my mom once in a while would take a trip up to Oregon 98 00:10:24,726 --> 00:10:29,392 and meet with our sponsor and many other families 99 00:10:30,462 --> 00:10:31,207 this is, 100 00:10:34,293 --> 00:10:38,170 so the theme of waiting came up, 101 00:10:38,592 --> 00:10:43,366 of waiting for a place to come, to take refuge in 102 00:10:44,781 --> 00:10:48,668 this is an important theme for me 103 00:10:50,687 --> 00:10:54,126 'cause it's been a theme for my whole family, my parents 104 00:10:54,830 --> 00:11:00,363 as well as my grandparents, they had to escape China after the revolution 105 00:11:01,399 --> 00:11:09,430 and then my parents escaping (to) America and then I guess my turn is, I kind of, 106 00:11:10,061 --> 00:11:13,423 my turn is to escape America I guess 107 00:11:14,134 --> 00:11:20,367 in terms of actually growing up in Los Angeles, in the city, 108 00:11:20,728 --> 00:11:25,428 confronting a lot of suffering as well as a young person 109 00:11:26,301 --> 00:11:29,226 in a way, becoming a monk, now I see, 110 00:11:29,691 --> 00:11:39,159 another way of looking at it is taking refuge or how shall I, a full-time refugee 111 00:11:43,162 --> 00:11:51,487 I'm a full-time refugee now and I'm always taking refuge 112 00:11:53,122 --> 00:11:58,429 and this is a wonderful way to remind myself, as I was sitting there in the park 113 00:11:58,752 --> 00:12:04,933 What am I taking refuge in? What am I waiting for? 114 00:12:04,933 --> 00:12:07,603 Am I waiting for another sponsor, another country? 115 00:12:09,731 --> 00:12:15,208 And as I follow my breath, I realize that what my teacher has taught me is 116 00:12:16,118 --> 00:12:19,377 I take refuge in my breath 117 00:12:20,187 --> 00:12:23,362 and taking refuge in the island within myself 118 00:12:24,656 --> 00:12:26,617 and the breath that saved me 119 00:12:26,617 --> 00:12:32,867 once, when I learned from my teacher what the power of the breath is 120 00:12:33,767 --> 00:12:36,808 when you simply take an inbreath, 121 00:12:37,498 --> 00:12:41,669 conscious inbreath, we become aware of the inbreath coming in 122 00:12:44,809 --> 00:12:48,167 when we breathe out, we let go 123 00:12:48,527 --> 00:12:51,757 we let that outbreath penetrate 124 00:12:51,947 --> 00:12:54,984 let it come from every cell of your body 125 00:12:55,654 --> 00:12:58,154 feel the lightness as you breathe out 126 00:12:58,814 --> 00:13:02,926 and I remember training like that, sitting still 127 00:13:04,206 --> 00:13:09,426 in the forest in France in our monastery or in the bamboo grove 128 00:13:10,466 --> 00:13:14,108 and I remember taking refuge in my breath 129 00:13:16,088 --> 00:13:19,088 as I feel the breath into my body 130 00:13:20,658 --> 00:13:24,880 every time we take a conscious breath and we bring our mind to the breath 131 00:13:26,170 --> 00:13:31,600 is a break from all of the thinking, all the worries, 132 00:13:31,600 --> 00:13:33,905 all the anxiety that we have, 133 00:13:34,333 --> 00:13:40,865 that we're used to, we're so used to be thinking and using our mind 134 00:13:40,972 --> 00:13:43,579 and being constantly occupied 135 00:13:44,899 --> 00:13:51,899 is always talking, a lot of stimulation in our minds 136 00:13:51,899 --> 00:13:56,979 and we don't know what it feels like to actually just let it go 137 00:13:58,070 --> 00:13:59,329 and just come back to the breath 138 00:14:00,761 --> 00:14:02,367 When we come back to the breath 139 00:14:03,366 --> 00:14:08,659 our minds come back to our body return to our body 140 00:14:09,532 --> 00:14:14,725 sometimes we are present, with our body but our mind is somewhere else 141 00:14:14,998 --> 00:14:18,128 and you can see that phenomenon happening more and more 142 00:14:19,263 --> 00:14:24,454 My brother and I, we walked the street from Greenwich, 143 00:14:26,012 --> 00:14:31,502 and sometime we come up and I see all these shops, cafés, places 144 00:14:31,900 --> 00:14:36,797 and place where people come to eat or drink and I like to peek in there 145 00:14:38,933 --> 00:14:43,928 and I've been finding that there is a couple sitting there at the table 146 00:14:44,762 --> 00:14:47,197 and it looks nice but they're both you know, not present 147 00:14:48,835 --> 00:14:51,025 I mean, they're present to their gadget 148 00:14:51,455 --> 00:14:55,361 I think you're starting to see that phenomenon 149 00:14:56,532 --> 00:15:00,860 and so, this is our situation 150 00:15:03,705 --> 00:15:10,401 This is the state that the coach of our society is moving towards 151 00:15:10,982 --> 00:15:14,147 This is something we need to look at, 152 00:15:15,398 --> 00:15:21,958 there are wars and conflicts between groups and nations 153 00:15:23,464 --> 00:15:29,507 But we also need to look at where we're at in the place we live, in our family 154 00:15:30,395 --> 00:15:36,204 we have to look deeply and see: Are we present? Are we present to ourselves? 155 00:15:36,379 --> 00:15:39,493 Are we present to our loved ones?” 156 00:15:40,397 --> 00:15:44,570 This is something I'm realizing more and more 157 00:15:45,771 --> 00:15:53,597 so when we come back to the breath, it's a wonderful place for refuge 158 00:15:54,761 --> 00:15:57,752 when we have a strong emotion 159 00:15:57,752 --> 00:16:02,992 when we have something that's coming up for us, difficult 160 00:16:03,555 --> 00:16:06,835 we always have the breath to return to 161 00:16:07,404 --> 00:16:09,424 take an inbreath 162 00:16:11,344 --> 00:16:12,784 take an outbreath 163 00:16:12,844 --> 00:16:16,394 take a break from that emotion, take a break from that thought 164 00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:19,360 (sound of the gong) 165 00:16:19,363 --> 00:16:20,733 in 166 00:16:23,595 --> 00:16:24,799 out 167 00:16:25,266 --> 00:16:27,572 (sound of the gong) 168 00:16:51,433 --> 00:16:55,539 In the monastery, when we hear the sound of the bell, 169 00:16:56,958 --> 00:17:00,566 we train to come back to our breath 170 00:17:01,602 --> 00:17:04,540 I tell you now, and it sounds easy, 171 00:17:06,006 --> 00:17:09,997 maybe you do it for a few minutes here 172 00:17:10,819 --> 00:17:14,035 but I'm pretty sure, after this event, you go outside, 173 00:17:14,663 --> 00:17:22,464 and you go back to your habits and tendencies to start thinking again 174 00:17:23,797 --> 00:17:27,887 so the stopping, to come back to the present moment 175 00:17:28,291 --> 00:17:32,297 to be in touch with our body as it moves, as it sits, requires training 176 00:17:33,431 --> 00:17:39,938 So in the monastery, I remember in our dining hall, we have a clock that chimes 177 00:17:40,969 --> 00:17:45,943 I remember first being in Plum Village, our monastery in France, 178 00:17:46,893 --> 00:17:50,719 that it was difficult every time that the clock chimed, 179 00:17:51,103 --> 00:17:54,626 and I'm in the middle of a conversation, like after lunch or something, 180 00:17:55,031 --> 00:18:00,228 it was really annoying and I always wonder, I always question 181 00:18:00,565 --> 00:18:04,829 how did our teacher come up with this? 182 00:18:05,199 --> 00:18:10,496 It's really a good hoop but it was pretty radical 183 00:18:11,426 --> 00:18:13,802 because, you know, the chime is right there in the dining hall 184 00:18:14,968 --> 00:18:17,332 and it was every fifteen minutes 185 00:18:17,774 --> 00:18:21,762 And I remember trying to figure out how to make it so it's a little longer 186 00:18:22,832 --> 00:18:27,490 but I think, the brothers, I asked permission and they didn't allow that 187 00:18:28,263 --> 00:18:33,621 It was like an old one, it didn't have options back then 188 00:18:33,932 --> 00:18:36,366 but it was all fifteen minutes 189 00:18:37,129 --> 00:18:41,741 but I remember, you're in the middle of a conversation and it chimes, 190 00:18:42,696 --> 00:18:46,735 and at first you're like “OK, you have to do it” you know, 191 00:18:47,702 --> 00:18:50,402 so you don't really enjoy it 192 00:18:51,264 --> 00:19:01,032 and this is just from habit of not yet used to a kind of clear thoughtless mind 193 00:19:02,197 --> 00:19:07,270 you're used to always engage and be in conversation 194 00:19:07,601 --> 00:19:10,131 or always thinking of something, you know, it's.. 195 00:19:10,932 --> 00:19:15,693 it requires training and I remember I struggled with that in the beginning 196 00:19:16,696 --> 00:19:21,043 so it's pretty typical for us to have difficulty 197 00:19:21,758 --> 00:19:26,329 but throughout the training, as the years pass, 198 00:19:27,063 --> 00:19:32,405 I begin to see more the value of coming back to the breath 199 00:19:33,427 --> 00:19:36,099 especially in meetings or, we have gatherings 200 00:19:36,495 --> 00:19:39,297 and a strong emotion will come up 201 00:19:40,130 --> 00:19:43,902 and slowly I began to see the benefits of taking a break 202 00:19:44,671 --> 00:19:49,466 the delaying of continual thought, having a pause 203 00:19:51,133 --> 00:19:58,732 I began to see the benefit of that so this is one of the refuges that I found 204 00:19:59,502 --> 00:20:04,754 that slowly become more and more deeper for me, 205 00:20:05,524 --> 00:20:08,066 finding different ways that it helps me 206 00:20:08,865 --> 00:20:11,975 So just take a break, train yourself 207 00:20:13,094 --> 00:20:17,100 I sometimes share with the young adults during Wake Up school 208 00:20:18,825 --> 00:20:27,027 that a restful mind, a clear mind, a thoughtless mind, 209 00:20:27,824 --> 00:20:30,896 it sounds weird, thoughtless, you don't want to be thoughtless 210 00:20:31,929 --> 00:20:35,367 but more and more I think we will gonna want to, 211 00:20:37,742 --> 00:20:40,993 to use terms like that, because we're so always thinking 212 00:20:41,465 --> 00:20:45,319 that we don't know what it feels like and I tell the young people, 213 00:20:46,851 --> 00:20:50,641 “do you know what it feels like when you have a bad breath?” 214 00:20:50,641 --> 00:20:58,051 You know? After a six hour, ten hours plane ride you get off and you're like oh, 215 00:20:59,538 --> 00:21:02,331 You know? You don't want to talk to anybody, right? 216 00:21:02,998 --> 00:21:07,808 And we were not born to brush our teeth, you learn that, 217 00:21:08,572 --> 00:21:10,998 and you learn what it feels like, to kind of ... 218 00:21:14,270 --> 00:21:18,288 it's something you learn, you don't want to be near or talk to someone like that 219 00:21:18,766 --> 00:21:24,938 so our mind is like that, our mind is restless, is angry, it is full of tension 220 00:21:26,004 --> 00:21:28,631 and we think that's the norm 221 00:21:29,263 --> 00:21:32,433 So, I say this, because it's a little graphic and visual 222 00:21:34,614 --> 00:21:39,955 'cause it tells you, we're so used to this being full of, you know, stuff 223 00:21:41,563 --> 00:21:47,101 but the equivalent is restless, angry, full of emotion 224 00:21:47,660 --> 00:21:50,563 you don't want to be, what happens 225 00:21:51,765 --> 00:21:56,226 I use it as an example, because young people find it very easy to understand 226 00:21:57,026 --> 00:22:01,433 so, training our mind to feel when it's fresh, like a fresh breath 227 00:22:03,533 --> 00:22:07,095 it requires some training, it needs some effort 228 00:22:07,964 --> 00:22:11,902 so sitting down, finding time, once a day and so on, 229 00:22:12,259 --> 00:22:16,693 to really find that refuge of a fresh mind 230 00:22:17,164 --> 00:22:19,101 you know the word 'brainwash'? 231 00:22:20,690 --> 00:22:22,638 I like to reuse that word, you know 232 00:22:23,036 --> 00:22:26,229 people hate to be brainwashed, it's like kind of like cultish and all that, 233 00:22:26,724 --> 00:22:29,359 but actually, it's a nice term 234 00:22:31,624 --> 00:22:33,557 think about it, brainwash 235 00:22:33,803 --> 00:22:38,936 it means like your brain is full of stuff, it needs a washing 236 00:22:43,861 --> 00:22:48,002 You grew up in your family, I think you know what I mean 237 00:22:50,397 --> 00:22:53,900 (laughter) - sorry 238 00:22:55,802 --> 00:22:58,639 she's going to save me after 239 00:23:00,725 --> 00:23:03,367 (whispering) sister, can I use your clock? 240 00:23:04,235 --> 00:23:06,071 Sure, but it's a little bit fast 241 00:23:08,361 --> 00:23:10,733 (normal voice) This is a training, to be up here, 242 00:23:11,159 --> 00:23:15,238 for us to share with you, and it's also a training for us 243 00:23:19,364 --> 00:23:22,459 so, the topic of waiting, 244 00:23:22,825 --> 00:23:32,372 I grew up in, educated in California as an architect 245 00:23:32,528 --> 00:23:38,704 and studied, and wanted to be good and, you know, make a name for myself and so on 246 00:23:42,124 --> 00:23:47,706 to have a house and two garages, you know, the American dream 247 00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:55,574 my mother and my father sacrificed a lot 248 00:23:56,671 --> 00:24:00,396 for the children, my two brothers and my sister, 249 00:24:01,544 --> 00:24:06,672 they escaped with nothing they had to leave everything 250 00:24:07,367 --> 00:24:12,296 I remember giving away my toys and I said why am I giving away my toys? 251 00:24:13,529 --> 00:24:17,302 And I remember my dad giving away his Honda 252 00:24:19,662 --> 00:24:22,966 and slowly, our furniture, we had to 253 00:24:23,333 --> 00:24:26,260 but we had to do it secretively so the neighborhoods don't know 254 00:24:26,590 --> 00:24:30,262 we're going to escape one night on a boat 255 00:24:30,698 --> 00:24:33,853 and we left everything to come here 256 00:24:35,193 --> 00:24:40,166 I remember there was a lot of push from my mom especially, 257 00:24:40,463 --> 00:24:45,594 to be successful and to make, you know, 258 00:24:47,390 --> 00:24:50,869 and that's a dream for all mothers and fathers 259 00:24:52,058 --> 00:25:00,186 and I see as I grew up I saw there was a lot of promotion and a lot of effort 260 00:25:00,456 --> 00:25:06,626 to reach the diploma to become this and that, 261 00:25:07,423 --> 00:25:10,973 you know, all the awards and so on, 262 00:25:10,973 --> 00:25:14,713 these stickers you get, I forget what they're called, certificates 263 00:25:16,896 --> 00:25:21,537 you get trained to be like always be somebody 264 00:25:22,787 --> 00:25:26,030 and then you become an architect, you work in, and you look 265 00:25:27,197 --> 00:25:31,627 you see whose office is closer to whose and who's got the better project 266 00:25:35,007 --> 00:25:41,002 that's the system I grew up in and I was stuck in that 267 00:25:42,421 --> 00:25:47,560 and also, growing up, I had difficulties with my father 268 00:25:49,601 --> 00:25:52,892 he struggled a lot coming over here, losing everything 269 00:25:54,352 --> 00:25:58,754 so for me, I had a lot of anger issues with my father 270 00:26:00,826 --> 00:26:06,034 I think this is something that the practise helped me with 271 00:26:07,469 --> 00:26:11,329 to learn to come back and look at ourselves 272 00:26:12,230 --> 00:26:16,101 and to really confront the suffering that I was having as a young man 273 00:26:17,172 --> 00:26:20,797 and it helped me become a little happier, 274 00:26:21,198 --> 00:26:24,457 once the practise helped me look at my father 275 00:26:25,100 --> 00:26:29,464 and look at my relationship with him to begin to understand him more 276 00:26:30,398 --> 00:26:32,554 and to begin to understand my own suffering 277 00:26:34,437 --> 00:26:39,581 and this is what was the benefit of sitting, 278 00:26:41,937 --> 00:26:44,764 of silencing the mind a little 279 00:26:45,598 --> 00:26:49,660 calming and having time to look deeply at my emotions, 280 00:26:50,439 --> 00:26:54,398 where I'm at, and the goals I'm setting for myself 281 00:26:55,600 --> 00:27:00,596 this helped me to understand more of what true happiness was 282 00:27:01,996 --> 00:27:06,426 once I was able to touch a little bit of the root of my suffering 283 00:27:07,839 --> 00:27:13,000 I was also able to touch, so the things that I'm passing by 284 00:27:13,935 --> 00:27:17,176 because of some future promise, 285 00:27:17,736 --> 00:27:21,630 to become this, to become that, always wanting more 286 00:27:22,162 --> 00:27:28,093 and I think it's a kind of suffering always thinking that you're lacking 287 00:27:29,366 --> 00:27:34,072 and this is something that's kind of underneath our culture a little bit 288 00:27:35,103 --> 00:27:38,967 and with the practise, I think it can help all of us to really, 289 00:27:40,368 --> 00:27:43,673 to recognize, “wow, I'm still alive” 290 00:27:46,369 --> 00:27:48,392 there's my eyes, 291 00:27:49,176 --> 00:27:53,176 my body is in good condition, I'm healthy enough 292 00:27:56,068 --> 00:27:57,792 my tooth-ache 293 00:27:58,920 --> 00:28:03,838 my teacher shared with us about the tooth-ache, it's very.. 294 00:28:04,965 --> 00:28:08,658 sorry, back to hygiene, but you know, 295 00:28:09,973 --> 00:28:13,394 this moment is a Non-Toothache moment 296 00:28:15,726 --> 00:28:21,366 it's kind of silly, 'what does that mean?' but all you need to do is just reflect and 297 00:28:22,700 --> 00:28:28,565 remember that tooth in the back, 298 00:28:30,361 --> 00:28:35,024 remember when it was aching and the gum was inflamed? 299 00:28:36,741 --> 00:28:38,864 Just touching that, 300 00:28:39,332 --> 00:28:42,333 even though it's not a great suffering, it was suffering 301 00:28:43,292 --> 00:28:46,153 and it reminds us like, oh, how wonderful! 302 00:28:47,871 --> 00:28:50,231 I don't have a tooth-ache now 303 00:28:52,695 --> 00:28:57,493 And this is a practise, just like stopping, to recognize the breath, 304 00:28:59,191 --> 00:29:04,062 recognizing a thoughtless, a mind that's clear 305 00:29:05,566 --> 00:29:09,871 it's a training to actually be present to this moment 306 00:29:09,871 --> 00:29:11,401 to this present moment 307 00:29:11,401 --> 00:29:14,971 and to recognize that wow, the conditions are so many 308 00:29:15,951 --> 00:29:20,451 I remember our teacher gave us homework, to write down all the wonderful conditions 309 00:29:22,228 --> 00:29:27,137 the happy moments in your life now, and it's a wonderful exercise 310 00:29:29,364 --> 00:29:32,702 and your loved one, your brothers, your sisters 311 00:29:33,772 --> 00:29:39,203 this is also something, we're there with our loved ones, but we're not present 312 00:29:42,783 --> 00:29:46,553 my brother made us some tea before coming here 313 00:29:46,553 --> 00:29:50,073 we were hanging out at somebody's place 314 00:29:50,791 --> 00:29:57,567 and he brought his tea-set and he made one of my brothers, three of us, tea 315 00:29:58,901 --> 00:30:03,994 and I recognized like 'wow'! we haven't had tea for a while 316 00:30:05,700 --> 00:30:08,973 and we sat there and drank tea together 317 00:30:09,872 --> 00:30:15,002 so, to recognize that, my younger brother is so sweet 318 00:30:15,703 --> 00:30:19,596 he brought his tea material and we'd just woken up from a nap 319 00:30:20,634 --> 00:30:23,536 and the first thing he does is make us tea 320 00:30:25,188 --> 00:30:30,263 I was reading a book or something and I closed it and we looked at each other 321 00:30:30,263 --> 00:30:34,263 and we're drinking tea, I mean, that sounds like really, 322 00:30:34,730 --> 00:30:38,374 what does that have to do with my happiness, my career? 323 00:30:39,796 --> 00:30:46,266 but that moment actually is the building block for the rest of ... 324 00:30:47,811 --> 00:30:50,051 that's your living 325 00:30:50,725 --> 00:30:55,093 so sometimes we put a lot of goals and a lot of things that we want 326 00:30:55,375 --> 00:30:57,290 but actually when we get there, we want more 327 00:30:59,054 --> 00:31:02,932 I give you an example, you have a tea cup, you drink your tea 328 00:31:03,261 --> 00:31:05,302 and you want to do the next thing, and when you get to the next thing 329 00:31:05,732 --> 00:31:09,236 you want to do, and so on, and this is the way we've been trained 330 00:31:10,096 --> 00:31:13,670 and this is where we're at as a coach and we need to look 331 00:31:15,434 --> 00:31:20,200 so when I say, I will become refugee 332 00:31:21,181 --> 00:31:27,051 I mean, in my lifetime we'll see that we will need, we will all become refugees 333 00:31:27,441 --> 00:31:31,422 and it's a kind of different thing, it's not about one nation and another 334 00:31:32,028 --> 00:31:36,832 but we will all need a place where we can escape a little bit of all that 335 00:31:37,534 --> 00:31:44,166 online, and wifi, and you know, all this stuff, it's everywhere now 336 00:31:45,803 --> 00:31:52,933 and we have no time to be with ourselves and to be present for our body 337 00:31:53,537 --> 00:31:59,496 be present with the moment to enjoy life as it is in the now 338 00:32:00,167 --> 00:32:05,273 to be present with our loved one and to be present with nature 339 00:32:06,362 --> 00:32:10,504 this is where we're heading at 340 00:32:10,599 --> 00:32:12,802 besides the climate change and all this 341 00:32:13,937 --> 00:32:16,296 there's something happening to our culture 342 00:32:17,633 --> 00:32:22,193 we're traveling around the world, we see escalating faster and faster 343 00:32:24,403 --> 00:32:29,308 and so, I hope you continue to train, 344 00:32:29,308 --> 00:32:32,888 to find a refuge within 345 00:32:33,871 --> 00:32:39,599 a refugee-camp within we all will need that 346 00:32:40,370 --> 00:32:43,540 and when you have a strong emotion or when you need a break 347 00:32:44,194 --> 00:32:47,732 you feel out of touch with what you need to do 348 00:32:48,401 --> 00:32:53,228 come back, everything you need, everything you have is there 349 00:32:54,199 --> 00:32:58,302 it's only from that place that we can help change 350 00:32:58,305 --> 00:33:03,976 where we're at as a society as a human on this planet 351 00:33:05,991 --> 00:33:10,296 we keep struggling, fighting that, but we don't have this refuge, 352 00:33:10,561 --> 00:33:13,237 then it will be difficult 353 00:33:13,933 --> 00:33:19,264 my sister, Dieu Nghiem will continue on this theme for us 354 00:33:20,298 --> 00:33:23,236 please take a breath, 355 00:33:23,891 --> 00:33:27,731 come back to that refugee-camp inside 356 00:33:28,454 --> 00:33:32,014 we all need a refugee-camp once in a while 357 00:33:36,995 --> 00:33:40,735 (sounds of the gong) 358 00:34:29,896 --> 00:34:32,916 There are times where I wonder 359 00:34:34,976 --> 00:34:39,861 why can I not go back to my refugee-camp 360 00:34:40,130 --> 00:34:44,738 or this place me that I like to call home 361 00:34:45,507 --> 00:34:47,830 why can I not go back home? 362 00:34:48,531 --> 00:34:52,358 What is preventing me from going back home to myself 363 00:34:57,199 --> 00:35:02,506 when my mind and body are in the same place, I feel at home 364 00:35:04,130 --> 00:35:08,495 I've been fortunate enough to always have had a roof over my head 365 00:35:08,763 --> 00:35:12,769 to have a home, but I've not always been home 366 00:35:13,104 --> 00:35:14,772 I'm not always home 367 00:35:15,401 --> 00:35:18,263 I was reminded of this as I walked to come here 368 00:35:19,199 --> 00:35:23,308 and I see so many posters saying “bring him home” the Martian 369 00:35:23,928 --> 00:35:30,604 and I thought, when they bring him home, will he be really and truly home? 370 00:35:30,871 --> 00:35:33,608 Will he find his true home? 371 00:35:35,398 --> 00:35:37,042 So I've reflected on that 372 00:35:38,668 --> 00:35:42,395 my true home as my brother said, brother Phap Dung, brother Embrace, 373 00:35:46,265 --> 00:35:48,736 really truly home with ourselves 374 00:35:51,072 --> 00:35:55,635 many years ago, there was a lady from Austria that came to Plum Village 375 00:35:57,736 --> 00:36:01,596 and at the end of her stay, at the end of the retreat 376 00:36:02,330 --> 00:36:07,196 we asked some friends to give some input, how it had been for them 377 00:36:08,536 --> 00:36:12,399 and this lady said she came to Plum Village because 378 00:36:12,933 --> 00:36:18,396 she had read somewhere Thomas Morton's words that said 379 00:36:20,467 --> 00:36:25,406 you can see Thich Nhat Hanh is a monk by the way he closes a door 380 00:36:26,297 --> 00:36:29,836 so she had come to watch us closing doors 381 00:36:33,006 --> 00:36:36,333 we didn't know maybe just as well 382 00:36:38,737 --> 00:36:42,695 however, she must have been impressed, because 383 00:36:43,085 --> 00:36:46,233 she was scheduled to stay one week and she stayed two 384 00:36:48,840 --> 00:36:55,236 so, closing a door, for me that became like a practise 385 00:36:55,590 --> 00:36:58,360 how do I close doors? 386 00:36:58,760 --> 00:37:02,366 I think we all have doors somewhere that we can close 387 00:37:02,733 --> 00:37:06,774 either where this is a swing door so, open if you act 388 00:37:06,774 --> 00:37:10,864 but closing a door or opening a door by taking the knob, 389 00:37:11,784 --> 00:37:13,474 turning it, or the handle, 390 00:37:13,698 --> 00:37:16,704 and pushing it down and pushing open the door 391 00:37:18,207 --> 00:37:22,267 so it's very interesting to observe how do we open a door? 392 00:37:22,737 --> 00:37:26,639 And how do we close a door? It's just a door 393 00:37:28,164 --> 00:37:32,392 but it is a wonderful way to bring us back to our home 394 00:37:34,127 --> 00:37:36,196 to put our hand on the knob 395 00:37:36,698 --> 00:37:40,903 to feel the knob in our hand, already brings our mind back to our body 396 00:37:41,605 --> 00:37:45,865 so I turn the knob or I push the handle down 397 00:37:46,733 --> 00:37:50,638 and I'm aware of how much force I use to open the door 398 00:37:51,594 --> 00:37:53,463 and to close the door 399 00:37:54,399 --> 00:37:58,227 so if you don't have time to sit, and breathe 400 00:37:59,239 --> 00:38:02,133 maybe, since you're going through the door anyway, 401 00:38:03,498 --> 00:38:06,904 you can make that your practise of going home 402 00:38:08,729 --> 00:38:11,032 but coming home also is something else, 403 00:38:11,866 --> 00:38:17,531 like coming home to that place where it's quiet 404 00:38:18,896 --> 00:38:22,857 I've noticed, here in New York it's quite noisy, outside 405 00:38:24,727 --> 00:38:27,932 and as I was walking, I came here on foot 406 00:38:29,967 --> 00:38:33,893 I thought, yes, it's very noisy, but let me see 407 00:38:37,229 --> 00:38:41,492 if I just let the noise be, then, is it then quiet? 408 00:38:46,731 --> 00:38:49,200 And I realized, I'm thinking 409 00:38:51,327 --> 00:38:54,997 and sometimes I find, even if there's no noise around me, 410 00:38:55,463 --> 00:38:58,225 it's quite noisy inside 411 00:38:58,822 --> 00:39:02,563 maybe the most noise is inside, the outer noise not so much 412 00:39:04,599 --> 00:39:10,596 and when I listen to this noise, I see most is just unuseful thinking 413 00:39:11,099 --> 00:39:12,965 not helpful at all 414 00:39:15,963 --> 00:39:18,895 and then I think, ok, can I close a door? 415 00:39:19,664 --> 00:39:22,001 Why am I thinking so much? 416 00:39:22,360 --> 00:39:27,762 I've just come out of a meeting and I carry things out of the meeting with me 417 00:39:28,061 --> 00:39:32,932 I've already closed the door, right? Physically, but in my head, no 418 00:39:34,085 --> 00:39:36,728 why did she say this in that way? 419 00:39:36,909 --> 00:39:38,832 Why didn't she flow along, etcetera 420 00:39:41,068 --> 00:39:44,440 the meeting was closed, but not everywhere 421 00:39:47,165 --> 00:39:49,535 I continued the meeting in my head 422 00:39:50,727 --> 00:39:54,767 so, close the door, the meeting is over close the door 423 00:39:57,102 --> 00:40:02,131 and then, as I closed the door, it's the same as opening a door 424 00:40:02,965 --> 00:40:08,073 it means: new possibilities, new challenges 425 00:40:08,436 --> 00:40:12,332 and can I be there for the possibilities or for the challenges 426 00:40:18,926 --> 00:40:22,991 maybe we can close the door for a moment with the sound of a bell? 427 00:40:23,534 --> 00:40:25,459 Just close the door 428 00:40:26,340 --> 00:40:28,631 and enjoy an in- and an outbreath 429 00:40:29,095 --> 00:40:31,734 and just let the world be for one moment 430 00:40:36,763 --> 00:40:42,192 (sound of the gong) 431 00:41:05,690 --> 00:41:08,935 closing the door as we hear a sound of the bell 432 00:41:09,122 --> 00:41:11,495 or as we stop for a traffic light 433 00:41:11,495 --> 00:41:14,088 closing the door when we leave the office 434 00:41:18,060 --> 00:41:21,499 one retreatant came, she would like to have a consultation 435 00:41:22,365 --> 00:41:25,373 and she said, my problem is, 436 00:41:26,647 --> 00:41:33,483 I feel I'm married to my husband's business 437 00:41:35,617 --> 00:41:38,760 she said, when he comes home, he brings the whole business with him 438 00:41:41,035 --> 00:41:42,850 and of course, when we come home, 439 00:41:42,872 --> 00:41:45,498 there may be something that happened in the office, we want to share, 440 00:41:45,798 --> 00:41:50,560 but it was not just that, like something shared, and 'this is how I feel about it', 441 00:41:50,855 --> 00:41:55,233 it was all about the problems and about the things, business, business, business 442 00:41:55,599 --> 00:41:58,192 she said, I think I'm married to a business 443 00:42:00,039 --> 00:42:04,698 so when we closed the door of the office and we go home 444 00:42:04,932 --> 00:42:11,865 and then we open the door of our apartment or house, 445 00:42:16,103 --> 00:42:19,329 and we close the door behind us and truly close the door, 446 00:42:19,831 --> 00:42:22,469 then we can be truly present for our loved ones 447 00:42:23,438 --> 00:42:26,161 for our children, our partner we can be there 448 00:42:28,061 --> 00:42:31,802 we can share with them from our heart and we can listen with our heart 449 00:42:32,797 --> 00:42:35,240 and we can enrich each other's lives 450 00:42:39,334 --> 00:42:47,433 I am of Irish and Dutch decent, of an Irish mother and ad Dutch father 451 00:42:51,294 --> 00:42:53,732 and it took me a while when I started to 452 00:42:54,901 --> 00:42:56,769 we lived in Ireland and then in the Netherlands 453 00:42:57,392 --> 00:42:59,997 it took me a while to find out where I belonged 454 00:43:01,596 --> 00:43:04,633 I was kind of a little bit up-rooted am I Dutch? Am I Irish? 455 00:43:05,466 --> 00:43:08,538 Inside the house, it's Irish, outside the house it's Dutch 456 00:43:09,962 --> 00:43:12,199 where are my roots? 457 00:43:13,973 --> 00:43:17,433 And, if we want to live, we need to have roots 458 00:43:17,860 --> 00:43:19,563 trees have roots 459 00:43:21,066 --> 00:43:25,297 if you cut the tree from its root, it won't continue to live 460 00:43:25,763 --> 00:43:29,668 rivers have a source if we cut the river from the source, 461 00:43:30,539 --> 00:43:32,597 the river will stop living 462 00:43:33,997 --> 00:43:36,303 so if we want to start living 463 00:43:36,836 --> 00:43:40,963 we also need to nourish our roots, our ancestors 464 00:43:43,467 --> 00:43:47,340 so I would say, stop waiting and start living 465 00:43:47,906 --> 00:43:54,124 also in a way of, start celebrating life celebrating our ancestors 466 00:43:55,026 --> 00:44:00,232 our blood ancestors our adopted ancestors 467 00:44:01,130 --> 00:44:04,740 our spiritual ancestors our land ancestors 468 00:44:07,528 --> 00:44:12,306 to bring them, to reconnect with them to be nourished by them 469 00:44:12,604 --> 00:44:15,664 we cannot take our ancestors out of us 470 00:44:16,565 --> 00:44:21,737 our youngest ancestors, our parents they are our ancestors 471 00:44:22,039 --> 00:44:24,464 we cannot say, I have nothing to do with you 472 00:44:24,897 --> 00:44:27,666 no, we have all and everything to do with them 473 00:44:28,163 --> 00:44:34,836 we are their continuation all our ancestors are within us 474 00:44:37,799 --> 00:44:43,671 connecting with them inside of ourselves 475 00:44:44,562 --> 00:44:48,034 to recognize all their strength they have transmitted to us 476 00:44:48,432 --> 00:44:50,460 and also all the weaknesses 477 00:44:50,737 --> 00:44:55,566 and to nourish their strength and to take care of their pain and suffering 478 00:44:55,720 --> 00:44:58,793 of the wounded child that was in them as well 479 00:44:59,057 --> 00:45:01,229 and that is now also in us 480 00:45:01,493 --> 00:45:04,001 it's not just our child, our wounded child 481 00:45:04,334 --> 00:45:08,091 when we say 'our', we mean all our ancestors 482 00:45:11,532 --> 00:45:14,868 so, to connect with our ancestors 483 00:45:15,867 --> 00:45:18,940 in Plum Village we have Ancestors Festival 484 00:45:21,399 --> 00:45:23,398 where we honor our ancestors 485 00:45:24,235 --> 00:45:27,606 and where we express gratitude to our ancestors 486 00:45:30,335 --> 00:45:34,858 recognizing that we are their continuation they are our roots 487 00:45:41,904 --> 00:45:49,367 we all may like to look into our ancestors and find ways to celebrate our ancestors 488 00:45:49,517 --> 00:45:51,326 to celebrate our roots 489 00:45:51,538 --> 00:45:55,932 in order to find stability in order to find freedom 490 00:45:57,168 --> 00:46:00,004 in order to be able to be truly there and truly alive 491 00:46:00,973 --> 00:46:02,997 for ourselves and for our loved ones 492 00:46:06,232 --> 00:46:11,764 I know that in New York, you celebrate St Patrick's Day much much bigger 493 00:46:12,031 --> 00:46:15,089 than in Ireland I've ever seen 494 00:46:16,567 --> 00:46:19,723 I think there are many Irish people, here also 495 00:46:20,300 --> 00:46:22,262 maybe also refugees 496 00:46:23,164 --> 00:46:29,873 but staying connected to their roots in this way, our roots are tradition 497 00:46:33,098 --> 00:46:35,569 a tradition can be renewed, refreshed 498 00:46:36,125 --> 00:46:39,698 but a tradition is also our refuge and our root 499 00:46:45,491 --> 00:46:46,707 so, celebrate 500 00:46:46,967 --> 00:46:49,464 in Plum Village, we celebrate also the Earth 501 00:46:50,533 --> 00:46:54,024 we celebrate Spring, the Daffodil Festival 502 00:46:54,760 --> 00:46:58,765 we celebrate Plum Blossom Festival 503 00:46:59,165 --> 00:47:02,757 we have Full Moon Festival the Solstice 504 00:47:04,995 --> 00:47:09,678 they're roots we share all of us, and we can celebrate together 505 00:47:23,367 --> 00:47:26,562 let's celebrate a moment together 506 00:47:29,065 --> 00:47:32,037 by just getting in touch with our roots 507 00:47:32,467 --> 00:47:40,502 you can just close your eyes and see our roots as the Earth, 508 00:47:40,937 --> 00:47:44,930 we're part of the Earth and everything that's in and on it 509 00:47:45,204 --> 00:47:50,057 although we don't have roots like a tree, we are rooted in the Earth 510 00:47:50,923 --> 00:47:53,607 we have come from the Earth 511 00:47:53,926 --> 00:47:58,235 the Earth is also our roots with all and everything that's on the Earth 512 00:48:01,163 --> 00:48:03,130 so, just for a moment, 513 00:48:03,931 --> 00:48:07,569 connect with our roots of the Earth with our land ancestors 514 00:48:08,535 --> 00:48:12,443 our spiritual ancestors our adopted ancestors 515 00:48:13,166 --> 00:48:15,323 and our blood ancestors 516 00:48:21,828 --> 00:48:27,242 (sound of the bell) 517 00:49:08,765 --> 00:49:12,557 we, the monastics, we're rooted in the Plum Village tradition 518 00:49:17,698 --> 00:49:22,303 we celebrate every breath we celebrate every step 519 00:49:23,673 --> 00:49:25,998 whenever we walk, where we walk 520 00:49:26,698 --> 00:49:30,257 we walk on the Earth with love and with compassion 521 00:49:30,991 --> 00:49:36,033 we walk as if we're kissing the Earth with our feet, even here in New York 522 00:49:37,456 --> 00:49:40,469 as I was walking, I was kissing the Earth with my feet, 523 00:49:41,662 --> 00:49:43,699 saying “dear Earth, we love you 524 00:49:43,940 --> 00:49:48,125 I know we have covered you with stone, with asphalt, with tarmac 525 00:49:48,305 --> 00:49:49,739 with a lot of things 526 00:49:50,296 --> 00:49:53,366 we love you we're here for you 527 00:49:53,934 --> 00:49:55,256 we want to be here for you 528 00:49:55,601 --> 00:49:57,805 because you're here for us always 529 00:50:00,374 --> 00:50:04,933 and this walking gave me stability and gave me freedom 530 00:50:05,768 --> 00:50:08,238 as I was aware of my steps I felt the contact 531 00:50:08,426 --> 00:50:12,399 between my feet and the Earth I created some space 532 00:50:13,133 --> 00:50:14,935 some space inside 533 00:50:15,203 --> 00:50:17,673 I created some silence inside 534 00:50:20,332 --> 00:50:24,705 space to be there when our heart is small, 535 00:50:25,203 --> 00:50:27,365 Thay says, sometimes it's like a peanut 536 00:50:27,793 --> 00:50:29,767 I think, sometimes my heart is like a mung bean 537 00:50:30,568 --> 00:50:34,194 there's no space, neither for myself nor for anybody else 538 00:50:35,028 --> 00:50:38,370 but walking like this, my heart opened and there's space 539 00:50:38,659 --> 00:50:42,196 there's space for everything I meet, for everybody I meet in the street 540 00:50:42,590 --> 00:50:45,136 and I can smile 541 00:50:45,987 --> 00:50:48,840 so you walk like this, it's our root 542 00:50:50,428 --> 00:50:54,037 in the early years, in the early 1990s 543 00:50:56,104 --> 00:50:59,767 friends of Plum Village, practitioners, they went to Vietnam 544 00:51:00,098 --> 00:51:03,326 and they visited Thay's root temple 545 00:51:04,426 --> 00:51:07,732 and as they were walking there, they practised walking meditation 546 00:51:09,601 --> 00:51:12,339 and a young monastic, a young novice came up to them and said 547 00:51:12,667 --> 00:51:14,876 “you must be from Plum Village” 548 00:51:15,232 --> 00:51:17,201 and they said “yes, how do you know?” 549 00:51:17,503 --> 00:51:19,803 and he said, I can see it by your walking 550 00:51:20,638 --> 00:51:22,939 it's our roots, our spiritual roots 551 00:51:23,231 --> 00:51:28,236 it's our walking, our breathing our listening and our speaking 552 00:51:29,231 --> 00:51:33,166 we listen to ourselves with compassion to others 553 00:51:34,668 --> 00:51:42,004 we speak lovingly we learn how to truly love 554 00:51:43,839 --> 00:51:49,168 how to truly love, how to offer compassion how to be loving and kind 555 00:51:49,902 --> 00:51:51,904 how to share our joy 556 00:51:52,239 --> 00:51:54,902 and how to embrace each other with equanimity 557 00:51:55,496 --> 00:52:00,202 that is true love and we learn how to be truly happy 558 00:52:00,558 --> 00:52:03,364 as my brother already said, not running after things 559 00:52:03,929 --> 00:52:08,638 but to see that we have more than enough conditions to be happy already 560 00:52:11,195 --> 00:52:16,790 we do not need that other ice-cream not the coffee, 561 00:52:17,131 --> 00:52:19,630 although we had coffee before we came here 562 00:52:24,722 --> 00:52:25,771 we can have coffee, 563 00:52:26,026 --> 00:52:29,132 but it's not because we don't have enough conditions to be happy 564 00:52:29,331 --> 00:52:32,502 it's to enjoy the conditions for happiness we have 565 00:52:41,773 --> 00:52:46,926 so, celebrate our spiritual roots, whatever our spiritual roots may be 566 00:52:47,463 --> 00:52:49,303 discover the beauties 567 00:52:50,234 --> 00:52:54,107 everything that contributes to our own well-being, 568 00:52:54,764 --> 00:52:58,098 to the well-being of the others and the well-being of the world 569 00:52:58,395 --> 00:53:00,136 and the Earth 570 00:53:00,902 --> 00:53:03,039 celebrate, connect 571 00:53:03,872 --> 00:53:06,265 and we can do this altogether 572 00:53:08,200 --> 00:53:10,961 I think my brother wanted to add something to this 573 00:53:16,033 --> 00:53:19,259 I'm his souffleur 574 00:53:21,963 --> 00:53:24,686 she's giving another chance to share something 575 00:53:24,748 --> 00:53:25,744 yes, please 576 00:53:26,419 --> 00:53:30,419 so I'll take this opportunity I'll stop being nice 577 00:53:37,998 --> 00:53:42,206 our teacher, you know, he was a radical monk 578 00:53:42,418 --> 00:53:44,978 he grew up in a time of war 579 00:53:44,978 --> 00:53:49,791 he saw the French come and the Americans come 580 00:53:50,666 --> 00:53:56,697 this is what produced this practise, this tradition 581 00:53:58,268 --> 00:54:00,805 you know, the classic images of a monk 582 00:54:01,190 --> 00:54:05,032 is not sitting in there, praying and doing the gong 583 00:54:05,736 --> 00:54:10,596 hoping that there will be a better world that we can be reborn into 584 00:54:11,632 --> 00:54:15,338 but he stood up and he gathered the monastics 585 00:54:15,862 --> 00:54:19,498 as well as his elder monks and venerables 586 00:54:20,431 --> 00:54:25,171 and they went into the villages to help, they actively 587 00:54:26,202 --> 00:54:30,302 so this is what has moved our teacher 588 00:54:30,566 --> 00:54:32,540 and now he's come to the West 589 00:54:32,990 --> 00:54:37,203 and he's seeing that some of the roots of why those wars happen, 590 00:54:39,392 --> 00:54:43,296 and I just want to throw that out there, just so 591 00:54:43,863 --> 00:54:46,868 as we been around our teacher he sees like, you know, what people ask 592 00:54:47,265 --> 00:54:51,429 why are you guys speaking against war and going out there? 593 00:54:51,864 --> 00:54:56,738 like going to the warring countries and doing what your teacher did 594 00:54:57,492 --> 00:55:03,600 and there is a real teaching to it, to ask and to keep that awareness 595 00:55:04,069 --> 00:55:08,208 like, why is Thay teaching us to breathe and smile, what is that? 596 00:55:09,763 --> 00:55:12,265 Some people say that's like Buddhism, right? 597 00:55:13,703 --> 00:55:15,559 Like, what is that, you know? 598 00:55:16,536 --> 00:55:19,731 There is a real challenge for our community 599 00:55:20,332 --> 00:55:22,936 as we struggle between engagement 600 00:55:23,205 --> 00:55:25,938 and also taking, not losing ourselves 601 00:55:26,863 --> 00:55:31,861 'cause the war starts when we're actually we've lost our roots, lost our refuge 602 00:55:32,076 --> 00:55:36,698 we are not happy with just being alive on this planet 603 00:55:37,332 --> 00:55:38,767 you're going to die, 604 00:55:40,290 --> 00:55:43,331 the world will go on, you're going to die, you know, 605 00:55:43,798 --> 00:55:48,693 so our teacher teaches to really come from a deeper, 606 00:55:49,767 --> 00:55:51,897 of course you do the social change 607 00:55:52,437 --> 00:55:54,365 you do these activities 608 00:55:54,599 --> 00:55:58,170 but don't lose these deep moments for yourself 609 00:55:59,439 --> 00:56:00,898 and to do it together 610 00:56:01,240 --> 00:56:07,138 and this is our teacher's challenge to our next century 611 00:56:09,440 --> 00:56:11,297 I think maybe some of you heard, 612 00:56:11,540 --> 00:56:16,921 our teacher sharing about the last century as a century of individualism 613 00:56:19,172 --> 00:56:23,999 you know, everyone, me and my nation and my people and so on 614 00:56:24,636 --> 00:56:28,238 and it's caused a lot of stuff happen 615 00:56:28,962 --> 00:56:32,365 so the teacher is really emphasizing on the collective 616 00:56:33,689 --> 00:56:37,594 and it's tough to be in the collective, part of this community 617 00:56:37,797 --> 00:56:39,732 you know, it's not easy 618 00:56:39,964 --> 00:56:42,704 you have to conform and you have to be like the rest 619 00:56:43,000 --> 00:56:47,532 and kind of like, lose your identity I just tell you some of the truth about it 620 00:56:49,502 --> 00:56:52,135 it challenges every L.A. seed in me! 621 00:56:54,663 --> 00:56:57,868 I want to go out there and change L.A. you know, 622 00:56:58,203 --> 00:56:59,468 and the brothers say, no, 623 00:56:59,669 --> 00:57:03,364 you're going to go breathe and walk in the woods 624 00:57:08,026 --> 00:57:09,735 sorry my sisters and brothers 625 00:57:12,165 --> 00:57:14,533 it's a challenge to be part of a community 626 00:57:14,762 --> 00:57:19,064 it is, because it goes against everything we know, 627 00:57:19,195 --> 00:57:20,766 you know, I have rights, 628 00:57:20,998 --> 00:57:26,743 especially when you're right you have to just.. 629 00:57:28,332 --> 00:57:34,392 and this is the root of war “I'm right” 630 00:57:35,895 --> 00:57:38,598 and to live in a collective, to live in a community 631 00:57:39,634 --> 00:57:43,627 to live in a family, you know that, that's a small little community there 632 00:57:43,672 --> 00:57:48,522 in the family, around the kitchen around the dining table 633 00:57:49,698 --> 00:57:51,361 I was witness to that 634 00:57:52,269 --> 00:57:57,031 because we're not able to let go and see the 'come on, it's just' 635 00:57:58,862 --> 00:58:00,870 so this is the training for us 636 00:58:01,091 --> 00:58:04,532 to learn to let go of our own ideas or notions 637 00:58:05,565 --> 00:58:07,901 of what is right, what is wrong, what is just 638 00:58:07,901 --> 00:58:08,679 sometimes, 639 00:58:08,679 --> 00:58:11,969 even fighting for a just cause, we cause a lot of suffering 640 00:58:13,130 --> 00:58:16,902 so we have to be careful as we come together and help 641 00:58:18,125 --> 00:58:20,863 and remind ourselves to check in with each other 642 00:58:21,463 --> 00:58:23,930 to see that 'hey, is this where we want to go?” 643 00:58:25,172 --> 00:58:30,464 so this is a challenge our teacher has for our community, for our next 644 00:58:30,765 --> 00:58:37,341 you know, he's famous for having said our teacher has a saying that's pretty, 645 00:58:39,495 --> 00:58:40,901 I haven't heard it anywhere 646 00:58:41,168 --> 00:58:45,130 “the next Buddha will be your community” 647 00:58:45,798 --> 00:58:48,435 that's very beautiful, you know can you imagine that, 648 00:58:48,636 --> 00:58:51,606 you don't look for somebody leading and charging, and 649 00:58:51,907 --> 00:58:54,199 oh well the Buddha will probably do something 650 00:58:54,895 --> 00:58:59,091 but the community that actually deals with challenges, suffering 651 00:59:00,038 --> 00:59:03,157 but it checks itself, it helps each other 652 00:59:03,363 --> 00:59:07,370 there's a sense of love and understanding, of septance 653 00:59:07,489 --> 00:59:09,706 cause this is all the energy, 654 00:59:10,206 --> 00:59:16,172 all the difficulties that we're facing as a family as a group of people 655 00:59:16,289 --> 00:59:19,873 as a work place right, where you look, and your company 656 00:59:20,965 --> 00:59:24,337 what are the most challenging things at your work place 657 00:59:24,495 --> 00:59:25,624 it's all about that, 658 00:59:25,900 --> 00:59:28,363 people don't know how to work together you have to let go 659 00:59:29,231 --> 00:59:33,419 so the collective for us is a challenge, 660 00:59:33,736 --> 00:59:38,498 how to learn these practises so we don't lose our center, 661 00:59:38,687 --> 00:59:42,902 our harmony within and then working ways, 662 00:59:43,001 --> 00:59:45,229 finding ways to build community 663 00:59:45,763 --> 00:59:50,855 because to resist this other energy, we need to do it as a community 664 00:59:51,464 --> 00:59:56,026 and we need everyone to have this kind of training so that you feel 665 00:59:56,794 --> 01:00:00,031 I don't need another sweater, just because it's a new season 666 01:00:00,729 --> 01:00:02,867 or they change color on me again 667 01:00:07,831 --> 01:00:12,937 sorry, I remember, it's brown season, it's yellow season 668 01:00:13,125 --> 01:00:16,496 you know, you got to change your whole wardrobe just because they say so 669 01:00:18,063 --> 01:00:20,204 so they know, I don't want to say 'they' 670 01:00:21,126 --> 01:00:25,746 maybe some of us are in advertising media now 671 01:00:27,797 --> 01:00:32,604 but they know how the mind works and if you don't know how your mind works 672 01:00:33,067 --> 01:00:38,136 and if we don't come together we're just, you think you're free 673 01:00:41,770 --> 01:00:46,565 I'm sorry to kind of lay it out there 'cause this is our last chance 674 01:00:48,968 --> 01:00:53,164 but this is what I've learned from my teacher and I just wanted to share with you 675 01:00:53,532 --> 01:00:58,941 we need to come together and really resist all these temptations 676 01:00:59,640 --> 01:01:04,935 these kind of temporary pleasures these moments, right 677 01:01:05,402 --> 01:01:09,533 more consuming, more stimulation, entertaining yourself 678 01:01:09,806 --> 01:01:14,558 this is what is happening 679 01:01:15,361 --> 01:01:19,965 we need to find ways to come together, to resist 680 01:01:20,569 --> 01:01:24,161 so, have a refugee-camp but do it together 681 01:01:24,562 --> 01:01:29,070 that's the addition I think my sister was inviting me to add 682 01:01:29,689 --> 01:01:33,933 so not just you alone on the island in a refugee-camp 683 01:01:34,161 --> 01:01:39,774 but bring friends, make friends come together and make that island, expand 684 01:01:41,230 --> 01:01:45,240 and if we can do this together here a little bit 685 01:01:45,240 --> 01:01:48,240 and a little bit around the planet 686 01:01:48,240 --> 01:01:50,965 I think, I'm pretty hopeful 687 01:01:52,035 --> 01:01:57,963 and we need to keep that, don't let it drag you down 688 01:01:59,198 --> 01:02:01,199 we were at the Huffington Post 689 01:02:01,404 --> 01:02:04,294 and we learned that they have a department for Good News 690 01:02:06,763 --> 01:02:07,998 yeah, that is pretty cool 691 01:02:08,563 --> 01:02:12,739 and I asked them, so what do you guys do, make stories up? 692 01:02:14,469 --> 01:02:19,950 'cause I don't see any good news in the news and they say, yeah, we shared, 693 01:02:20,365 --> 01:02:26,515 they have a small team and actually they look at stories out there, and 694 01:02:26,515 --> 01:02:31,665 they try to find something positive and they go do more research 695 01:02:31,866 --> 01:02:35,207 and that's beautiful and I was really moved, 696 01:02:35,471 --> 01:02:39,260 there was like four or five in that department, and that's their work 697 01:02:39,589 --> 01:02:43,963 we need to do that, we need to do that in our family, within ourselves 698 01:02:44,132 --> 01:02:47,401 look, there's something happening that's good for today 699 01:02:47,968 --> 01:02:51,303 and accentuate it, do it in the family, do it at your work, 700 01:02:51,806 --> 01:02:54,464 please, do it in your work 701 01:02:56,322 --> 01:03:00,413 it's tough to work at a hard place, but do it there 702 01:03:00,413 --> 01:03:02,689 and then create your work, become a community 703 01:03:04,003 --> 01:03:07,233 and then begin to come together build a sangha 704 01:03:07,374 --> 01:03:11,251 a sangha is just a group of people coming together 705 01:03:11,251 --> 01:03:14,741 to remind each other with the practise 706 01:03:15,003 --> 01:03:18,430 so this is our teacher's deepest wish 707 01:03:19,164 --> 01:03:25,339 to have a little bit around every place for us 708 01:03:25,529 --> 01:03:29,132 to remind ourselves and remind others 709 01:03:31,467 --> 01:03:33,234 thank you 710 01:03:34,105 --> 01:03:35,828 I believe there's something 711 01:03:40,869 --> 01:03:49,500 oh yes, we now open the mike for any questions or any comment or 712 01:03:51,672 --> 01:03:54,297 I think there's a microphone around, 713 01:03:54,965 --> 01:03:56,500 I think there's some brothers and sisters 714 01:03:56,734 --> 01:04:02,768 who'll come up here to join us to add a different perspective 715 01:04:06,373 --> 01:04:08,697 is there a mike around? 716 01:04:09,700 --> 01:04:18,466 Yes, you can come up here if you'd like to share or make a comment 717 01:04:29,733 --> 01:04:31,471 oh, they have a mike right there 718 01:04:35,967 --> 01:04:38,170 I just wanted to thank you 719 01:04:39,640 --> 01:04:46,191 gratitude for sharing your love and your light with us here, 720 01:04:47,226 --> 01:04:52,599 and bringing your stories, your honesty, your experience, your humor 721 01:04:53,101 --> 01:05:00,634 really grateful for that, it's really refreshing to embrace the reflection 722 01:05:00,821 --> 01:05:07,232 we all know that we have within us and to see a collective 723 01:05:10,302 --> 01:05:17,700 as you say, this community that does exist and I just wanted to say thank you, 724 01:05:17,700 --> 01:05:20,006 I'm really grateful 725 01:05:25,668 --> 01:05:27,862 and congratulations 726 01:05:48,660 --> 01:05:52,464 sister Jang Nghiem and Phap Hai have joined us 727 01:05:53,165 --> 01:05:56,533 and they will take personal questions too, so if you 728 01:06:01,833 --> 01:06:04,169 yes, questions from the heart 729 01:06:07,106 --> 01:06:12,534 hi, welcome, I'm actually new to the city, I'm from Philadelphia 730 01:06:13,037 --> 01:06:17,329 so I drove up this morning, three hours, I took the back roads 731 01:06:18,897 --> 01:06:28,249 and I go to Weltran Unitarian church and every Sunday I'm blessed to have a quote, 732 01:06:28,734 --> 01:06:32,090 like there is up on the screen, by Thich Nhat Hanh 733 01:06:32,134 --> 01:06:34,734 that leads us into meditation for five minutes 734 01:06:36,156 --> 01:06:39,200 all you need to enter heaven on earth is one conscious step, 735 01:06:39,200 --> 01:06:40,670 one conscious breath 736 01:06:41,375 --> 01:06:44,638 and I really appreciate this opportunity to be here with you 737 01:06:45,893 --> 01:06:50,566 and my question, it takes me a long time to get to my question, is 738 01:06:51,837 --> 01:06:55,464 as you talk about refuge inside and refuge in community, 739 01:06:56,833 --> 01:07:02,404 I'm blessed to have a small community that really is building on mindfulness, 740 01:07:03,463 --> 01:07:07,969 it's probably the most rapidly growing Unitarian church in the country which is 741 01:07:08,579 --> 01:07:13,314 tremendous, because it's very open, spiritually and we embraced 742 01:07:13,314 --> 01:07:17,002 a lot of things, including Thich Nhat Hanh's mindfulness 743 01:07:19,279 --> 01:07:24,109 How can we, I'm sure everyone in this room is from a different place, 744 01:07:25,903 --> 01:07:33,301 in our society, in our jobs that are not sitting mindfully all day long, 745 01:07:34,749 --> 01:07:46,929 how can we bridge this experience into the world of wifi and phones, 746 01:07:48,432 --> 01:07:51,925 thinking of myself last night when I was on my phone with my boyfriend 747 01:07:52,124 --> 01:07:57,867 at the restaurant, how do we actually try to do that more? 748 01:08:21,383 --> 01:08:24,034 So, dear family, life's full of surprises, 749 01:08:24,034 --> 01:08:27,824 I stood up to walk off the stage to stretch my legs 750 01:08:30,475 --> 01:08:34,591 and I was invited, is the kind way to put it, 751 01:08:34,834 --> 01:08:37,095 to be part of the question- and-answer panel 752 01:08:37,296 --> 01:08:42,269 so I'm very happy to be sitting here and as I received that invitation 753 01:08:43,117 --> 01:08:47,749 to be part of the Q&A-panel I realized that as a practitioner, 754 01:08:49,137 --> 01:08:54,101 the most central practise for me, is to learn how to say 'yes' 755 01:08:56,005 --> 01:08:59,062 not only to say yes with my mouth, 756 01:09:00,265 --> 01:09:06,238 but to say yes to the experience that I'm invited to have in this moment 757 01:09:07,229 --> 01:09:09,765 to look at the places that I close down 758 01:09:10,032 --> 01:09:15,300 or the ways that I try to manufacture this moment into something 759 01:09:15,348 --> 01:09:18,430 that I believe it should be 760 01:09:20,903 --> 01:09:23,370 in our tradition, in the Plum Village tradition, we practise 761 01:09:23,370 --> 01:09:27,995 what we call 'Engaged Buddhism' and we've all heard the stories about 762 01:09:27,995 --> 01:09:32,545 going out to bombed out villages, building schools, 763 01:09:33,766 --> 01:09:37,905 doing flood-work relief work, we've done all of those things 764 01:09:38,341 --> 01:09:40,397 and we do all of those things 765 01:09:40,897 --> 01:09:43,466 and yet, at its core, Engaged Buddhism means, 766 01:09:43,769 --> 01:09:48,664 choosing to engage in this moment, whatever this moment is 767 01:09:49,664 --> 01:09:52,033 as a moment of practise 768 01:09:54,114 --> 01:09:55,962 we're coming into the Jewish New Year 769 01:09:55,962 --> 01:09:59,962 and I'm thinking of somebody called Victor Franco, 770 01:10:02,263 --> 01:10:05,532 who wrote in 'Men's search for meaning' 771 01:10:05,958 --> 01:10:08,866 something that we also find to be true in Buddhism as well 772 01:10:09,702 --> 01:10:13,796 we can't always, or very often, choose our circumstances 773 01:10:14,128 --> 01:10:17,201 but as human beings 774 01:10:17,324 --> 01:10:21,518 the one choice we truly have, is the choice of how we respond 775 01:10:24,734 --> 01:10:30,130 so when we say that we can't sit all day mindfully, why not? 776 01:10:31,032 --> 01:10:33,068 What does mindfully mean? 777 01:10:34,068 --> 01:10:39,598 Does it mean we need to go to a mountainside or go to a cave or a hut, 778 01:10:40,198 --> 01:10:42,403 a nice retreat-hut somewhere 779 01:10:42,769 --> 01:10:46,796 that was my view of what monastic life is or life in the practise 780 01:10:47,163 --> 01:10:50,902 and it's only ever happened once, in twenty years 781 01:10:53,970 --> 01:11:00,260 how do I use this moment as a moment that I can be fully present in my body 782 01:11:01,558 --> 01:11:05,899 with the experience that I'm having with the person who's in front of me 783 01:11:06,835 --> 01:11:12,664 Can I choose, when the phone rings, to take an in-breath and an out-breath 784 01:11:13,295 --> 01:11:15,901 bring myself back to my body and pick up the phone 785 01:11:16,766 --> 01:11:21,665 can I choose to, rather than just run from here to the coffee-maker, 786 01:11:21,794 --> 01:11:29,528 can I choose to take a few steps with each breath, to arrive with each step 787 01:11:30,094 --> 01:11:34,035 these are ways that it is possible for us 788 01:11:34,193 --> 01:11:36,938 to bring the practise of mindfulness to our daily lives 789 01:11:37,149 --> 01:11:42,635 so our spiritual life is not something compart mentalized to one side 790 01:11:42,793 --> 01:11:45,193 that we do inbetween things 791 01:11:46,370 --> 01:11:50,268 but it is actually our life itself 792 01:11:50,268 --> 01:11:54,206 that's the invitation of Engaged Buddhism 793 01:11:55,332 --> 01:11:59,705 to see what we can do, where we're planted in this very moment 794 01:12:00,101 --> 01:12:02,997 this is something that's possible for us 795 01:12:03,765 --> 01:12:07,369 there are some of us, there are maybe a few hundred of us in this room 796 01:12:08,696 --> 01:12:11,749 we're all sharing the same space together 797 01:12:13,001 --> 01:12:16,771 and yet, there are some of us in this room who are thinking 798 01:12:17,104 --> 01:12:19,198 oh, this talk was so interesting tonight, 799 01:12:19,665 --> 01:12:24,255 it was so wonderful to hear from a half- Irish, half-Dutch senior disciple of Thay 800 01:12:24,255 --> 01:12:26,453 and our brother Phap Dung 801 01:12:26,453 --> 01:12:28,476 there are so many interesting spirits 802 01:12:28,476 --> 01:12:30,534 and then there's others who are thinking 803 01:12:30,534 --> 01:12:33,823 I can't wait until this is over why did I come here tonight? 804 01:12:35,160 --> 01:12:36,270 This kind of thing 805 01:12:36,420 --> 01:12:38,350 some of us are in heaven, some of us are in hell, 806 01:12:38,350 --> 01:12:40,490 who's right, who's wrong? 807 01:12:42,297 --> 01:12:44,534 Now, I mean, some of you might think it's a cheap shot, 808 01:12:44,802 --> 01:12:46,850 but it really does depend on you, doesn't it 809 01:12:46,975 --> 01:12:50,300 it really does depend on our mind and the way we interpret things 810 01:12:50,966 --> 01:12:53,127 so I invite you to look at that 811 01:12:53,500 --> 01:12:57,766 I invite you to engage with that practise and see if it's possible for you 812 01:12:57,876 --> 01:13:00,135 to make just a small change 813 01:13:00,868 --> 01:13:05,732 not ten small changes, but a small change in your daily life 814 01:13:06,794 --> 01:13:08,698 good luck 815 01:13:23,728 --> 01:13:29,092 (sound of the bell) 816 01:13:44,000 --> 01:13:46,038 I want to thank you for being here 817 01:13:46,338 --> 01:13:49,229 and I'm really grateful for your presence here 818 01:13:49,729 --> 01:13:54,703 and your presence in the world and I think about if there was 819 01:13:55,659 --> 01:14:01,132 a beloved community of more people, like in this room 820 01:14:02,435 --> 01:14:04,503 how much empathy and how much compassion 821 01:14:04,792 --> 01:14:06,173 could really be present in the world 822 01:14:06,763 --> 01:14:09,600 and you've in a way answered what my question was but 823 01:14:10,924 --> 01:14:13,838 someone like me, I feel overwhelmed when I read the news 824 01:14:14,239 --> 01:14:16,766 really overwhelmed by for example 825 01:14:16,999 --> 01:14:19,335 what's happening to our brothers and sisters in Syria 826 01:14:20,703 --> 01:14:28,068 how do you balance being internal and having compassion internally 827 01:14:30,127 --> 01:14:33,698 and balancing that with being engaged in the world 828 01:14:34,129 --> 01:14:37,302 and something as small as keeping up with the news 829 01:14:37,536 --> 01:14:41,665 I could easily feel overwhelmed and I know we have really beautiful 830 01:14:41,964 --> 01:14:44,568 examples with Thich Nhat Hanh and Martin Luther King 831 01:14:44,834 --> 01:14:48,906 so we can reflect on their example but how do you find that balance 832 01:14:49,261 --> 01:14:53,734 when it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the suffering and the violence 833 01:14:53,869 --> 01:14:56,664 and the pain that we know that a lot of people are dealing with 834 01:14:57,596 --> 01:14:59,433 thank you so much 835 01:15:16,601 --> 01:15:19,772 yes, that's a very important question 836 01:15:20,375 --> 01:15:26,338 in terms of the amount of information that we should expose ourselves to 837 01:15:28,572 --> 01:15:33,201 the important thing is, maintaining compassion in our heart 838 01:15:34,825 --> 01:15:39,228 but more practically, I think our human mind is not meant to 839 01:15:39,235 --> 01:15:43,335 actually be constantly bombarded with so much suffering 840 01:15:45,035 --> 01:15:47,985 you hear it in your car or your subway, you're driving here 841 01:15:48,734 --> 01:15:51,404 you hear it in the morning, you hear it while you take a break 842 01:15:52,044 --> 01:15:55,396 in the afternoon you hear it, I mean when I was driving in L.A. 843 01:15:56,538 --> 01:15:59,762 an hour and a half to work in the morning I listened to NPR 844 01:16:00,396 --> 01:16:05,636 cause people said I should be informed I have friends from Berkeley you know 845 01:16:08,766 --> 01:16:11,937 so every time they come back they always ask me to go to, 846 01:16:12,738 --> 01:16:14,998 these picket things, they were good 847 01:16:15,793 --> 01:16:19,090 it was my way of my getting out of my anger, now that I remember back 848 01:16:21,043 --> 01:16:25,424 so, we put so high on a pedestal 'being informed' 849 01:16:26,434 --> 01:16:32,044 you got to be 'up to date' but how much more do you want? 850 01:16:34,957 --> 01:16:37,900 I mean, you hear it in the morning and then in the afternoon when driving back 851 01:16:37,900 --> 01:16:40,378 it's the same news, but I keep hearing it 852 01:16:40,849 --> 01:16:43,759 before I even get to work, I'm already angry 853 01:16:46,554 --> 01:16:48,797 I haven't seen that secretary yet 854 01:16:51,037 --> 01:16:55,364 it's a good question, you have to know how to take care of yourself 855 01:16:56,602 --> 01:16:59,239 and question the 'being informed', 856 01:16:59,506 --> 01:17:04,203 how much should you keep inflicting, it's a scar you keep picking 857 01:17:05,166 --> 01:17:10,197 ok, this is a balance you need to find, each one of us 858 01:17:10,697 --> 01:17:13,197 in our workplace as well as in society 859 01:17:16,659 --> 01:17:23,634 we had a session, two days ago, with news people, 860 01:17:24,836 --> 01:17:29,407 it was at the Columbia University for journalists at the Dart Center 861 01:17:30,797 --> 01:17:35,393 where they take care of journalists who have to go to, 862 01:17:39,144 --> 01:17:44,461 conflicting sites or tragedy, and then have to report 863 01:17:44,461 --> 01:17:48,001 and then come back and they can't handle it, 864 01:17:48,001 --> 01:17:53,403 so this Dart center was formed to take care of and bring more awareness 865 01:17:53,403 --> 01:17:57,403 to the suffering that journalists face as they come back 866 01:17:57,493 --> 01:18:02,207 it's kind of like veterans and I learned a lot from that 867 01:18:02,761 --> 01:18:07,038 and the Dart Center is trying to bring more mindfulness and wellness 868 01:18:07,504 --> 01:18:11,932 to take care of the journalists 'cause after you see these images and 869 01:18:12,263 --> 01:18:17,105 you've been in places like that you see, the mind needs healing 870 01:18:17,559 --> 01:18:19,661 it's kind of like, getting inflicted 871 01:18:20,530 --> 01:18:22,667 and you know, that's journalists 872 01:18:23,234 --> 01:18:27,303 but we ourselves as readers we have take care of that as well 873 01:18:27,995 --> 01:18:30,667 so be informed, be intelligent, 874 01:18:31,566 --> 01:18:36,507 but know what you're doing to yourself and what that is causing 875 01:18:37,095 --> 01:18:42,226 because that can actually spill out to your loved ones who had nothing to do with it 876 01:18:43,060 --> 01:18:46,030 but because you keep watering the seeds, 877 01:18:46,664 --> 01:18:49,637 in our practise we call, we each all have a seed, 878 01:18:51,104 --> 01:18:57,769 a seed of anger, a seed of discrimination, a seed of blame and so on 879 01:18:58,639 --> 01:19:03,032 and if these keep being watered, you become immobile 880 01:19:03,335 --> 01:19:09,664 you can't really be an activist if you are not, like, solid 881 01:19:10,596 --> 01:19:14,670 so this is something for us all as we want to change 882 01:19:15,372 --> 01:19:17,863 and help effect the world in a better way 883 01:19:18,329 --> 01:19:22,491 we also need to take care and nourish our happiness, our joy 884 01:19:23,871 --> 01:19:26,930 so it's how you say, pay attention to the mud, 885 01:19:27,396 --> 01:19:31,256 but don't forget to also pay attention to the flower, to the lotus 886 01:19:32,168 --> 01:19:33,996 that's also there 887 01:19:34,629 --> 01:19:38,134 so we keep reading books on negativity, 888 01:19:38,801 --> 01:19:44,630 and it makes you really, you can't move and your mind becomes tight 889 01:19:45,632 --> 01:19:48,462 and you start actually causing others suffering 890 01:19:48,462 --> 01:19:50,113 in a way that's toxic 891 01:19:51,259 --> 01:19:55,465 so, nothing is lost, everything you read, everything you come in through the sens, 892 01:19:55,681 --> 01:20:00,272 the eyes, the things you hear, the conversations I used to have with my friends 893 01:20:00,605 --> 01:20:03,474 they didn't make me happier, they actually made me more angry 894 01:20:04,266 --> 01:20:06,671 and sometimes anger is useful 895 01:20:08,036 --> 01:20:13,331 but as my brother or my sister shared one time, maybe 5% 896 01:20:14,500 --> 01:20:17,872 but I'm still trying to figure how much of that energy 897 01:20:18,872 --> 01:20:24,437 you know, I know, there's a, sometimes it's useful to speak out 898 01:20:24,957 --> 01:20:29,498 but how can we do it in a way that has a little bit more understanding, 899 01:20:29,829 --> 01:20:30,934 more compassion 900 01:20:31,335 --> 01:20:35,830 more of that sense of embracing the other person rather than 901 01:20:37,865 --> 01:20:42,605 so this is what happens when we get informed 902 01:20:43,104 --> 01:20:44,862 and it's over our limit 903 01:20:45,431 --> 01:20:50,938 we actually start to cause more trouble than helpful 904 01:20:51,472 --> 01:20:57,367 and this is each one of us through the practise of taking care of ourselves, 905 01:20:58,391 --> 01:21:02,299 nourishing ourselves with good news, nourishing ourselves with moments 906 01:21:02,463 --> 01:21:06,268 of actually recognizing taking a walk in the park 907 01:21:07,057 --> 01:21:09,473 recognizing, hugging a tree 908 01:21:10,930 --> 01:21:15,958 watching, you know, sitting there in front of a flower and feeling, 909 01:21:16,134 --> 01:21:17,995 recognizing that flower 910 01:21:18,462 --> 01:21:24,428 so these are things that I found helpful in my practise in terms of engaging the 911 01:21:25,173 --> 01:21:28,765 world as we travel and we hear people suffering 912 01:21:29,769 --> 01:21:33,471 you know, I have to take a walk in nature after a consultation or something, 913 01:21:33,906 --> 01:21:39,367 I can't do consultations six right away 'cause my mind is no longer present 914 01:21:39,537 --> 01:21:41,237 for the third person 915 01:21:41,638 --> 01:21:44,097 I mean, it looks like I'm there but it's too much for me 916 01:21:44,696 --> 01:21:50,639 so I'd only do one, and then I go take a nap or I go walk in nature 917 01:21:51,208 --> 01:21:53,265 and this is just the truth of our mind 918 01:21:53,765 --> 01:21:56,795 we're not meant to actually know everything that's happening 919 01:21:57,103 --> 01:22:01,065 around the world I mean, the internet now, you think, oh, 920 01:22:01,370 --> 01:22:04,872 we have access, but, look what it's doing to you 921 01:22:07,041 --> 01:22:13,705 you have access but you're like, you're afraid, and you're suspicious, 922 01:22:14,005 --> 01:22:16,264 you're fearful 923 01:22:16,496 --> 01:22:20,102 and this, you cannot help the world in that state of mind 924 01:22:21,104 --> 01:22:30,238 so please take a look at your, at the balance, we need balance in terms of information 925 01:22:42,176 --> 01:22:43,945 we have one last question 926 01:22:45,509 --> 01:22:48,263 may we listen to one sound of the bell 927 01:22:49,023 --> 01:22:50,040 (sound of the bell) 928 01:22:50,640 --> 01:22:56,900 breathing in everything we need is here and now 929 01:22:58,505 --> 01:23:01,332 breathing out we let go 930 01:23:02,068 --> 01:23:05,962 this moment, without expectation 931 01:23:08,549 --> 01:23:12,654 (sound of the bell) 932 01:23:34,602 --> 01:23:35,559 Hi there 933 01:23:39,765 --> 01:23:43,170 you know, it's kind of intimidating talking to you guys 934 01:23:44,072 --> 01:23:47,200 but what I love in the nature of how you spoke today 935 01:23:48,234 --> 01:23:52,202 was that you're still embracing that whole studentness about you 936 01:23:53,073 --> 01:23:56,499 'cause sometimes when people that don't live in the kind of environment 937 01:23:56,931 --> 01:23:58,300 that you live in 938 01:24:02,630 --> 01:24:05,832 I guess I'm speaking for myself but I have talked to a few other people 939 01:24:06,666 --> 01:24:13,898 there's a way that we can feel not as spiritual or not as worthy 940 01:24:14,966 --> 01:24:20,795 and what I love what you brought here was that you're still learning 941 01:24:21,630 --> 01:24:26,959 and that you're still figuring it out and that you're still on your journey 942 01:24:28,471 --> 01:24:31,899 and that's really inspiring to hear 943 01:24:32,500 --> 01:24:36,540 because some of us are a little bit further back in the road on the journey 944 01:24:37,806 --> 01:24:42,884 one of the things I do is I go into companies, into the dark, deep scary 945 01:24:42,884 --> 01:24:46,234 territory of corporate America and I try to bring 946 01:24:46,234 --> 01:24:48,894 a tiny bit of mindfulness with me 947 01:24:49,602 --> 01:24:53,764 but what you've inspired me to do today is, to take it further 948 01:24:54,266 --> 01:24:57,535 you know, some of the little teachings or some of the things you said 949 01:24:57,792 --> 01:25:02,664 like, and I love what you said about how being right is the root of war 950 01:25:03,864 --> 01:25:08,205 and how we can bring a little bit of non-violence to how we talk 951 01:25:08,676 --> 01:25:11,600 to each other every day by not trying to be so right 952 01:25:13,067 --> 01:25:15,237 and trying to be more compassionate 953 01:25:17,529 --> 01:25:20,733 trying to be more vulnerable, which you guys exhibited today, 954 01:25:21,067 --> 01:25:23,826 the vulnerability of showing that you don't know it all 955 01:25:24,092 --> 01:25:26,432 you're still a student, you're still on your journey 956 01:25:26,930 --> 01:25:29,166 so I want to thank you for that and to let you know 957 01:25:29,366 --> 01:25:34,728 there are warriors out here, working for the same cause, 958 01:25:34,929 --> 01:25:39,169 we might not look the same way that outfit would definitely make me look 959 01:25:39,322 --> 01:25:42,406 a lot chubbier and that would really annoy me 960 01:25:43,039 --> 01:25:47,400 but, you know, we're out here warriors on the front line, 961 01:25:47,577 --> 01:25:52,294 with you and supporting you and loving you from our place, 962 01:25:52,816 --> 01:25:54,853 so thank you 963 01:26:02,534 --> 01:26:04,202 Hi, thank you for being here tonight 964 01:26:05,102 --> 01:26:09,631 I've been exploring the value of mindfulness in organizations and I was wondering if you 965 01:26:09,797 --> 01:26:12,368 could speak a little bit more about the benefits that you see 966 01:26:13,926 --> 01:26:19,333 to bringing mindfulness into workplaces and I'm particularly interested in 967 01:26:19,568 --> 01:26:21,937 how it might help to build trust 968 01:26:48,761 --> 01:26:55,457 For me, being a monastic is something I always wanted to do 969 01:26:56,372 --> 01:26:58,597 but in another way this, 970 01:26:59,075 --> 01:27:02,180 I agree with my brother, there's challenges 971 01:27:02,907 --> 01:27:08,001 so when I entered the community you know, I love to do art, 972 01:27:08,234 --> 01:27:14,498 to sing songs and write poetry but I've always been asked to do things 973 01:27:14,498 --> 01:27:22,775 that is out of the ordinary you know, is not my field, is not my, 974 01:27:24,555 --> 01:27:27,608 I feel like it's not even my capacity 975 01:27:27,831 --> 01:27:34,271 but recently, the sangha invited me to join the finance team and 976 01:27:34,602 --> 01:27:41,402 to work with all these figures, and it's not what I imagined I would do 977 01:27:42,334 --> 01:27:48,131 so I think the practise of mindfulness just helps me to just be present 978 01:27:48,900 --> 01:27:56,498 and to take things as they are and not to have expectation or 979 01:27:56,764 --> 01:28:02,072 to have to struggle with it 980 01:28:02,606 --> 01:28:05,863 at first I struggled a lot, but I feel like 981 01:28:06,230 --> 01:28:11,367 when I can just come back to my breathing just to be what it is, I can just let it go 982 01:28:11,933 --> 01:28:17,040 and whatever comes, I learn from it and I build my experience on it 983 01:28:18,060 --> 01:28:24,906 so I think that in the workplace, we can apply mindfulness 984 01:28:25,771 --> 01:28:30,134 for instance, when I am working on something that is very challenging 985 01:28:30,870 --> 01:28:33,605 for my brainwork 986 01:28:34,240 --> 01:28:37,065 then I just take a deep breath and come back and smile, 987 01:28:37,397 --> 01:28:40,625 and take a break and we have the time-out on a screen 988 01:28:40,971 --> 01:28:46,068 or a bell of mindfulness that we install into the PC or the computer 989 01:28:46,935 --> 01:28:51,064 and we just take a break, you know you close your eyes and breathe 990 01:28:51,394 --> 01:28:53,031 and then smile 991 01:28:53,399 --> 01:28:57,876 and I find that also working in a team or in a group is very helpful 992 01:28:58,061 --> 01:29:02,835 because I see that I have my brothers and sisters who have experience in finance 993 01:29:03,437 --> 01:29:05,994 and they have all kinds of experiences 994 01:29:06,628 --> 01:29:09,531 and when we come together, we really make things work 995 01:29:10,001 --> 01:29:12,899 without, you know, one having to think too hard 996 01:29:13,833 --> 01:29:17,595 so I think that try to learn from the experience of the others 997 01:29:19,128 --> 01:29:21,364 and be mindful, be open 998 01:29:22,099 --> 01:29:25,270 and, you know, things can become easier that way 999 01:29:25,861 --> 01:29:28,095 rather than taking on everything on ourselves 1000 01:29:30,499 --> 01:29:34,503 and also create a space for nurturing brotherhood and sisterhood 1001 01:29:36,281 --> 01:29:41,523 in our monastery, at Blue Cliff, when we have finance meeting, 1002 01:29:41,523 --> 01:29:47,055 I'm always the team-master I make sure, I prepare tea and bring some 1003 01:29:47,055 --> 01:29:52,725 snacks and cookies or some healthy snacks and then we start the meeting that way 1004 01:29:52,725 --> 01:29:56,725 we don't just start by saying 'ok, what's the agenda' 1005 01:29:57,024 --> 01:30:01,024 of course somebody will say that, but I always do the tea part first 1006 01:30:02,525 --> 01:30:07,566 and it's so light and nourishing and then people feel like, oh, there's a connection 1007 01:30:08,202 --> 01:30:14,965 you are here for being together, it's not just about trying to work something out 1008 01:30:15,268 --> 01:30:19,030 or trying to go forward with the result, 1009 01:30:19,632 --> 01:30:24,958 so I think that teamwork and nourishing brotherhood, sisterhood 1010 01:30:25,673 --> 01:30:29,599 and to build the energy of mindfulness, 1011 01:30:29,977 --> 01:30:32,250 to share that together is very helpful 1012 01:30:32,520 --> 01:30:34,216 thank you