1 00:00:02,102 --> 00:00:07,177 There is also the aspect of aimlessness. Sitting in order to sit. 2 00:00:08,643 --> 00:00:10,575 Just sitting. 3 00:00:11,626 --> 00:00:13,757 In 2004, 4 00:00:14,705 --> 00:00:18,251 we had an autumn retreat. 5 00:00:18,919 --> 00:00:21,215 And during that retreat, 6 00:00:22,139 --> 00:00:26,592 Thay would introduce sitting meditation every day. 7 00:00:28,591 --> 00:00:34,086 And he would give about anything between 2 and 5 minutes 8 00:00:35,709 --> 00:00:39,780 guidance before the sitting meditation began. 9 00:00:40,944 --> 00:00:45,907 And I remember in particular one guidance that Thay gave. 10 00:00:52,583 --> 00:00:56,540 "The place where I am sitting now, 11 00:00:57,705 --> 00:01:03,118 countless living beings have been born in this place, 12 00:01:04,238 --> 00:01:08,348 and countless living beings have died here. 13 00:01:09,166 --> 00:01:17,606 Maybe millions of years ago, an Enlightened One also sat here. 14 00:01:20,416 --> 00:01:22,385 And in the future, 15 00:01:22,618 --> 00:01:27,680 countless living beings will be born in this place I am sitting, 16 00:01:27,894 --> 00:01:31,891 and countless living beings will die here. 17 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:39,750 And maybe in the future, an Enlightened One will also sit in this place." 18 00:01:41,076 --> 00:01:44,694 This guided meditation goes a bit like that. 19 00:01:45,477 --> 00:01:52,135 And that is really to put us in touch with infinite space and infinite time. 20 00:01:53,584 --> 00:01:55,966 When I first came to Plum Village, 21 00:01:56,131 --> 00:01:59,096 Thay didn't sit at the bell 22 00:01:59,391 --> 00:02:02,193 or at the top of the sangha. 23 00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:05,706 Thay, just like everybody else, Thay came in and sat 24 00:02:05,890 --> 00:02:08,617 where Thay felt like sitting. 25 00:02:09,647 --> 00:02:11,579 One day, 26 00:02:13,059 --> 00:02:16,369 I was with my eyes shut and I was sitting like this, 27 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:21,239 and I felt somebody come and sit next to me. 28 00:02:22,455 --> 00:02:24,462 And then I felt 29 00:02:25,085 --> 00:02:29,232 infinite space and infinite time. 30 00:02:29,513 --> 00:02:33,492 I looked and it was Thay sitting next to me. 31 00:02:35,543 --> 00:02:40,553 And then, another day when I wasn't sitting next to Thay, 32 00:02:41,574 --> 00:02:45,498 but I saw Thay come in and I saw Thay sit. 33 00:02:46,777 --> 00:02:48,821 And Thay looked 34 00:02:50,139 --> 00:02:55,186 exactly like Thay was dwelling in infinite space and infinite time. 35 00:02:56,497 --> 00:02:59,567 This is something we can all do. 36 00:03:00,061 --> 00:03:04,827 It is something called aimlessness. We don't have any aim, we just 37 00:03:06,054 --> 00:03:09,470 come in to the meditation hall 38 00:03:10,170 --> 00:03:14,200 and we sit in order to sit. 39 00:03:15,383 --> 00:03:18,745 We just allow ourselves that 40 00:03:19,044 --> 00:03:21,873 awakened nature in ourselves 41 00:03:22,243 --> 00:03:29,917 to be completely aimless and to enjoy infinite space and infinite time. 42 00:03:30,733 --> 00:03:33,530 That guided preface 43 00:03:34,007 --> 00:03:39,886 about all the living beings who have been born, and have died here 44 00:03:40,035 --> 00:03:45,998 can be helpful for you to touch infinite space and infinite time. 45 00:03:56,188 --> 00:04:00,594 Sitting in the historical dimension, 46 00:04:02,177 --> 00:04:06,651 is there any place that is not the place of Enlightenment? 47 00:04:07,123 --> 00:04:10,869 (Vietnamese) 48 00:04:16,710 --> 00:04:22,425 Birth and death are endless. 49 00:04:23,733 --> 00:04:29,366 And this present moment is the only, only moment.