0:00:02.787,0:00:06.119
Br. Phap Huu: Good morning,[br]dear respected Thay,

0:00:06.119,0:00:10.752
dear brothers, dear sisters,[br]dear friends.

0:00:10.752,0:00:16.151
I hope you had a relaxing[br]and lazy morning.

0:00:16.151,0:00:19.351
You could sleep in[br]and feel more rested

0:00:19.351,0:00:24.634
and enjoy the wonderful space[br]provided for us

0:00:24.634,0:00:32.099
to be in touch with our breath,[br]with the trees, with the space.

0:00:32.099,0:00:38.431
This is an opportunity[br]for questions & answers.

0:00:38.431,0:00:46.214
It is a great opportunity[br]to put into words

0:00:48.042,0:00:52.541
something we may have been[br]chewing on for a long time.

0:00:52.541,0:01:00.290
But with regards to the practice[br]of mindfulness and meditation,

0:01:00.290,0:01:05.889
the teachings of Plum Village,[br]and looking back

0:01:05.889,0:01:11.356
at our way of life,[br]our happiness, our suffering

0:01:11.356,0:01:15.738
and how to apply the practice[br]in our daily lives.

0:01:15.738,0:01:22.337
This is an opportunity to ask questions.[br]We call it "Asking from the heart."

0:01:22.337,0:01:28.069
We tend to come more[br]towards the intellect,

0:01:28.069,0:01:36.002
but here in Plum Village[br]we always encourage to ask:

0:01:36.002,0:01:40.868
How do we bring these teachings[br]into our daily life?

0:01:40.868,0:01:47.217
This is more important to us[br]than philosophy.

0:01:47.217,0:01:52.367
And we have children with us.[br]I'm surprised they are here.

0:01:52.367,0:01:56.033
I thought you would[br]enjoy more laziness.

0:01:56.033,0:02:03.749
It is a wonderful tradition to have[br]space for the children to ask questions.

0:02:03.749,0:02:09.948
We would like to offer space to the kids[br]to ask three to four questions.

0:02:09.948,0:02:16.963
A good question can benefit many of us.[br]It doesn't have to be long.

0:02:16.963,0:02:20.963
It can be clear and simple.

0:02:20.963,0:02:27.028
We have our brother filming the session.

0:02:29.128,0:02:37.062
Please raise your hand if you[br]prefer not to be on camera

0:02:37.062,0:02:42.043
and our brother will know. He will[br]focus the camera on the monastics.

0:02:42.043,0:02:49.808
So you can be at ease if you would like[br]to ask a question, but not be filmed.

0:02:54.608,0:03:00.507
Before we listen to a question,[br]we will listen to a sound of the bell

0:03:00.507,0:03:05.957
to come back to our breathing,[br]and then we ask the question.

0:03:05.957,0:03:10.822
So, we would like to invite[br]the children first.

0:03:10.822,0:03:16.489
If there is a child with a question,[br]you are welcome to come up

0:03:16.489,0:03:24.238
and sit on this chair and breathe with us.[br]And then you can ask your question.

0:03:27.038,0:03:32.720
Do any of you have a question?

0:03:37.519,0:03:39.358
We do.

0:04:02.817,0:04:13.598
[sound of the bell]

0:04:21.613,0:04:28.220
Dear community, this is the first[br]question. Our friend will ask in Italian.

0:04:29.593,0:04:34.762
Giacomo: [Italian] If there is[br]something that we like to do,

0:04:35.347,0:04:40.763
and we see someone else[br]do something that we might not like,

0:04:41.528,0:04:46.894
but so many people are doing it,[br]why do we end up doing that, too?

0:04:48.243,0:04:51.545
Voice offscreen: I will try to translate it[br]and Giacomo can help me

0:04:52.977,0:04:56.160
if it's not correct, because[br]you speak English quite well?

0:04:57.661,0:05:03.208
I think the idea is: We know what we want,[br]what we like to do.

0:05:04.226,0:05:08.076
But then we see others do something[br]that we don't approve of.

0:05:08.775,0:05:10.907
We don't like what they're doing.

0:05:11.509,0:05:18.526
Why do we end up doing what they're doing[br]even though we don't like it?

0:05:32.896,0:05:36.159
Br. Phap Huu: Do you need translation?[br]Giacomo: No, I'm OK.

0:05:39.995,0:05:41.986
Br. Phap Linh: Thank you.[br]That's a great question.

0:05:42.110,0:05:49.792
We could all ask ourselves that question[br]at the level of the whole planet.

0:05:52.858,0:05:58.525
Why, when there are things that we know[br]we don't want to do, or we don't like,

0:06:00.442,0:06:05.442
but we see that society is going that way,[br]and we end up doing it as well.

0:06:07.025,0:06:14.400
That can happen with a group of friends,[br]or in a choice of career that we make,

0:06:15.400,0:06:19.858
or how much money we think we need,[br]where we should live,

0:06:20.650,0:06:27.108
what lifestyle we think we should have.[br]It's all a similar problem.

0:06:27.775,0:06:35.192
We get pulled into things that[br]at some level we don't want to do,

0:06:35.650,0:06:38.150
but we find ourselves doing anyway.

0:06:40.358,0:06:47.067
So ... I think the first question[br]that I would ask.

0:06:50.358,0:06:56.692
You started by saying that we know[br]what it is that we like to do.

0:06:57.192,0:07:01.858
We know what we want.[br]I'm not sure that that's true.

0:07:05.358,0:07:11.275
We kind of know.[br]But do we really know?

0:07:13.067,0:07:18.317
Do we know with the power,[br]with the strength,

0:07:19.233,0:07:24.317
that would be enough to stop us[br]from getting pulled into things

0:07:24.733,0:07:26.775
that we don't want to do?

0:07:28.733,0:07:30.400
So we know a little bit.

0:07:31.650,0:07:33.983
But could we make that more clear?

0:07:34.608,0:07:40.733
What is it that we want to do[br]and what is it we do not want to do?

0:07:42.733,0:07:50.233
That takes contemplation. In a way,[br]that's what meditation can be for.

0:07:51.483,0:07:56.233
Our teacher used to ask us to go[br]and quietly sit in the forest

0:07:57.108,0:08:02.108
and ask ourselves:[br]What is my deepest desire?

0:08:03.483,0:08:05.650
What is the thing that I want most of all?

0:08:06.108,0:08:11.067
Because when we know that really clearly,[br]it makes it much easier to say No

0:08:12.275,0:08:15.650
when other people are trying[br]to pull us into something.

0:08:16.442,0:08:22.317
That's the first thing. Do we really know[br]what it is we do and don't want to do?

0:08:24.108,0:08:33.775
And the second thing is that[br]there's a competition in us,

0:08:34.483,0:08:37.567
because we like two things:

0:08:38.025,0:08:44.025
We like to do the thing we want to do,[br]but we also like to be with our friends.

0:08:45.858,0:08:51.484
We like to feel connected to others.

0:08:52.359,0:08:58.483
We like to not stick out,[br]so that we're not left out of the group.

0:08:59.150,0:09:07.650
If there's a group going one way, a strong[br]part of us wants to be part of the group.

0:09:08.983,0:09:13.317
Even if they're doing something[br]we don't really want to do.

0:09:14.067,0:09:18.733
There are two different pulls.[br]One is: I need to be part of the group.

0:09:19.608,0:09:23.525
I am in danger if I'm not[br]part of the group.

0:09:24.525,0:09:32.233
That's a very old feeling in our bodies.[br]For a long time, maybe millions of years,

0:09:33.817,0:09:38.650
if we didn't belong to the group,[br]we wouldn't be able to survive.

0:09:39.900,0:09:46.358
We would die. So there's a[br]strong need to be part of the group.

0:09:48.650,0:09:55.483
And when that need is in conflict[br]with this other part of us that says:

0:09:55.900,0:09:59.858
"I don't want to do what they're doing",[br]it's difficult.

0:10:00.400,0:10:07.858
It depends which one is stronger.[br]But it helps just to know that.

0:10:10.317,0:10:15.400
You're here, we're all here. We've heard[br]about the energy of mindfulness.

0:10:19.525,0:10:27.233
The energy that allows us to be aware[br]what's going on inside and around us.

0:10:29.150,0:10:35.233
That is the capacity to recognise:[br]"I want to be part of the group."

0:10:37.567,0:10:44.025
When you can see and recognise it,[br]you also have a bit more freedom.

0:10:45.692,0:10:52.150
You can say: "I hear you. I hear[br]the part of me that wants to jump in,

0:10:53.358,0:10:58.150
but I can also say No thank you."

0:10:59.900,0:11:07.150
Sometimes in a group,[br]when there's one person that says:

0:11:07.775,0:11:11.483
" No. Actually, I don't want to do that."

0:11:12.733,0:11:16.733
Then maybe there's two or three[br]or four other people in the group

0:11:17.608,0:11:23.233
who also feel uncomfortable.[br]Once that one person has said no,

0:11:23.775,0:11:27.483
they can also say: "Actually,[br]I also don't want to do that."

0:11:27.983,0:11:31.942
And suddenly, the whole group[br]can change direction

0:11:32.650,0:11:38.379
because one person had the[br]freedom and the courage to say No.

0:11:39.279,0:11:44.069
So if you know how to generate[br]the energy of mindfulness, ...

0:11:46.401,0:11:49.983
It's like you are watching[br]what's happening around you,

0:11:50.150,0:11:54.150
but a part of you is watching[br]what is happening inside of you.

0:11:55.608,0:12:01.692
It's like you have an eye tracking:[br]"I want to jump in,

0:12:02.233,0:12:06.400
but I also don't feel comfortable[br]with what we're doing."

0:12:07.400,0:12:09.817
And then you get to choose.

0:12:10.525,0:12:13.233
Because otherwise you jump in[br]before you even know.

0:12:14.483,0:12:19.400
It just happens, and then later,[br]maybe a day, maybe a week later,

0:12:19.858,0:12:24.275
you realize you didn't want to do that.[br]But with the energy of mindfulness,

0:12:24.775,0:12:29.067
you have more time,[br]you have more freedom to choose.

0:12:30.275,0:12:35.025
And then maybe many other people[br]in the group will thank you later

0:12:35.442,0:12:37.608
because they also didn't want to do that.

0:12:38.108,0:12:42.483
And thanks to you,[br]they had the choice to say No.

0:12:43.525,0:12:47.067
Maybe as a society we're a bit like that.

0:12:47.525,0:12:57.108
We rely on a few people with the strength[br]and awareness to say no to the current

0:12:57.983,0:13:03.483
that is taking us in the direction[br]of destroying the planet

0:13:04.067,0:13:06.483
and causing suffering to each other.

0:13:07.775,0:13:11.150
Maybe if a few of us can see us and say:[br]"We don't want to go that way",

0:13:11.817,0:13:17.692
then others can get to also say No[br]and go a different way.

0:13:19.358,0:13:21.025
Thank you for your question.

0:14:01.692,0:14:07.358
[sound of the bell]

0:14:34.067,0:14:36.817
Girl: (French) Do plants[br]have a nervous system?

0:14:37.567,0:14:40.567
For example if you snap a twig,[br]are you hurting the tree?

0:14:44.317,0:14:47.400
Br. Phap Linh: Do the plants[br]have a nervous system?

0:14:48.442,0:14:52.108
For example if you break a branch,[br]does it hurt the plant?

0:15:10.567,0:15:15.150
Br. Phap Huu: The quickest answer[br]is "Oui" - yes.

0:15:21.150,0:15:22.983
Br. Phap Linh: I can add a little bit.

0:15:27.048,0:15:30.858
I would say the answer is yes and no.

0:15:31.608,0:15:37.733
Because they don't exactly[br]have a nervous system like ours.

0:15:39.233,0:15:45.483
There's no central brain where[br]all the nerve impulses arrive.

0:15:48.525,0:15:52.233
It's been a question in science[br]for a long time.

0:15:53.108,0:15:58.358
And most scientists have said:[br]"No, plants don't feel anything."

0:15:59.567,0:16:05.108
But it's changing. So in recent years,[br]there are a few scientists

0:16:06.150,0:16:17.400
finding evidence to say that plants[br]do feel and we still don't know how.

0:16:20.025,0:16:26.150
But we know that there are electrical[br]signals passed through the plant cells -

0:16:27.608,0:16:31.025
all cells are electrical in nature,[br]just like nerve cells.

0:16:31.650,0:16:34.483
They're not exactly like brain cells,

0:16:35.317,0:16:39.400
but they are similar enough[br]that there is a Spanish scientist

0:16:40.108,0:16:46.150
who really believes, and has good[br]evidence to show, that plants can feel.

0:16:47.150,0:16:53.817
One of the ways they can test this[br]is by using anaesthesia.

0:16:54.858,0:16:58.358
If you have to go to a hospital[br]to have surgery,

0:17:00.067,0:17:05.150
they give you an injection or a gas[br]that makes you fall asleep,

0:17:05.983,0:17:08.275
so you don't feel any pain.

0:17:13.025,0:17:19.525
For a long time, everybody thought[br]that only works on humans and animals.

0:17:20.817,0:17:25.608
But plants respond to anaesthesia[br]in very much the same way,

0:17:27.233,0:17:30.817
to being put to sleep.

0:17:32.858,0:17:36.442
This is all very new research.[br]You ask a very good question.

0:17:37.358,0:17:41.108
You could make[br]a whole career as a scientist

0:17:41.983,0:17:44.525
out of trying to answer that question.

0:17:45.608,0:17:48.317
But that's answering[br]at the level of the head.

0:17:49.358,0:17:51.733
There's also an answer[br]at the level of the heart.

0:17:52.442,0:17:54.733
It's the answer that Thay Phap Huu gave

0:17:55.525,0:17:57.900
and it's the answer you already know.

0:17:58.858,0:18:08.483
We don't feel comfortable[br]to break a plant for no reason.

0:18:10.025,0:18:14.150
We feel like maybe we should[br]respect them a little bit more.

0:18:14.775,0:18:18.608
We should care for them[br]a little bit better.

0:18:19.483,0:18:28.483
Maybe we should not be so sure[br]that it is only us who can feel things.

0:18:31.650,0:18:36.317
If we're very sure,[br]we can cause a lot of harm

0:18:37.150,0:18:39.192
we can be very careless.

0:18:39.692,0:18:43.275
But if we're not sure,[br]if there's a part of us wondering:

0:18:44.483,0:18:48.233
"Will the tree feel it[br]if I break the branch?"

0:18:49.983,0:18:56.942
that little space of openness, of[br]"I don't know, maybe the tree can feel it"

0:18:58.067,0:19:01.358
can make us more careful.

0:19:02.817,0:19:07.108
Not only as individuals,[br]but collectively as a species.

0:19:07.900,0:19:15.233
There's an awakening happening[br]in the whole of society.

0:19:15.942,0:19:19.483
There are more and more people[br]waking up to the suffering

0:19:20.150,0:19:25.233
that we are maybe causing to[br]not just the animals that we kill to eat,

0:19:25.858,0:19:32.483
but also to the trees that we cut to[br]build houses, like this meditation hall,

0:19:35.567,0:19:41.233
the paper that we use in the toilet,[br]or to write on.

0:19:42.483,0:19:50.442
Maybe it is impossible to live completely[br]without hurting anything.

0:19:52.525,0:19:54.483
It's actually really hard.

0:19:57.442,0:20:02.983
But maybe there's a way to live[br]where we cause as little harm as possible.

0:20:04.358,0:20:08.650
We try to do less damage.[br]Maybe we can't do no damage.

0:20:09.233,0:20:12.150
But I'm sure we can do less damage.

0:20:14.983,0:20:17.442
Thank you for your question.

0:20:22.900,0:20:28.067
Br. Phap Huu: One more question[br]from the children sangha.

0:21:05.483,0:21:09.025
If there are no more questions[br]from the children sangha,

0:21:09.983,0:21:14.733
you are welcome to stay or[br]you are welcome to go out and play.

0:21:15.442,0:21:21.983
I was told there's no children program,[br]but there's a lot of space.

0:21:22.942,0:21:24.692
So feel free.

0:21:25.067,0:21:28.108
And now we'd like to offer space[br]for the bigger children.

0:21:28.483,0:21:34.650
if you have questions from the heart,[br]you are welcome to come up

0:21:35.233,0:21:43.775
just like the children to ask[br]your questions to all of us adults.

0:22:10.067,0:22:19.650
[sound of the bell]

0:22:45.025,0:22:49.692
Woman: Okay. I'm nervous.[br]Lots of people.

0:22:52.858,0:22:56.608
It's a question I've had[br]in my head for some months.

0:22:58.358,0:23:07.150
It's about how to handle[br]the suffering that is attached

0:23:07.858,0:23:16.567
to a mental formation that has its[br]beginning somewhere during childhood,

0:23:17.692,0:23:20.983
something traumatic that happened.

0:23:23.817,0:23:28.347
Because it's different to handle emotions

0:23:28.371,0:23:32.900
that come back in a never-ending circle,

0:23:33.900,0:23:39.650
or an emotion that comes from something[br]that happens in a moment and goes away.

0:23:42.567,0:23:45.733
I'd like a little advice how to do it.

0:23:46.692,0:23:52.230
It confuses me[br]to learn something

0:23:52.254,0:24:00.067
that helps me to always be happy or be at peace

0:24:05.108,0:24:12.858
but without wanting that the pain[br]goes away. It's like a contradiction:

0:24:14.442,0:24:21.817
How to embrace it without getting[br]caught in it, or holding it back.

0:24:23.942,0:24:27.723
The concrete question is:

0:24:30.237,0:24:37.817
How can I see when something that comes up

0:24:38.069,0:24:44.914
needs to be embraced, or I can just[br]let it go and focus on something else,

0:24:47.815,0:24:53.358
or how can I see the point[br]where I'm holding it back?

0:24:54.233,0:24:58.942
This difference where I'm embracing it[br]or where I'm getting stuck on it.

0:24:59.775,0:25:05.192
How to let it go without[br]it wanting to let go.

0:25:06.233,0:25:08.233
I hope you understand it.

0:25:22.400,0:25:24.858
Br. Phap Huu: Thank you for your question.

0:25:28.150,0:25:31.233
I will share from my own experience[br]as a practitioner.

0:25:34.692,0:25:44.358
First of all, we have to understand that[br]meditation is not to get rid of feelings.

0:25:46.233,0:25:59.442
We don't practice it to have a single[br]field of emotions that we feel is us.

0:26:01.067,0:26:07.983
But meditation, mindfulness,[br]is the ability to stop,

0:26:09.942,0:26:13.483
to recognise what is happening,[br]what is present.

0:26:14.608,0:26:19.025
Name it. To identify it.[br]To call it by its name.

0:26:20.942,0:26:23.358
And that is acceptance.

0:26:24.025,0:26:31.817
For me, a good word that I use,[br]particularly with emotions

0:26:32.650,0:26:39.400
and feelings that are very linked[br]to childhood and experiences,

0:26:40.025,0:26:46.192
is to befriend it.[br]To befriend that emotion, that feeling.

0:26:48.067,0:26:56.358
We can have a natural reaction, like[br]trying to get rid of it, or run from it.

0:26:57.775,0:27:01.317
I've run away from particular[br]emotions for a very long time.

0:27:02.025,0:27:07.692
Like you shared in your question,[br]it doesn't go away.

0:27:10.275,0:27:17.900
The word that we use[br]in our training is 'transformation'.

0:27:19.400,0:27:25.567
We can transform a seed, a feeling[br]that we have experienced

0:27:26.900,0:27:29.150
into another feeling.

0:27:29.942,0:27:33.275
Inviting another feeling[br]to embrace and take care.

0:27:33.817,0:27:41.733
Mindfulness is an energy[br]that we can cultivate

0:27:43.358,0:27:47.900
to befriend these emotions.

0:27:50.150,0:27:56.442
The practice of our arriving[br]in every moment is the present moment.

0:27:57.983,0:28:03.317
The present moment[br]is the place where life truly is.

0:28:04.692,0:28:12.067
Where we can invite that emotion[br]to be present, to embrace it

0:28:12.650,0:28:15.692
with our present moment of who you are.

0:28:17.608,0:28:22.067
I can say that all of us have suffered.

0:28:23.525,0:28:30.900
Suffering is a noble truth.[br]We all can understand suffering.

0:28:32.025,0:28:36.400
It can make us relate to one another.

0:28:37.692,0:28:45.692
Suffering can also be a prison.[br]We can be attached to our suffering.

0:28:47.192,0:28:54.983
And the suffering we tend to be[br]attached to might not be the feeling,

0:28:55.608,0:28:57.608
but it's the story.

0:28:59.567,0:29:09.942
Every time that emotion, that feeling,[br]comes up, that story is recalled.

0:29:11.400,0:29:18.116
Our practice is to identify the story.[br]Recognise the story, embrace it,

0:29:18.184,0:29:26.858
but have the mindfulness of this present[br]moment that I am not in that situation.

0:29:27.900,0:29:30.192
I am a new me today.

0:29:31.567,0:29:36.525
This new me has the ability to embrace.

0:29:37.400,0:29:45.567
To recognise. And to tell the child[br]that was wounded inside:

0:29:46.692,0:29:52.650
"Yes, I have suffered,[br]I have experienced such pain.

0:29:54.025,0:30:03.108
But in this present moment, I have[br]other energies that I can cultivate."

0:30:05.025,0:30:12.608
Love for oneself. Compassion.[br]Courage. Solidity.

0:30:15.317,0:30:20.275
In this present moment,[br]by embracing this pain,

0:30:22.608,0:30:25.400
we don't just get lost in this story.

0:30:25.900,0:30:32.692
It's like when we've been slapped.[br]We're not being slapped again.

0:30:34.275,0:30:40.025
But this time we are aware of that pain[br]and we are telling ourselves

0:30:40.608,0:30:45.067
that in that moment,[br]I'm cultivating something new.

0:30:45.567,0:30:50.567
So you are healing the child.[br]You are transforming it

0:30:51.108,0:30:55.067
to live, deeply, this present moment.

0:30:56.400,0:31:04.275
And this is the work of transformation[br]for the samsara, the cycle.

0:31:06.317,0:31:09.650
To have an opportunity to stop.

0:31:13.983,0:31:22.525
On a personal note:[br]I've practised for more than 20 years.

0:31:26.040,0:31:30.192
Fear is a seed that is still[br]very present in me.

0:31:33.525,0:31:39.692
In particular situations, maybe if[br]I meet somebody who reminds me

0:31:40.608,0:31:45.692
of someone who offered[br]a lot of pain to me,

0:31:47.067,0:31:50.567
that seed of fear gets watered.

0:31:52.275,0:31:56.442
But now as a practitioner,[br]I'm not afraid.

0:31:57.317,0:31:59.233
I can become aware of my body.

0:31:59.816,0:32:06.483
Your body will have a reaction[br]to the fear that is channeled.

0:32:07.112,0:32:10.525
The first place of mindfulness[br]is the body.

0:32:11.400,0:32:13.858
I come back, I recognise the fear.

0:32:14.567,0:32:18.233
I know exactly where[br]the reaction is coming from.

0:32:18.608,0:32:22.525
I bring my mindfulness[br]to those body parts.

0:32:23.525,0:32:27.400
I calm the nervous system[br]with mindful breathing,

0:32:28.108,0:32:31.166
or with total relaxation.

0:32:32.095,0:32:36.630
And in this moment[br]of recognising the seed of fear,

0:32:37.404,0:32:43.155
I tell myself: "Phap Huu, don't be afraid.

0:32:43.863,0:32:47.650
You're much more than that emotion."

0:32:48.608,0:32:51.025
You have many other wonderful emotions.

0:32:51.650,0:32:58.233
I call up the other emotions.[br]I have confidence in my practice.

0:32:59.858,0:33:02.983
I know how to breathe.[br]Nobody can take that away.

0:33:04.733,0:33:06.733
I know how to be present.

0:33:07.192,0:33:12.067
I have learned to recognise[br]how to be myself.

0:33:12.733,0:33:14.608
To be with my loved ones.

0:33:14.942,0:33:17.067
I know how to do it.

0:33:17.442,0:33:22.483
Mindfulness is also remembering.[br]Remembering how to.

0:33:22.983,0:33:27.192
How to be in the moment[br]where you can be solid.

0:33:29.199,0:33:32.900
So our practise of this present moment

0:33:35.192,0:33:39.483
is training to take care[br]and to heal the wounds.

0:33:42.400,0:33:44.733
As a mindfulness practitioner,

0:33:46.483,0:33:54.775
we have to have the ability to know[br]when it's enough to be with suffering.

0:33:56.317,0:34:00.567
We can be very ambitious[br]as a practitioner.

0:34:01.483,0:34:05.358
"The monks, the nuns,[br]are telling me to recognise my suffering.

0:34:06.233,0:34:09.025
OK, I see it. And now[br]I want to transform it all."

0:34:10.817,0:34:13.400
Don't do that. It's a dark hole.

0:34:15.150,0:34:18.650
Be generous and patient with yourself.

0:34:19.483,0:34:26.358
For us, the practise is a path[br]of transformation. It takes time.

0:34:28.858,0:34:36.525
We have to develop the joy and[br]the happiness in the present moment.

0:34:37.358,0:34:42.192
To also let the wounded child know[br]that you have the ability

0:34:43.775,0:34:46.650
to live happily in this present moment.

0:34:48.067,0:34:52.150
This doesn't mean[br]"to have something to be happy".

0:34:53.192,0:34:58.150
But in this moment, I am present.[br]I still have the ability to recognise

0:34:59.400,0:35:02.858
the simple joy, the wonderful[br]conditions that are there.

0:35:04.150,0:35:06.942
Recognising pain is a happy condition.

0:35:08.192,0:35:10.483
Knowing what to do,[br]what not to do.

0:35:13.400,0:35:15.608
I hope that helps. Thank you.

0:35:20.108,0:35:22.150
Woman: Can I say one more thing?

0:35:23.067,0:35:30.817
So it's important not to identify[br]with the emotion, or with this thing.

0:35:33.942,0:35:36.567
I understand it.

0:35:38.567,0:35:44.650
And to know that I can decide[br]when I look at it and when not.

0:35:45.733,0:35:52.233
Because it really was like you said.[br]I thought: "Let's look at it" for years.

0:36:00.025,0:36:03.067
Br. Phap Huu: Yes and no.

0:36:05.983,0:36:12.150
To not be caught and[br]just identify as one emotion.

0:36:13.609,0:36:16.608
As one past story.

0:36:18.442,0:36:21.067
Because we are[br]a continuous stream of life.

0:36:21.733,0:36:29.192
If we are just caught in one story,[br]we'll become a victim of the story forever

0:36:31.358,0:36:38.233
But our practise is to identify:[br]"Yes, in this moment, I am angry."

0:36:40.317,0:36:42.358
"That is just one emotion, though."

0:36:42.733,0:36:50.525
In this moment, I can invite[br]and invoke other energies.

0:36:51.025,0:36:54.233
And therefore, you are[br]more than that emotion.

0:36:55.025,0:37:02.071
I've done this myself:

0:37:02.095,0:37:06.858
Feel very entangled[br]in an emotion, in a story.

0:37:07.442,0:37:09.817
And I see myself as just that.

0:37:11.442,0:37:14.650
But our mindfulness[br]of coming home to oneself,

0:37:15.608,0:37:18.192
we know we are much more than just that.

0:37:19.525,0:37:22.858
We are a continuation of our ancestors.

0:37:24.025,0:37:26.817
We are a continuation of this earth.

0:37:27.317,0:37:29.983
Sometimes, I take refuge[br]in land ancestors.

0:37:31.442,0:37:34.275
I am much more than just this suffering.

0:37:35.983,0:37:40.405
But also to own our suffering,

0:37:40.429,0:37:44.275
and be responsible to transform it.

0:37:45.025,0:37:49.900
'Cause I've met people, sorry,[br]I'm going on a little bit long.

0:37:51.733,0:37:55.983
I've met people who've become[br]very attached to their suffering.

0:37:57.525,0:38:02.108
And that suffering[br]becomes a way to blame life.

0:38:04.150,0:38:06.442
And using that as an excuse.

0:38:06.983,0:38:11.150
And our teacher shared with us[br]that we all have the right to suffer.

0:38:13.400,0:38:20.525
But it is our responsibility to[br]transform it. This is it. Thank you.

0:38:56.052,0:39:02.900
[sound of the bell]

0:39:29.358,0:39:34.817
Paolo: This matter about gardening[br]and nourishing our seeds.

0:39:38.025,0:39:44.942
Help me to understand and to cope,[br]I would say, with my inconsistency.

0:39:46.233,0:39:55.108
Having both grown, beautifully,[br]my seeds of generosity, and greed.

0:39:56.817,0:40:00.567
Of welcoming, loving,[br]and of anger.

0:40:02.775,0:40:12.483
Dealing with this source of having both[br]parts, and experiencing both parts.

0:40:12.900,0:40:17.067
This is one big topic I'm working on.

0:40:18.858,0:40:23.858
But my question is about[br]gardening others' gardens.

0:40:25.067,0:40:36.108
Of course, unwillingly, I also grew anger[br]and pain and sadness and distrust

0:40:37.775,0:40:42.733
in people I love.[br]It's very convenient for me to say:

0:40:43.608,0:40:49.275
"Oh, I'm a new Paolo. I'm in the moment.[br]The past is the past, don't worry."

0:40:50.108,0:40:52.275
It's very convenient for me.

0:40:52.775,0:40:56.983
But I understand that this is[br]not so easy for the other,

0:40:57.525,0:40:59.358
because the pain is not mine.

0:40:59.692,0:41:05.442
What can I do about the pain[br]that I generated, over many years maybe,

0:41:07.150,0:41:10.567
and how can I deal with it today?

0:41:28.775,0:41:31.858
Br. Troi Bao Tang: Dear Thay,[br]dear community, and dear friends.

0:41:33.067,0:41:37.942
It's true that our mind is like a garden.

0:41:39.733,0:41:45.525
When we go to the garden, we may find[br]beautiful plants that we love.

0:41:46.775,0:41:48.983
Flowers, trees, et cetera.

0:41:50.858,0:41:58.567
But we will also find grass,[br]and the plants we don't really like.

0:42:05.803,0:42:11.650
But they are all there. This is[br]one thing we first have to accept.

0:42:12.942,0:42:16.192
That everything is organic[br]and they are all there.

0:42:17.525,0:42:19.983
And they all can be transformed, too.

0:42:21.275,0:42:29.067
The place where the nettles grow,[br]if we want to change it into flowers,

0:42:29.775,0:42:32.025
it's possible.

0:42:33.358,0:42:38.983
But we can also allow the nettles[br]to be there and see the goodness of it.

0:42:42.317,0:42:47.108
So for me, for example, when I practise,

0:42:50.233,0:42:56.775
in the beginning I thought I could[br]take away all of the bad seeds in me.

0:42:57.733,0:43:00.275
And to have no more bad seeds,[br]only good seeds.

0:43:02.192,0:43:07.858
I imagined, if I practised, and one day[br]I would not have anger any more,

0:43:09.692,0:43:13.150
it means I am emotionally handicapped.

0:43:14.775,0:43:17.400
And I don't want to be like that.

0:43:18.567,0:43:20.525
I want to feel alive.

0:43:22.442,0:43:27.025
But to do that, I need to have[br]enough energy of mindfulness

0:43:27.858,0:43:32.733
in the present moment,[br]to recognise that something is arising

0:43:33.650,0:43:37.233
that I don't appreciate.

0:43:39.400,0:43:44.900
Something that can cause[br]suffering for myself and for others.

0:43:48.567,0:43:52.400
So that is why navigating[br]our action is very important.

0:43:53.442,0:43:58.692
First, recognise what is happening in us,[br]and then we navigate our action.

0:44:01.025,0:44:04.900
The fourth mindfulness training[br]is very helpful to do that.

0:44:06.150,0:44:09.400
When we recognise that[br]we are in a strong emotion,

0:44:11.233,0:44:15.858
we practise not to speak[br]and not to act, but instead,

0:44:16.942,0:44:19.317
to recognise it and[br]practise with that seed.

0:44:21.025,0:44:28.692
Until you feel you have enough calm.[br]Then you can start to communicate.

0:44:30.650,0:44:36.608
Tonight we will learn more about that,[br]in the practise of loving speech.

0:44:39.358,0:44:45.608
So let's say we have done a thing[br]that caused suffering in the past

0:44:46.650,0:44:55.150
and it has become a burden for us.[br]Maybe it makes us feel guilty.

0:44:56.858,0:45:00.233
It makes us feel like we have[br]to take the responsibility for that.

0:45:03.650,0:45:07.817
So in the practise,[br]feeling regret is very healthy.

0:45:09.067,0:45:12.192
It is not good,[br]it is not bad to feel regret.

0:45:12.983,0:45:19.608
But that regret, if it has grown[br]into a burden for our mind,

0:45:20.608,0:45:23.900
then it is not very good,[br]then it is not healthy for us.

0:45:24.942,0:45:30.983
So one thing we can practise is[br]to change the direction of our guilt

0:45:31.775,0:45:39.192
into an aspiration.[br]Into the aspiration of practising.

0:45:40.900,0:45:49.025
So let's say, I get triggered and I cannot[br]stop myself from saying something.

0:45:50.025,0:45:52.775
To make people feel pain, for example.

0:45:53.858,0:45:57.817
If one time I feel[br]I'm not doing it successfully,

0:45:59.025,0:46:01.233
I know that I can do it better next time.

0:46:01.983,0:46:06.400
And I need to make a real effort[br]to do better the next time.

0:46:08.733,0:46:13.567
Until I'm able to stop my speech,[br]that is already good enough.

0:46:18.775,0:46:21.900
Because if we are not able[br]to save the people in the past,

0:46:22.525,0:46:24.817
we can still save the people[br]in the present moment.

0:46:25.525,0:46:27.900
And we can save the people in the future.

0:46:29.067,0:46:34.608
But this moment is very crucial[br]to cultivate that aspiration to

0:46:35.525,0:46:39.855
practise and embrace that.[br]And to not be afraid of it.

0:46:41.355,0:46:44.983
So, when we practise like that,[br]we also have self-compassion,

0:46:45.567,0:46:49.483
that we have a weakness inside,[br]that we can still embrace.

0:46:54.317,0:46:59.192
When you are able to be present[br]for your loved ones,

0:47:00.775,0:47:04.192
that is already good enough[br]to transform the past.

0:47:10.483,0:47:17.108
We made people suffer[br]in the past unconsciously,

0:47:17.650,0:47:21.567
because we didn't have enough[br]energy of mindfulness at the time.

0:47:22.900,0:47:30.692
By generating energy of mindfulness[br]and aspiration to do it better,

0:47:31.983,0:47:34.942
we can do it now.

0:47:35.317,0:47:41.317
In our practise, we have a lot of methods,[br]we call them dharma doors,

0:47:43.192,0:47:49.329
like touching of the earth,

0:47:49.353,0:47:54.442
cultivating joy and happiness[br]in the present moment,

0:47:55.608,0:47:58.442
that will help us to be more attentive.

0:48:00.233,0:48:03.317
In the practise, we should[br]not be afraid of failure.

0:48:04.400,0:48:08.442
There's no failure actually.[br]We just need to exercise and to practise.

0:48:09.650,0:48:12.108
Thank you for the question.

0:48:13.400,0:48:15.400
Br. Phap Huu: Can I add one thing?

0:48:16.067,0:48:26.025
If we have hurt another garden,[br]very simple, but very difficult:

0:48:28.233,0:48:30.192
Apologise.

0:48:31.025,0:48:32.692
Say "I'm sorry."

0:48:35.858,0:48:38.650
And why is it so difficult,[br]even for us practitioners?

0:48:39.525,0:48:41.483
Because we think we're right.

0:48:44.442,0:48:48.317
And I share this from my own[br]experience of living in this community.

0:48:49.692,0:48:54.863
We work with brothers [br]and sisters 365 days.

0:48:56.127,0:48:59.067
We smile a lot,

0:48:59.525,0:49:01.942
but we also get angry at each other.

0:49:03.733,0:49:11.192
And even in our greatest intention[br]of doing things for "the greater good",

0:49:14.942,0:49:18.442
we will still make each other suffer.

0:49:20.733,0:49:27.525
And my biggest growth as an individual[br]is learning to say sorry.

0:49:28.692,0:49:30.775
Without explaining.

0:49:32.067,0:49:38.900
Every time I've made someone suffer[br]in the past, I had a reason to do so.

0:49:41.775,0:49:43.817
We all do this.

0:49:45.900,0:49:50.733
Our practise of the present moment,[br]now I've learned, when somebody expresses

0:49:51.358,0:49:54.650
their pain and hurt to me,[br]of what I've done to them,

0:49:55.817,0:50:02.983
my mind will go into the garden right away[br]and say: "Yes but, I gave you good manure,

0:50:03.942,0:50:10.608
now you're a better person," and you find[br]every reason to justify your action.

0:50:12.400,0:50:15.650
And I've learned that[br]that doesn't do me any good.

0:50:16.733,0:50:21.525
It only feeds my own ego. It only[br]makes the other person hate me more

0:50:22.275,0:50:24.400
because I don't listen.

0:50:25.483,0:50:37.025
And the biggest support and practise[br]in that moment is to bow and to say:

0:50:37.525,0:50:41.067
"I'm so sorry I made you suffer."

0:50:41.442,0:50:46.317
Because what is real is that[br]that person is suffering. That is real.

0:50:47.608,0:50:52.317
That, for me, is what[br]I have learned to accept.

0:50:54.067,0:50:58.317
And our practise is[br]to help remove the knot.

0:51:01.698,0:51:05.692
And we will hear the practise[br]of beginning anew this afternoon.

0:51:06.608,0:51:11.233
But this is the biggest practise[br]of taking care of one's garden

0:51:12.192,0:51:15.775
and of each other's garden:[br]Beginning anew.

0:51:16.775,0:51:26.608
To recognise the pain that we have[br]offered, even from a good intention.

0:51:29.150,0:51:33.025
But your action has made[br]that person suffer.

0:51:35.150,0:51:38.650
And just to accept,[br]you accept the suffering.

0:51:39.567,0:51:44.150
Maybe, in my critical mind, there's[br]still a part of me: "I had to say that."

0:51:45.442,0:51:48.650
"I had to do that."[br]But that's not important.

0:51:48.983,0:51:51.150
That's already in the past.

0:51:51.442,0:51:59.317
The present is: "You suffer. It was[br]my words. It was my choice of action.

0:52:00.900,0:52:05.858
I will learn from this.[br]I will reflect on these actions."

0:52:06.942,0:52:12.692
And in this way, you offer[br]the other garden understanding.

0:52:14.358,0:52:17.942
Because when someone suffers,[br]what they want the most,

0:52:18.692,0:52:26.650
in my understanding, is to be heard,[br]to be seen, and to be accepted.

0:52:32.368,0:52:35.406
If we're too proud of our garden,

0:52:35.525,0:52:42.525
then we are not supporting and helping.

0:52:43.025,0:52:44.775
We're just showing off.

0:52:45.150,0:52:50.567
As a practitioner, there are moments[br]to come back to humility,

0:52:51.650,0:52:56.775
to be humble, so that we know[br]we're not always right.

0:52:58.442,0:53:02.733
And we still have compost[br]that we need to take care of.

0:53:04.650,0:53:09.567
That, for me, is bruising,[br]it's painful,

0:53:11.733,0:53:18.275
but it gives us an opportunity[br]to continue to grow.

0:53:21.733,0:53:24.317
That is the wisdom of nature.

0:53:25.150,0:53:28.858
That it's always growing.[br]It's learning from its mistakes.

0:53:30.317,0:53:34.150
And the garden continues[br]to bloom it its four seasons.

0:53:35.192,0:53:36.900
Thank you.

0:54:05.817,0:54:12.900
[sound of the bell]

0:54:34.150,0:54:36.900
Woman: I have more of a kid's question.

0:54:41.108,0:54:48.608
It's a little bit concerning the saying:[br]A cloud never dies.

0:54:52.233,0:54:58.733
Sometimes we have conversations with[br]children about death and reincarnation.

0:55:00.733,0:55:04.692
My son often says:[br]I don't like this reincarnation,

0:55:05.608,0:55:09.775
because you won't be my mother in[br]another life, and my dad won't be my dad.

0:55:16.176,0:55:19.409
It's difficult to have answers.

0:55:21.550,0:55:28.067
Here, we really feel[br]that the body never dies,

0:55:29.525,0:55:31.946
kind of like composting.

0:55:35.252,0:55:39.608
And reincarnation really talks to me.

0:55:40.817,0:55:48.547
Also the heritage of our ancestors[br]and the lineage.

0:55:53.499,0:55:56.942
It's all a bit blurry.

0:55:59.532,0:56:02.900
I thought that maybe[br]you could be clearer.

0:56:20.400,0:56:23.692
Br. Phap Linh: I'll see[br]if I can summarise the question

0:56:24.358,0:56:26.025
to make sure we understood.

0:56:27.192,0:56:35.525
There's two types of teaching[br]on continuation, reincarnation, rebirth.

0:56:36.275,0:56:43.525
In one type, it seems to be that there is[br]something like a soul, or a person,

0:56:44.275,0:56:48.733
that gets reincarnated. And[br]that person has a kind of continuity.

0:56:51.400,0:56:54.567
Although the relationships might change.

0:56:57.692,0:57:00.775
But it's that person that[br]then appears in another body.

0:57:01.067,0:57:07.525
And then according to Thay's teaching,[br]it's something more blurry.

0:57:08.942,0:57:15.525
We don't see ourselves exactly[br]as a separate entity or person

0:57:16.275,0:57:20.442
that gets reincarnated, because[br]we are already all of our ancestors

0:57:20.942,0:57:23.025
and all of our descendants.

0:57:23.275,0:57:25.275
And we are the whole cosmos.

0:57:25.442,0:57:29.400
So who dies, and who is reborn?

0:57:34.400,0:57:36.900
Could it be more clear?

0:57:38.025,0:57:39.983
[laughter]

0:57:43.983,0:57:45.733
I think it's quite clear.

0:57:55.838,0:58:07.983
There's a part of us that still[br]doesn't quite trust or believe

0:58:09.650,0:58:16.733
that we are already each other.[br]That we are already the earth,

0:58:17.900,0:58:22.275
the stars, the entire cosmos.[br]The past, the future.

0:58:26.483,0:58:31.858
"Yeah, OK, I guess, intellectually, I[br]kind of understand this interconnection.

0:58:32.608,0:58:36.025
But why is it that I feel things[br]that you don't feel?

0:58:36.983,0:58:40.733
Or I see things from a point of view[br]and you have a different point of view."

0:58:41.067,0:58:42.858
We are different.

0:58:43.483,0:58:45.108
We do seem to be different.

0:58:45.358,0:58:50.567
We seem to have our personalities[br]and characteristics. We're not identical.

0:58:52.525,0:58:57.317
And yet we are, each of us,[br]manifestations of the whole.

0:58:58.319,0:59:00.025
It's very strange.

0:59:05.775,0:59:07.817
It's OK for it to be strange.

0:59:12.900,0:59:17.692
Of course there's a part of us[br]that would like it to be clear.

0:59:20.525,0:59:23.608
Sort of explainable. Simple.

0:59:25.775,0:59:27.817
But I think that would be more boring.

0:59:31.108,0:59:36.025
So I like to kind of rest in the mystery.

0:59:39.192,0:59:43.108
I acknowledge the part of me[br]that wants to know.

0:59:44.608,0:59:46.858
But I also see its limitations.

0:59:48.192,0:59:52.275
That part of me that wants[br]to grasp and explain, in words:

0:59:53.191,0:59:57.983
"It's like this, and then it's like that",[br]make a nice picture,

0:59:59.358,1:00:10.025
I go: "Hello! I see you. You can rest.[br]Take a break. This is another part of us."

1:00:12.650,1:00:22.525
It doesn't need to resolve it.[br]It can dwell peacefully in the mystery.

1:00:25.150,1:00:31.483
My experience of it is that it's[br]a much more alive place to be.

1:00:35.567,1:00:41.400
I think it's beautiful that[br]at the heart of reality,

1:00:41.900,1:00:45.317
at the heart of the present moment,[br]at the heart of life, of us,

1:00:45.733,1:00:48.442
there is something that cannot be grasped.

1:00:48.983,1:00:50.650
That cannot be explained.

1:00:54.858,1:00:56.692
I prefer it like that.

1:01:00.150,1:01:01.593
No?

1:01:01.692,1:01:05.067
It's so much more fun.

1:01:06.692,1:01:14.067
If it was all explainable, you could just[br]write it down and you'd be done.

1:01:14.525,1:01:18.858
"OK, now we know.[br]What else should we do?"

1:01:23.192,1:01:25.442
It's kinda boring.

1:01:29.983,1:01:32.692
For me, a part of the practise is[br]to recognise the part of me

1:01:33.233,1:01:37.149
that wants to know in that kind of way.

1:01:37.392,1:01:40.358
It doesn't mean that we can't know.

1:01:40.733,1:01:42.608
It's just another kind of knowing.

1:01:43.275,1:01:49.525
We do know. We already know[br]that it's a different kind of knowing.

1:01:50.067,1:01:54.108
It's a knowing that[br]can't be said in words.

1:01:54.525,1:01:56.067
It can't be grasped.

1:01:56.192,1:01:58.067
But it can be experienced.

1:02:00.275,1:02:04.025
Sometimes it's a little glimmer,[br]a little flash of that knowing.

1:02:04.900,1:02:07.733
You feel it. You feel connected.

1:02:10.525,1:02:12.567
You feel at peace.

1:02:18.858,1:02:23.192
I think that is something[br]that we can settle into.

1:02:23.692,1:02:25.983
And there's words that can take us there.

1:02:26.400,1:02:28.275
To some extent or another.

1:02:28.483,1:02:31.275
Even stories, or poems.

1:02:31.483,1:02:35.567
Why do we sit here, talking,[br]if it can't be said?

1:02:36.942,1:02:41.025
Why did Thay give so many talks,[br]thousands of talks. He kept talking

1:02:42.858,1:02:45.150
about something that can't be said.

1:02:47.067,1:02:52.275
Because if he did that and we continue[br]to do that, it's not completely useless.

1:02:55.983,1:03:02.858
I observe what we're doing here now[br]and I find it very beautiful.

1:03:05.942,1:03:10.108
That we're sitting here and[br]not looking at our phones

1:03:11.045,1:03:15.317
We're not distracting ourselves[br]on our phones.

1:03:15.733,1:03:18.900
We're sitting here and[br]there's something happening

1:03:19.525,1:03:23.400
to all of us by the fact[br]of sitting here together.

1:03:26.400,1:03:31.275
It's a bit hard to grasp[br]what exactly is going on.

1:03:31.692,1:03:35.317
What are we doing? It might[br]not be exactly what we think.

1:03:39.608,1:03:42.400
But I think the fact that[br]we are sitting here

1:03:43.108,1:03:49.025
and maybe all of us, or most of us,[br]are aware of our breathing,

1:03:51.192,1:03:58.983
aware of the sensations in our body,[br]maybe noticing some discomfort

1:04:00.608,1:04:03.400
in the present moment[br]and accepting it,

1:04:05.525,1:04:10.233
that's a kind of awakening for me.[br]It's a kind of rebirth.

1:04:16.008,1:04:22.817
My ancestors didn't do this[br]50 years ago. A 100 years ago.

1:04:23.192,1:04:26.400
150 years ago. They didn't[br]have a way to do this.

1:04:26.692,1:04:31.858
To sit together in a room[br]to cultivate stillness,

1:04:33.358,1:04:36.650
to cultivate awareness of their bodies,[br]of their feelings, thoughts ...

1:04:42.775,1:04:45.733
But now we are doing that.

1:04:47.650,1:04:54.233
Thanks to one man, Thay,[br]he was exiled, he lived in the West,

1:04:55.025,1:04:57.403
and he saw that maybe[br]there was something

1:04:57.428,1:05:00.317
that we needed[br]to cultivate a little bit more.

1:05:02.817,1:05:09.608
And so that stream of wisdom and practise[br]joined all of our streams of lineage,

1:05:11.942,1:05:22.608
of culture, education, transmission,[br]inheritance, suffering and happiness.

1:05:25.358,1:05:29.650
So something is being awakened.[br]Somebody is being reborn.

1:05:31.900,1:05:35.817
But I don't know if it doesn't[br]belong to any of us individually.

1:05:36.483,1:05:38.775
We're all changing, together.

1:05:39.067,1:05:41.317
We're all transforming together.

1:05:45.233,1:05:46.703
And ...

1:05:51.793,1:05:54.483
I can't say that I understand it.

1:05:55.692,1:05:58.567
Or that I can know it exactly.

1:06:00.233,1:06:02.858
But I can feel that it's important.

1:06:05.108,1:06:07.376
And ...

1:06:12.369,1:06:15.025
I can talk to my ancestors.

1:06:15.608,1:06:19.192
I ask them how they would[br]like to continue.

1:06:22.608,1:06:24.483
What direction they would like to go in.

1:06:24.650,1:06:29.983
Almost all of them. Not quite all of them,[br]some of them are still negotiating,

1:06:31.900,1:06:37.275
but pretty much all of them[br]are very, very happy to be here.

1:06:39.525,1:06:44.317
To live like this.[br]To do these things together.

1:06:47.455,1:06:56.817
It would be kind of sad if they had[br]to just continue to be themselves.

1:06:59.317,1:07:04.733
So the change and the fact that[br]we inter-are is an amazing thing.

1:07:05.317,1:07:08.192
It's a wonderful thing.[br]It's what liberates us.

1:07:08.567,1:07:15.650
We don't have to keep continuing the[br]same patterns of suffering, of confusion.

1:07:18.483,1:07:26.900
We can also get beyond the stories of[br]who we were and the pains we experienced.

1:07:28.400,1:07:33.317
We can start to soften that and[br]let that go a little bit and experience

1:07:33.900,1:07:44.150
what it might be to live as a community.[br]To live as the world. As forests. Clouds.

1:07:51.650,1:07:55.567
Of course there's still a part of us[br]which seems to be very concerned

1:07:56.108,1:08:00.108
with what happens to this body,[br]these feelings, these thoughts.

1:08:02.400,1:08:08.067
But from time to time we get to experience[br]something that stretches us a little bit,

1:08:08.567,1:08:15.525
that goes beyond the immediate concern[br]for this part of the whole.

1:08:17.608,1:08:23.525
And I find that interesting.[br]I find it kinda healthy.

1:08:25.400,1:08:28.608
I'm still gonna do my best[br]to take care of this bit.

1:08:30.317,1:08:43.442
But I like to practise daily stretching[br]the envelope of what I think I am.

1:08:45.692,1:08:48.733
I find it changes my view[br]in interesting ways.

1:08:49.775,1:08:52.817
It changes my priorities[br]in interesting ways.

1:08:57.858,1:09:03.108
What if I'm actually also the forest?[br]What does the forest think?

1:09:03.525,1:09:06.733
What does it need, what does it feel?[br]Can I feel what it feels?

1:09:07.358,1:09:09.525
Am I already feeling what it feels?

1:09:09.900,1:09:14.483
Is something that I'm feeling actually[br]not to do with what I think it is,

1:09:14.817,1:09:18.692
but it's actually a manifestation[br]of the feelings of the earth,

1:09:19.400,1:09:21.483
I just misidentified it?

1:09:21.858,1:09:28.192
I find that very interesting.[br]To experiment with my boundaries.

1:09:28.900,1:09:31.317
Let them be more flexible.

1:09:31.608,1:09:35.317
And I think Thay showed us that[br]again and again and again.

1:09:36.233,1:09:40.608
Of course he had his body[br]and his feelings and his thoughts.

1:09:41.025,1:09:43.942
Personality. One that we loved.

1:09:45.108,1:09:55.150
But I could feel many times that he[br]wasn't as concerned about just this part,

1:09:56.067,1:09:59.358
the body, as you might think.

1:10:01.483,1:10:03.317
He wasn't afraid.

1:10:03.733,1:10:06.692
He would sometimes make this gesture.

1:10:06.983,1:10:10.233
"Don't get attached[br]to the body, to the form;

1:10:10.442,1:10:13.483
Thay is the tiniest part of what I am."

1:10:18.192,1:10:25.942
So even if our personality[br]gets reincarnated somehow,

1:10:27.525,1:10:31.942
into another body, it's OK.[br]But that's not all we are.

1:10:35.045,1:10:37.567
It's a very small part of who we are.

1:10:37.900,1:10:42.483
So maybe it doesn't matter[br]as much as we think.

1:10:45.025,1:10:52.858
What happens to the little piece[br]of reality that we identify with as self.

1:10:54.317,1:10:59.817
In the many ways that we can apply[br]the practise that Thay has offered us,

1:11:01.067,1:11:10.817
to experiment with being more flexible[br]with what it is that we think we are,

1:11:11.483,1:11:16.358
like right now we can sit here and think[br]of our own individual needs and wants.

1:11:17.317,1:11:20.858
There's probably things that we want.

1:11:23.692,1:11:31.442
We'd like to feel better. Less[br]uncomfortable. Happier. More peaceful.

1:11:32.108,1:11:35.233
There's things pulling at us inside.

1:11:38.317,1:11:43.275
But it's also possible to look around[br]to sort of feel into the space of the room

1:11:44.400,1:11:48.192
and to feel: "Oh, there's something really[br]interesting happening here.

1:11:48.483,1:11:52.775
Why have a couple of hundred people[br]chosen to spend their Thursday morning

1:11:53.650,1:12:00.067
sitting still and listening deeply[br]to each other and to themselves?

1:12:02.442,1:12:04.483
I wonder what's happening."

1:12:05.747,1:12:09.250
It's a very strange thing. I don't know[br]in how many parts of the world

1:12:09.275,1:12:14.483
this is happening right now.[br]In how many places is this going on?

1:12:15.400,1:12:18.567
Not many. I find it really interesting.

1:12:22.650,1:12:25.442
There is something happening[br]which we are a part of,

1:12:25.775,1:12:28.442
but that we're not exactly doing.

1:12:29.650,1:12:34.233
We get focused a lot on "What is it[br]that I'm doing, my choices?"

1:12:35.025,1:12:39.025
But there's so much of our life[br]that is not doing.

1:12:42.025,1:12:46.317
We are co-being. Co-manifesting.

1:12:49.692,1:12:52.067
So. I don't think it's any clearer.

1:12:54.233,1:12:56.192
But I think it's also OK.

1:13:04.317,1:13:08.233
Br. Phap Huu: Dear community.[br]I think we have to end

1:13:09.317,1:13:15.317
because we don't want to[br]overtake our joyful and lazy day.

1:13:16.275,1:13:23.317
There's just one part I want to share.[br]It's the "Sorry" part

1:13:25.108,1:13:29.608
which was the first[br]action of recognising suffering.

1:13:30.900,1:13:39.692
But if there is some misunderstanding[br]about the situation, there's always

1:13:40.400,1:13:47.358
a time and space to clarify,[br]to come back and to resolve any conflict

1:13:48.483,1:13:53.733
that has been established.[br]It's not just "I'm sorry", and that's it.

1:13:54.442,1:13:58.650
If there is wrong perception,[br]when we are talking about the garden,

1:13:59.275,1:14:03.525
if there is real wrong perception,[br]and there is miscommunication,

1:14:04.567,1:14:10.817
the practise is to find a time and space[br]to communicate and resolve,

1:14:11.483,1:14:16.900
so that the relationship[br]can be re-established.

1:14:18.067,1:14:20.483
Normally, when somebody[br]is sharing their suffering,

1:14:20.900,1:14:24.192
it's just very easy to get very defensive.

1:14:24.983,1:14:29.442
That defensiveness blocks[br]the heart to connect.

1:14:30.233,1:14:37.650
We have to be very mindful of[br]our judgment and our righteousness.

1:14:39.192,1:14:43.317
Then we create space in order to resolve.

1:14:44.067,1:14:45.150
Thank you.

1:14:45.483,1:14:48.400
Thank you, dear friends, for being present.

1:14:48.900,1:14:50.983
For listening with open hearts.

1:14:51.692,1:14:54.733
Let us listen to three[br]sounds of the bell together.

1:15:12.275,1:15:20.442
[sound of the bell]

1:15:43.483,1:15:50.983
[sound of the bell]

1:16:04.900,1:16:12.500
[sound of the bell]