0:00:07.306,0:00:30.000
[ Three sounds of the bell ...]

0:01:03.385,0:01:09.647
Dear sangha, today is the 23rd of November, 2008.

0:01:09.647,0:01:11.929
We are in the Loving Kindness Temple, New Hamlet

0:01:11.929,0:01:15.000
in the Rains Retreat.

0:01:25.084,0:01:30.474
Today in the Dharma Sharing time we can share

0:01:30.474,0:01:34.570
about our real experiences in the practice.

0:01:37.227,0:01:39.401
How we practice mindful breathing,

0:01:39.401,0:01:42.514
how we practice mindful walking,

0:01:43.953,0:01:49.422
how we practice working meditation,

0:01:51.227,0:01:56.575
and how we handle the mental formation

0:02:01.941,0:02:05.037
of irritation.

0:02:06.415,0:02:10.910
First we can share about

0:02:12.228,0:02:18.549
our practice of mindful walking, of mindful breathing.

0:02:20.781,0:02:25.946
In the Dharma sharing groups we need seasoned practitioners

0:02:27.202,0:02:31.576
so that others can learn from their experiences.

0:02:44.197,0:02:52.939
First, we can speak about our experiences of walking meditation.

0:02:52.939,0:03:00.473
Each person can share about how you walk in daily life.

0:03:00.473,0:03:03.300
Which gathas do you use?

0:03:12.891,0:03:16.864
And how are you following your breathing while you sit,

0:03:16.864,0:03:19.399
while you drive,

0:03:19.399,0:03:25.299
while you cook or do the dishes?

0:03:28.625,0:03:34.703
Because your steps and your breaths

0:03:36.082,0:03:40.821
are two very effective ways

0:03:41.408,0:03:46.086
to help you have more agency over your body and mind.

0:03:54.708,0:03:57.599
The steps and breaths are very effective ways

0:03:57.599,0:04:01.212
to help us come back to the present moment.

0:04:08.129,0:04:11.711
With your mindful breathing,

0:04:14.064,0:04:16.612
with your mindful steps

0:04:18.355,0:04:22.059
you can bring the mind home to the body.

0:04:26.603,0:04:31.094
When mind and body are one,

0:04:31.094,0:04:36.394
you can truly be there in the present moment.

0:04:39.659,0:04:43.059
And you have sovereignty

0:04:43.951,0:04:47.655
over your body and your mind.

0:04:50.616,0:05:00.000
Otherwise you are carried away by the agitations of daily life.

0:05:01.664,0:05:08.229
You drown.

0:05:12.042,0:05:16.416
And sometimes you sit there, but you are really drowning.

0:05:17.612,0:05:21.316
Sometimes you sit in the sangha, but you're really drowning.

0:05:22.025,0:05:25.364
Drowning in your worries, your grief,

0:05:28.143,0:05:31.969
your memories.

0:05:36.756,0:05:39.730
You are drowning, you are lost.

0:05:43.551,0:05:46.887
You are carried away by your thinking,

0:05:46.887,0:05:52.064
your worries, your sadness,

0:05:55.816,0:05:59.094
your habit energies.

0:06:00.899,0:06:07.845
And while you are drowning or lost like that,

0:06:07.845,0:06:10.535
you have no agency,

0:06:10.535,0:06:13.547
no sovereignty over your body or mind.

0:06:13.547,0:06:17.020
You have no freedom at all.

0:06:18.946,0:06:23.015
But in fact, you do have agency.

0:06:23.664,0:06:27.490
Only, you don't know how to use the agency you have.

0:06:28.382,0:06:30.603
It's like being a king

0:06:30.603,0:06:34.034
but not knowing how to make use of the power of a king.

0:06:34.804,0:06:38.813
You allow everyone else to take over [br]and do whatever they want,

0:06:39.339,0:06:46.147
and so your kingdom falls in a state of disarray.

0:06:48.607,0:06:52.895
So we are the same.

0:06:52.895,0:06:55.537
We are a kind of kingdom,

0:06:56.794,0:07:01.666
and the territory of our kingdom is vast.

0:07:01.666,0:07:04.387
It consists of body,

0:07:04.387,0:07:08.006
feelings, perceptions, mental formations and consciousness.

0:07:08.006,0:07:10.297
It consists of body and mind.

0:07:12.771,0:07:16.610
But we are not in control of our territory.

0:07:16.610,0:07:19.318
We allow our body,

0:07:19.318,0:07:25.301
our feelings, our emotions, our perceptions

0:07:25.949,0:07:29.288
to be carried away

0:07:30.423,0:07:35.892
by our inclinations, by our habit energies.

0:07:38.914,0:07:41.401
And we are lost in confusion.

0:07:42.232,0:07:49.040
So we are kings without sovereignty over our lands.

0:07:52.428,0:07:57.514
When we make use of our mindful breath and mindful steps

0:07:57.514,0:08:02.158
to come home to ourselves,

0:08:02.502,0:08:04.241
to bring the mind home to the body,

0:08:04.241,0:08:05.990
to be truly there in the present moment,

0:08:05.990,0:08:08.304
we begin to have some sovereignty.

0:08:08.304,0:08:11.803
Then, we can walk because we want to walk, [br]and not because we are being pulled.

0:08:11.803,0:08:15.976
We breath because we want to breath,

0:08:15.976,0:08:18.945
we speak because we want speak,

0:08:18.945,0:08:22.092
and not because we are possessed to talk.

0:08:23.471,0:08:25.897
We listen because we want to listen.

0:08:27.215,0:08:33.447
In this way we restore our sovereignty,

0:08:33.447,0:08:37.676
and even expand our sovereignty.

0:08:39.357,0:08:43.366
In philosophy there's the idea of free will.

0:08:45.902,0:08:48.389
In English, it's "free will."

0:08:51.898,0:08:56.089
In French, it's "le libre arbitre."

0:08:57.407,0:09:01.524
In philosophy people ask,

0:09:01.524,0:09:03.607
"Is there free will?"

0:09:04.498,0:09:08.215
Some say there is no such thing as free will,

0:09:08.215,0:09:11.732
and some say free will is possible.

0:09:14.754,0:09:21.136
In Buddhism, we know that if you are mindful,

0:09:22.150,0:09:24.098
you begin to have sovereignty,

0:09:24.098,0:09:25.498
you have

0:09:25.498,0:09:27.072
freedom.

0:09:29.302,0:09:32.336
You are free to say what you want to say.

0:09:32.336,0:09:37.532
You are free

0:09:37.532,0:09:41.264
to do the things you want to do.

0:09:41.264,0:09:45.698
But that freedom has its limits.

0:09:49.085,0:09:53.085
It has its limits because we have many

0:09:53.085,0:09:59.531
habit energies that pull us away.

0:09:59.531,0:10:02.840
So as a beginner in the practice,

0:10:02.840,0:10:05.092
even if you have freedom,

0:10:05.092,0:10:07.336
that freedom is very limited.

0:10:09.567,0:10:14.478
The more powerful your mindfulness and concentration becomes,

0:10:14.478,0:10:16.923
the greater your freedom becomes.

0:10:18.058,0:10:21.306
We may have some freedom,

0:10:21.306,0:10:26.662
but that freedom is still limited.

0:10:26.662,0:10:32.170
The "marche de manœuvre," [br]your range of freedom is still narrow.

0:10:33.549,0:10:35.982
But you do have it.

0:10:35.982,0:10:38.964
And with practice

0:10:38.964,0:10:42.731
the scope of your freedom will become greater,

0:10:44.171,0:10:46.859
and then you can walk as a free person,

0:10:46.859,0:10:48.638
sit as a free person,

0:10:48.638,0:10:51.471
speak as a free person,

0:10:51.471,0:10:53.078
work as a free person,

0:10:53.078,0:10:55.532
eat or drink tea as a free person.

0:10:55.532,0:10:58.648
And you become happier.

0:11:00.817,0:11:03.547
So each one of us

0:11:06.083,0:11:08.326
must know how to practice

0:11:09.766,0:11:12.679
so we have more freedom day by day.

0:11:12.962,0:11:16.918
That freedom is not granted to us by Thay,

0:11:16.918,0:11:18.461
or the Buddha

0:11:18.461,0:11:19.830
or society.

0:11:19.830,0:11:23.507
We have to fight for that freedom.

0:11:23.507,0:11:25.674
We have to practice to have that kind of freedom.

0:11:26.505,0:11:31.364
The freedom not to drown,

0:11:31.364,0:11:36.802
the freedom not to be lost in confusion.

0:11:36.802,0:11:41.240
The composer Trịnh Công Sơn has a song called [br]"Vết Lăn Trầm" — Don't let me drown.

0:11:41.240,0:11:46.460
"Trầm" means to drown [br]and "lăn" means to be adrift.

0:12:08.421,0:12:11.499
Thay has a lot of happiness thanks to the practice

0:12:11.499,0:12:14.499
of mindful breathing and mindful walking.

0:12:18.860,0:12:23.964
Usually, Thay uses some gathas or practice poems,

0:12:27.473,0:12:32.090
and occasionally, Thay would change them out.

0:12:33.956,0:12:37.359
There was a time Thay used the gatha,

0:12:37.359,0:12:41.881
"Taking refuge in Buddha Amitabha, [br]in the wondrous ultimate dimension."

0:12:41.881,0:12:47.313
In a retreat in the UK 6 or 7 years ago,

0:12:47.313,0:12:50.442
Thay made use of that gatha many times.

0:12:51.455,0:12:55.403
Sometimes Thay practices the gatha, [br]"Here is the Pure Land, the Pure Land is here."

0:12:59.155,0:13:05.545
But the gatha that Thay used the most is The Island Within.

0:13:05.545,0:13:08.885
Thay has been practicing with this gatha for a few decades.

0:13:15.001,0:13:18.135
So when we walk

0:13:18.135,0:13:21.985
we harmonize our breath with our steps,

0:13:21.985,0:13:27.957
and we can walk in rhythm

0:13:28.788,0:13:31.153
with each line of the gatha.

0:13:33.567,0:13:38.976
So we have to time it in such a way that

0:13:41.055,0:13:46.463
each line of the gatha goes with our steps.

0:13:48.109,0:13:50.657
Sometimes on an in-breath

0:13:51.183,0:13:54.826
we can make three steps,

0:13:55.536,0:13:57.757
or two steps.

0:13:57.757,0:14:00.290
Sometimes on an out-breath,

0:14:00.290,0:14:04.494
we can make four or five steps.

0:14:04.494,0:14:09.039
The out-breath usually lasts longer than the in-breath.

0:14:13.461,0:14:17.470
Sometimes the out-breath and in-breath [br]are the same length.

0:14:26.699,0:14:29.064
So for the poem "The Island Within,"

0:14:29.713,0:14:33.661
when Thay walks slowly,

0:14:36.500,0:14:40.700
on the in-breath Thay makes two steps,

0:14:40.700,0:14:42.877
with the words "Go back."

0:14:42.877,0:14:45.000
" [ Breathing in I ] go back. "

0:14:45.000,0:14:47.737
Breathing out,

0:14:47.737,0:14:49.504
Thay says, "take refuge."

0:14:49.504,0:14:53.229
"Go back / take refuge."

0:14:54.243,0:14:57.825
"In the island / within myself."

0:15:10.768,0:15:16.847
Sometimes we make three steps on an in-breath, [br]and three steps on an out-breath,

0:15:16.847,0:15:22.050
so Thay changes the words to, [br]"I go back / and take refuge."

0:15:22.881,0:15:26.942
So "go back / take refuge" becomes [br]"I go back / and take refuge."

0:15:26.942,0:15:30.000
It's the same meaning, only with more words.

0:15:32.407,0:15:38.615
So Thay has one version with two words [br]and one with three words.

0:15:38.615,0:15:39.903
The one with three words is,

0:15:39.903,0:15:42.114
[ Con quay về / và nương tựa ][br]"I go back / and take refuge"

0:15:42.114,0:15:44.292
[ Nơi hải đảo / của tự thân ][br]"In the island / within myself"

0:15:44.292,0:15:46.331
[ Chánh niệm ấy / chính là Bụt ][br]"Buddha is my mindfulness"

0:15:46.331,0:15:48.796
[ Đang soi sáng / khắp xa gần ][br]"Shining near, shining far"

0:15:48.796,0:15:50.865
[ Hơi thở này / là chánh pháp ][br]"Dharma is my breathing"

0:15:50.865,0:15:53.579
[ Đang bảo hộ / thân và tâm ][br]"Guarding body and mind"

0:16:02.045,0:16:04.040
[ Năm uẩn nọ / là tăng thân ][br]"Sangha is my five skandhas"

0:16:04.040,0:16:05.713
[ Đang phối hợp / rất tinh cần ][br]"Working in harmony"

0:16:05.713,0:16:07.709
[ Con thở vào / con thở ra ][br]"Breathing in, breathing out"

0:16:07.709,0:16:09.626
[ Là bông hoa / con tươi mát ][br]"I am fresh as a flower"

0:16:09.626,0:16:11.110
[ Là đỉnh núi / con vững vàng ][br]"I am solid as a mountain"

0:16:11.110,0:16:13.918
[ Là nước tĩnh / con lặng chiếu ][br]"I am water reflecting"

0:16:13.918,0:16:16.401
[ Là không gian / con thênh thang ][br]"I am space, I feel free."

0:16:16.805,0:16:22.190
So there is a four word version and a six word version

0:16:22.190,0:16:26.717
that Thay came up with so that [br]it can go with the steps and breath.

0:16:39.356,0:16:42.743
We can adjust any practice poem in this way,

0:16:42.743,0:16:46.103
including the practice poem, [br]"Taking refuge in Buddha Amitabha."

0:16:47.665,0:16:50.030
"In the wondrous ultimate dimension"

0:16:51.774,0:16:55.235
And when we do running meditation,

0:16:57.405,0:17:03.965
on the in-breath we can make four steps and say,

0:17:03.965,0:17:05.212
"I go back and take refuge,"

0:17:05.212,0:17:07.926
and on the out-breath, "in the island within."

0:17:08.695,0:17:13.069
We can always apply

0:17:14.266,0:17:21.013
or harmonize the breath, the steps and the practice poem.

0:17:23.569,0:17:28.223
The practice poem helps us

0:17:28.223,0:17:32.393
to prolong and keep our concentration alive.

0:17:32.393,0:17:36.247
So we stick to the practice poem, [br]the breathing, and the steps.

0:17:36.247,0:17:40.631
Running like that, we cultivate concentration.

0:17:46.741,0:17:51.176
So while running or walking

0:17:52.067,0:17:54.980
we do it in such a way that happiness is possible.

0:17:55.324,0:18:00.024
Like when we practice mindful movements or qigong,

0:18:00.024,0:18:04.080
it's wonderful if while doing it we really enjoy it.

0:18:12.336,0:18:16.402
There was one sister who was arrested and put in prison,

0:18:16.402,0:18:20.786
so she had to do walking meditation in a very small cell.

0:18:20.786,0:18:24.171
Right now, none of us are in prison.

0:18:24.171,0:18:25.723
We have plenty of space,

0:18:25.723,0:18:30.283
so doing walking or jogging meditation is a great joy.

0:18:45.623,0:18:50.179
The practice poem, "Let the Buddha breathe, [br]let the Buddha walk" is really wonderful.

0:18:58.436,0:19:03.053
And Thay often makes very good use of this poem.

0:19:20.318,0:19:34.795
[ The sound of the bell ...]

0:19:40.008,0:19:42.168
Thay also really likes the practice poem

0:19:42.168,0:19:45.942
"The Buddha is walking,"

0:19:45.942,0:19:47.706
"The Buddha is enjoying,

0:19:47.706,0:19:49.045
the Buddha is happy,

0:19:49.045,0:19:50.955
the Buddha is at peace."

0:19:51.482,0:19:53.460
The Buddha is us.

0:19:53.460,0:19:54.983
So you let the Buddha walk,

0:19:54.983,0:19:58.596
and you see that Buddha is walking,

0:19:58.596,0:20:01.031
the Buddha is enjoying, the Buddha is happy,

0:20:01.031,0:20:03.708
the Buddha is at peace.

0:20:04.782,0:20:08.827
After a while you can change it to, [br]"I am walking, I am enjoying"

0:20:08.827,0:20:13.575
I am no less than the Buddha. [br]"I am happy, I am at peace."

0:20:14.650,0:20:16.966
And then, you can walk for your mother.

0:20:16.966,0:20:19.364
Your two feet are also your mother's.

0:20:19.364,0:20:22.128
"Mother is walking, [br]Mother is enjoying."

0:20:22.411,0:20:24.206
"Mother is happy,[br]Mother is at peace."

0:20:24.206,0:20:28.054
And walking for your father,[br]"Father is walking, father is enjoying"

0:20:28.054,0:20:29.545
"Father is happy, father is at peace."

0:20:29.545,0:20:32.628
You see clearly that your father [br]is walking and that he's happy.

0:20:33.641,0:20:37.223
You walk for your father, [br]and your father is walking for you.

0:20:37.629,0:20:40.133
You can walk for your teacher.

0:20:40.133,0:20:42.278
"My teacher is walking, [br]my teacher is enjoying."

0:20:42.278,0:20:44.437
"My teacher is happy, [br]my teacher is at peace."

0:20:45.001,0:20:47.150
And you can walk for your students.

0:20:47.150,0:20:53.575
"My student is walking, [br]my student is enjoying"

0:20:53.575,0:20:56.496
"My student is happy, [br]my student is at peace."

0:20:57.144,0:21:00.497
You can see that they are all you,

0:21:00.497,0:21:04.074
they are all in you, [br]and they are practicing with you.

0:21:05.027,0:21:07.947
It's an easy and wonderful practice to do.

0:21:07.947,0:21:11.592
While in India, Thay practiced this a lot.

0:21:13.884,0:21:17.415
"The Buddha is lying in a hammock, [br]the Buddha is at peace."

0:21:17.415,0:21:21.195
"The Buddha is happy, [br]the Buddha is enjoying."

0:21:21.195,0:21:23.805
"I am lying in a hammock,[br]I am enjoying."

0:21:23.805,0:21:27.387
"I am happy, I am at peace."

0:21:29.436,0:21:31.901
Practicing like that,

0:21:31.901,0:21:34.839
you bring the mind home to the body

0:21:34.839,0:21:37.158
and completely dwell in the present moment.

0:21:37.440,0:21:40.716
and you can see the wonders of life,

0:21:40.716,0:21:42.758
you can see the Pure Land is here,

0:21:42.758,0:21:45.619
you can see that happiness

0:21:45.619,0:21:48.572
is possible in the present moment.

0:21:48.572,0:21:52.039
You don't need to look for happiness in a distant future.

0:22:01.816,0:22:05.259
So in your Dharma sharing group,

0:22:05.259,0:22:11.113
allow each person to share what they have practiced.

0:22:11.113,0:22:15.867
How they have practiced mindful walking, [br]how they have practiced mindful breathing.

0:22:17.733,0:22:20.707
Some may share at length and others just briefly,

0:22:21.477,0:22:24.733
but in listening to everyone,

0:22:24.733,0:22:28.752
you can reflect

0:22:28.752,0:22:35.257
to see how your own practice of [br]mindful breathing or sitting is.

0:22:35.257,0:22:38.937
Is it bringing you much happiness?

0:22:42.202,0:22:44.606
So we must know how to make use of

0:22:44.606,0:22:47.357
our mindful breath and mindful steps

0:22:47.357,0:22:52.033
in order to have some agency over our body and mind.

0:22:52.033,0:22:55.036
Don't allow ourselves to be lost.

0:23:03.658,0:23:10.542
So our Winter retreat is a great chance

0:23:10.542,0:23:13.144
for us to do that.

0:23:13.488,0:23:16.453
Because surrounded by a big sangha

0:23:16.453,0:23:19.747
where everyone is practicing like that,

0:23:19.747,0:23:25.165
of course you can do it too.

0:23:27.457,0:23:30.000
Very easily.

0:23:30.592,0:23:35.143
With everyone walking mindfully, [br]dwelling peacefully in the present moment,

0:23:35.143,0:23:39.370
could you possibly wander off on your own?

0:23:39.370,0:23:41.942
Be lost on your own?

0:23:41.942,0:23:43.372
You would feel embarrassed.

0:23:43.372,0:23:45.304
It's so unsightly.

0:23:51.682,0:23:53.682
And

0:23:54.878,0:23:59.390
you have to be determined to touch your happiness

0:23:59.390,0:24:02.112
right in the present moment..

0:24:04.647,0:24:08.544
"If during these three months,

0:24:08.544,0:24:12.288
in my daily life,

0:24:12.288,0:24:15.287
if I'm not able to touch happiness,

0:24:15.287,0:24:17.343
to find my happiness,

0:24:17.343,0:24:20.650
then when can I be happy?"

0:24:20.650,0:24:22.658
"With Thay, with the sangha,

0:24:22.658,0:24:25.945
with the collective energy of practice supporting me,

0:24:25.945,0:24:27.979
offering me guidance,

0:24:29.212,0:24:31.553
and if I'm unable to be happy right now,

0:24:31.553,0:24:36.316
then when will I be happy?"

0:24:36.316,0:24:39.003
You have to challenge yourself

0:24:41.842,0:24:45.729
to find happiness right in the present moment.

0:24:47.290,0:24:51.238
So the teachings and practices of Plum Village

0:24:57.059,0:25:01.189
is present-centered.

0:25:03.116,0:25:05.642
If you want to find the Buddha,

0:25:05.642,0:25:07.447
or to find God,

0:25:07.447,0:25:11.616
if you want to find the Kindgom of God

0:25:11.616,0:25:15.000
or Nirvana or the Pure Land,

0:25:15.000,0:25:17.898
you have to find it right in the present moment.

0:25:19.641,0:25:24.015
If you want peace and happiness

0:25:25.941,0:25:28.550
you also have to find it right in the present moment.

0:25:37.354,0:25:41.103
If you are looking for good health,

0:25:41.103,0:25:42.929
you have to find it in the now,

0:25:42.929,0:25:45.000
even if you are not well.

0:25:46.211,0:25:48.498
When you are able to stop in the present moment,

0:25:48.498,0:25:53.319
when you know how to breathe, [br]how to walk, you feel some relief,

0:25:53.319,0:25:55.976
and that is already an improvement on your health.

0:25:55.976,0:25:58.359
But if you were to feel anxious,

0:25:58.359,0:26:01.297
your health will get worse.

0:26:05.658,0:26:07.575
And if you know how to come back to the present

0:26:07.575,0:26:11.736
and get in touch with the wonders in the present moment,

0:26:12.323,0:26:18.949
your body and mind can benefit from the refreshing,

0:26:19.840,0:26:24.675
wholesome and nourishing elements [br]in the sangha and in the present,

0:26:24.675,0:26:27.818
and your health can improve.

0:26:27.818,0:26:31.700
That's why you have to look for good health [br]right in the present moment.

0:26:32.896,0:26:37.148
Don't hang your hopes on something in the future.

0:26:42.118,0:26:44.583
If you want to find happiness,

0:26:44.583,0:26:47.405
you have to look for it right in the present moment.

0:26:48.236,0:26:50.167
If you can't be happy now,

0:26:50.167,0:26:53.518
what are the chances of you being happy in the future?

0:26:53.518,0:26:58.635
That's what I call, "Happiness is now or never."

0:27:06.892,0:27:09.805
If a sister can't be happy now,

0:27:12.888,0:27:15.862
even if she receives the lamp she wouldn't be happy.

0:27:17.971,0:27:20.701
Even if she were a dharma teacher she wouldn't be happy.

0:27:23.602,0:27:27.406
But if you were already happy, [br]you wouldn't need the lamp from Thay,

0:27:27.406,0:27:28.828
right?

0:27:32.885,0:27:36.833
Or you say, you'll be happy when [br]you're born into the Pure Land.

0:27:38.394,0:27:40.799
So the challenge in this is,

0:27:40.799,0:27:41.986
if you can't be happy now,

0:27:41.986,0:27:45.556
how can you possibly be happy when you get there?

0:27:45.556,0:27:48.063
Once you get there, what if you want to leave?

0:27:48.650,0:27:51.536
Bye-bye Amitabha,

0:27:51.536,0:27:54.241
I'm uncomfortable here.

0:27:56.898,0:28:00.480
So we need to be capable of being happy right now.

0:28:01.616,0:28:04.833
If we are happy now, the Pure Land is there now.

0:28:05.542,0:28:08.090
We wouldn't need to go to the Pure Land.

0:28:09.895,0:28:14.772
So the practice of Plum Village is present-centered.

0:28:14.772,0:28:17.129
Present-centered.

0:28:21.308,0:28:23.165
Dwelling in the present moment.

0:28:23.165,0:28:25.696
"Hiện pháp" is the present moment

0:28:25.696,0:28:28.435
and "trú" means to stay.

0:28:28.435,0:28:31.901
Demeurer dans l'instant présent.

0:28:31.901,0:28:34.872
Dwelling in the present moment.

0:28:35.947,0:28:43.057
And if you cannot dwell in the present moment,

0:28:43.057,0:28:49.498
if you cannot touch happiness in the present moment,

0:28:49.498,0:28:52.250
you continue to be unsettled, lost.

0:28:53.020,0:28:56.030
Being unsettled is not something [br]that happens in the future,

0:28:56.030,0:28:58.921
it is happening now.

0:28:58.921,0:29:00.561
You are with the sangha,

0:29:00.561,0:29:03.016
you hear Thay's teachings,

0:29:03.016,0:29:09.567
you are in the Rains retreat,

0:29:11.250,0:29:13.554
but that's only what's happening on the outside.

0:29:13.959,0:29:17.587
So if you don't practice, you can easily drown,

0:29:17.587,0:29:19.499
you can easily get lost.

0:29:19.499,0:29:23.202
This is something that is happening now, [br]and not necessarily in the future.

0:29:23.972,0:29:27.737
If you want to put an end to [br]the feeling of being unsettled,

0:29:28.994,0:29:32.637
you have to stop, [br]and come home to the present moment.

0:29:33.651,0:29:36.456
That's why your mindful breathing and steps

0:29:36.456,0:29:42.529
are the life jacket to keep you afloat so you won't drown.

0:29:44.029,0:29:48.196
It's the anchor

0:29:48.196,0:29:54.182
keeping your boat moored in one place.

0:29:54.182,0:29:56.556
It's a life jacket, an anchor.

0:29:56.556,0:30:00.314
So knowing how to make use of [br]mindful breathing and mindful walking

0:30:00.314,0:30:03.163
can allow us to have some agency.

0:30:03.872,0:30:11.289
If we haven't mastered the art of [br]mindful breathing and mindful walking

0:30:11.694,0:30:14.052
we cannot go far in the practice.

0:30:14.052,0:30:16.794
So while in Plum Village, you must be able to master

0:30:16.794,0:30:20.355
each breath and each step.

0:30:20.355,0:30:24.954
Those are the essential practices.

0:30:25.724,0:30:28.788
When we walk, we know that we are the one walking,

0:30:28.788,0:30:31.475
and not because we are being carried away.

0:30:31.475,0:30:34.001
When we breath, we know that we are the one breathing,

0:30:34.001,0:30:36.549
and not because we are being carried away.

0:30:39.084,0:30:43.711
When we produce a thought that's upsetting,

0:30:43.711,0:30:47.353
we're aware, "Ah, this is an upsetting thought."

0:30:49.706,0:30:53.600
"This upsetting thought is not good for my health,

0:30:53.600,0:30:56.583
not good for my happiness."

0:30:56.583,0:30:58.888
And like that, we have agency.

0:30:59.719,0:31:02.905
Having agency doesn't mean that [br]we don't have any disturbing thoughts.

0:31:02.905,0:31:04.761
The disturbing thought can be there,

0:31:04.761,0:31:07.623
but we know: This is a disturbing thought.

0:31:10.158,0:31:12.462
And at that moment we have agency,

0:31:13.537,0:31:16.085
because we are mindful.

0:31:21.054,0:31:24.424
So Thay would like to suggest

0:31:24.424,0:31:31.442
that in the next dharma sharing session,

0:31:31.442,0:31:35.613
we should share with one another

0:31:35.613,0:31:40.189
how we have really practiced with the breath and the steps.

0:31:42.602,0:31:45.000
And we can listen deeply to everyone's sharing.

0:31:52.128,0:31:55.611
And because Thay has been practicing [br]with the breath and the steps,

0:31:55.611,0:32:00.762
he knows that he can be a place of refuge [br]for the sangha in the Rains retreat.

0:32:01.715,0:32:03.632
Each one of us,

0:32:03.632,0:32:06.218
if we have been practicing with our breath and steps,

0:32:06.218,0:32:10.410
we can also be a place of refuge for the community.

0:32:12.397,0:32:15.797
And that is

0:32:16.932,0:32:22.783
the most precious gift that we can offer

0:32:22.783,0:32:24.179
to the Three Jewels,

0:32:24.179,0:32:28.975
which includes the Sangha.

0:32:57.427,0:33:01.922
We must be able to be happy when we drink our tea.

0:33:02.814,0:33:05.362
We must be able to be happy while brushing our teeth.

0:33:06.254,0:33:11.176
Brush your teeth in such a way that [br]you can be happy during those two or three minutes.

0:33:13.224,0:33:15.954
It's a kind of challenge.

0:33:17.272,0:33:19.676
While urinating or defecating,

0:33:19.676,0:33:23.000
we also do it in a way that we feel at ease, happy,

0:33:23.000,0:33:25.115
and not be carried away by this or that.

0:33:26.189,0:33:29.980
While steaming vegetables,

0:33:29.980,0:33:32.437
while arranging the meditation hall,

0:33:32.437,0:33:36.345
do it in such a way that happiness [br]is possible right in that moment.

0:33:37.358,0:33:41.367
Whether you are a true practitioner or not depends on that.

0:33:41.832,0:33:44.283
Because out there in the world, people do those things, too.

0:33:44.283,0:33:47.727
Only, while doing them, they get carried away.

0:33:48.315,0:33:49.874
Whereas in the monastery,

0:33:49.874,0:33:51.488
while doing those very same things,

0:33:51.488,0:33:54.515
we have agency. [br]We are free.

0:34:33.984,0:34:37.140
The other day we spoke about ill-being [dukkha],

0:34:51.179,0:34:55.695
and in the past, our ancestors [br]described ill-being in terms of

0:34:55.695,0:34:57.663
birth,

0:34:57.663,0:34:58.952
old age,

0:34:58.952,0:35:00.000
sickness,

0:35:00.000,0:35:01.732
death,

0:35:01.732,0:35:05.521
not getting what we want is suffering,

0:35:05.521,0:35:07.848
being separated from our loved ones is suffering,

0:35:08.861,0:35:13.965
being forced to live 24 hours a day [br]with those we hate is suffering,

0:35:15.344,0:35:22.457
and the Five Skandhas not being in harmony is suffering.

0:35:24.079,0:35:30.583
So this is how they described ill-being in the old days.

0:35:34.579,0:35:41.204
So it's just a conventional way of seeing ill-being,

0:35:42.310,0:35:44.310
to illustrate ill-being.

0:35:45.384,0:35:50.610
In the past, to explain why Siddhartha [br]left his kingdom to become a monk,

0:35:51.441,0:35:54.186
they say it's because he went through [br]the four gates of the kingdom

0:35:54.186,0:35:57.050
and encountered scenes of [br]birth, old age, sickness and death,

0:35:57.050,0:36:00.000
and he was so disturbed that he became a monk.

0:36:03.036,0:36:07.878
A 25, 27-year-old who doesn't know anything [br]about birth, old age, sickness and death?

0:36:07.878,0:36:09.512
That's absurd.

0:36:09.512,0:36:12.307
Meanwhile, we hear that Siddhartha was very intelligent

0:36:12.307,0:36:16.643
and understood different philosophies deeply.

0:36:16.643,0:36:22.642
So to say that he became a monk after having [br]encountered birth, old age, sickness and death

0:36:22.642,0:36:25.457
and seen the suffering of the world,

0:36:25.740,0:36:30.601
that may be partially true, but it's too naive.

0:36:31.005,0:36:33.431
Too representational.

0:36:34.323,0:36:36.816
In the book, Old Path White Clouds, Thay said that

0:36:36.816,0:36:39.671
Siddhartha chose the monastic path because

0:36:41.780,0:36:45.423
he saw that not only the people in the kingdom suffered, [br]but the ruling class also suffered.

0:36:45.889,0:36:49.388
Not only the king suffered, but his officials also suffered.

0:36:49.388,0:36:51.054
Even though they all held a lot of power

0:36:52.007,0:36:54.677
and prestige, they also suffered.

0:36:55.344,0:37:00.000
And because they themselves suffered, they weren't able

0:37:00.000,0:37:03.187
to help their subjects

0:37:04.658,0:37:07.571
with poverty, hunger, diseases,

0:37:09.071,0:37:11.497
division.

0:37:12.450,0:37:16.284
And

0:37:16.284,0:37:20.780
the struggles for power, the jealousy happening in the courts,

0:37:21.124,0:37:26.399
even the king himself was unable to resolve these issues.

0:37:26.399,0:37:28.967
Even the king was at a loss for what to do.

0:37:29.615,0:37:34.171
So Siddhartha saw clearly that political resolutions

0:37:34.759,0:37:38.828
wouldn't bring about peace and happiness,

0:37:39.416,0:37:41.290
to himself or to the country.

0:37:41.290,0:37:44.925
And so he set out in search for another way out.

0:37:44.925,0:37:49.146
That's what the author said [br]in the book, Old Path White Clouds.

0:37:49.733,0:37:51.833
It's closer to the truth than saying

0:37:51.833,0:37:54.835
Siddhartha went out of the palace gates and saw someone

0:37:54.835,0:37:57.333
old, sick, and dying and then made [br]the decision to become a monk.

0:37:57.798,0:38:02.262
In our time, the way we describe ill-being

0:38:02.262,0:38:04.789
must be more practical.

0:38:05.924,0:38:09.674
In a retreat on Engaged Buddhism

0:38:09.674,0:38:13.136
in Hanoi during the Vesak celebrations,

0:38:13.136,0:38:16.412
Thay suggested that we must first

0:38:16.412,0:38:20.731
speak about the real ill-being that is there

0:38:20.731,0:38:22.653
in our body and mind.

0:38:23.302,0:38:26.234
For example, in speaking of ill-being

0:38:26.234,0:38:29.171
we can mention

0:38:29.171,0:38:32.119
tension.

0:38:36.297,0:38:38.297
Tension.

0:38:39.919,0:38:42.102
Tensions in the body

0:38:42.932,0:38:46.819
We know that tensions in the body lead to stress,

0:38:48.441,0:38:50.358
which leads to a number of illnesses.

0:38:50.358,0:38:52.875
This is a real suffering.

0:39:01.619,0:39:03.619
Aches and pain.

0:39:07.432,0:39:09.736
They are real.

0:39:24.505,0:39:31.252
Also in Hanoi, Thay mentioned a few other things.

0:39:39.844,0:39:41.844
Anxiety.

0:39:42.249,0:39:45.000
We have a lot of anxiety.

0:39:45.000,0:39:46.988
Anxiety.

0:39:55.123,0:39:57.123
You don't know what you're so worried about,

0:39:58.197,0:40:00.297
but you keep worrying

0:40:00.297,0:40:02.336
about one thing to the next.

0:40:02.336,0:40:05.127
You are Ms. Anxiety.

0:40:06.445,0:40:08.810
Mr. Anxious.

0:40:15.001,0:40:18.854
This kind of ill-being is really there in us

0:40:18.854,0:40:21.627
and in the collective.

0:40:22.032,0:40:26.223
Each one of us is a Ms. Worry, a Mr. Anxious.

0:40:39.075,0:40:41.197
Violence.

0:40:51.645,0:40:56.730
Violence is the energy of anger

0:40:56.730,0:41:00.000
that wants to inflict pain, destroy, and

0:41:00.000,0:41:01.923
punish the other person.

0:41:01.924,0:41:06.237
That wants to inflict pain because [br]the other person has dared to hurt you.

0:41:08.999,0:41:10.999
Violence.

0:41:11.282,0:41:13.437
In us there is the energy of violence.

0:41:13.437,0:41:14.533
The irritation,

0:41:14.533,0:41:16.021
the anger,

0:41:16.974,0:41:19.094
the wish to retaliate,

0:41:19.094,0:41:20.828
to destroy,

0:41:20.828,0:41:22.654
to inflict pain,

0:41:22.654,0:41:24.208
to punish.

0:41:25.222,0:41:28.188
That violence in us,

0:41:28.188,0:41:31.117
and it's rampant in our society.

0:41:32.435,0:41:34.678
There's also

0:41:36.848,0:41:38.848
terrorism

0:41:39.375,0:41:42.105
and anti-terrorism.

0:41:43.849,0:41:46.466
Terrorism contains violence,

0:41:46.466,0:41:49.501
but anti-terrorism also contains violence.

0:41:58.122,0:42:02.252
When Thay was

0:42:03.448,0:42:05.448
visiting

0:42:07.314,0:42:10.105
South Korea on a teaching tour,

0:42:11.423,0:42:17.857
Thay participated in a peace gathering

0:42:17.857,0:42:24.318
organized by an inter-faith group.

0:42:25.788,0:42:32.310
At the time, Iraq hadn't been invaded.

0:42:33.337,0:42:40.876
But the US had already begun to send their warships

0:42:42.093,0:42:45.532
to the surrounding area,

0:42:45.532,0:42:49.457
and everyone knew that an invasion could

0:42:49.457,0:42:51.923
happen at any time.

0:42:55.249,0:42:58.626
And Baghdad was under threat of a bombing campaign

0:42:58.626,0:43:01.266
and could be surrounded at any time.

0:43:04.166,0:43:07.383
So in that talk

0:43:08.092,0:43:11.066
at the peace gathering, Thay said,

0:43:15.427,0:43:20.349
"Suppose you were a civilian living Baghdad,

0:43:21.179,0:43:22.670
an adult or a child,

0:43:22.670,0:43:27.708
and you knew that in a matter of hours

0:43:27.708,0:43:30.726
bombs will drop on your city.

0:43:32.105,0:43:35.809
Everyone in the city would be afraid.

0:43:37.857,0:43:40.527
You would be living in constant fear

0:43:41.297,0:43:45.000
not knowing when your city would be attacked,

0:43:45.345,0:43:48.313
or when the bombs would fall on you.

0:43:48.313,0:43:54.892
Because the US was threatening to invade Iraq.

0:43:58.279,0:44:00.000
So deploying your troops

0:44:00.000,0:44:01.660
and threatening a bombing campaign to invade

0:44:01.660,0:44:04.006
is an act of terrorism.

0:44:04.006,0:44:06.548
That is an act of terrorism.

0:44:06.549,0:44:09.927
And if you live just 24 hours in constant fear like that,

0:44:09.927,0:44:13.186
your health deteriorates,

0:44:13.186,0:44:18.146
let alone living night after night, [br]month after month like that.

0:44:18.146,0:44:21.816
So even though the bombs haven't fallen,

0:44:21.816,0:44:25.170
the city hasn't been surrounded or seized

0:44:25.170,0:44:30.844
but the people have already began to suffer, out of anxiety, fear.

0:44:30.844,0:44:33.278
That is a kind of terrorism.

0:44:33.278,0:44:35.165
Terrorism is not coming from only one side.

0:44:35.165,0:44:37.450
Both sides have committed acts of terrorism.

0:44:38.951,0:44:43.507
Violence is not coming from one side, [br]it's coming from both sides.

0:44:45.312,0:44:49.138
And it's the people who have to pay the very high price.

0:44:49.482,0:44:52.360
And there's a rise in mental illness

0:44:52.360,0:44:56.716
because of the anxiety and fear.

0:44:58.399,0:45:03.381
So violence is one kind of ill-being.

0:45:04.638,0:45:09.194
Then there's broken families.

0:45:11.608,0:45:13.973
The broken family

0:45:17.300,0:45:19.917
is a kind of ill-being.

0:45:19.917,0:45:22.625
Now, there are so many broken families,

0:45:22.625,0:45:25.688
many families where

0:45:25.688,0:45:27.848
the couple,

0:45:27.848,0:45:30.608
the parents are hostile toward one another

0:45:30.608,0:45:34.403
and the children suffer.

0:45:34.403,0:45:39.090
There are so many broken families like that

0:45:39.090,0:45:43.107
all over the world.

0:45:43.107,0:45:45.199
That is a kind of ill-being.

0:45:49.650,0:45:52.475
Divorce.

0:45:52.475,0:45:55.518
Divorce.

0:45:55.518,0:45:57.926
In some countries

0:45:57.926,0:46:00.545
the divorce rate

0:46:00.545,0:46:03.515
is over 50%.

0:46:03.515,0:46:05.527
Like in the Netherlands.

0:46:07.043,0:46:09.895
These are the real ill-being of our time.

0:46:10.787,0:46:16.027
As a result of broken families, the children suffer.

0:46:16.027,0:46:18.943
They may be affected and growing up

0:46:18.943,0:46:22.891
they lose faith in married life.

0:46:27.677,0:46:29.677
Suicide.

0:46:33.125,0:46:35.125
Suicide.

0:46:42.712,0:46:47.405
In Vietnam, every twenty-four hours [br]one person commits suicide.

0:46:47.405,0:46:50.189
In France

0:46:50.189,0:46:52.891
many young people commit suicide.

0:46:52.891,0:46:56.336
Every year around 12,000 people commit suicide.

0:46:56.336,0:46:59.502
12,000 young French people.

0:47:03.315,0:47:06.167
Around 33 people per day.

0:47:07.789,0:47:12.065
That is real suffering happening in our society

0:47:12.065,0:47:14.232
and in the people.

0:47:27.968,0:47:29.968
War.

0:47:30.921,0:47:32.921
War.

0:47:38.195,0:47:40.134
Terrorism.

0:47:41.756,0:47:43.756
Terrorism.

0:47:53.656,0:47:56.691
The destruction of ecosystems.

0:48:11.764,0:48:15.000
Global warming.

0:48:21.351,0:48:23.534
These

0:48:25.217,0:48:31.234
are the kinds of ill-being in our time,

0:48:31.903,0:48:35.160
and we have to call them by their true names.

0:48:37.574,0:48:42.385
As practitioners, we must know how to identify

0:48:42.385,0:48:48.034
and name the real suffering that is there.

0:48:57.447,0:49:01.619
So that is the truth about dukkha, ill-being.

0:49:02.045,0:49:05.213
The real ill-being that is present,

0:49:05.213,0:49:08.029
the real ill-being that is there.

0:49:10.990,0:49:14.211
So you misunderstand the Buddha when you say,

0:49:14.211,0:49:18.711
"The Buddha said suffering is a truth, [br]so that means everything is suffering."

0:49:21.855,0:49:24.342
The two are very different.

0:49:26.512,0:49:32.544
To say that ill-being is real and that we must [br]find ways to deal with it is one thing.

0:49:32.544,0:49:34.339
But to say that everything is suffering,

0:49:34.339,0:49:37.885
that nothing is without suffering, [br]is an entirely different thing.

0:49:38.473,0:49:40.473
This table here,

0:49:43.008,0:49:46.956
to say that it's impermanent is true.

0:49:48.273,0:49:52.816
Because just like our body, it is impermanent.

0:49:52.816,0:49:56.346
To say that it doesn't have a separate self is also correct.

0:49:56.346,0:49:58.825
Because without the wood, without the carpenter,

0:49:58.825,0:50:00.244
how can the table be?

0:50:00.244,0:50:01.582
So no-self.

0:50:01.582,0:50:04.646
But to say that the table is suffering? [br]That doesn't sound right.

0:50:04.646,0:50:07.255
"The table is suffering." Hmm.

0:50:11.527,0:50:18.002
We suffer because we believe things are [br]permanent when in fact they are impermanent.

0:50:18.002,0:50:22.402
We suffer because we believe there's [br]a separate self when in fact there's no self.

0:50:22.402,0:50:24.836
Suffering is an attitude,

0:50:24.836,0:50:28.195
our response to things,

0:50:30.000,0:50:32.001
it's the nature of things.

0:50:32.001,0:50:34.601
Suffering is not the nature of things.

0:50:34.601,0:50:37.597
The people who claim that everything is suffering,

0:50:37.597,0:50:40.294
they look for suffering as if it's the nature of things.

0:50:40.294,0:50:42.395
It's not like that.

0:50:42.395,0:50:43.764
To say that form is suffering,

0:50:43.764,0:50:45.955
or that disintegration is suffering,

0:50:45.955,0:50:48.119
is to look for the nature of things.

0:50:48.524,0:50:54.937
So we should not be

0:50:54.937,0:50:58.132
brainwashed by those teachings.

0:50:58.415,0:51:00.831
They are trying to prove that what the Buddha says is true,

0:51:00.831,0:51:02.748
but that's not what the Buddha wanted to say.

0:51:02.748,0:51:05.913
He merely wanted to say that ill-being exists,

0:51:05.913,0:51:08.403
and that we shouldn't run away from it,

0:51:08.403,0:51:11.342
that we should find ways to recognize it

0:51:11.342,0:51:14.635
in order to find ways to handle it.

0:51:14.635,0:51:16.727
That's all.

0:51:17.679,0:51:25.701
That's why after having spoken about [br]the first noble truth of ill-being,

0:51:25.701,0:51:28.556
the Buddha spoke about the second noble truth,

0:51:28.556,0:51:31.608
which is the making of ill-being.

0:51:32.074,0:51:35.612
The making of ill-being.

0:51:38.496,0:51:43.306
Looking deeply into ill-being [br]in order to find its cause.

0:51:43.306,0:51:46.562
For example, tension.

0:51:46.562,0:51:50.430
Tension in the body.

0:51:50.430,0:51:53.575
Why is there tension?

0:51:53.575,0:51:56.836
Because our lives are too busy.

0:51:56.836,0:51:59.608
We want to do too many things.

0:52:06.391,0:52:08.391
We don't know how to live

0:52:09.648,0:52:11.840
in the present moment.

0:52:11.840,0:52:16.476
We're always being pulled toward the future.

0:52:16.476,0:52:20.717
We're not truly there in the present moment [br]in order to take good care of ourselves.

0:52:22.217,0:52:24.217
In order to relax.

0:52:25.413,0:52:28.874
In order to remove the tensions.

0:52:29.644,0:52:32.618
At the end of a working day,

0:52:33.327,0:52:36.989
we may have accumulated a certain amount of tension,

0:52:39.545,0:52:44.402
but we don't know how to relax to remove the tension,

0:52:44.706,0:52:46.465
and we just go to bed.

0:52:47.844,0:52:50.569
We go to bed and the next day we work

0:52:50.569,0:52:53.435
and we accumulate more tension.

0:52:54.387,0:53:01.074
Over time this tension gets accumulated.

0:53:09.330,0:53:11.469
Then we go to the doctor,

0:53:11.469,0:53:15.773
we take medicines in order to relieve the tension.

0:53:21.169,0:53:25.908
That tension ends up giving rise to many diseases.

0:53:26.982,0:53:31.904
Most diseases are born from tension and stress.

0:53:34.378,0:53:38.206
So looking into tension, into ill-being,

0:53:38.206,0:53:40.395
you see the making of ill-being.

0:53:40.739,0:53:45.249
So we have to reorganize our daily lives in such a way

0:53:45.249,0:53:48.404
that when we walk, we can relax;

0:53:48.404,0:53:51.459
when we breath, we can relax;

0:53:51.459,0:53:53.944
when we work, we can relax.

0:53:53.944,0:53:56.922
We have time to do sitting meditation, walking meditation.

0:53:56.922,0:54:00.755
This way we don't accumulate tension.

0:54:04.081,0:54:07.907
So every night if we practice relaxation

0:54:09.103,0:54:11.590
we can sleep better.

0:54:13.942,0:54:19.108
And if there's any tension from the day, we can release it.

0:54:19.108,0:54:22.975
And the next day, should there be a bit of tension,

0:54:22.975,0:54:25.042
we can release it again.

0:54:25.042,0:54:27.903
So

0:54:27.903,0:54:32.971
the tension doesn't get accumulated day after day.

0:54:32.971,0:54:35.845
In our society now

0:54:36.858,0:54:39.406
people are so stressed.

0:54:40.480,0:54:44.031
This is seeing the truth,

0:54:44.031,0:54:48.059
the second noble truth,a

0:54:48.059,0:54:50.932
and that is our way of living.

0:54:50.932,0:54:53.519
How are we organizing our lives

0:54:53.519,0:54:58.974
that we are becoming more and more stressed?

0:54:59.927,0:55:04.971
These are the facts.

0:55:05.275,0:55:07.618
In terms of ethics,

0:55:07.618,0:55:13.750
these are the moral facts.

0:55:13.750,0:55:17.357
They are not hypothetical.

0:55:21.779,0:55:25.117
The moral facts.

0:55:27.552,0:55:32.372
If there's ill-being, there must be the making of ill-being.

0:55:32.798,0:55:36.400
Everything has its cause. It's called

0:55:36.400,0:55:39.604
the law of cause and effect.

0:55:42.079,0:55:45.479
We must identify the causes that have led to tension

0:55:45.479,0:55:49.377
in the body and in the mind.

0:55:49.377,0:55:54.290
Then we'll know how to remove that tension in the body and mind.

0:55:54.290,0:55:59.233
We have to reorganize our lives in an intelligent way.

0:56:01.739,0:56:06.395
And we know clearly that the practices [br]of mindful breathing and walking

0:56:06.395,0:56:10.304
helps us to come home to the present, [br]to live in the present moment,

0:56:10.304,0:56:12.738
not worrying about the past,

0:56:12.738,0:56:16.356
not always running towards the future,

0:56:16.356,0:56:20.704
and we can release a lot of tension.

0:56:20.704,0:56:23.244
Moreover, we have time for sitting meditation,

0:56:23.244,0:56:24.826
for relaxing,

0:56:24.826,0:56:26.508
for walking meditation,

0:56:26.509,0:56:34.080
so we can handle the tension and stress that's there in us.

0:56:36.494,0:56:40.058
And when we've

0:56:40.058,0:56:45.000
and when we've found a practicing sangha

0:56:45.000,0:56:47.624
we have a chance to do these things.

0:57:10.792,0:57:30.321
[ The sound of the bell ...]

0:58:16.980,0:58:22.632
The ill-being that we recognize, that we've named,

0:58:24.376,0:58:29.211
they don't exist by themselves alone.

0:58:29.211,0:58:32.219
The one is related to the other.

0:58:41.420,0:58:43.968
For example

0:58:45.407,0:58:47.872
the issues of

0:58:47.872,0:58:50.694
violence or broken families,

0:58:52.316,0:58:55.594
they're related to tension and stress.

0:58:56.486,0:58:58.281
If we're not stressed,

0:58:58.281,0:59:01.324
we can solve the problem in a gentle way.

0:59:01.324,0:59:03.294
We can remain calm.

0:59:04.430,0:59:07.158
We're not hot-tempered.

0:59:07.158,0:59:08.375
We can resolve the issue.

0:59:08.375,0:59:10.947
So all of these kinds of ill-being,

0:59:10.947,0:59:13.795
they inter-are.

0:59:18.643,0:59:22.773
And when we've been able to [br]identify the cause of one thing,

0:59:23.300,0:59:27.978
we may be able to find the cause of all things.

0:59:33.982,0:59:37.299
And usually, there's not just one cause,

0:59:37.299,0:59:40.182
there are many causes.

1:00:17.090,1:00:23.351
Here's a new proposal that perhaps

1:00:25.399,1:00:30.807
no one has ever mentioned.

1:00:35.290,1:00:39.238
The making of ill-being is our way of living.

1:00:39.886,1:00:41.886
Our way of living.

1:00:45.395,1:00:48.065
The way we live

1:00:48.956,1:00:50.956
has led to ill-being.

1:00:56.717,1:01:01.699
The way of living that leads to ill-being.

1:01:05.391,1:01:09.886
So it's parallel to the fourth noble truth: [br]the path leading to the cessation of ill-being.

1:01:10.535,1:01:12.535
"Đạo Đế" means the path.

1:01:13.609,1:01:16.315
The fourth noble truth is the path [br]leading to the cessation of ill-being

1:01:16.315,1:01:18.470
so that peace and happiness is possible

1:01:18.996,1:01:24.808
And the second noble truth [br]is the path leading to ill-being.

1:01:24.808,1:01:26.989
So the making of ill-being is seen as a path.

1:01:26.989,1:01:28.908
A way of living.

1:01:30.287,1:01:33.139
A way of living that doesn't have right view.

1:01:35.552,1:01:37.552
That's based on wrong view.

1:01:42.339,1:01:44.561
A way of living

1:01:44.561,1:01:46.652
based on wrong view.

1:01:48.122,1:01:50.648
For instance, the view that you and your child

1:01:50.650,1:01:52.893
are entirely two separate entities.

1:01:58.439,1:02:01.391
And you cannot see that you are your child,

1:02:01.391,1:02:04.273
and your child is your continuation.

1:02:05.287,1:02:07.630
That is a wrong view.

1:02:07.630,1:02:08.930
" Tà kiến. "

1:02:22.969,1:02:25.882
You cannot see the truth of interbeing.

1:02:31.156,1:02:33.156
You have a view that

1:02:34.900,1:02:35.812
differentiates,

1:02:35.812,1:02:37.508
that's dualistic,

1:02:38.279,1:02:40.279
that discriminates.

1:02:42.205,1:02:44.205
"Their happiness

1:02:45.001,1:02:47.001
is not my happiness."

1:02:51.301,1:02:54.005
"Their suffering is not my suffering."

1:02:54.005,1:02:55.969
Meanwhile,

1:02:55.969,1:02:58.840
the truth is that when they suffer

1:02:58.840,1:03:00.909
it's impossible for you to be happy.

1:03:05.027,1:03:08.731
Wrong view is the inability to see

1:03:09.806,1:03:12.441
the interdependent co-arising of all that is.

1:03:12.441,1:03:17.771
The inability to see the nature of impermanence, [br]non-self and inter-being of all that is.

1:03:19.575,1:03:22.488
Because within the Noble Eightfold Path,

1:03:23.136,1:03:26.475
the path leading to the cessation of ill-being,

1:03:26.475,1:03:28.301
there is right view.

1:03:29.558,1:03:31.558
Right view.

1:03:33.424,1:03:39.430
So if we consider the making of ill-being as a path,

1:03:39.430,1:03:44.390
then [one part of the path], one cause of ill-being is

1:03:44.390,1:03:45.541
wrong view.

1:03:45.541,1:03:47.519
One of the causes of ill-being is wrong view.

1:03:47.519,1:03:49.240
The root cause.

1:03:53.454,1:03:56.223
Palestinians must be able to see

1:03:56.223,1:04:00.301
the pain and suffering of Israelis

1:04:00.301,1:04:03.001
is their own pain and suffering.

1:04:04.928,1:04:07.387
And Israelis must also be able to see that for Palestinians.

1:04:07.387,1:04:08.937
And then,

1:04:10.559,1:04:12.559
with that insight

1:04:13.146,1:04:15.450
both sides will be able to collaborate.

1:04:16.707,1:04:18.707
Both sides would want the other to be happy.

1:04:20.329,1:04:22.329
It's the same with father and son,

1:04:25.899,1:04:29.177
with Americans and Iraqis,

1:04:31.834,1:04:36.086
with Muslims and Hindus.

1:04:37.647,1:04:40.112
To see that both sides inter-are.

1:04:40.112,1:04:42.934
That the suffering of the other person is our own suffering.

1:04:43.886,1:04:45.255
That is right view.

1:04:45.255,1:04:48.260
But here there is no right view, that's why

1:04:49.395,1:04:52.674
there is fear and violence

1:04:52.957,1:04:55.200
war and terrorism.

1:04:56.153,1:05:00.969
And when there is wrong view, there is wrong thinking.

1:05:00.969,1:05:03.692
Wrong thinking [br][ Tà tư duy ]

1:05:11.157,1:05:12.709
Because what is ethics?

1:05:12.709,1:05:15.000
Ethics is

1:05:18.309,1:05:22.196
the ability to discern what is right and what is wrong.

1:05:24.853,1:05:27.036
Right and wrong.

1:05:33.831,1:05:38.753
In Vietnamese, right [ chánh ] means to be upright, like so.

1:05:39.157,1:05:40.307
Right.

1:05:40.307,1:05:43.409
As in upright.

1:05:44.240,1:05:46.849
And when it's wrong,

1:05:48.106,1:05:49.034
it leans.

1:05:49.034,1:05:50.289
[ Tà ] means to lean.

1:05:50.876,1:05:52.876
Like light from the setting sun.

1:05:53.403,1:05:56.194
It bends like this.

1:05:57.634,1:05:58.556
[ Chánh ]

1:05:58.556,1:05:59.380
[ Tà ]

1:05:59.380,1:06:00.579
Right.

1:06:00.579,1:06:01.979
Wrong.

1:06:07.769,1:06:10.284
It could be a little wrong or a lot wrong.

1:06:10.284,1:06:13.388
Or really wrong.

1:06:13.388,1:06:15.977
And in the end it's upside down.

1:06:21.312,1:06:23.107
So ethics.

1:06:23.107,1:06:28.059
In order to have ethics we must be able to discern right from wrong.

1:06:29.012,1:06:33.021
And wrong view is an incorrect understanding.

1:06:35.677,1:06:37.981
It's the main culprit of ill-being.

1:06:39.117,1:06:41.482
So the patriarch,

1:06:45.001,1:06:46.979
Master Lin Chi said,

1:06:46.979,1:06:49.192
as a practitioner we must have right view.

1:06:50.875,1:06:53.788
We need true understanding.

1:06:57.419,1:07:00.953
We'll have a chance to go deeper

1:07:00.953,1:07:03.497
into what it means to have true understanding.

1:07:04.267,1:07:08.828
If our view is wrong,

1:07:08.828,1:07:12.230
our thinking will also be wrong.

1:07:12.230,1:07:13.875
Wrong thinking

1:07:23.745,1:07:27.814
Wrong thinking leads to anxiety,

1:07:31.810,1:07:33.810
worries, fear,

1:07:36.041,1:07:38.041
and violence.

1:07:40.759,1:07:45.825
For instance, you say, "If I don't kill them first they'll kill me.

1:07:45.825,1:07:48.351
That's why I have to kill them first."

1:07:48.351,1:07:50.392
That is called wrong thinking

1:07:50.392,1:07:53.593
Meanwhile, the other person doesn't want to kill you at all.

1:07:55.337,1:08:00.858
So that kind of wrong thinking leads to fear, to anxiety,

1:08:00.858,1:08:04.276
and to actions that are very wrong.

1:08:12.167,1:08:14.167
Wrong speech.

1:08:21.084,1:08:23.084
Wrong

1:08:26.524,1:08:28.989
speech.

1:08:28.990,1:08:32.116
Wrong speech, or speech that is not right.

1:08:34.955,1:08:36.955
Wrong action.

1:08:39.734,1:08:41.734
Wrong action.

1:08:55.163,1:08:58.315
In the old days, wrong action was often described as

1:08:58.316,1:09:00.572
killing, stealing and sexual misconduct.

1:09:02.560,1:09:05.473
Wrong speech was lying.

1:09:11.537,1:09:14.389
What else? Remind Thay again?

1:09:22.526,1:09:24.526
Wrong livelihood.

1:09:29.374,1:09:33.443
Doing something wrong for a living.

1:09:41.761,1:09:45.404
"Moyens d'existence injuste."

1:09:48.670,1:09:53.531
Engaging in businesses that destroy ecosystems,

1:09:54.057,1:09:59.465
that deprive others of a chance to live, that is dishonest,

1:10:01.940,1:10:05.827
that manufacture products

1:10:06.962,1:10:11.336
that are harmful to consumers.

1:10:12.471,1:10:15.993
To make a living from those things is wrong livelihood.

1:10:21.449,1:10:24.599
Wrong livelihood.

1:10:24.599,1:10:27.527
What else? Can you remind Thay?

1:10:42.235,1:10:44.235
Wrong what?

1:10:46.892,1:10:48.892
Wrong diligence?

1:10:53.131,1:10:55.131
So diligent.

1:10:55.779,1:10:58.753
But diligent in chasing after fame and fortune.

1:11:04.270,1:11:06.635
Extremely diligent.

1:11:22.804,1:11:24.804
You watch the news everyday

1:11:26.212,1:11:29.368
to see whether

1:11:30.991,1:11:32.991
your shares,

1:11:36.049,1:11:38.991
your stocks have gone up or down.

1:11:38.991,1:11:42.734
Whether the value has gone up or down.

1:11:42.734,1:11:44.744
You worry.

1:11:48.912,1:11:51.825
You work so hard

1:11:53.386,1:11:58.819
that your body accumulates so much tension and pain,

1:11:58.819,1:12:01.168
and yet you continue to work.

1:12:03.034,1:12:06.512
You forget your body,

1:12:06.512,1:12:08.614
you forget your family,

1:12:08.614,1:12:11.912
you're not capable of being happy in the present moment.

1:12:12.743,1:12:14.743
You're extremely busy.

1:12:15.330,1:12:17.854
You have no time to breathe, to relax.

1:12:17.854,1:12:20.373
That is wrong diligence.

1:12:27.047,1:12:29.595
Next is wrong mindfulness and wrong concentration, correct?

1:12:30.304,1:12:33.886
Wrong mindfulness is constantly thinking about

1:12:37.030,1:12:39.030
"that".

1:12:41.200,1:12:43.200
That thing.

1:12:43.909,1:12:45.704
You're always thinking about "that,"

1:12:45.704,1:12:49.074
thinking about how to succeed

1:12:49.844,1:12:55.557
in the pursuit of wealth,

1:12:56.327,1:12:58.570
power,

1:13:00.923,1:13:02.923
fame,

1:13:03.267,1:13:05.267
prestige,

1:13:07.924,1:13:09.924
and sex.

1:13:09.925,1:13:11.925
Four things.

1:13:12.208,1:13:15.364
How to get those four things.

1:13:15.952,1:13:20.691
And day and night you keep thinking about it.

1:13:23.591,1:13:27.594
Wealth, fame, power and sex.

1:13:27.594,1:13:29.024
Four things.

1:13:29.024,1:13:31.069
That's wrong mindfulness.

1:13:33.482,1:13:37.613
You're not aware of the blue sky,

1:13:37.613,1:13:39.438
the white clouds,

1:13:40.999,1:13:44.460
the wonders of life that are available now.

1:13:47.604,1:13:49.156
The Pure Land is available.

1:13:49.156,1:13:51.856
Happiness is available in the present moment.

1:13:54.269,1:13:55.760
You don't have right mindfulness,

1:13:55.760,1:13:57.121
only wrong mindfulness.

1:13:57.830,1:14:00.599
You're never there in the present moment.

1:14:00.599,1:14:08.959
You only run after and get pulled [br]by the objects of your craving.

1:14:09.661,1:14:11.661
That's wrong mindfulness.

1:14:12.188,1:14:14.553
You're always thinking about "that."

1:14:16.297,1:14:18.457
Meanwhile, mindfulness is different.

1:14:18.457,1:14:21.219
Mindfulness is to be present in the here and now

1:14:21.745,1:14:28.066
so that the Pure Land, happiness, love can also be there.

1:14:30.297,1:14:32.601
Wrong concentration.

1:14:44.266,1:14:48.640
You're concentrated on "that."

1:14:54.766,1:14:57.862
The object of your concentration

1:14:59.301,1:15:02.823
is not on impermanence, non-self, and inter being.

1:15:04.384,1:15:10.075
Instead the object of your concentration [br]is "that" and not yourself.

1:15:10.075,1:15:12.038
"That" is very dangerous

1:15:12.038,1:15:14.114
and we have to get rid of it.

1:15:25.353,1:15:31.674
You see yourself and others as permanent and unchanging.

1:15:36.644,1:15:39.474
So,

1:15:39.474,1:15:42.521
you are concentrated on what is untrue.

1:15:42.521,1:15:46.130
You are concentrated on what is wrong.

1:15:50.735,1:15:53.405
When mindfulness

1:15:54.661,1:15:56.362
is powerful,

1:15:56.362,1:15:58.122
it leads to concentration.

1:15:59.561,1:16:04.808
And if the object of your mindfulness is

1:16:04.808,1:16:07.769
the four kinds of craving [br][ money, fame, power, sex ]

1:16:11.156,1:16:15.712
the object of your concentration [br]will also be the four kinds of craving.

1:16:17.578,1:16:19.578
Meaning

1:16:19.882,1:16:23.391
you're only concentrated on those four things:

1:16:23.391,1:16:26.261
How to get that title,

1:16:26.261,1:16:28.821
that position, that power?

1:16:37.929,1:16:42.546
Like the French socialist party electing a party leader.

1:16:43.621,1:16:54.203
The candidates only think of that,

1:16:54.203,1:16:57.496
getting elected as party leader.

1:16:57.496,1:17:00.000
So you only put your mind on that,

1:17:00.000,1:17:04.642
you only concentrate on that and nothing else.

1:17:06.447,1:17:11.916
So how can you take care of yourself or your loved ones?

1:17:13.599,1:17:21.381
But when the object of your concentration

1:17:25.104,1:17:27.104
is craving,

1:17:30.888,1:17:32.888
for wealth,

1:17:33.536,1:17:35.536
power,

1:17:35.819,1:17:37.249
fame

1:17:37.249,1:17:39.097
and sex,

1:17:39.989,1:17:43.310
your mind is only focused on that,

1:17:43.310,1:17:45.420
and it is a kind of concentration,

1:17:45.420,1:17:47.345
but it's wrong concentration.

1:17:49.028,1:17:52.659
And mindfulness and concentration are wrong,

1:17:52.659,1:17:54.619
it leads to wrong view.

1:17:56.119,1:17:57.776
And because of wrong view,

1:17:57.776,1:17:59.679
you have wrong mindfulness and wrong concentration.

1:17:59.679,1:18:02.806
They feed each other. [br]Wrong view feeds wrong mindfulness,

1:18:03.089,1:18:05.175
And wrong mindfulness feeds wrong concentration.

1:18:05.175,1:18:06.788
Wrong concentration, wrong mindfulness feeds wrong view.

1:18:06.788,1:18:08.680
They go in circles.

1:18:09.815,1:18:13.857
So, this is not the Noble Eightfold Path,

1:18:13.857,1:18:16.502
but the Ignoble Eightfold Path.

1:18:24.271,1:18:26.575
The Ignoble Path.

1:18:28.867,1:18:31.393
The reasons we have these kinds of ill-being

1:18:31.393,1:18:34.397
is because we have gone on the Ignoble Path.

1:18:34.680,1:18:36.049
The wrong path,

1:18:36.049,1:18:39.866
the path of wrong view, wrong thinking,

1:18:39.866,1:18:42.036
wrong speech, wrong action, etc.

1:18:43.719,1:18:46.449
So you've gone more on the wrong path than the right.

1:18:47.098,1:18:52.872
And perhaps this is the first time [br]the second noble truth is defined

1:18:53.520,1:18:55.741
as being parallel to the fourth noble truth.

1:18:55.741,1:18:59.423
The fourth noble truth is the [br]Noble Eightfold Path leading to happiness.

1:18:59.423,1:19:04.337
So the second noble truth is the [br]Ignoble Eightfold Path leading to ill-being.

1:19:17.797,1:19:24.323
So when we look for the causes of ill-being

1:19:24.323,1:19:26.248
when they are named,

1:19:26.248,1:19:30.387
we can see that those causes can be found

1:19:32.678,1:19:35.544
in our way of living now

1:19:35.544,1:19:39.956
that's based on wrong view, wrong thinking, [br]wrong speech, wrong action, wrong livelihood,

1:19:39.956,1:19:43.182
wrong diligence, wrong mindfulness, wrong concentration.

1:19:43.182,1:19:46.060
The Ignoble Path.

1:19:50.238,1:19:53.151
So we're just talking about principles,

1:19:54.895,1:19:57.890
but we need these principles first and

1:19:57.890,1:20:00.729
then we can apply them.

1:20:04.482,1:20:08.308
The third noble truth is the cessation of ill-being.

1:20:30.001,1:20:33.462
The transformation, the cessation of

1:20:34.293,1:20:38.685
the causes leading to suffering.

1:20:42.329,1:20:44.368
Ill-being is the first noble truth,

1:20:44.368,1:20:46.883
the making of ill-being is the second noble truth,

1:20:46.883,1:20:49.485
the cessation of ill-being is the third noble truth.

1:20:49.485,1:20:51.735
Cessation here means the absence of,

1:20:51.735,1:20:53.763
the transformation of.

1:20:56.116,1:20:57.806
The absence of what?

1:20:57.806,1:21:04.052
The absence of a way of living based on the wrong path.

1:21:04.052,1:21:08.220
The absence of wrong view, wrong thinking, wrong speech, etc.

1:21:09.233,1:21:12.817
Originally, it is the making of ill-being.

1:21:12.817,1:21:15.615
But the absence of the making of ill-being

1:21:15.898,1:21:18.231
is at the same time the absence of ill-being.

1:21:18.231,1:21:21.375
As long as the root is cut off,

1:21:21.375,1:21:24.045
the tree can no longer survive.

1:21:24.633,1:21:27.639
So absence here, cessation here,

1:21:27.639,1:21:31.867
is the cessation of the making,

1:21:32.272,1:21:34.272
the roots of ill-being.

1:21:34.555,1:21:40.633
And when the roots are gone, [br]the leaves and branches are also gone.

1:21:41.220,1:21:44.000
The cessation of ill-being means

1:21:44.000,1:21:50.037
the transformation, the cessation of the roots of ill-being.

1:21:53.850,1:21:57.919
Ill-being, the making of ill-being, the cessation of ill-being.

1:22:01.733,1:22:04.342
The third truth is

1:22:07.546,1:22:11.268
the acknowledgement that we can transform

1:22:11.268,1:22:13.928
this way of living.

1:22:15.001,1:22:19.618
This is proof that we do have free will.

1:22:23.675,1:22:36.022
With mindfulness,

1:22:37.037,1:22:39.037
we

1:22:43.885,1:22:45.885
we can remove wrong mindfulness.

1:22:47.507,1:22:49.507
With right mindfulness,

1:22:50.581,1:22:52.885
we come to right concentration.

1:22:53.899,1:22:58.090
And with right mindfulness and [br]right concentration, we have right view.

1:22:58.556,1:23:02.078
In this way, the third truth

1:23:03.091,1:23:07.404
is proof that humans do have free will.

1:23:09.635,1:23:13.583
According to Buddha Shakyamuni, our teacher,

1:23:14.048,1:23:17.887
free will is possible,

1:23:17.887,1:23:23.291
and it begins with mindfulness.

1:23:26.739,1:23:28.739
In the beginning,

1:23:29.387,1:23:33.895
the space you have to exercise that freedom [br]may be a bit small, a bit narrow,

1:23:33.895,1:23:36.195
nonetheless, it's there.

1:23:36.600,1:23:41.976
Because we are all capable of drinking tea mindfully,

1:23:41.976,1:23:44.626
of walking mindfully, of breathing mindfully.

1:23:48.317,1:23:53.665
And when that mindfulness is strong enough, [br]it leads to concentration.

1:23:54.617,1:23:57.086
When right mindfulness and concentration are powerful enough,

1:23:57.086,1:24:01.121
it breaks free from wrong views[br]and leads to right view.

1:24:01.708,1:24:07.969
So in Buddhism, it's very clear [br]that we humans do have free will.

1:24:09.591,1:24:13.417
Free will begins with mindfulness.

1:24:15.343,1:24:18.621
And it's very concrete how to be mindful.

1:24:20.061,1:24:23.120
In principle, all you need is right mindfulness and concentration,

1:24:23.120,1:24:26.869
but in practical terms,

1:24:27.944,1:24:31.283
our mindful breathing and mindful steps

1:24:31.566,1:24:35.940
are very concrete practices that

1:24:40.240,1:24:48.547
can help us establish our freedom and make it greater

1:24:48.547,1:24:51.857
so that we can stop being lost.

1:24:52.140,1:24:58.279
Otherwise, you continue to be [br]lost in confusion for a long time.

1:25:01.483,1:25:03.483
And maybe this is the first time

1:25:04.314,1:25:09.358
anyone has said that the third truth in the Four Noble Truths

1:25:09.358,1:25:15.000
is the recognition that humans have free will.

1:25:16.024,1:25:21.493
This is a very positive note.

1:25:24.394,1:25:31.141
You cannot say that Buddhism is cynical, [br]that Buddhism renounces or gives up on life.

1:25:31.729,1:25:35.748
Because humans having free will is very positive.

1:25:35.748,1:25:39.156
There's ill-being, that is one truth, but

1:25:39.156,1:25:43.054
that humans can eliminate and [br]transform ill-being, that is another truth.

1:25:43.054,1:25:45.000
The third truth.

1:25:50.628,1:25:52.993
The third truth

1:25:58.511,1:26:00.998
is made concrete

1:26:03.290,1:26:05.290
with the fourth truth.

1:26:05.817,1:26:09.399
With the fourth truth, we can see that the third truth

1:26:11.630,1:26:13.813
has some standing.

1:26:15.739,1:26:18.469
The fourth truth is the path leading to the end of ill-being.

1:26:31.534,1:26:35.031
There's no hyphen between these words [ in Vietnamese ].

1:26:35.031,1:26:38.890
It's one term, the path leading to the end of ill-being.

1:26:39.173,1:26:40.880
Ill-being [ khổ ] [br]is one term,

1:26:40.880,1:26:42.371
the making of ill-being [ khổ tập ] [br]is another term,

1:26:42.371,1:26:45.000
and the cessation of ill-being [ khổ tập diệt ] [br]is a third term.

1:26:46.325,1:26:50.568
The path leading to the cessation of ill-being [br][ khổ tập diệt đạo ]

1:27:00.720,1:27:04.911
is a path that leads to the transformation

1:27:05.369,1:27:11.812
of the causes of ill-being.

1:27:14.043,1:27:16.469
The first truth is ill-being.

1:27:16.935,1:27:19.300
The second truth is the making of ill-being.

1:27:22.931,1:27:24.787
The third truth is the cessation of ill-being.

1:27:24.787,1:27:26.826
And the fourth truth is the path [br]leading to the end of ill-being.

1:27:26.826,1:27:28.826
This grammar

1:27:30.814,1:27:33.605
is from the Chinese language.

1:27:34.923,1:27:39.236
Sometimes we abbreviate it by saying [br]ill-being, the causes, the end, and the path.

1:27:40.006,1:27:43.673
But the full expressions would be: ill-being,

1:27:43.673,1:27:46.727
the causes of ill-being,

1:27:46.727,1:27:50.579
the end of the causes of ill-being,

1:27:50.579,1:27:54.385
the path leading to the end of the causes of ill-being.

1:27:54.385,1:27:56.005
That's how they say it.

1:27:56.653,1:27:59.505
So "khổ, tập, diệt, đạo" is only an abbreviation.

1:28:01.858,1:28:05.988
We see that the Noble Eightfold Path [br]is very clear,

1:28:05.988,1:28:08.605
very concrete.

1:28:10.045,1:28:12.715
Practicing the Noble Eightfold Path

1:28:13.424,1:28:16.337
we can have free will,

1:28:16.864,1:28:19.534
and we can also

1:28:20.486,1:28:24.860
remove the roots of ill-being.

1:28:27.273,1:28:30.000
And so

1:28:30.713,1:28:36.061
the fourth truth, the Noble Eightfold Path,

1:28:48.151,1:28:51.622
is the foundation for the third truth.

1:28:51.622,1:28:55.699
It is proof of the third truth

1:28:55.699,1:28:58.854
that humans have free will.

1:29:06.442,1:29:09.294
In the beginning, our freedom may be small,

1:29:10.368,1:29:14.133
but with practice it will grow.

1:29:16.668,1:29:21.468
There's an example Thay often likes to use

1:29:23.577,1:29:26.163
to help us understand this.

1:29:26.163,1:29:29.107
There's a young man who has certain habits,

1:29:30.303,1:29:32.303
familiar patterns,

1:29:33.438,1:29:37.081
ways of behaving

1:29:40.895,1:29:42.895
that's very familiar.

1:29:42.896,1:29:46.308
Every time he hears something upsetting,

1:29:46.308,1:29:49.230
that waters his seeds of irritation,

1:29:49.230,1:29:51.652
he gets angry.

1:29:51.935,1:29:54.848
Like when you strike a match, there's a fire.

1:29:57.200,1:30:00.562
So in a meeting if someone were to [br]utter a particular sentence,

1:30:00.562,1:30:02.788
he would react like that.

1:30:02.788,1:30:05.834
He reacts exactly like that a hundred times over.

1:30:06.117,1:30:08.477
And every time he reacts like that,

1:30:08.477,1:30:15.000
everyone can see that he has no control over himself.

1:30:18.779,1:30:24.674
But after, he regrets, he gets angry. at himself. "Why?"

1:30:25.992,1:30:29.027
"I know that it's not good when I react like that."

1:30:29.553,1:30:34.463
He's told himself many times not to react like that,

1:30:34.463,1:30:38.717
but when it comes down to it, when those seeds [br]were watered he reacts in the same way.

1:30:38.717,1:30:42.143
That's due to habit energy.

1:30:45.287,1:30:50.251
The horse knows how to find its way home.

1:30:50.251,1:30:51.791
The same with a buffalo.

1:30:52.074,1:30:55.086
You just need to lie on the [br]buffalo's back and it'll take you home,

1:30:55.086,1:30:56.699
you don't need to guide it.

1:30:56.699,1:30:59.681
It knows the way, it's familiar.

1:30:59.681,1:31:02.230
So our habit energies are the same.

1:31:02.513,1:31:05.769
Should someone touch off a certain seed in you,

1:31:05.769,1:31:08.781
you automatically react like that,

1:31:08.781,1:31:12.851
so you are a victim of your habit energy.

1:31:13.256,1:31:16.412
Now, mindfulness can interfere.

1:31:18.704,1:31:22.286
A friend tells him, [br]"Today, I'll go to the meeting with you."

1:31:25.004,1:31:28.404
"And I'll hold your hand for the whole the meeting,"

1:31:29.661,1:31:34.704
"and should someone say that sentence [br]that waters your seeds, I'll squeeze your hand."

1:31:35.170,1:31:40.152
"If I squeeze your hand, [br]you'll have to come back to your breathing."

1:31:40.435,1:31:44.306
"You take a deep breath, [br]you become aware of your breathing,

1:31:44.306,1:31:50.591
and you're determined not to explode like that."

1:31:50.591,1:31:53.239
"Breathe in and breathe out. I'm here for you."

1:31:53.765,1:31:57.921
"Your mindfulness may still be weak, [br]but I can help you with mine."

1:31:57.921,1:32:03.605
"So I'll squeeze your hand tightly, [br]meanwhile you just breathe in and out."

1:32:03.605,1:32:06.660
"Just smile. Let them say whatever they want."

1:32:08.038,1:32:11.482
So this is mindfulness intervening.

1:32:11.482,1:32:15.347
And that day, that brother didn't explode like he did in other times.

1:32:15.347,1:32:17.695
It's very strange and wonderful.

1:32:17.695,1:32:21.481
That is thanks to the intervention of mindfulness.

1:32:21.764,1:32:27.043
His energy of mindfulness was still weak [br]because he hadn't practiced for long,

1:32:27.043,1:32:30.596
so he needed someone to help him be mindful.

1:32:30.596,1:32:33.259
He borrowed someone else's mindfulness.

1:32:34.212,1:32:36.677
After practicing like that a few times,

1:32:36.677,1:32:40.024
he was mindful enough to be able to do it on his own.

1:32:40.024,1:32:42.913
And then in one meeting, he said, "I got this."

1:32:42.913,1:32:46.072
"You don't need to come with me, [br]you don't need to squeeze my hand."

1:32:46.073,1:32:50.044
"I'll use my left hand to squeeze my right hand."

1:32:50.044,1:32:52.751
And in the end he didn't explode.

1:32:52.751,1:32:57.994
Moving forward, [br]he had a greater degree of freedom.

1:32:58.642,1:33:02.859
This is proof that there is free will.

1:33:02.859,1:33:05.223
And where does free will come from?

1:33:05.223,1:33:08.007
The answer is mindfulness.

1:33:10.907,1:33:13.881
That is the beginning.

1:33:15.001,1:33:18.404
Sticking to mindfulness, slowly,

1:33:18.404,1:33:22.053
we have free will.

1:33:28.544,1:33:32.066
The Four Noble Truths

1:33:34.357,1:33:40.983
and the Noble Eightfold Path

1:33:45.001,1:33:51.884
is born from lived experience,

1:33:51.884,1:34:02.096
it's not something that's granted by a god.

1:34:04.053,1:34:10.435
It's not something that congress,

1:34:11.570,1:34:16.187
whether it's the house or the senate, has legislated.

1:34:17.079,1:34:21.331
It comes from one person's lived experience.

1:34:27.153,1:34:32.622
One person who made use of [br]the energy of mindfulness to get to concentration

1:34:33.657,1:34:35.900
and finally right view.

1:34:37.097,1:34:39.949
And he found a path for himself,

1:34:40.597,1:34:45.000
and he shared his understanding with others.

1:34:45.000,1:34:50.022
That is the case of Gautama Shakya.

1:34:51.706,1:35:01.582
The Four Noble Truths as well as [br]the Noble Eightfold Path (the fourth truth)

1:35:02.785,1:35:10.263
are moral facts

1:35:12.859,1:35:16.259
that anyone can agree with.

1:35:17.516,1:35:21.299
Whether you are Buddhist or non-Buddhist,

1:35:21.800,1:35:24.652
these remain the moral facts.

1:35:27.735,1:35:34.239
Whether you believe in God or not, [br]these are still the moral facts.

1:35:36.409,1:35:40.680
In his very first Dharma talk,

1:35:40.680,1:35:46.970
the Buddha laid the foundation for an ethics,

1:35:46.970,1:35:49.365
an ethical path.

1:35:53.239,1:36:01.873
And

1:36:07.701,1:36:10.797
it's very pragmatic.

1:36:18.262,1:36:25.618
Pragmatic because it takes us back to reality now.

1:36:27.058,1:36:30.000
And in this reality, there is ill-being

1:36:33.906,1:36:37.184
Looking deeply into ill-being,

1:36:37.467,1:36:40.270
into the nature of ill-being,

1:36:40.270,1:36:42.510
we find a way out.

1:36:43.280,1:36:46.680
Based on our understanding of cause and effect,

1:36:47.815,1:36:49.887
we find a path.

1:36:49.887,1:36:55.615
And that path has the capacity to transform ill-being.

1:36:56.398,1:37:03.954
So these ethics are pragmatic.

1:37:04.677,1:37:06.677
Practical.

1:37:07.873,1:37:12.064
In the US there's a philosophy

1:37:13.138,1:37:16.151
called Pragmatism.

1:37:16.151,1:37:18.190
Pragmatism.

1:37:18.190,1:37:20.981
They advocate that truth is [br]something useful, practical for life.

1:37:25.525,1:37:27.525
It's beneficial for us.

1:37:35.903,1:37:40.819
So truth is not something we just think about,

1:37:40.819,1:37:43.466
it must be put into practice.

1:37:43.466,1:37:46.302
And when you put it into practice [br]you see the results right away.

1:37:52.063,1:37:54.976
La vérité est quelque chose qui payer.[br]Truth is something that pays.

1:37:55.320,1:37:58.233
Meaning it pays money. It's useful.

1:37:58.699,1:38:02.664
Truth is something useful and has practical consequences.

1:38:02.664,1:38:08.053
So the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold path is that kind of truth,

1:38:08.053,1:38:10.846
and if you apply it you see it's effective.

1:38:10.846,1:38:12.855
If it's not effective,

1:38:12.855,1:38:15.000
it's not the truth.

1:38:16.624,1:38:25.197
And so Buddhist ethics is not [br]metaphysical, it is practical.

1:38:27.428,1:38:34.163
And these are not things to just talk about,[br]they are to be applied in daily life.

1:38:34.163,1:38:38.654
For instance, when we speak of mindfulness,[br]what kind of mindfulness are we talking about?

1:38:38.654,1:38:40.167
In concrete terms,

1:38:40.167,1:38:43.425
are you breathing

1:38:43.425,1:38:45.243
mindfully?

1:38:45.628,1:38:47.890
If you know how to breath mindfully,

1:38:47.890,1:38:50.994
you can to calm your body and mind.

1:38:50.994,1:38:54.162
You can touch the wonders of life.

1:38:54.162,1:38:55.798
Have you tried walking mindfully?

1:38:55.798,1:39:00.000
If you do, you can be in touch with the wonders of life.

1:39:00.267,1:39:12.431
So we can say that Buddhism is very close [br]to the philosophy of Pragmatism of William James.

1:39:13.201,1:39:33.643
[ The sound of the bell ... ]

1:39:37.222,1:39:50.969
[ The sound of the bell ... ]