Why is a Dog a Dog? - Summer Retreat 2016

Why is everything called everything?

Everything called everything.

Why is everything called everything?

Like, why is a dog called a dog?

Helper: Why is a dog a dog?

Boy: No, why is a ...

Helper says: Ask to them

Why is a dog a dog?

Brother Phap Luu: Why is a dog a dog?

Boy: Why is a dog called a dog?

(laughter)

(Translation of question into French.)

So, the question is, "Why is a dog a dog?"

Why is everything called everything?

OK

(laughter)

Brother Phap Ung: Wow!

(laughter)

Dear Thây, dear community, dear ...

what is your name?

Luke?

Why is Luke, Luke?

(laughter)

Why is a dog called a dog?

(laughter)

Yes, why is a dog a dog?

Yeah..

I need to call for Thây's help.

Please, Thây!

(laughter)

You know, this a very, very deep question

and all of us can profit from your question.

Very, very deep. Very beautiful.

Thank you.

(laughter)

You know, this is a way to take time,

to breathe, to enjoy and

let the store consciousness work.

Now, Thây is coming up,

and Thây would like to answer:

Be beautiful, be yourself.

You know that?

A dog is a dog because he is himself.

He is beautiful like himself.

No need to question: why am I a dog?

Why am I not a cat?

No need to question about that.

Be beautiful, be Luke, and be yourself.

And you are beautiful as yourself.

Isn't that so?

Are you beautiful as yourself?

You are already wonderful as yourself.

No need for Luke to become someone else.

But there is another secret.

Would you like to hear it?

Audience: Yes

Yeah?

A dog is a dog because the dog is also water.

Strange! A dog cannot be water!

Can you believe that?

The dog is also water.

(laughter)

Who can answer that question?

Why is a dog also water? Because..?

Yes! Come!

And, ... Come.. Yes.

Now we need collective insight.

We make use of the Sangha eye.

Why is a dog also water?

Kids: Because it drinks water.

Yes, of course.

Are we also water, as human beings?

Kids: Yes.

Yes, because we do need water.

Luke: if they drink water,

they are drinking themselves.

Brother Phap Luu: If they drink water then?

they are drinking themselves.

(laughter)

Yes, this is genius!

Because the dog is the water,

so when he's drinking water,

he is drinking himself. Of course.

Wow! This is an eye opener. RIght?

Kids: And he's also drinking you,

because you also are water.

I would like to share

the background about this.

They got the teaching about interbeing

in the Two Promises session.

So, they know a lot. Yes!

So they have learned that the water,

the cycle of water, you know,

water, sea, cloud, rain.. are connected

to human beings and to animals and so on.

So between human beings, animals, trees,

plants and minerals, there are connections.

So he is now answering that.

So the dog is drinking water.

That means he's drinking himself

because he is already water.

Genius, isn't he?

So now you know all the answer.

No need to question why is a dog a dog.

Yes? You understand why is a dog is a dog?

Because the dog is made of water,

the dog is made of cloud,

the dog is made of nutriments like..

Here in Plum Village, the dog, the cat,

they eat food,

and therefore they are themselves.

And also, they need love also from us,

human beings. They need friends,

and they need fresh air to run around.

And when the dog has realized that,

the dog is happy as a dog.

And no need to be someone else.

So we are as wonderful as we are.

We don't need to become someone else

to be happy.

Yes?

OK!

Thank you for your question!