V Right View is No View: Letting go of Rigid Beliefs | Thich Nhat Hanh

[ Three sounds of the great bell ...]

Plum Village Practice Center,
Loving Kindness Temple,

The Path of the Buddha,
Winter Retreat 2008 - 2009.

The Insights that help us Break Free from Wrong Views
14 December 2008.

In the past, when Thầy just received
the Great Precepts,

the Pratimoksha,

Thầy had to recite them in Chinese.

Classical Chinese.

Thầy could not recite them
in his native Vietnamese.

Nowadays, monks and nuns can
recite the precepts in Vietnamese.

However, in Vietnam, most monks and nuns

still recite the Pratimoksha in classical Chinese.

They have a feeling that reciting it in Chinese

sounds more sacred than
reciting it in Vietnamese.

It's like reciting scriptures in Latin over here,

it sounds more powerful,

more sacred than reciting it in, say, French.

Reciting in Sanskrit

reciting in Latin.

Thầy really likes the introductory words
to the Pratimoksha.

The Pratimoksha that we recite in Plum Village

is from the Dharmagupta school
(Pháp Tạng Bộ 法藏部).

The precepts are like the
ocean without boundaries.
[ Giới như hải vô nhai ]
[ 戒如海無涯 ]

The precepts are like precious treasures,
we never grow tired in their pursuit.
[ Như bảo cầu vô yếm ]
如寶求無厭 ]

It is because we want to protect the sacred
inheritance of the true teachings
[ Dục hộ thánh pháp tài ]
[ 欲護聖法財 ]

that we have gathered to hear
the recitation of the precepts.
[ Chúng tập thính ngã thuyết ]
[ 眾集聽我說 ]

Sixteen words.

It means

the precepts are like
the ocean without boundaries.

The precepts are like
the ocean without boundaries.

"Giới như hải vô nhai,"

"Như bảo cầu vô yếm"

means the precepts are like precious
treasures that we are searching for.

It's like going to a mountain full of gems;
we can pick up so many gems.

But picking up three gems is not enough,

five gems is not enough.

It is never enough.

So the precepts
are also like that.

Studying the precepts,
pursuing the precepts,

we never grow tired of it.

So back then, as a young bhikshu reading the precepts, I felt those words were wonderful

but I hadn't fully understood them.

I hadn't seen clearly that the precepts

are as vast as the ocean,

and that there are no boundaries,

there are no limits.

Now I can see it.

I see that the precepts
are really without boundaries,

so vast.

The more we study,
the deeper they become,

the more we study,
the more we see its vastness.

And now I understand clearly the line
“Giới như hải vô nhai,”

meaning, the precepts are
like the ocean without boundaries.

In the beginning, we may think,
"They're precepts. What's the big deal?"

The five precepts, the first is no killing,
the second is no stealing ...

what's so complicated about them
that they need to be considered

as vast as the ocean without boundaries,

without limits?

Like precious treasures we
never grow tired in their pursuit.

Of course, some of us enjoy studying the precepts.

But, even if we like
studying the precepts,

there must be a point
where we feel it's enough.

But in the introductory paragraph
it says, "như bảo cầu vô yếm."

So like precious treasures that we search for,

no matter how many we find
we never feel it's enough.

The precepts are also like that,

the more we study them,
the more we see how wonderful they are.

So when we study the 5, 10 or
14 precepts

and we think we've had enough,

then we have not truly touched the precepts.

Because the precepts are very deep.

They contain concentration and insight.

And insight is a treasure chest

of understanding and love.

And so we may study the precepts
our whole life and still feel it's not enough.

"Giới như hải vô nhai, Như bảo cầu vô yếm."
[ 戒如海無涯，如寶求無厭 ]

The precepts are like the ocean
without boundaries.

The precepts are like a mountain of gems,
we never grow tired in their pursuit.

"Dục hộ thánh pháp tài, Chúng tập thính ngã thuyết."
[ 欲護聖法財，眾集聽我說 ]

"Because we want to protect that
sacred inheritance of the noble ones

that the sangha has gathered here to listen
to the recitation of the precepts."

It is because we have a very precious
inheritance, which are the precepts.

And if we can guard that inheritance,
we will continue to be rich.

If we lose that inheritance,
then we will become poor.

That is why the precepts
are very important in Buddhism.

Precept is sila.

And we are about to have a great
precepts transmission ceremony,

the New Lotus Season Great Precepts
Transmission ceremony (Giới Đàn Mùa Sen Mới).

And many people are coming to request
the transmission of the precepts.

"Sila" means

precepts.

And

precepts lead to concentration.

Concentration is "samadhi."

When our precepts and concentration
are powerful enough,

we can pierce through
the net of illusion

and arrive at a very deep understanding,
which is called "insight,"

or Prajna.

So the precepts contain
concentration and insight.

If the precepts do not contain
concentration and insight,

they are not true precepts.

So we must know that precepts here

contain concentration,

and concentration contains insight.

Here is concentration.

And here is insight.

If by practicing we are able to develop
concentration and insight

it's because the precepts themselves
contain concentration and insight.

So when we observe the first precept of

no killing, of protecting life,

we know that concentration and insight is there.

There must be a kind of insight

which serves as the foundation for precepts.

In the past few weeks
we have seen very clearly that

insight is right view.

"Chánh kiến" means right view.

Right view.

And right view

is the view that leads to solidarity and love,

and not to discrimination and division.

That is what we mean by right view.

The view of interdependent co-arising, the view of interbeing.

Interdependent co-arising.
[ Duyên sinh ]

Interbeing.
[ Tương Tức ]

Interdependent co-arising means
this relies on that to manifest.

Like the left relies on the right to be.

If there is no left, there is no right.

This is also interbeing.

Left and right rely on each other to be.

If there is no left,
there will never be a right.

If this does not exist,
then that will never exist.

In the sutras, the Buddha
taught this very clearly,

"This is because that is."

It is very simple.

This is because that is.
[ Thử hữu tức bỉ hữu ]
[ 此有故彼有 ]

[ Thử hữu tức bỉ hữu ]
[ 此有故彼有 ]

It means, this is because that is.

This is, therefore that is.

This and that.

Suppose there is no left.
How can the right be?

At first we see that
the left and the right

are like the sun and moon,
opposing each other.

But in fact,
they embrace each other.

In the left there is the right.

And in the right there is the left.

Wherever the left is, the right is there also.

It's wonderful.

If there is no left, there can be no right.

This is right understanding.
What we call right view.

It's like when we say “I” and “you.”

"I" and "you."

These two things.

The one and the all.

The one.

and the all.

The one and the all.
[ Nhất, nhất thiết ]
[ 一 , 一切 ]

In Buddhism it is said that
the one is the all.

This is the one,

this is the all.

The one. The all.
[ 一 , 一切 ]

Why is the one the all?

Because looking deeply into the one,

looking very deeply,

we can see the all.

In Plum Village we often use
a flower as an example.

Looking deeply into this one flower,

we can see that it contains everything.

The cloud, the sun, the earth,
even human consciousness,

there is nothing in the universe
that is not contained in this flower.

The all is inherent in the one.

And if we take away the all,
the one no longer exists.

If we take away the all,
the one no longer exists.

So the one embraces the all
and the all embraces the one.

Outside of the one, the all doesn't exist,

and outside of the all, the one doesn't exist.

That is why the one and the all
rely on each other to be.

We cannot say that the all comes first
and then the one comes after,

or that the one comes first
and then the all comes after.

So it's a very deep understanding.

And when we can see the nature of interbeing,

interbeing,

this is that,

this embraces that,

then we begin to understand.

Like when we look into the precepts and see
that they contain concentration and insight,

we can see the true nature of the precepts.

But if we see that the precepts
are not concentration and not insight,

we haven't really understood the precepts.

Because precepts, concentration
and insight inter-are.

They inter-are.

That is the insight that we need to realize.

And that insight doesn't come by speaking or listening.

We have to practice looking deeply.

And one day we will be able to have insight.

That insight is called the right view.

And once we have insight,

the precepts become
something very natural.

Once we see that the other person is us,
we cannot possibly kill them.

Because killing that person
means killing ourselves.

It's the same if we talk about
man and the environment.

Man and the environment.

And if we have wrong view (tà kiến),

we would say man is one thing
and the environment is another thing.

That is not a right view.

And without right view,
ethics is not possible.

According to the Buddha’s teachings

as well as the insights of the great beings

the environment is also man.

Man comes from the environment.

And the environment creates man.

That is why we can say
that we are the environment.

You are the environment,
the environment is you.

When we have this insight,
that is right view.

Seeing the inter-being between
ourselves and the environment,

we can't possibly harm the environment.

Because harming the environment
is harming ourselves.

To kill the environment
is to kill the human species.

Nowadays, sociologists and scientists
are all able to see this.

They can see it in theory
but perhaps not with insight .

So in not harming the environment,

in observing the precepts to not harm the environment,

to not kill other species,

to not kill other people,

that comes from insight.

There is right view.

That's why we say precepts must contain insight

to be called true precepts.

If we just say,
"The first precept is no killing,"

but we don't have the insight
on why we shouldn't kill,

then we have not understood the precepts.

We need the insight of inter-being:

If you kill that person you kill yourself.

You will suffer a lot.

With that insight,
no-killing is possible.

So the precepts contain
concentration and insight.

And looking into the precepts,

we'll find it's complete with
concentration and insight.

That is why the precepts
have no boundaries.

The precepts are like the ocean,
without boundaries.

The more we study, the more
we see how deep and vast they are.

The more we study, the more we see how
precepts contain concentration and insight.

And insight is limitless.

For some, a lake or a pond
may already seem large,

but when they encounter a river,
and they see that the river is so vast.

But a river is nothing compared to the ocean.

So when we look deeply into the precepts,

we can also see that the precepts are limitless,

Because the precepts contain
concentration and insight.

And if insight is limitless,
then love is also limitless.

Insight is understanding,

and compassion is love.

Compassion is love.
Insight is understanding.

And we have learned that in Buddhism

love is immeasurable.

Love is made of four elements:

loving kindness, compassion,
joy and equanimity.

The four immeasurable minds.
[ Tứ vô lượng tâm ]
[ 四無量心 ]

"Vô lượng" means limitless.

And if love is limitless,

the understanding that generates
that love is also limitless.

And because the precepts contain insight,
understanding,

they are also limitless.

So now Thay understands clearly that the line,

"The precepts are like the ocean
without boundaries," is very true.

The precepts are like the ocean
without boundaries.

This is very true.

The precepts are like the ocean
without boundaries.

Like precious treasures
that we keep looking for.

We've found so many,
yet we never get tired,

we still want to keep looking for more.

So, studying the precepts in that spirit,

we are true practitioners.

Wherever there's a precepts class,
we go there immediately

to study with the precepts teachers.

Precepts teachers who have studied the precepts
for 20 years are very well-learned,

yet they still feel they haven't understood enough,

so they aspire to study for another 10 years,
and even so it's not enough,

so they study for another 20 years.

When we have such a desire
for the learning the precepts,

they can be considered true precepts.

So 25 years ago, we did some deep looking,

we mobilized the sangha,

and together we renewed the
5 Mindfulness Trainings.

At the time, we felt that version of the
5 Mindfulness Trainings were already so wonderful.

But now, after 25 years of practicing

we are very clear that we
need to revise the 5 Mindfulness Trainings.

Because the 5 MTs must be presented
in such a way that when we recite them

we can see that they contain
concentration and insight.

So during the past 3 or 4 weeks,

the community in Plum Village
has been helping Thay revise the first training,

the training on protecting life.

In the past when the Buddha devised the precepts,

it was also done with the support
of the senior monks and nuns.

So now as we revise the precepts,

as we revise the precepts

you must also help Thay.

You must do it with Thầy.

Don't leave Thay to do it alone.

That wouldn't be nice.

So in the Dharma sharing sessions,
don’t just sit and listen,

you must share your insights on the trainings.

You must truly contribute to the discussion.

You must speak out.

Of course, it may be that in our sharing circle

there are people
who are good at taking notes,

or good at choosing the right words
to express the sangha’s insights.

They are the editors.

So you may not be an editor,
but you have insight.

If you have an insight into the training,
you should speak out.

You have the practice, so you can share,
you can contribute.

Later you can tell your children that

"In those days, when the 5 Mindfulness trainings were revised,

I was there."

But I was there!

Whether I'm now a venerable nun

or a venerable monk,

I had actively contributed.

I didn't just sit there and listen,
and say I'm happy to flow,

No, being happy to flow is not enough.

You have to contribute to the process.

Later, should your children ask about it,

you can say “Yes, I was there
and I contributed wholeheartedly.”

That's how it should be.

So today is Sunday,

and we'll continue with revising the fifth training.

No. The first training.

And the sangha has already
appointed one person per group

to take notes and to edit.

So all the note takers and editors from
the different groups should come together,

gathering all the ideas
from their groups

and condensing it into a text
for the first training that's not too long.

But it should contain

the concentration and insight
on the training of no killing.

So in the training on no killing, it should be
presented it in such a way that we can see

that with the insight of interbeing,

with the insight of interdependent co-arising,

we no longer discriminate.

We're no longer dogmatic.

We're no longer angry.

Because

with understanding, there is acceptance and love.

And when there is acceptance and love,
then how can one still kill?

Killing that person
means killing ourselves.

That's why in the first training

we can help everyone see
the insight that serves as the foundation.

And we know that
the spirit of Buddhism

is one of openness.

Open to learn and to not
get caught in any view,

any doctrine,

theory or religion.

Because in our society,

sometimes in the name of a doctrine

in the name of a theory, a religion or God,

they kill each other.

And in the Buddhist tradition,

we have the practice called
non attachment to views,

to not be caught in any
doctrine, theory,

or ideology,

even Buddhist ideology
or Buddhist theory.

We should see the teachings of
the Buddha as guiding means.

They are the finger
pointing to the moon,

the raft to cross to the other shore.

We should not worship

or

wage a war
just to protect these things.

The things that we consider to be absolute truths.

That's why while in Vietnam last year,

Thay organized requiems to pray

for the six to seven million people
who died during the Vietnam war.

In the prayer we were able
to say this one sentence.

We were able to say this one sentence.

And that prayer ended up being published
in "Giác Ngộ" magazine.

The sentence was, "Before both our
spiritual and blood ancestors,

we vow that from now on we will
never initiate any idealogical wars."

That line is very important.

The current and future
generations should learn this line

because the Vietnam war
was essentially an ideological war

between communism and capitalism.

And the country and the people of Vietnam
became a battlefield.

Because one side subscribed to Marxism (communism),

and the other side subscribed to capitalism.

Not only did the country adopt
ideologies brought in from outside

it also imported weapons from outside

and brothers ended up killing brothers.

That war

was an ideology war.

And brothers of one family killed
each other because of ideologies.

So when we are fanatic
about an ideology,

we might end up killing each other.

The spirit of Buddhism is openness,

to not get caught in any ideology,

any doctrine or theory—

and it's written very clearly—
even Buddhist ones.

We shouldn't be caught in them either.

That is called non-attachment to views,

not being caught in any ideology
or theory.

Non-attachment to views.

That's the beauty of Buddhism.

So when we talk about
the first mindfulness training,

we have to talk about this.

First, the insight interbeing must be there.

I am you, you are me.
Killing you means killing me.

Second, there must be openness.

We are not caught in any
doctrine, any theory or any ideology.

That is when the precept on no-killing
can be a true Buddhist precept.

Now we see in India and Iraq,

everyday bombs are exploding,

everyday people are dying.

The people are caught in their
ideologies, theories or religions.

They punish each other,
they kill themselves and they kill others.

So how can we present the first training

so that it can be a bell of mindfulness

for the whole world to wake up,

and see that we need to free ourselves

from the fanatism and intolerance,

in order to put an end

to the violence, the hatred and the killing.

So for the first precept,

how can we keep it short

but still be able to express all the insights.

Insight is the foundation for action.

So precepts.

About precepts,
we need to present them in a way

that people can touch the concentration
and insight while reciting them.

Maybe we ...
teacher and disciples,

in this winter retreat

we can offer a new version
of the 5 Mindfulness Trainings.

And maybe they can be used
for the next 20 or 30 years.

They can play their role
in the next 20 or 30 years.

But in 20 or 30 years, the situation
in the world will change,

and it will require us to sit down
and revise the trainings again.

Because the trainings
must be appropriate.

On one hand, they should be appropriate
to the teachings.

They must be in-line with the teachings.

And on the other hand, they should be
appropriate to the situation of the world.

In-line with the teachings and appropriate to our times.
[ khế lý 契理 , khế cơ 契機 ]

That is called appropriateness.

Today the sangha is invited
to work effectively together.

So we have Dharma sharing groups,

or precepts sharing groups.

And in each sharing group,
there are some who are active,

some who can share quite deeply,

and some who are capable of
taking notes and reporting.

So we should encourage these people to
meet similar people in other groups

to form an editorial council.

And Thay will hand over all the materials

and results of last weeks
Dharma sharing sessions

so that they can rewrite and present
the first training as they wish.

That text will be the result
of collective insight,

from teacher and disciple,
from all the brothers and sisters.

And it can be our offering
to the Three Jewels as the year ends,

on the occasion of Christmas and New Year.

In the past few weeks we have
tried to offer some different views.

View or approach.

Three different views.

The first is the view from theistic traditions.

You should already have that printed text.

And we have a paragraph

about the scientific view.

The view of science about
the universe and all beings.

Lastly, we have a paragraph
about the Buddhist view.

The Buddhist view on consciousness and action.

So we should all have these three texts.

These texts represent the three different approaches,

the theistic approach,

the scientific approach,

and the Buddhist approach.

Buddhist studies can be better described
as ethics rather than religion.

Because in Buddhism we don't speak of the creator.

If God is perceived ...

as the ground of being,

if God is perceived as
the ultimate reality,

as suchness,

as Nirvana,

then in Buddhism there is God.

But if God is perceived as a man

with a long beard
standing high up in the sky

who created humans and all things,

then in Buddhism
there is no God like that.

And now people say that

spirituality is possible without God.

Spirituality without God.

But depending on how we
understand the word God,

we can see whether God is present in Buddhism or not.

If we say man is created
in the image of God,

there is no such belief in Buddhism.

But if we say God is the ultimate reality,

the ground of being
then there may be a God.

It is like that.

Thay has proposed a short text—less than
a dozen lines—on the Buddhist approach.

And this Buddhist approach

is just a finger pointing to the moon,
or a raft to cross the river.

You can come up with another text.

And in the future the Buddhist approach
can be improved.

We can present it in a better way.

Just like science. The view
representing science here

may no longer be relevant now.

In science, there are those
who have made great progress

and there are those who have stay behind.

And the scientists who have made great progress
and the scientists who have stay behind,

they strongly oppose each other.

They have very different views.

And so, the view of science
is also advancing,

and the view of religion
is also advancing.

So the view of Buddhism
must also move forward.

Why?

If love is something limitless,

then understanding and wisdom
should also be something limitless.

So we cannot say that our understanding ends here.

So if there are any theologians here in the sangha

(theologians)

let's contemplate, let's try to find

a new understanding

of cosmology from the theistic traditions.

Because the view that we have been using

as the foundation for ethics may be outdated.

In the light of science,
that view needs to be revised.

In the Buddhist approach, both
subject and object of perception ...

manifest from consciousness

according to the principle of interbeing.

"Both subject and object of perception
manifest from consciousness

according to the principle of interbeing."

Wherever we go we can see interbeing.

Subject of perception
and object of perception

are not two things
that exist outside of each other.

The subject contains the object
and the object contains the subject.

Just like this flower, it
contains the universe

and the universe
contains this flower.

They cannot exist outside of each other.
This is the insight of Buddhism.

So, "Humankind is present in all things

and all things are present in humankind."

It means that humankind
is present in the environment

and the environment is
present in humankind.

Human beings and
the environment inter-are.

It is clearly consistent
with the insight of interbeing.

You contain the environment.

The environment contains you.

You are the environment.
That is the insight of Buddhism.

And Buddhism goes further.

"On the phenomenal level,

there seems to be birth,
death, being and non-being,

but ontologically, these notions cannot be
applied to reality."

"On the phenomenal level,

there seems to be birth,
death, being and non-being,

but ontologically,

these notions cannot be
applied to reality."

This is very Buddhist.

This is just one person's way
of expressing this.

As you study and practice Buddhism,

you may find better ways
to express this.

It's the same in science.

If you are a scientist.

—there must be some scientists among us—

like astrophysicists,
or nuclear physicists,

uou know that science
is also advancing.

It has left behind
archaic knowledge,

and is finding ways
to be free from views,

to break free from old knowledge
to search for new knowledge.

There are scientists who have come very close,

and who have started to have insights
that are similar to Buddhist ones.

They're starting to see that
the universe is also consciousness,

they're starting to see that
the quanta is also consciousness,

first of all their own consciousness.

So dialogue between
science and religion

have been going on for decades.

And it is something very exciting.

If scientists can work together with Buddhists,

if scientists learn to meditate
and to use a tool called mind,

they can succeed much more quickly.

Because scientists have
very sophisticated instruments.

They have very expensive instruments,
like particle accelerators.

The one in Switzerland is very expensive.

But in Buddhism, we say the most
important instrument is our mind.

When mind is tainted with the afflictions
of craving, anger and ignorance,

that instrument cannot realize deep insights.

So if we know how to purify our mind,

how to remove the dust of
craving, anger, ignorance,

our mind becomes clear and bright.

With that clarity,
we can see more clearly.

That is why scientists
must also be practitioners

in order to be successful
more quickly and easily.

Scientists can't just use their intellect alone,
they also need to make use of their heart.

Everything evolves according to the
principle of interdependence,

but there is free will and
the possibility to transform,

there is probability.

"The dynamic consciousness is called karma energy.

Everything evolves according to
the principle of interdependence, interbeing,

but there is still free will
and the possibility to transform.

There is probability.

And the one affects the
all, the all affect the one."

The all affect the one,
and the one affects the all.

Each sentence contains
the insight of interbeing.

To Thay, the principle
of interbeing is very scientific.

"Right view allows right action,

leading to the reduction of suffering
and the increase of happiness."

"Right view allows right action,

leading to the reduction of suffering
and the increase of happiness."

So in Buddhist ethics,
right view is very important.

Right view leads to right thinking,
right speech and right action.

And one more thing:

happiness and suffering inter-are.

"Happiness and suffering inter-are."

Meaning in happiness there is suffering.
In suffering there is happiness.

Happiness and suffering make each other.
That is also the insight of interbeing.

Perhaps in other schools of ethics
this has been overlooked.

But in Buddhism, without this insight
it is not true Buddhist ethics.

And lastly, "The ultimate reality transcends
notions of good and evil, right and wrong."

Meaning notions of good
and evil, right and left,

right and wrong,
are all relative.

There are two domains,

one domain is nature,

or the natural world.

The natural world is the domain of nature.

And the human world is the domain of humans.

Because there is the human world,
with its suffering and happiness,

we need to be able to determine

what is right and what is wrong,

what is good and what is bad.

These things are pragmatic.

They are only relative in value.

Don't hold on to them and assume
that they are absolute.

Right and wrong, good and evil,
are only relative.

We should not be caught
and think they are absolute.

This is very important.

Because when we arrive
at the ultimate reality,

there is no more
right and wrong,

good and evil,

true and false.

So Nirvana transcends all notions of right and wrong,

being and non-being,

good and evil.

Nirvana is not good.

Nirvana is neither good
nor evil.

Good and evil are notions

that we apply in the human world.

Nirvana itself is neither
good nor evil.

It transcends the notions of
good and evil.

It's the same goes for notions
of above and below.

Above means to be above something,
and below means to be below something.

We are sitting here

in France.

Our head is pointing up,

so we think that this is the below.

But in Viet Nam,
they are sitting upside down from us.

What we call the above
is actually their below.

So these notions of above and
below cannot be applied to the universe.

They can only be applied in relation to the Earth.

So we should not be caught
in notions of above and below.

It's the same for the Dharmakaya.

To say that Dharmakaya is pure is not correct.

To say the Dharmakaya is pure is incorrect.

The Dharmakaya is neither pure nor impure.

To say that the Dharmakaya is impure is already wrong,

but to say that the Dharmakaya
is pure is equally wrong.

So when Zen master Tuệ Trung
Thượng Sĩ was asked by his disciples:

"What is the pure Dharmakaya?"
He said, "Cow dung",

"Cow urine.
That's what he said

to help people break free from
notions of pure and impure.

So what Thầy wants to say is,
if you are a theologian,

a Hindu,

Jewish,

or Christian theologian,

you should know that ...

our view on the universe and
all things can be improved.

We can move it forward.

We can transcend the old view
and to reach a new view.

And we can ...

carry our tradition forward
so that it can be closer to science.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama has also said this.

He said, "If I encounter something in Buddhism
that contradicts the spirit of modern science,

then I am ready to let them go."

That is the spirit of
non-attachment to views.

We have the courage
to let go of things

that we find are no longer correct.

This is also the spirit of science.

On the 1st of October, 2008 ...

in the capitol city of New Delhi ...

Thầy gave a teaching
to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi.

It was called the Gandhi Memorial Lecture.

Thầy cited an extract from
Mahatma Gandhi's speech

from the 9th of April, 1933,

from his journal called "Harijan."

Ghandi said: "In my search after truth,"
in my journey to seek the the truth,

"I have discarded many ideas
and learned many new things."

"In my search after truth, I have discarded many ideas and learned many new things."

This proves that Mahatma Gandhi was someone
who was not attached to views.

He was not caught in prior knowledge.

Mahatma Gandhi was not a Buddhist.
He was a Hindu.

And in that tradition
there is also advancement.

This is the spirit of science.

As Christians or Jewish
we can also have that attitude.

We can release old understanding,

in order to reach to higher understanding.

"Old as I am in age,

I have no feeling that I have
ceased to grow inwardly."

"Old as I am in age, I have no feeling
that I have ceased to grow inwardly."

I am old but I have the feeling
that I have never cease to learn

and I continue to grow
in my spiritual life.

And I have the feeling
that even at the dissolution of this body

my quest for learning, my growth in
spiritual life will not stop.

It will continue.

"...or that my growth will stop
at the dissolution of the flesh."

It proves that Mahatma Gandhi was
not caught in the view of nihilism.

Nihilism means,

the idea that at the dissolution of the body nothing continues.

Nothing is continued.
The person is gone.

Mahatma Gandhi is saying after the dissolution of this body,
I will continue to learn,

I will continue to grow,

and I can continue to let go of the old truths in order to reach higher truths.

So Mahatma Gandhi was able to
break free from nihilism.

This sentence proves that
Mahatma Gandhi had two virtues.

The first virtue is the capacity
to let go of his own views.

And second is the capacity to transcend
the wrong view of nihilism,

which is the view that after death
we cease to exist.

Many scientists are still
caught in these two things.

Even scientists are still caught
in these two things

but Gandhi was not.

These two things are very important in Buddhism.

Which is first, non-attachment to views—
the capacity to let go of knowledge.

And secondly, not being caught in nihilism.

We need to move forward a bit

and start talking about the second mindfulness training,

even if we are still working
on revising the first training.

Because we only have three months.

The second training is ...

the practice of sharing our resources
with those who are in need,

not to appropriate, not to steal,
and not to cause social injustice.

The second training
must also contain the insight of interbeing.

And when we present the second training,

we have to present it in such a way
that it contains the insight of interbeing.

The suffering of the other person
is our own suffering.

The suffering, the destruction
of the environment

is also the destruction of human beings.

That insight should be
embedded in the second training.

The second training is about no stealing,

about sharing our time and material resources
with those who are in need.

We see that the objective
of the second training

is more about eliminating craving,

more about eliminating greed and craving.

In the first training on no killing,
it is also about eliminating greed.

It is because of greed
that we kill people,

we invade other countries.

We covet the natural resources of those countries
so we come and invade them.

Or we want a market for our products
so we invade that country.

So the first training also deals with craving.

The second training deals with craving too.

It's because of craving that
we want to seize and appropriate.

It's because of craving for wealth and success

that we destroy the environment.

The object of this craving
is assets and wealth.

And when we go to the third training,

no sexual misconduct, it is also
related to craving, but for sex.

So in fact all the five trainings
deal with craving and greed.

Similarly, all the five trainings also
deal with anger.

Because in the first training,
no killing, there is anger.

Because of anger there is killing.

And delusion. Delusion is the
lack of insight into interbeing,

therefore the killing, therefore the appropriation.

So we see clearly that the five trainings
are interrelated, they inte-rare.

In practicing one training well,

we can also practice the other four trainings well.

It's very wonderful.

So when we present
the second training on no stealing,

on sharing our time, material resources and
energy with those who are in need,

we have to present it in such a way

that allows people to see that the
other person whom we are exploiting,

whom we want to appropriate
from, is also ourselves.

And that storehouse of natural resources,

that environment that we are exploiting
and polluting, is also ourselves.

We are the environment.
We must have that insight

for the second training can be deep enough.

So you have to present it
in such a way that allows everyone

to see the interbeing between
themselves and the other person—

the person whom we want to appropriate from,
whom we want to exploit—

the interbeing nature between
ourselves and the environment.

That's when second training
is a true precept of the Buddha.

The insight of interbeing must be there.

For example, we can say,

"I vow to look deeply to see that
the happiness and suffering of others

are related to my own
happiness and suffering."

You may think that you have to be rich

in order to be happy.

But your wealth cannot be
built on the poverty of others.

"I vow to look deeply to see that
the happiness and suffering of others

are related to my own
happiness and suffering.

And that true happiness and peace

are not possible without
understanding and love."

Because there are some views

that say only when we have the four things—

wealth, fame, power and sex—

we can be happy.

That's what so many people believe.

So in this second training,
we have to make clear

that without understanding and love,
happiness is not possible.

Even if you have a lot of wealth,
fame, power and sex,

if there's no understanding
and love, you can suffer enormously.

You can even commit suicide.

So understanding and love are
the foundation of happiness.

We have to help people see that

so they can look for
happiness in that direction

and not to run after craving.

Only then can this precept
be a true precept of the Buddha.

"That true happiness and
peace are not possible

without understanding and love,

that running after wealth, fame, power and
sensual pleasures can bring much suffering."

"And once I know how to generate
understanding and love,

I can help myself and others overcome
difficulties and fear, and grow my happiness.

I vow to look deeply
to see that I am the environment ...

and the environment is myself.

Harming the environment is harming myself."

With these elements, it is good enough for now.

"I am determied to practice deeply

to see that both happiness
and suffering of the other person

have much to do with my
own suffering and happiness.

That true happiness is not possible
without understanding and love.

And running after wealth, fame, power or sex

can bring about much suffering and despair."

And happiness is the aim of our life.

Even though everyone needs
to overcome poverty,

happiness cannot be found in
the direction of craving and sensual desires.

In New Delhi, Thầy also talked about ...

Mahatma Gandhi's view on
happiness and sensual pleasures.

And Thầy quoted this from Gandhi:

"Our ancestors set a limit to our indulgences."

Our ancestors have learned to stop
and practice moderation.

No more indulging without limits.

No more

No more overindulgence.

"Our ancestors set a limit on our indulgences,"

in order not to overindulge.

"They saw that happiness
was largely a mental condition."

Our ancestors saw that happiness

was largely a mental condition, our way of seeing things.

Seeing with understanding and love,
happiness is possible.

"A man is not necessarily
happy because he is rich,

or unhappy because he is poor."

So people are not necessary happy
when they are rich,

and not necessarily
unhappy when they are poor.

Those who are able to live in moderation,
in poor conditions,

especially those who are able to live simply, those who choose

voluntary poverty,

those people are very happy.

They live simply, they may not
have a high income,

but they may be able to smile all day,
be happy all day, love all day.

So this sentence is very true.

"A man is not necessarily
happy because he is rich,

or unhappy because he is poor."

"Observing all this, our ancestors
dissuaded us from luxuries and pleasures."

"Observing all this, our ancestors
dissuaded us from luxuries and pleasures."

Indulging in sensual pleasures
can bring about a lot of suffering.

This insight

is a shared insight.

It's not only found in Buddhism,

but also in Christianity,
in Judaism and in Hinduism.

So this insight,

we need to point to it text of the training.

When we read the trainings, we can see
clearly that without Dharma sharing,

without coninuous learning, it's impossible
to understand that training deeply.

So after you have received the
Five Mindfulness Trainings

you should aspire to study them
when you get back home.

Studying just one training is enough.

And that training is like
the ocean without boundaries.

The deeper we go into that training
the more we can see its depth,

because there is an ocean
of wisdom,

an ocean of love in that training.

So we have to present the
5 Mindfulness Trainings in such a way

that they contain the immense ocean
of Buddhist insight and love.

One practitioner wrote me a letter yesterday.

He said: "I have work to
do. I must leave on Tuesday.

That's why I am very sad,
because I came to Plum Village

with the intention to receive
the Five Mindfulness Trainings.

Dear Thay, please help me find a way to receive
the 5 Mindfulness Trainings before Tuesday,

as I must leave on Tuesday."

So Thay handed the letter
to brother Pháp Đôn,

and asked him to arrange for this friend
to receive the 5 trainings on Monday,

so tomorrow,
before he returns home.

And brother Pháp Đôn was very compassionate.

He has arranged
for five or six brothers

to transmit the 5 Mindfulness Trainings
for that friend.

That is heart of pursuing the precepts.

Because we know that
there are precious gems in the precepts.

When we have precepts
then we have everything.

Because the precepts
contain the Three Jewels:

the Buddha, the Dharma, the sangha;

precepts, concentration and insight.

So someone who practices
the precepts is always protected.

They no longer have anything to fear.

Someone with a precept body,
the sila body ...

that person is always protected
by the Three Jewels,

by the energies of precepts,
concentration and insight.

That's why every one of us should pursue
the precepts wholeheartedly.

For all those who stay until
the end of the Rains retreat,

you can receive the 5 trainings during
the Great Precepts Transmission Ceremony.

You can receive them in the New Lotus Season
Great Precepts Transmission Ceremony.

At the end of the year,

it seems the monastics in Bat Nha have read this already,

but the monastics in New Hamlet
and Lower Hamlet have not.

Thay hopes that after the monastics
have had a chance to read this,

they can translate it so our friends can read it i
n English, French and German.

Thay has the reports from the
Dharma sharing groups from last Thursday.

[ The sound of the bell ]