How do you surrender to God's will?

Q&A with Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, Thay. Lower Hamlet, Plum Village practice center, France.

(Half bell)

(Bell)

How do you understand the process
of surrendering to God's will?

(Sister): Dear Thay, dear friends,
the question is:

How does Thay understand
the process of surrendering to God's will?

(Thay): God's will is
that you should be your best.

You should be alive.

You should enjoy the wonders of life

and you should help other people

to suffer less and to enjoy
the wonders of life.

That is the will of God.

And that is also the will of nature,
the will of Mother Earth.

Because Mother Earth is doing that.

Mother Earth always tries
to be as beautiful as she can be,

to be as fresh as she can,

as forgiving as she should.

So Mother Earth is doing God's will.

And we who are children
of the Mother Earth

we can learn from her.

We should be patient.

We should live in such a way

that can preserve
our freshness, our beauty,

our compassion.

With that kind of intention,

good intention,

to transform the suffering inside,

to help people around, living beings,

to transform their suffering.

The intention to really be there

and live deeply the life
that is given to you to live.

The intention to help
people to do the same.

With that intention,
you surrender to the will of God,

to the desire of Father Sun
and Mother Earth.

Because vitality, the will to live,

the will to live peacefully, happily,
with compassion,

that is the will of God.

And it is also our will,

because we have our physical body

and we have our cosmic body,
we have our God body.

The one who surrenders
and the one who is surrended to

they are not two separate entities.

(Bell)

(Bell)