Mindfulness: A Universal Practice | Thich Nhat Hanh (EN subtitles)

Zen Master Nhất Hạnh's Dharma Talk
With Intellectuals

— Quy Nhơn City (Bình Định, Vietnam),
April 07, 2005

I feel life in me

and around me.

Breathing out, I smile at life
in me and around me.

[Bell]

[Bell]

[Bell]

Dear friends,

in recent years, we've established

in Europe and the US

Mindfulness Practice Centers,

or Maison de la Pleine Conscience in French.

In these mindfulness practice centers,

there are no Buddha statues,

there's no incense,

and there are no religious ceremonies.

Everyone can come to practice sitting,

walking,

drinking tea,

and eating

in mindfulness.

So those who

have Jewish roots,

Christian roots,

or Hindu roots

can come to these practice centers
as they see fit

because these practice centers
are not religious

— they don't look or sound religious.

Sit in such a way that while sitting,

there's inner peace and happiness.

That's what we should practice.
In Vietnamese, it's called "an tọa" — still sitting.

Sit in inner ease and peace.

Because among us, many cannot sit

still.

Walk in such a way that each step
brings us solidity, freedom,

and happiness.

Many of us cannot walk

...like that.
We walk as if being chased by ghosts.

We always walk in a rush and at full tilt,

and we don't feel happy with each step.

When we drink tea, drink in such a way

that we can get in touch

with the miracles of life

and with the company of those
who are sitting with us.

Tea times can bring us
nourishment, happiness,

and inner peace.

The same with mealtimes.

Mindfulness practice centers

are places for those who are not seeking consolation in any religion or faith,

but the ways

or the art to live every moment of their lives

deeply,

peacefully, and happily.

When we go to the West, we know
they've already had their religions.

That's why we

only want

to offer them

the non-religious part of Buddhism.

Because Buddhism can be

conducted as a religion,

with beliefs, praying,

and faith in the future.

But Buddhism is not only that.

In Buddhism,

there's a source of deep insights.

In Buddhism, there's a source
of remarkable insights,

and there are good practices

that help us untie knots of suffering and pain,

relieve us from what's gnawing at us,

and allow us to re-establish
communication with those we love,

bringing about happiness.

These are the things we've shared with
friends in the West — in Europe and the US.

In forty years,

we've established
numerous practice communities

in many cities in Europe and the US.

At first,

they come to us because they
don't have inner peace.

When applying themselves to
the practices that we suggest,

they achieve contentment and joy.

They can reconcile themselves
with themselves,

and with their loved ones.

Happiness can find its way
back into their families.

And they can get rooted again in their
native spiritual tradition and society.

We've never wanted people
to lose their roots.

We said, "Don't forget your roots,

because a rootless person
is an unhappy person.

If you are a Christian,

please

continue being a Christian.

You can adopt Buddhist practices

to untie the knots of your difficulties,

sufferings, and pains that have been
gnawing at you for so long.

Then, return

to your spiritual roots

— your spiritual traditions,

to renew and revive

and to discover

the treasures in your traditions that you haven't

discovered yet."

For that reason, our attitude

is

totally different from that
of the clergypeople

who came to Vietnam

during the centuries when they first came
and promoted their beliefs and religions.

We never want them to abandon
their native spiritual traditions.

On the contrary, we encourage them
to keep those roots.

Coming into contact with this attitude,

they grow fond of Buddhism
because, in it, there's...

there's an openness

and a great degree of inclusiveness.

Instead of talking people into
abandoning their religions

or their spiritual traditions,
and following ours,

we encourage them to keep their roots.

We do just the opposite of what
the Christian clergy did in Vietnam

around 300 or 400 years ago.

For that reason, they get to be in touch
with the beauty of Buddhism,

with the all-embracingness

...and openness of Buddhism.
And they come to really appreciate it.

In Vermont, we have

a mindfulness practice center like that.

And

those

who look after

and take care of that center
are ordinary people.

They aren't Buddhists — they don't have to,

but they know the art of sitting

that allows them to have
inner peace and contentment,

the art of walking that allows them
to have inner peace and contentment,

and the art of living that allows them to

live deeply each moment of their daily life.