"Speak only when it's absolutely necessary" | Teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh (EN subtitles)

We should learn to listen and to speak.

Speak only when we...

feel it's absolutely necessary to speak.

Every time you open your mouth,
there should be a very good reason

to speak.

Say, because it helps the other person.

And when the other person speaks,
we should learn to listen

with the utmost...

carefulness and respect.

The teachings of the Buddha
—the words the Buddha uttered,

used to be—and are still now,

described as "full and comprehensive words."

"Viên âm" in Sino-Vietnamese.

"Viên âm" means words...

that have the power...

to heal, speaking to the hearts
of not only one person but many people.

[Thay writing "viên âm"
in Chinese on the board]

This Chinese character with Vietnamese pronunciation
"viên" means "full and comprehensive," and "âm"...

means "sound" or "voice."

The sounds of the Buddha's words
are very full and comprehensive.

"Full and comprehensive" here means
all-encompassing, all-embracing,

all-inclusive—not leaving anyone out.

They have the power to heal

not only one person, but many people.
That's "viên."

We also need to learn

to speak full and comprehensive words in the same way.

Let's say when...

when...

Thay give a Dharma talk

—this happens almost every day

—in the sangha, in the audience,
somebody thinks,

"I have a feeling what Thay is speaking about
in this Dharma talk is for me.

"He's speaking directly to me.

"He talks about me."

But sitting right next to them is someone else.
That person may also have the same feeling.

"How is it possible that
Thay know what's going on in me

"and speak right to my heart?

"Certainly what Thay is speaking about
in this Dharma talk is exclusively for me."

At the back of the room,
somebody else may have the same feeling.

Sometimes, there are talks
that can touch the depth...

of everyone's hearts

in the community.

Such a talk

is characterized by the fullness and
comprehensiveness of the teachings being given.

That talk is not given for the sake
of only one person but everyone.

Everyone benefits from it the same.

Just like when rain pours down,

not only do big trees receive...

rainwater to thrive,

but small shrubs and plants
also receive it the same.

Whether they are woodland trees
or climbing vines,

all vegetation species
can receive rainwater the same.

It's the same with Lord Buddha's Dharma talks.

They benefit everyone in the community the same.

When such a Dharma talk...

is given,

we call it...

"full and comprehensive teachings."

Even if we feel like,

"What Thay is speaking about in this Dharma talk
is exclusively for me,"

the fact is,

to many people who are also benefiting from the talk,

they also feel

what Thay is speaking about is for them.

Has anyone here ever had
that experience before?

Have you ever listened to a Dharma talk
and felt like...

"What Thay is speaking about
is exclusively for me"?

If you've had that experience before,
could you please kindly raise your hand?

See. That's why, don't you ever think

what Thay's speaking about
in a Dharma talk is for...

one person only.

Dharma talks have a very high purpose.

They are to dedicate

concrete practices, i.e. Dharma doors, for everybody.
Dharma talks can never be used

to criticize any one person,

nor to reprimand any one person.

A Dharma talk has to have a high purpose,

i.e. the teachings or words being delivered
need to be full and comprehensive.

We bring our whole heart
into listening to a Dharma talk.

We bring all our suffering

and life experiences
into listening to a Dharma talk.

We open up our whole being
so a Dharma talk...

—like rain,

can pour down on the seeds laying dormant

in the soil of our heart and mind.

Don't fight back

nor resist what's being said
in a Dharma talk.

We tend to fight back or resist with our opinions,

and with our preconceived
ideas and perceptions.

It's like when we spread a sheet of plastic

out on a patch of earth,

we make rainwater

impenetrable into the earth.

In general, in the soil of our heart and mind,
there are many seeds of understanding

and awakening

being buried

deep in the depth.

If we can open our being,

if we can open up the earth and soil
of our heart and mind so that the Dharma talk

can sink in and penetrate,

it's possible that one day,

the precious wholesome seeds in us

—the seeds of understanding and awakening,

will absorb

the cool rainwater of the Dharma,...

crack open,

emerge from the earth,

come into bloom, and bear fruits

for ourselves and for everyone.

That's the art of listening to a Dharma talk.

Open ourselves up and don't resist...

don't resist the Dharma talk.

Don't compare.

And don't...

judge or criticize

with our preconceived ideas,

or with our accumulated intellectual knowledge.