Empty Yourself! Creating Space Inside | Thich Nhat Hanh (EN subtitles)

When we listen to something,

we should apply the method of...

deep listening.

Listen in such a way that
what others say can sink in.

Because among us, very few...

are able to receive what others say.

Because we've had
preconceived opinions,

we've been preoccupied
with fixed views.

Those opinions, those ideas,
those views, those perceptions,

have preoccupied us.

For that reason, while listening, we usually
bring those opinions and views up

to compare them
with what we're listening to.

We're full of opinions.
We're full of views.

And while listening, we bring
those opinions, those views up to...

greet what we're listening to.

Almost everyone does that.

And when we see
what others say doesn't match

our opinions or views,

we tend to brush them off,

deeming them

untrue.

Almost everyone listens that way.

And that's why

what we listen to just can't sink in.

"Đế thính", "non-judgmental listening",
means listening without bringing

our opinions and views up to compare.

Because those opinions and those views

are like a wall

that stops

a ball in its tracks.

Like people throw a ball against a wall,
and the wall sends the ball back.

The wall is incapable
of receiving the ball.

So, in us, there's a wall.

A wall of opinions.
A wall of views.

It's always standing there.
And whenever there's...

there's something others want to tell us,

we put that wall up to defend ourselves.

And for that reason,
we can't take in what others say.

If what others say match our opinions

or our views, we say, "You're right!"

"You're right!"

That sentence means "I'm also right!"

"You're right" means "I'm also right."

I and you are both right.

But fact is, both can be totally wrong.

And if what others say
doesn't match our opinions and views,

we'll immediately brush them off,
saying, "You're not right. You're wrong!"

Because we've already put up a wall,
we've already had a comparison.

And so, in both cases,

we can't take in anything.

Whether we say, "You're right!"
or we say, "You're wrong!",

in both cases, we can't take in
anything from the other person.

Almost all of us listen that way.

And that's why, all the listening
comes to nothing.

All the talking comes to nothing.

"Non-judgmental listening" means
to give the other person a chance,

to give what we listen to a chance
to sink into our being.

And for that reason, create a space
in our heart and mind — faire le vide.

Make a space inside ourselves

where there are neither opinions nor views,

so what others say can get in.

It's like when one removes the wall,
suddenly there's space.

And the ball

can get through.

When we sit listening to the sutras,
it's the same.

We should allow our opinions and views

to take a break,

to take a vacation,

so we can take in the true meanings
of the sutras.

So listening to the sutras is an art.

And listening to others when they speak
is also an art.

Empty yourself

when you listen.

Faire le vide.

It's the art of deep listening.

Because every one of us
is full of opinions, and full of views.

And perhaps those opinions and
those views are full of erroneousness

and prejudices or stereotypes.

When our teacher teaches us something,

or when our elder brother
has something to share with us,

or when our elder sister
has something to share with us,

we should allow it to sink in.

But if we

immediately react,

meaning, we bring our perceptions
and past experience out to compare,

it means we're...

brusquely dismissing

what others are sharing with us.

Probably because out of compassion,

they're offering it to us.

If they don't have compassion for us, they'll
never have to trouble themselves to say it to us.

But because we've already been
preoccupied with our own opinion,

we bring our opinion out
and we push away the other.

And that's a...

a brusque dismissal.

Rejection.

It...

puts us at a very big disadvantage.

A very big disadvantage.

And the other person can't be able
to fulfill their role as a teacher,

as an elder brother, as an elder sister,
or as a co-practitioner

of ours.

Because whatever they say,
we will always knock it back.

We think we already know it all.

That we've already had
our own opinions about it.

That we're already correct.

So, making space inside
is such a great art.

Empty yourself.

Faire le vide

is what we should practice.

When the other person speaks,
we should know how to listen.

The "other person" can be our father,

our husband or male partner,

our wife or female partner,

can be our daughter or son,

our teacher or mentor,

our younger brother or sister.

And when the other person speaks,
we should have a very respectful attitude.

We should make, we should create, a space

so that the thing they say
has a chance to sink in.

Songwriter Phạm Duy has
a very funny song. He says,

"Darling, you're a blank space
for love to fill up.

I'm an empty place
for love to replenish."

Because if it's neither "a blank space"
nor "an empty place",

if it's completely occupied, how's it
possible for anything else to get in?

Like a tea cup that's already full of tea,
how can we pour more tea in?

So that's why,

the tea cup must have space.

The same with us — we should
make a space inside ourselves

when we listen,
when we go about our day.

Therefore, all of us should...

should learn, and should train ourselves

to be able to attain this attitude,
to succeed at practicing this method.

When we sit and listen,

we should be able to listen deeply.

Don't bring our own opinions...

or our own views out

to respond immediately.

If so, we...

reject what's being said out of
the other person's kindness and compassion.

Be silent...

Be silent and make space, so
what the other person says can sink in.

Even if we strongly feel
what they say isn't correct.

Because we've already had an opinion,

of course we feel
what they say isn't correct.

This method, in a Zen monastery,
is very often applied.

Especially in question and answer sessions
between teachers and students.

Let's say, there was a disciple

who's very...

who's rather complacent about
his or her learnings in the practice,

trusting that everything has Buddha nature,

the nature of Buddha.

So a person has Buddha nature.

A mountain also has Buddha nature.

A bird also has Buddha nature.

A fish also has Buddha nature.

So one day, he went to his teacher,
asking, "Dear respected Thay,

does a dog have Buddha nature?"

That disciple was so sure
the answer would be "Yes."

It turns out, his teacher said,
"How can that be possible?

How can a dog have Buddha nature?"

He was so fuming with anger.

But because this was
what his teacher said,

he accepted it on the outside,
but inside he's actually quite resentful.

If it's someone else who said it,
they'd be done for.

He would quote this sutra, that sutra,

or this Zen master, that Zen master, to
prove that a dog does have Buddha nature.

But because the teacher knew
he was caught in notions...

and theories, not really getting down
to the practice,

the teacher said, "Not having
Buddha nature," to abash him,

and...

and to make him look back at
his way of learning and practicing.

When we read the Heart Sutra
(Prajñāpāramitā),

hearing Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva say,

"There are no eyes, ears, nose,
tongue, body or mind"

we just give way to her.

But deep down, we ask, "Why no eyes?

If there are no eyes, how
can I see my elder brother?

Why no nose?

If there's no nose, how, just this morning,
can I smell the smell of...

honey?

No tongue? How, just this morning,
can I know my muesli is very delicious?

But Avalokiteshvara said, "There are
no eyes, no nose, no tongue, etc..."

So deep down inside,
we have an opinion.

And when someone expresses
an opinion that differs from ours,

we think it's somehow not correct yet.

But here, since Avalokiteshvara's
credibility is downright great,

we don't dare draw ourselves up
and pick a quarrel with her.

But if it's a younger brother or sister
who says it, we definitely won't leave it at that.

"Neither eyes, ears, nose,
tongue, nor awakening.

Neither ill-being, causes of ill-being, end of
ill-being, nor the path." That's what's been said.

So, when we listen to something,

we should give that thing a chance

to be understood,

to give ourselves a chance
to understand it.

One day, Sư Bà (Venerable Nun)
Đức Viên told some nuns here,

"You nuns have a habit.
When someone says something, you...

you...

you always manage to find
a matching response.

Let's say, when Sư Bà said,

"How come is the rice you cook
today so soggy, my dear?"

And one nun quickly replied,

"Dear respected Sư Bà, because I
happen to put too much water in it."

You just manage to find
something to say.

Everybody knows too much water
going in the rice makes it soggy.

But it's a habit.

A habit of wanting to find something

to immediately defend ourselves.

It's 100% our fault, but
we still try to defend ourselves.

And yet,

we have a strong feeling that
we're not at fault,

we have a lot of experience,

we have a lot of ideas,

we have a lot of opinions
that we've acquired from books.

Always ready to...

respond.

For that reason, in...

in fine manners training,

we've learned that when our teacher
teaches us something,

we should join our palms,
be silent, and take it in.

Even when what our teacher's saying
doesn't go with our perceptions.

This...

as a novice in the old days,
is what I learned by heart.

Right now we may probably not think
our teacher's correct.

But in three or four days,
we may realize,

"Well, turns out there's
truth in what s/he said."

Sometimes it's not two or three days.

Sometimes, it can be two or three years
until we realize our teacher's correct.

If we use our views and notions

to go head-on with
what our teacher's saying,

how...

how's it gonna work?

We don't need our teacher.

We don't need the sangha.

The teacher's there
and the sangha's there

to shine light on our strengths
and weaknesses, and to mentor us.

But if we're so confident
with our intelligence,

if we're so sure about our perceptions,

then we no longer need a teacher,
we no longer need a sangha.

And for that reason, we should learn

to make a space inside ourselves.

It's for our own good
we're doing this.

So that we won't become ungrateful to
our teacher's and the sangha's compassion.

Train ourselves not to talk back.

Not to respond immediately.

Find ways to "push" our personal opinions
and our personal views down,

so what our teacher
and the sangha say can sink in.

Then, walk in meditation,

or sit in meditation, or do whatever
you need to do, in order to see...

the insights

and the hands-on experience

contained in what we listen...

in what we've just listened to.

When we study the sutras,
it's the same.

We also have our own opinions, we also
have our own views about the teachings.

Reading the sutras
with a comparing mind,

we won't be able to take in
the true meanings of the sutras.

We should save a space inside
so that...

the true meanings of the sutras
can be able to...

come into sight.

Many read sutras with you.

But some keep reading and re-reading them,
not seeing anything new about them.

Not seeing anything...

Not seeing anything...

odd about them.

Not seeing anything...

special about them.

But for some, when reading the sutras,

these new, odd, special things

burst open like blossoms because
they read the sutras with the eyes of...

freedom.

With the heart of freedom.

Without...

without being brimming over

with past experience or
prejudices and stereotypes.

For that reason, empty yourself.

Faire le vide.

Well,

make a space.

It's such a great art.

When we go..

When we go to the Essence Station

to buy gasoline, we often say,
"Faire le plein."

But now we have to say the opposite.
We should say, "Faire le vide."

Instead of saying, "Fill it up,"

we say, "Empty it."

That's the art we're mastering.

Make sure we can do it.

Only Buddhism teaches this matter
down to the last detail.

Because we...

wage war on one another,

we kill each other, we fight each other,
and we beat each other,...

all because of this.

If we know how to listen deeply,
if we know how to make space inside,

we will stand a good chance

of building peace and humanity

among us, and among different peoples.

This should be put into practice
going about our daily life.

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.

We have the term "thanh văn,"

meaning "listening...

listening to sounds."

In Sanskrit, it's "Śrāvaka".

"Śrāvaka" means "disciples" of the Buddha.

They follow the Buddha

to hear the Buddha teach
and instruct, and to learn.

That's "thanh văn."

We can translate it as "students."

"Hearers." "Students."

"Learners."

What is listening for?

First off, we listen to see clearly

the states of our body and our mind.

In our body, what...

illnesses do we have?

And in our mind,
what illnesses do we have?

What shortcomings do we have

that we

should understand and train ourselves
to transform?

And when we listen,
we should listen with...

a humble, inquiring mind.

We're supposed to join our palms
like this when we listen.

But doing so over a long time makes us tired,
we have no choice but to put them down.

But our heart and mind should
be "pulled together" while listening.

Let's say, we go to a doctor

so that he can listen to our body,
so that he can check and examine us.

So that he can tell us
what's going abnormally in our body.

After all, we go to him and pay him

so he can listen, right...
So he can listen to answer the question,

"What is wrong within your body?"

We really need the doctor to tell us

how our heart goes,

how our lungs go,

how our stomach goes,

how our blood is,

and how our small and large intestines are.

We want to know the truths.

And the doctor might say,
"The large intestine of yours,

it's swelling.

And your lungs, they have TB bacteria."

On hearing that,

well...

well...

we get to know the truths.

And we tell ourselves, "About
the large intestine, I have to make sure

that it can receive treatment
so it can stop swelling.

And about the TB bacteria in my lungs,
I have to make sure

that they no longer live there."

We don't get angry, saying,

"My lungs have nothing wrong.
How dare you say they have TB bacteria?

My large intestine has nothing wrong.
How dare you say it's swelling?

Are you mocking me?"

The doctor literally doesn't want
to mock us whatsoever.

The doctor only wants to

let us know the truths about our body.

So that together with him, we can focus
on treating and curing those illnesses.

Two people take care of one thing.

It's the same in a mindfulness
practice center or monastery.

In there, the teacher and the sangha

help us to see what

aren't yet perfect in our mind.

For example, we have attachment,

we have blind craving and the state
of drowning in it, we have anger,

or we have pent-up resentment.

Our teacher and elder siblings
in the sangha may say,

"Dear, you have anger.

You have resentment.

You have attachment."

Saying that doesn't mean
they're mocking us.

Or insulting us.

It's only to show us

the shortcomings in...

in terms of the mind

so that we can practice and
train ourselves to transform them.

We need medicine for the mind
the way we need medicine for the body.

We should join our palms and listen
to all they have to say

with all our...

gratefulness

for this to work.

Because the ones who shine light on us

are speaking

with a lot of love and compassion

and really wish that
we can be treated and cured.

It's not that they want
to mock or insult us.

That's what "shining light" is about.

When the whole sangha gather together
to shine light on us,

offering guidance,

it's for us to...

practice and transform

fruitfully.

They don't gather together

in order to air their grievances,

to condemn, or to mock us.

And we should go to the sangha
and go to the teacher

with the mind of a sick person who's been
seeking for a doctor's help,

earnestly and humbly asking
the doctor to show them what's...

going wrong in the body,
and what's going wrong in the mind.

And earnestly and humbly requesting
for the "Dharma doors" or the medicine

that are effective in...

treating and curing them.

And the Buddha was many times
praised as a doctor.

He was praised as the king of all doctors,
"The Great Doctor."

It's because the Buddha can
see through all the illnesses

of mankind.

And the Buddha offered us many
Dharma doors to treat and cure those illnesses.

And because he's the best of all doctors

in the world,

we call him the king of all doctors.

The Great Doctor.

As a student of the Buddha, we should
also take that degree in medicine,

so that we can treat
and cure ourselves,

so that we can treat
and cure those we love.

We've got to have the eyes
of deep looking in order to see

what's going abnormally

in the body and in the mind
of the other person.

Then we put forward
specific recommendations.

Therefore, the Plum Village
Dharma door of "shining light"

is to

suggest very specific steps

so that the ones who receive
the light can follow

and come to transformation and healing,

bringing joy and happiness
to the sangha.