Thich Nhat Hanh Dharma Talks

July 14, 2012. 111-minute recording given at Upper Hamlet, Plum Village by Thich Nhat Hanh. This is the sixth dharma talk of the Summer Opening and the beginning of the second week. We begin with instructions on listening to the chant, followed by listening to the name Avaloketeshvara. The main talk begins about 40-minutes into the recording. The third exercise of mindful breathing is about our body. Getting in touch with your body. True life is only possible with concentration and mindfulness. We learn to stop thinking so we can feel. The secret of meditation is to bring the mind in touch with the body. In the here and the now. Mindfulness is the first energy. This bring concentration. Followed by insight. Three kinds of energies. They are within. Breathing in, I get the insight that I am alive. There are many insights like this. When we each practice like this, we develop a collective energy and we can change the world. Just these three kinds of energy. The second exercise is to follow your in breath al

July 12, 2012. 84-minute recording given at Upper Hamlet, Plum Village by Thich Nhat Hanh. This is the fifth dharma talk of the Summer Opening. We begin with chanting and the talk was originally given in French. This is an English translation. With many questions about anger in yesterday's questions and answers session, Thay offers a lovely 25-minute lesson for the children (and everyone of course!) on helping our friends who may have anger. What can we tell our friends about meditation? Meditation is looking deeply with our eyes, mind, and your heart. Meditation is looking. We can see things other people can't hear. Meditation is listening. Concentration. A person who meditates can see the cloud in the flower. There is much more there in the flower. To see the flower deeply you have to recognize the non-flower elements. The same can be said about people. We all have non-human elements such as anger. We all have the seed of anger. What can we do to help those who suffer from anger and violence? If we pract

July 11, 2012. 115-minute recording given at Upper Hamlet, Plum Village by Thich Nhat Hanh. This is the fourth dharma talk of the Summer Opening. We begin with chanting and this is a session of Questions and Answers. Children's Questions How are you? Why is everyone against him? Why do I sometimes cry for no reason? How can we let go of anger? (question from Oprah magazine) What do you do when your teacher makes fun of you and everyone laughs? Why do I sometimes feel a heavy ball on my heart? Teens and Adults Can you say some words about Interbeing of Catholic and Buddhist? Have you ever been able to calm down a person in rage and angry at you? I feel a lot of anger sometimes and I don't want to let it come out, try to control, but sometimes I just explode and hurt the other person. How do I listen and respect myself versus letting me do whatever I want? Freedom versus discipline. Question about bi-polar disorder. How can we respond in a more loving and supportive methods than drugs? How can I

July 9, 2012. 94-minute recording given at New Hamlet, Plum Village by Thich Nhat Hanh. This is the third dharma talk of the Summer Opening. We begin with chanting and the talk begins at 15-minutes into the recording. Bowing. Buddhahood. A lotus for you, a Buddha to be. The seed of Buddhahood. Stories of being in Paris during the war. Supporting peace and practicing being together. Teaching on kingdom of God and the pure land. It is now or never.  This is the teaching of Plum Village. We can do everything  in the kingdom of God. Suffering and the noble truths. The buddhadharma can help you. We can love and understand our suffering.

July 8, 2012. 68-minute recording given at Lower Hamlet, Plum Village by Thich Nhat Hanh. This is the second dharma talk of the Summer Opening and it was originally given in French. This is an English translation. Peace. Freshness. Solidity. We all have these elements in the form of seeds. We can learn how to water these seeds. We all have a Buddha-nature in us. With meditation, we can offer this to ourselves and others. We can use pebble meditation and inviting the bell. Discovering conditions of happiness. Being the mind back to the body. Established in the present moment.  Mindfulness, the first energy, is the heart of meditation. The second energy is concentration. And the third energy is insight. The practice of walking and sitting should bring pleasure. These three energies allow you to identify the conditions of happiness. Meditation is possible all day long. I have arrived, I am home.

July 7, 2012. 87-minute recording given at Lower Hamlet, Plum Village by Thich Nhat Hanh. This is the first dharma talk of the Summer Opening. The sangha is celebrating the 30th Summer Opening. The talk begins with instruction on how to listen to the chant followed by Avalokiteshvara chant. The main talk begins at 40-minutes into the recording. We hear stories from the Avatamsaka Sutra (Flower Garland Sutra). The mother of the Buddha and how the friends came to see Siddhartta while still in the womb. She had a lot of space inside for everyone. We can cultivate this kind of space too. Story of Sidhartta making at least seven steps at his birth. What does this mean? Walking like a Buddha on planet earth. Freedom, joy, and happiness is available with every step. This portion of the talk is about 45-minutes and a beautiful segment to listen to with others in the Sangha

July 1, 2012. 50-minute recording given at Lower Hamlet, Plum Village by Thich Nhat Hanh. This is a Day of Mindfulness. We begin with chanting. When you set up a practice center, you have to think of the sangha. A sangha is a group of people who practice together and the environment is good, nourishing, and healthy. When people arrive at a practice center, she should feel the energy right away. We practice mindfulness as manifested from the Five Mindfulness Trainings. These generate a healthy environment. This is what the Buddha did right away and we too can create such a practice center. Suffering is part of life and with mindfulness we can make good use of our suffering. We can produce joy, happiness, and compassion. The law of Interbeing is suffering and happiness. The mud and the lotus. The holy is made of non-holy elements. We can generate holiness if we understand suffering and allow compassion to arise in us and we don't suffer anymore. The Five Mindfulness Trainings can help cultivate this holines

June 20, 2012. 79-minute dharma talk by Thich Nhat Hanh from Upper Hamlet in Plum Village during the 21-Day Retreat with the theme The Science of the Buddha. The talk is given in English and this is the fifteenth dharma talk (of 15). No chanting. This is the final dharma talk of the retreat. Topics We are all cells in the sangha body. Sangha building. Suffering and happiness. The mind of non-discrimination. Four pairs of opposites Birth/Death Being/Non-being Coming/Going Sameness:Otherness Scientists and practitioners can let go of notions. Thay reads from The Paramartha Gathas of Asanga Gathas on the Absolute Truth. This is because that is - Condition Genesis Both the self and the elements that give rise to the self are empty. They are just constructions of our perverted (confused) mind. The separate-self nature ofall the sentient species is also empty. The only thing that is, is the causing andconditioning of one dharma upon another. And the following from The Discourse on the Adaptation of Con

June 20, 2012. 70-minute dharma talk by Thich Nhat Hanh from New Hamlet in Plum Village during the 21-Day Retreat with the theme The Science of the Buddha. The talk is given in English and this is the fourteenth dharma talk (of 15). No chanting, but began with some mindful movements. True Happiness comes from understanding and compassion. I am capable of understanding. The seeds of Buddhahood are there. Right Thinking is the kind of thinking that can produce compassion. One in-breath can create compassion and we can create new habits. The Four Attainments are the fruits of our practice. Dwell peacefully where you are. Froglessness. I have arrived. No birth Does the soul exist? Thay reads from The Paramartha Gathas of Asanga Gathas on the Absolute Truth, verse 44, on Birth. Death. Nirvana. Living beings is the name of a continuous stream and all phenomena as theobject of perception are only signs. Therefore there is no real change of birthinto death and death into birth and no person who realizes nir

June 19, 2012. 117-minute dharma talk by Thich Nhat Hanh from Upper Hamlet in Plum Village during the 21-Day Retreat with the theme The Science of the Buddha. The talk is given in English and this is the thirteenth dharma talk (of 15). Thay announced the names of apprentice Dharma Teachers for the coming year. There will about 50 from the monastic Sunflower family and about 15 lay students (Belgium, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, and USA).  We are reminded that a dharma teacher can create happiness for those around them and can handle a painful/unpleasant feeling. Even with some suffering, dharma teachers can discover this is a happy moment. Climbing a mountain, arriving with every step. Illustrated from a story of traveling China with the sangha. Five Universal Mental Formations. Always present and always together. A neural pathway that can lead to happiness or suffering. Creates a habit. We don't need to focus on our suffering. Create a habit of happiness. Contact - eyes, ears, etc. Feeling Attentio

June 17, 2012. 93-minute dharma talk by Thich Nhat Hanh from Upper Hamlet in Plum Village during the 21-Day Retreat with the theme The Science of the Buddha. The talk is given in English and this is the twelfth dharma talk (of 15). This talk is a session of Questions and Answers. Questions I want to go home because cooking materials needed for my special diet is being stolen from my tent in Lower Hamlet. I feel unsafe here. What should I do? How do we handle training people in mindfulness to address concerns of global warming, food shortages, war, etc.? How fast should we go? How much practice do we need before we can teach? Can you help me understand the new language in the revised Third and Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings, especially the line about "being known to my family and friends" as it relates to LBGT community? I have my own ideas/understanding, I've been using the practice of "no" (koan) as you described in Zen Keys. Is this good practice? How to practice letting go? Three written questions

June 16, 2012. 99-minute dharma talk by Thich Nhat Hanh from Upper Hamlet in Plum Village during the 21-Day Retreat with the theme The Science of the Buddha. The talk is given in English and this is the eleventh dharma talk (of 15). Four (six) Mantras of Love (45-minutes) Darling, I am here for you. Darling, I know you are there and it makes me happy. Darling, I know you suffer.  Darling, I suffer, please help.   (This is a Happy Moment.) (Darling, you are partly right.) The last one is new and for when someone congratulates or criticizes you. -- Perception and our mind. Subject of cognition and object of mind. The mind can be both the observed and the observer. Three parts acting together. The notion of superposition. Three but one. The observer The observed Consciousness The third part is the base, the foundation, for the observed. Thay has used the example of a piece of paper. The first two are the right and left side and the third is the paste (the paper itself). The third part has many n

June 14, 2012. 86-minute dharma talk by Thich Nhat Hanh from Upper Hamlet in Plum Village during the 21-Day Retreat with the theme The Science of the Buddha. The talk is given in English and this is the tenth dharma talk (of 15). The Four Recollections Joy and happiness with the three kinds of energies: mindfulness, concentration, and insight. When we focus on our breath, we are only our breath. We are not our sorrow or our regret. Joy while breathing Happiness while sitting Joy is the breathing Happiness is the breathing Thay tells a story of the Buddha visiting a disciple who was very attached to the Buddha, but was now dying. His name was Vakali to help him die peacefully. The story illustrates the concept of the dharma body (dharmakaya). Our practice is our dharma body. The sangha and our teacher can help is develop our dharma body. Our practice also creates the living dharma. We also have a sangha body (sanghakaya); a community of practice. The sangha body is in yourself. We also learn the last two

June 13, 2012. 124-minute dharma talk by Thich Nhat Hanh from New Hamlet in Plum Village during the 21-Day Retreat with the theme The Science of the Buddha. The talk is given in English and this is the ninth dharma talk (of 15). Investigation of the phenomenonal and noumenal worlds. We use our mind of discrimination to investigate the conventional truth. If we use the practice to look more deeply, we can see the ultimate truth of the same object. We use the mind of non-discrimination for the ultimate truth. And in Buddhism we take care of the mind. We need to train our mind so to create a strong instrument for investigation. The yogi has to be skillful. The teaching of the Dharma as a finger. A skillful practitioner should not be caught in notions. The Wisdom of Adaptation. Being and nonbeing. A flower is made of non-flower elements and this principle applies to everything. In the 2nd paragraph of the Heart of Perfect Understanding. Form is emptiness and Emptiness is not form. Form is free from being and n

June 12, 2012. 111-minute dharma talk by Thich Nhat Hanh from Upper Hamlet in Plum Village during the 21-Day Retreat with the theme The Science of the Buddha. The talk is given in English and this is the eighth dharma talk (of 15). Seven Factors of Enlightenment (relaxation, joy, investigation, etc) Separate investigation of phenomena and noumenal We should not mixup the two dimensions of conventional and ultimate. When considering the Four Noble Truths, the first two must be investigated in the realm of conventional truth. Conditional Dharma. The same cloud can be both investigated from conventional truth and ultimate truth. The Second Noble Truth and the Fifth Mindfulness Training can be described in terms of food. Nutriments. The Sutra of the Son's Flesh gives this teaching on nutriments. Thay explains the Four Kinds of Nutriments: edible foods, sensory impressions, volition, and consciousness. Discusses Mencius' Mother (China); also known as Meng Ze.Thay would like to see the Sutra on Four Kinds of Nut

June 10, 2012. 102-minute dharma talk by Thich Nhat Hanh from Lower Hamlet in Plum Village during the 21-Day Retreat with the theme The Science of the Buddha. The talk is given in English and this is the seventh dharma talk (of 15). We begin with two chants: Les Vision Profond (French) and Hien Tien Thanh Tinh (We are Truly Present). Interbeing of the entire cosmos. The flower is interacting with the entire cosmos. Topics Suffering and happiness Being and non-being Fourth Mindfulness Training - deep listening Readings From The Discourse on Emptiness in its Ultimate Meaning Monks, when the eye arises, there is no place from which it comes; when it  ceases, there is no place to which it goes. Thus, the eye, without any real substance,  arises; having arisen it will finally have to cease. It is a result of some action but  there is no actor at all. And from The Paramartha Gathas of Asanga Gathas on the Absolute Truth 5. All conditioned things undergo change at every instant. Their abiding is not somethin

June 9, 2012. 127-minute dharma talk by Thich Nhat Hanh from Lower Hamlet in Plum Village during the 21-Day Retreat with the theme The Science of the Buddha. The talk is given in English and this is the sixth dharma talk (of 15). Just prior to this session, those attending the retreat received a 86-page booklet with sutras and a Letter to a Young Scientist. Three energies of practice Mindfulness Concentration Insight The practice of looking deeply along with a discussion of zen history. Tang Hoi, a vietnamese monk, brought zen to China. Zen. Chan. Thien. Dhyana. Four Notions of Letting Go (from Diamond Sutra) Self Man Living being Life span Thay spends the majority of talk teaching on self. A similar teaching is also found in Sutra #296 from Samyukta Agama. We read from The Paramartha Gathss of Asanga Gathas on the Absolute Truth (verses 1-2) 1. There is absolutely no subject, no agent and no one who enjoys the fruit of action (no one who feels). No dharma (phenomenon, object of mind) has any f

June 7, 2012. 99-minute dharma talk by Thich Nhat Hanh from New Hamlet in Plum Village during the 21-Day Retreat with the theme The Science of the Buddha. The talk is given in English and this is the fifth dharma talk (of 15). This is an excellent session of questions and answers. Questions What is the difference between feelings and mental formations? Is euthanasia okay? Is it Right Action? Can we relieve physical Pain? How do I practice with the teaching of inferiority and equality complexes? How can we support out dharma teacher when s/he is not so skillful? How do I practice with the last four exercises from the sutra on the full awareness of breathing? Question on consciousness and impermanence. What happens to the mind after the body dies? How can you take refuge in the sangha if you don't trust? How can we build trust? Severe mental illness, such as bipolar, requires medicine to balance emotion. Can you clarify this as it relates to the practice?

June 6, 2012. 114-minute dharma talk by Thich Nhat Hanh from Upper Hamlet in Plum Village during the 21-Day Retreat with the theme The Science of the Buddha. The talk is given in English and this is the fourth dharma talk (of 15). We begin with chanting followed by the main talk about 10-minutes into the recording. Topics of the Talk Harmonizing body, breath, and mind. Sangha Subject | Object

June 4, 2012. 185-minute dharma talk by Thich Nhat Hanh from Upper Hamlet in Plum Village during the 21-Day Retreat with the theme The Science of the Buddha. The talk is given in English and this is the third dharma talk (of 15). We begin with 10-minutes of chanting followed by the main dharma talk by Thay. After some mindful movements, we continue (at 2:10 into recording) with University of Virginia Astrophysicist Professor Trinh Xuan Thuan interviewing Thay. Topics of the Talk Obstacles of Buddhist Practice  Knowledge Afflictions Four Foundations of Mindfulness Body Feelings Mind (51 mental formations) Objects of Mind ('nature' for the scientist) From the objects of mind we have "double grasping" and the "perceived and perceiver" - entanglement. Two Realities Ultimate Historical A=A?B (science) A?A=A (Buddhism) Interview Question 1: Buddhism says that one has to get rid of all previous knowledge, to have a clear mind. I think in science one has to know things that were done before, but