Living Practice

Dharma Talk Excerpt – European Institute of Applied Buddhism
Waldbrol, Germany, May 20, 2011

Retreatant: I have a habit to be offensive against other people in my thoughts. I want to change that, but I don’t know how. For example, when I walk down the street and see people doing things, I think to myself, “Oh, what an idiot!” Things like that.

Thay: When you see something, it might be only one aspect of that thing, the aspect that does not please you. Next time you see someone or something, do not allow just one aspect of it to seize you, but allow yourself to see the other aspects as well.

In the chanting book there is a sutra talk by Shariputra [Dis­course on the Five Ways of Putting an End to Anger]. He said that when you have anger, you have to look deeply in order to trans­form your anger. With a person whose way of doing things may not please you, but whose way of speaking can be very pleasant, you should pay attention more to his way of speaking, not to his way of doing. That way you can transform your anger. Even if you notice that his behavior is not pleasant and his speech is not pleasant, maybe his way of thinking is very pleasant. You can see the goodness in his heart, so you accept what is not so good in his way of speaking or acting.

Shariputra went on to say that even if his behavior is not pleasant, if his speech is not pleasant, and if his thinking is not pleasant, you can still feel compassion and transform your anger. You look deeply to understand that such a bad person must be someone who suffers very much, and you might be able to help him suffer less. If you think like that, you will accept him as he is, and the anger in you will be transformed. This sutra is very beautiful. I recommend that you read it.

Shariputra used the image of water to illustrate his teaching. First, he described a lake covered with straw and algae. If a person who is very thirsty and hot takes off his clothes and gets into the water using his arm to remove what is floating on the surface, he can enjoy the cool water. If he can see underneath the straw and algae, the water is deep and fresh.

Shariputra gave a second image of a person who is traveling and is so thirsty he is about to die, but he knows there is some water left in the footprint of a buffalo. He knows that it is a very small quantity of water, and if he uses his hands to gather the water, it might become muddy. So he kneels down and drinks the water directly and is able to survive. It means that even if the situation is difficult, if the person is not very pleasant in his way of speak­ing and acting, you can recognize the goodness in him and try to enjoy that. That is one way to transform your anger, your disap­pointment. The sutra is about five ways to put down your anger and is available in the Plum Village chanting book. If you read the sutra, next time you go out on the street, you will look at them and smile and accept them as they are. Thank you. Good question.

Old Escapes into the New

At start of spring I open a trench
in the ground. I put into it
the winter’s accumulation of paper,
pages I do not want to read
again, useless words, fragments,
errors. And I put into it
the contents of the outhouse:
light of the sun, growth of the ground,
finished with one to their journeys.
To the sky, to the wind, then,
and to the faithful trees, I confess
my sins: that I have not been happy
enough, considering my good luck;
have listened to too much noise;
have been inattentive to wonders;
have lusted after praise.
And then upon the gathered refuse
of mind and body, I close the trench,
folding shut again the dark,
the deathless earth. Beneath that seal
the old escapes into the new.
–Wendell Berry

Bowing In Gratitude

The Five Earth Touchings, excerpt  from “Happiness” by Thich Nhat Hanh

In gratitude, I bow to all generations of ancestors in my blood family.

I see my mother and father, whose blood, flesh, and vitality are circulating in my own veins and nourishing every cell in me.  Through them I see my four grandparents.  I carry in me the life, blood, experience, wisdom, happiness, and sorrow of all generations.  I open my heart, flesh, and bones to receive the energy of insight, love, and experience transmitted to me by my ancestors.  I know that parents always love and support their children and grandchildren, although they are not always able to express it skillfully because of difficulties they encounter.  As a continuation of my ancestors, I allow their energy to flow through me, and ask for their support, protection, and strength.

In gratitude, I bow to all generations of ancestors in my spiritual family.

I see in myself my teachers, the ones who show me the way of love and understanding, the way to breathe, smile, forgive, and live deeply in the present moment.  I open my heart and my body to receive the energy of understanding, loving kindness, and protection form the Awakend Ones, their teachings, and the community of practice of many generations.  I vow to practice to transform the suffering in myself and the world, and to transmit their energy to future generations of practitioners.

In gratitude, I bow to this land and all of the ancestors who made it available.

I see that I am whole, protected, and nourished by this land and all the living beings that have been here and made life worthwhile and possible for me through all of their efforts.  I see myself touching my ancestors of Native American origin who have live on this land for such a long time and know the ways to live in peace and harmony with nature, protecting the mountains, forests, animals, vegetation, and minerals of this land.  I feel the energy of this land penetrating my body and soul, supporting and accepting me.  I vow to contribute my part in transforming the violence, hatred, and delusion that still lie deep in the consciousness of this society so that future generations will have more safety, joy, and peace.  I ask this land for its protection and support.

In gratitude and compassion, I bow down and transmit my energy to those I love.

All the energy I have received I now want to transmit to my father, my mother, everyone I love, and all who have suffered and worried because of me and for my sake.  I pray that ll ancestors in my blood and spiritual families will focus their energies toward each of them, to protect and support them.  I am one with those I love.

In understanding and compassion, I bow down to reconcile myself with all those who have made me suffer.

I open my heart and send forth my energy of love and understanding to everyone who has made me suffer, to those who have destroyed much of my life and the lives of those I love.  I know now that these people have themselves undergone a lot of suffering and that their hearts are overloaded with pain, anger, and hatred.  I pray that they can be transformed to experience the joy of living, so that they will not continue to make themselves and others suffer.  I see their suffering and do not want to hold any  feelings of hatred or anger in myself toward them.  I do not want them to suffer.  I channel my energy of love and understanding to them and ask all my ancestors to help them.

Dual Consciousness

by Thich Nhat Hanh from SoundsTrue.com interview “Meditation Is not the Business of Monks Alone”

There is the collective consciousness and the individual consciousness. Our individual consciousness is made of our collective consciousness, and our collective consciousness is made of our individual consciousness. We reflect everything. And everything reflects us. And the process begins with yourself. Awareness, enlightenment, mindfulness within yourself. And you offer, first of all, a light, from within. That light, once lit up, will show you two things. What is wrong in you, what is not wrong in you.

What is not wrong you try to maintain and develop. What is wrong you try to transform. And while practicing that you realize that you have the capacity of saying what is wrong around you, and what is not wrong around you, so you see that you are connected to your society. And what you are doing for yourself, you are doing it for your society also. When you refrain from using drugs and intoxicants, you do not do it only to protect yourself; you do it for your children, for your friends, for society at the same time. Because if you don’t do it, how can you expect other people to do it for you? Therefore, you practice for all of us, and your practice has already had an impact on me, and on other people.  You have already begun to change the world.

By lighting up the lamp of lightfulness in you and recognizing what is positive in you to renourish, and negative in you to be transformed, you have begun your social action from yourself. And when I see you doing like that, I receive your light. I know that in order to be worthy of you, I have to do the same. I have to light up the candle in me, I have to recognize the positive and the negative in me, I have to take care of both aspects. And you form a sort of single of two people. And when a third person comes in, and they get struck by our light, our awareness, our practice, and they join our single, we have three persons, and from that base, we advance, and we create the collective awareness, the collective environment, and if you happen to be a movie maker, I happen to be a writer, then it was our development, in order to kind of create that kind of collective awareness that is enlightenment.

People have to be enlightened on their own situation. And that is why enlightenment is so crucial for our survival, for our happiness. In our society, we have witnessed to several forms of enlightenment. Maybe we don’t call them enlightenment, but they are real enlightenments. Like in North America, you are aware, already, that smoking is hazardous to your health.  And you make and inscription on every package of cigarette. Be aware: Smoking might be dangerous. And that is a form of enlightenment. And ten years ago, we did not dream of having non-smoking flights to Europe, to Asia, but now, we have non-smoking flights to Europe and to Asia. And that is enlightenment. We awake to the real situation, and we make our enlightenment grow. Because there were companies who did not want to make a non-smoking flight. But because people were awakening, so they appreciate a non-smoking flight—that is why these companies they have to create a non-smoking flight also.

And suppose you are more aware on what you are eating. You don’t want a lot of fat, of cholesterol—because you want to consume less cholesterol, you want to protect your body—and the degree of enlightenment is important, that is why manufacturers of food they have to comply with your wish, and they have to join in the work of enlightenment. And if you are a scientist, a teacher, a writer, an artist, you can always bring your talent into helping our enlightenment to grow, and that is the hope for our world.  Meditation is not the business of monks and nuns alone. Meditation is the business of every one of us. Whether we are politician or economists, or teacher, we have to get enlightened. We have to wake up to the situation that our world if we don’t want the destruction of our world.  If we want the world to survive. And then we have to speed up that kind of awakening. Of enlightenment—otherwise, it would be too late. That is why no one can be indifferent about enlightenment, or awakening. The quicker we wake up, the better the chance we have for our children and their children.

Forgiveness in our Hearts

a guided meditation by Ven Ayya Khema

Please put the attention on the breath.

Have forgiveness in your heart for anything you think you’ve done wrong . Forgive yourself for all the past omissions and commissions. They are long gone. Understand that you were a different person and this one is forgiving that one that you were. Feel that forgiveness filling you and enveloping you with a sense of warmth and ease.

Think of your parents. Forgive them for anything you have ever blamed them for. Understand that they too are different now. Let this forgiveness fill them, surround them, knowing in your heart that this is your most wonderful way of togetherness.

Think of your nearest and dearest people . Forgive them for anything that you think they have done wrong or are doing wrong at this time. Fill them with your forgiveness. Let them feel that you accept them. Let that forgiveness fill them. Realizing that this is your expression of love.

Now think of your friends. Forgive them for anything you have disliked about them. Let your forgiveness reach out to them, so that they can be filled with it, embraced by it.

Think of the people you know, whoever they might be, and forgive them all for whatever it is that you have blamed them for, that you have judged them for, that you have disliked. Let your forgiveness fill their hearts, surround them, envelope them, be your expression of love for them.

Now think of any special person whom you really need to forgive. Towards whom you still have resentment, rejection, dislike. Forgive him or her fully. Remember that everyone has dukkha. Let this forgiveness come from your heart. Reach out to that person, complete and total.

Think of any one person, or any situation, or any group of people whom you are condemning, blaming, disliking. Forgive them, completely. Let your forgiveness be your expression of unconditional love. They may not do the right things. Human beings have dukkha. And your heart needs the forgiveness in order to have purity of love.

Have a look again and see whether there’s anyone or anything, any where in the world, towards whom you have blame or condemnation. And forgive the people or the person, so that there is no separation your heart.

Now put your attention back on yourself. And recognize the goodness in you. The effort you are making. Feel the warmth and ease that comes from forgiveness.”

May all beings have forgiveness in their hearts!

Touching the Earth

 ~ from “A Pebble for Your Pocket”, page 44 by Thich Nhat Hanh.

In Plum Village we do a practice called “Touching the Earth” every day. It helps us in many ways. You too could be helped by doing this practice. When you feel restless or lack confidence in yourself, or when you feel angry or unhappy, you can kneel down and touch the Earth deeply with your hand. Touch the Earth as if it were your favorite thing or your best friend.

The Earth has been there for a long time. She is mother to all of us. She knows everything. The Buddha asked the Earth to be his witness by touching her with his hand when he had some doubt and fear before his awakening. The Earth appeared to him as a beautiful mother. In her arms she carried flowers and fruit, birds and butterflies, and many different animals, and offered them to the Buddha. The Buddha’s doubts and fears instantly disappeared.

Whenever you feel unhappy, come to the Earth and ask for her help. Touch her deeply, the way the Buddha did. Suddenly, you too, will see the Earth with all her flowers and fruit, trees and birds, animals, and all the living beings that she has produced. All these things she offers to you.

You have more opportunities to be happy than you ever thought. The Earth shows her love to you and her patience. The Earth is very patient. She sees you suffer, she helps you, she protects you. When we die, she takes us back into her arms.

With the Earth you are very safe. She is always there, in all her wonderful expressions like trees, flowers, butterflies, and sunshine. Whenever you are tired or unhappy, Touching the Earth is a very good practice to heal you and restore your joy.

Thay’s Mindfulness Gathas

Waking Up

Waking up this morning, I smile.
Twenty four brand new hours are before me.
I vow to live fully in each moment
and to look at all beings with eyes of compassion

Brushing Teeth

Brushing my teeth and rinsing my mouth,
I vow to speak purely and lovingly.
When my mouth is fragrant with right speech,
a flower blooms in the garden of my heart.

Washing Your Feet

Peace and joy in each toe -
my own peace and joy.

Beginning a Sitting

Sitting here is like sitting under the Bodhi Tree
My body is mindfulness itself,
entirely free from distraction.

Walking Meditation

The mind can go in a thousand directions.
But on this beautiful path, I walk in peace.
With each step, a gentle wind blows.
With each step, a flower blooms.

Drinking Tea

This cup of tea in my two hands -
Mindfulness is held uprightly
My mind and body dwell
in the very here and now.

Talking on the Telephone

Words can travel thousands of miles.
May my words create mutual understanding and love.
May they be as beautiful as gems,
as lovely as flowers.

Driving a Car

Before starting the car
I know where I am going.
The car and I are one.
If the car goes fast, I go fast.
If the car goes slowly, I go slowly.

Smiling at Your Anger

Breathing in, I know that anger makes me ugly.
Breathing out, I do not want to be contorted by anger.
Breathing in, I know I must take care of myself.
Breathing out, I know loving kindness is the only answer.

Starting a Meal: The Five Contemplations

This food is the gift of the whole universe – the earth the sky, and much hard work.
May we eat in mindfulness so as to be worthy to receive it.
May we transform our unskillful states of mind and learn to eat with moderation.
May we take only foods that nourish us and prevent illness.
We accept this food to realize the path of understanding and love and joy.

Washing the Dishes

Washing the dishes
is like bathing a baby Buddha.
The profane is the sacred.
Everyday mind is Buddha’s mind.

Meditating or Walking

I have arrived.
I am home.
In the here,
In the now.
I am solid. – I am free.
In the ultimate
I dwell.