“Clearly, the approach of Buddhism does not require faith in anyone, no need to believe in Buddha, no need to believe in God, just rely on one’s own wisdom to acknowledge the presence of suffering, find the cause of suffering, and transform the suffering within oneself and in life.”

Breathing and mindful steps are two effective means to help us embrace body and mind, bringing us back to the present moment, restoring “sovereignty” over our body and mind like a king in his own kingdom. Each person shares their daily walking meditation experience:
– The gatha “returning to take refuge in the island within” is combined with the breath (in-breath for 2–3 steps, out-breath for 4–5 steps) and steps in rhythm.
– The teacher has sets of gathas with two, three, four, and six words to flexibly adapt during walking meditation.
– Mindfulness in breathing is likened to “the light of the Buddha,” “the Dharma protecting body and mind,” the breath as “a fresh flower bud,” “still water reflecting.”
– Steps and breath bring us back to the present, giving rise to true freedom: walking, breathing, speaking, listening—all because we wish to, not out of compulsion.

Mindfulness is the source of free will and the path of liberation from suffering according to the Four Noble Truths:

1. Suffering (dukkha)
2. The cause of suffering
3. The cessation of suffering
4. The path (the Noble Eightfold Path)

On the contrary, wrong ways of living and thinking form the “Eight Wrong Practices”:

1. Wrong view
2. Wrong thinking
3. Wrong speech
4. Wrong action
5. Wrong livelihood
6. Wrong diligence
7. Wrong mindfulness
8. Wrong concentration

Thanks to mindfulness (breathing, walking meditation) and the practice of the Noble Eightfold Path, wrong thinking and habitual tendencies are transformed, creating conditions for free will to grow strong, bringing peace and happiness right in the present moment.

In the Buddha’s teaching, gratitude begins with our parents—the ones who give us our form—then extends to teachers who offer us the life of wisdom, friends who support us through difficulties, and then reaches out to all beings: sentient and non-sentient, from humans, trees, earth, and stones to the sun, air, and water. Parents are “the common mother earth and sun” of all beings, and within every cell of our body are the seeds of their transmission. Giving and receiving are not two separate entities: the giver and the receiver become one in the non-dual stream of transmission between subject and object.

The Four Noble Truths—the truth of suffering, the truth of the origin of suffering, the truth of the cessation of suffering, and the truth of the path—do not stand apart but inter-are, blending like mud and lotus: suffering cannot exist without happiness, and vice versa. Contemplating these four noble truths is truly the foundation for right view, leading us onto the path of the Noble Eightfold Path, practicing mindfulness through the four establishments of mindfulness: body in the body, feelings in the feelings, mind in the mind, and objects of mind in the objects of mind. Through daily relaxation and conscious breathing, we can transform biological tension—adrenaline rushing the blood, shutting down digestion—into peace, giving rise to the non-dual insight so that we may live happily right in the present moment.

In meditation, mindful breathing and walking are two foundational practices: breathing in, we bring all mental formations to a stop; breathing out, we release and let go. Each step touches the “wondrous life,” both nourishing and healing us. “Stopping” (samatha) is to come to rest and relax; “looking deeply” (vipassanā) is to look into the nature of suffering—its causes, its cessation, and the path, from which insight arises. Sitting meditation according to the Ānāpānasmṛti Sūtra is to use the breath to “take sovereignty over body and mind,” so that body and mind become one—“the mindful body” and “the embodied mind”—generating the joy of meditation as real nourishment for daily life.

Buddhism offers the three trainings (mindfulness–concentration–insight), also known as precepts–concentration–insight, in which:

1. Precepts (sīla) = mindfulness, the foundation of ethics;
2. Concentration (samādhi) = inner tranquility;
3. Insight (prajñā) = understanding the Four Noble Truths.
   The Noble Eightfold Path, with its eight elements beginning with Right View (Interbeing), leads to right thinking, speech, action, livelihood, diligence, mindfulness, and concentration—not only for monastics but as the ethical foundation for everyone in daily life.

*After each journey or after a long, tiring day, “coming home”—like the feeling of “home sweet home”—awakens an inner zone of safety, a place where we can take refuge and dwell in peace. Simply by “following the breath,” we “return to take refuge in the island within,” as the Buddha taught. When we open the doors of our senses, “sounds and images, like gusts of wind,” can disturb the mind, so it is necessary to close the five sense doors, return to the room of consciousness, and “breathe gently,” creating peace and warmth. Within our inner world, there are also “birds, trees, streams, butterflies, flowers, blue sky, and white clouds”—the beauties that arise from “the seeds we have sown in our own mind.”

1. Close the five sense doors, practice mindful breathing for a few minutes to isolate “that room” from the outside world.
2. Create “clouds,” generate “sunshine” within, nourish the moon of peace from inside, not depending on the world.

*Right and wrong, good and evil, are pairs of interdependent opposites, but the nature of truth transcends all dualities. During meditation, reciting the gatha “when the three karmas are at peace, all disputes end” helps us let go of discrimination between right and wrong. The Dharma body, “a symbol of pure truth,” is not bound by good or evil; “letting go of all views” allows us to continue our spiritual growth. For example, a blind person touching an elephant only perceives a part; each view is limited; only by letting go of all views can we see the noumena of all phenomena.

• Right view, though “right–wrong,” is still relative; “ultimate truth” is beyond right and beyond wrong.
• Non-attachment to views is the foundation of ethics, preventing violence born from the attachment “only I am right, others are wrong.”

This talk details the proper way to breathe to achieve a state of relaxation and health, with the inhalation usually being shorter than the exhalation. Thich Nhat Hanh prefers to inhale for 4 seconds and exhale for 7 seconds. When practicing walking meditation, the breath can be combined with steps, and paying attention to the breath while sleeping helps with concentration. When sitting in meditation, focusing on the breath and relaxing the body helps achieve harmony between body and mind. He emphasizes relaxing strong emotions through mindful breathing, called calming the mind. He also touches on ethics, stressing that right actions should bring happiness and avoid causing suffering. He recounts the story of the decision to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, debating the ethical right and wrong of this decision. He warns of the danger of arrogance and recommends maintaining ethics even in difficult situations. He also highlights the importance of mindfulness when making decisions, avoiding being swept away. In Buddhism, observing precepts helps avoid suffering and achieve awakening. He advises staying away from luxury and maintaining mindfulness to make the right decisions.

Precepts are like “the ocean without shore” – a boundless ocean, not merely simple prohibitions but containing within them concentration (Samadhi) and insight (Prajna). When we observe the precepts (the five precepts, the ten precepts, or the fourteen precepts) without concentration and insight, that is not truly keeping the precepts. Right view of interdependent co-arising and interbeing – “this is, because that is” – helps us to see that in a single flower, the entire universe is present. From that understanding, we cannot harm living beings or the environment, because to kill another person or destroy the environment is to kill ourselves.

The revision and re-expression of the precepts to suit the times requires the active participation of each monk, nun, and lay practitioner through Dharma discussion groups and editorial committees. The precepts must be “in accord with the Dharma” (in harmony with the spirit of the teachings) and “in accord with the circumstances” (adapted to the situation). The view in Buddhism is always open, not attached to any ideology, always ready to let go of personal views to receive new insight.

Three kinds of views need to be fully presented in the content of the new precepts:

1. The religious view
2. The scientific view of the universe and all phenomena
3. The Buddhist (or spiritual) view of mind and karma

Awakening is the true place of refuge within each person—the capacity for awareness and mindfulness present in every breath, every step, every sitting posture. When we know “breathing in, I know I am breathing in,” that is awakening manifesting, bringing peace and solidity. Twenty-four hours each day is a precious gift of life, inviting us to practice mindfulness in every moment in order to live deeply and happily.

Building the sangha is the path of taking refuge in one another, grounded in individual awakening. In the beginning, there were only five practitioners with the Buddha in the Deer Park, then it grew to sixty, then to 1,250, and spread throughout the world. Similarly, Jesus had twelve disciples, Martin Luther King Jr. founded The Beloved Community, Gandhi initiated Satyagraha—all are evidence of the power of a community of practice, sharing, and mutual support.

The third precept reminds us to preserve our integrity in order to protect the safety of body and mind in the modern context—from the “sexual revolution” with the pill in the 1960s to the current trend of small families. True love consists of four elements:

1. maitri (loving-kindness, bringing happiness)
2. karuna (compassion, transforming suffering)
3. mudita (joy, bringing happiness)
4. upeksha (equanimity, seeing no separation between self and other).
   Observing the precept of sexual responsibility is not merely prohibition, but requires insight and concrete practice to take care of our bodily and mental energies, so that we can cultivate true love in our daily life.

This talk details the essence of the five mindfulness trainings rooted in sila (morality) for cultivating love and ethics, emphasizing interconnectedness through mindfulness, concentration, and insight. Mindfulness encompasses awareness of suffering, protecting life, and preventing harm, naturally leading to concentration and enlightenment. Understanding impermanence, non-self, emptiness, interdependence, and dependent origination are practical tools for transformation. The Buddha’s teachings on the Four Noble Truths and Noble Eightfold Path, focusing on right view, wisdom, and ethical behavior, are foundational. Revising the Five Mindfulness Trainings to address contemporary issues like global warming and terrorism aligns Buddhist ethics with today’s challenges. Embracing non-dualistic thinking reveals interconnectedness, fostering compassion and peace. Understanding perception reveals the inseparable nature of mind and objects, aligning with quantum physics. Buddhist ethics transcend dualistic notions of good and evil, rooted in absolute insight and non-attachment to views, guiding right thinking, speech, action, livelihood, and fostering a global ethic.

Details of this talk include many profound topics on Buddhist ethics and the interbeing of elements in life. Thich Nhat Hanh shares a deep experience about an oak leaf falling to the ground, symbolizing the cycle of life and death. He emphasizes that everything exists in pairs of opposites but cannot exist independently. He also shares about the teaching of aimlessness, helping people find happiness in the present rather than chasing the future. He emphasizes the flexibility in Buddhist ethics, where ethical principles are not fixed but depend on specific situations. He also addresses social issues such as birth control, abortion, and gay rights, highlighting compassion and deep understanding. He encourages people to apply Buddhist ethics in daily life, maintaining mindfulness and avoiding delusion. He also speaks about conveying Buddhist teachings in an understandable way so that everyone, including non-Buddhists, can apply them in life, especially in the areas of sexuality and love.

In the situation of losing electricity after a storm, enduring cold and illness, we can still suffer less by transforming our mind: understanding that many people are making efforts to restore the power generates gratitude, and at the same time, “creating clouds and making sunlight” means generating our own inner energy. Practitioners need to store up three precious sources of energy—1) mindfulness, 2) concentration, 3) insight—like saving firewood for rainy days, and practice sitting meditation, walking meditation, eating meditation, and mindful breathing even in times of peace, so that life becomes clearer and happier.

Stable mindfulness and concentration give rise to joy and happiness, but only insight can pierce through the veil of delusion and bring liberation (vimukti) from fear and anxiety. All great happiness depends on the quality of mindfulness, concentration, and insight, because insight is the light of salvation, not a favor or grace. The Buddha’s path places emphasis on practice in order to realize that body and world are but illusions, progressing from the “first dream” to the “second dream” and transcending both. At the same time, the new Five Mindfulness Trainings will be composed based on the four kinds of nutriments (edible food, sense impressions, volition, and consciousness) to guide mindful consumption, including guidance on using the Internet, and will be officially announced after the three-month retreat.

The details of this discussion include true love according to Thich Nhat Hanh, which means seeing someone as a source of happiness, freshness, understanding, and compassion. Stability and non-fear are essential in a relationship. Meditation helps to cultivate joy and happiness, which can be shared with others. Mindfulness illuminates existence, bringing peace and harmony. Conscious breathing reminds us of our living miracle. Living fully in the present moment frees us from the past and the fear of the future. Mindfulness helps to recognize the wonders of life, such as the presence of loved ones. Meditation reveals the timeless nature of things, dissipating fear and anger. Each conscious breath connects with the ancestors present within us. Practicing mindfulness nourishes, heals, and brings joy. Mindfulness reveals the inherent Buddha nature in everyone. Noble silence helps to connect deeply with life. Building communities of practice helps to soothe tensions and fear, using local cultural elements to facilitate the spiritual experience.

Today marks the opening of the novice training period for 28 practitioners at Tang Ram Meditation Hall – Tu Nghiem Temple, including:

1. The sisters: Bach Nghiem, Hac Nghiem, Lang Nghiem, Quynh Nghiem, Tung Nghiem, Gia Nghiem, Truc Nghiem, Hien Nghiem, Thanh Nghiem, Trang Nghiem, Mai Nghiem, Huong Chau, Phuoc Tam, Thanh Hue, Truc Dieu
2. The brothers: Phap Lo, Phap Lai, Phap Uyen, Phap Quan, Phap Bi, Phap Xa, Phap Ho, Phap Thanh, Phap Si, Phap Luu, Phap Khong, Phap Chuong, Phap Duyet
   The training period lasts from one to three years depending on progress, and the local teaching council will decide who will receive the lamp transmission.

True happiness is born from insight and loving kindness, not from craving, but from the capacity to generate “joy and happiness” right in the midst of suffering through mindfulness – like the “mindfulness bath” method, inviting depression to bathe in the energy of awareness. In terms of ethics, comparing consequentialism/utilitarianism, divine command, and the Four Noble Truths shows that Buddhism does not only look at the result but also emphasizes the path, conditions, and the non-dual interbeing nature of suffering and happiness. The compassion of the Bodhisattva goes beyond the doctrine of retribution, using collective karma and the Bodhisattva path to accompany, reduce suffering, and nurture happiness for all beings.

*Sitting meditation with a comfortable, stable posture—whether in the full lotus, using a cushion, or a small bench—helps us dwell peacefully in the dignified posture of a human being (walking, standing, lying down, sitting). The most important thing is to “stop” all bodily movements and mental activities; this is shamatha, the foundation for practicing insight meditation (Vipassanā). Through the Anapanasati Sutra, we practice awareness of in-breath and out-breath (the first exercise), then awareness of the whole body (the third exercise), to recognize that the root of the breath is the body—fully contacting body and mind in harmony, bringing about calm and happiness.

*Deep contemplation also leads to the recognition of our continuation with our ancestors and all beings: our body contains the bloodline of our father, mother, grandparents, animals, plants, and minerals, opening up enlightenment about our origins. The three prostrations in the Plum Village practice of Touching the Earth help us to accept the flow of time and space—past and future—liberate our ancestors from the prison of self-grasping, and plant wholesome seeds in the store consciousness (Alaya) to nurture compassion, wisdom, and ethics for all generations.