Breathing in and out mindfully cultivates the energies of mindfulness, concentration, and insight—energies that make us “part-time Buddhas” capable of compassion and happiness. By touching these energies in daily activities—eating, walking, smiling, brushing teeth, washing, making phone calls, driving, even urinating—each moment becomes an opportunity to prevent suffering and bring peace and freedom here and now.

Thầy then guides us to look deeply into impermanence and continuation through the image of a burning candle and of our own karma as ceaseless thought, speech, and bodily action. He presents the last four of the 16 exercises in the Sutra on Mindful Breathing:

1. Contemplation of impermanence / non-self (no birth, no death)
2. Contemplation of non-craving in the four objects of desire: fame, wealth, sex, power
3. Contemplation of extinction (letting go of eight notions: birth, death, being, non-being, coming, going, same, different)
4. Conscious letting go of four basic notions—self, human being, living being, lifespan—to touch the ultimate freedom beyond fear.

Today’s meditation on “same and different” begins with a simple box of matches and the flame it contains: the flame does not spring from nothing nor vanish into nothing, but waits for sufficient conditions—inside the box, in the oxygen outside, in the wood, the sulfur, the workers. When invited, it manifests; when conditions fade, it hides. Asked if the second flame is the same as the first, it answers “neither the same nor different.” Birth is not a beginning but a moment of continuation, and death not an end but a temporary cessation of manifestation. Looking deeply into a sheet of paper—or into our fathers, mothers, ancestors—we see clouds, sunshine, forests, factories, and every element that sustains it. Nothing is created from nothing, nothing perishes into nothing: there is only continuation in ever‐changing forms.

Turning to our inner world, Thay introduces four exercises for mental formations (phenomena arising through conditions):

1. Becoming aware of whatever formation—pleasant or painful—has manifested.
2. Inviting positive formations (compassion, joy) to manifest.
3. Cultivating concentration on a chosen formation.
4. Liberating the mind (tâm giải thoát).

He then presents the Three Doors of Liberation:
• Emptiness (empty of separate self, full of the cosmos)
• Signlessness (seeing beyond appearances, recognizing what we call “gone” or “absent” still exists in another form)
• Aimlessness (no longer chasing a distant goal—nirvana, God, happiness—because our true nature is already complete here and now)

Integrated practice of these insights and exercises helps us transcend suffering, transform unconscious seeds of anger or despair, and live in harmony with our ancestors, our descendants, and all of life.

In Plum Village’s pebble meditation, each of four pebbles represents one element—flower, mountain, water, space—and guides a brief sitting practice led by children. For each pebble, you:

1. Look at it and recognize its element.
2. Place it in your left hand, right hand on top.
3. Breathe in and out three times with its mantra:
   • Flower: “Breathing in, I see myself as a flower. Breathing out, I feel fresh.”
   • Mountain: “Breathing in, I see myself as a mountain. Breathing out, I feel solid.”
   • Water: “Breathing in, I am still water. Breathing out, I reflect things as they truly are.”
   • Space: “Breathing in, I see myself as space. Breathing out, I feel free.”

After the four exercises and bells, you bow, massage your feet, and close the session. Thay then broadens the practice to include: mindful drinking, eating, walking and the first eight exercises of mindful breathing and feelings; recognizing joy, happiness, pain and calming emotions; and applying the Five Mindfulness Trainings—with special emphasis on mindful consumption—to transform suffering. Finally, he offers concrete steps for bringing deep listening, compassionate dialogue, and emotional stability to personal life, community, and even national and global reconciliation.

Each of us has four bodies that need tending:

1. Rūpa-kāya (physical body): Offers the capacity to rest and heal itself if we learn to calm, relax, and trust its innate wisdom—just as an injured animal seeks quiet to recover.
2. Dharmakāya (Dharma body): Embodies understanding, compassion, peace, and happiness in every step, word, and gesture. As you breathe, walk, or speak in mindfulness you nourish this living Dharma and let its seed grow.
3. Buddhakāya (Buddha body): Your in-born Buddha nature— the potential to be mindful, concentrated, and fully present. Every time you drink orange juice or breathe with single-pointed attention, you manifest your Buddha body.
4. Saṅghakāya (Sangha body): The collective energy and support of fellow practitioners. Taking refuge in a Sangha is not mere faith but a practice—its shared mindfulness protects and uplifts your practice.

Through mindful breathing and the exercises the Buddha taught—cultivating joy, happiness, awareness of body and feelings, and deep relaxation—you learn to nourish each of these bodies. As they flourish, so do your peace, compassion, and freedom, and the living Dharma continues from generation to generation.

It is possible to relax completely in any posture—sitting, standing, walking or lying—by returning again and again to the breath and a gentle half-smile. Breathing in, I am aware of my body (arms, shoulders, face, the whole body); breathing out, I smile to it. This practice of “calming my body” and “smiling to my body” is an act of peace and compassion that nourishes and heals not only ourselves but “the whole world.” Listening to a Dharma talk is like welcoming rain: we allow the “Dharma rain” to penetrate the soil of body and mind without comparing, arguing or thinking, so our own seeds of understanding, compassion and awakening may sprout and blossom.

Mindful breathing and walking generate “the energy of mindfulness,” uniting body and mind in the here and now, where the “kingdom of God” or “pure land of the Buddha” is available. The Buddha’s first exercise—Awareness of In-Breath and Out-Breath—can be deepened in two stages:

1. Enjoying “in” and “out” as they are
2. Noticing how after a few minutes your breath becomes deep and slow
   From there, you can refine your practice with these meditation cues (often sung together):
   • In, Out, Deep, Slow, Calm, Ease, Smile, Release
   • Present Moment, Wonderful Moment

Walking meditation follows the same method—one step per in-breath, one per out-breath (or two, three steps as preferred)—bringing peace, joy and solidity with each mindful footfall. Every moment of sitting, walking, eating or breathing can become a nourishing gift to ourselves, our Sangha and the world.