The calligraphy “Sangha’s Insight” that Thay displays at the beginning captures the essence of the talk. Thay asks us to “Be the Sangha and allow the Sangha to be you” as the way to embody the sixth Art of Being Together. We can learn not to be caught by our own ideas and way of seeing, we can learn to synthesize and combine our ideas with other’s ideas to create harmony and unity within the Sangha, the family, the community, and the world. This collective energy is tremendous. The collective insight is the highest wisdom.

This is the first talk in a series of thirteen given during The Hands of the Buddha, twenty-one-day retreat in the year 2002. Thay offered this talk at the New Hamlet in Plum Village, France.

This talk details the wisdom of the lotus flower in Pure Land Buddhism, emphasizing that enlightenment and compassion emerge from suffering, akin to the lotus needing mud to bloom. Embrace suffering as essential on the path to enlightenment, recognizing Nirvana within samsara. Happiness and suffering are intertwined, and avoiding suffering disrupts reality’s harmony. Understanding and compassion arise from facing suffering, transforming it into profound bliss. Meditation and mindfulness nourish inner peace, crucial for effective peace conferences. Avalokiteshvara embodies compassion, aiding beings in any form. Mindful chanting and visualization cultivate mindfulness, easing suffering. Wisdom and compassion counter violence, fostering unity and transforming suffering into enlightenment. Engage in compassionate dialogue to build empathy and understanding, practicing mindfulness daily.

Thay speaks of the urgency of Sangha building. He begins by saying the Buddha is the Sangha, and we nourish him in every breath and step we take. By stepping mindfully, we can walk in the Kingdom of God or the Pure Land any time we want. Thay emphasizes that ours is a culture addicted to doing, but we don’t need to “do” anything at all. We must simply be in peace. In building Sangha—especially a global Sangha—the Six Togethernesses and the Five Mindfulness Trainings are key. The birth of Mahayana Buddhism introduced the idea of focusing on the enlightenment of all beings, not just the individual. This is the work of the bodhisattva and is foundational to Sangha building. The main message of Mahayana Buddhism is that everyone can become a buddha. Each of us is nurtured by the Dharma rain, and we can engage in the joyous activity of building sangha wherever we are.

This is the second talk in a series of thirteen given during The Hands of the Buddha, twenty-one-day retreat in the year 2002. Thay offered this talk at the Lower Hamlet, Plum Village, France.

The Lotus Sutra and The Action Dimension - A new proposal: the action dimension as connection between the ultimate dimension and the historical dimension

Thay speaks about the Dharma Seal of Plum Village “I have arrived, I am home” and shares how everyone at the retreat benefits when practitioners truly practice this Dharma Seal. Thay explains how this is the basis for skillful action in the world, as it helps to practice the action of non-action. Thay also delves into the Lotus Sutra, explaining the historical and the ultimate dimension, as well the importance of this Sutra in the Mahayana School. Thay presents his view on the need for the renewal of all traditions, be it Christianity, Judaism or Buddhism. In this talk, Thay suggests to add a third dimension to the Lotus Sutra, the action dimension, as a way to connect the ultimate dimension and the historical dimension in everyday life and offers some examples from the sutra.

This is the third talk in a series of thirteen given during The Hands of the Buddha, twenty-one-day retreat in the year 2002. Thay offered this talk at the New Hamlet, Plum Village, France

Questions & Answers, No description yet, ‘suggest edit’ to add one.

Thay introduces the Earth Holder Bodhisattva from the Lotus Sutra and encourages us to collaborate with him/her by helping to preserve our precious planet. Thay demonstrates how, with the insight of interbeing and through the practice of walking meditation, we can see ourselves as an organism comprised of the whole cosmos, including past and future generations. Thay also introduces the Bodhisattva Never Underestimating, showing how this bodhisattva’s dedication to seeing all beings as Buddhas is a key teaching of the Lotus Sutra. Speaking of the freedom gained through no longer identifying oneself with one’s physical body alone - an insight made possible through love, devotion and meditation - Thay provides examples of those, such as Thich Quang Duc and Nhat Chi Mai, who, through self-immolation, sacrificed their bodies to bring about messages of peace and hope.

This is the fourth talk in a series of thirteen given during The Hands of the Buddha, twenty-one-day retreat in the year 2002. Thay offered this talk at the Upper Hamlet, Plum Village, France.

Thay explores how the practice of mindfulness, concentration, and insight is crucial to produce the element of holiness in a Sangha. If we cultivate these three qualities within us, we will be able to touch the element of holiness that is present in each and everyone of us. Thay further elaborates that the Sangha is composed of four pairs and eight kinds of holy people that collectively nurture mindfulness, concentration, and insight. Practicing mindfulness transforms our suffering, supported by the Sangha’s collective energy.

Thay comments that at the moment humanity is not a Sangha yet because we don’t have enough mindfulness, concentration, and insight. We are too dispersed and therefore we are not able to embrace and transform the suffering of the world. People are concerned with their own interests, their own cravings, and pay little attention to the suffering of the Middle East, for example. Thay ends by exploring Chapter 15 and Chapter 24 of the Lotus Sutra, which can help us realize that we are all in a family—we are all children of the Earth and we should take care of each other and our environment, concluding that this is possible with a Sangha that practices the six togetherness. This is the way to preserve the Earth and our happiness.

This is the fifth talk in a series of thirteen given during The Hands of the Buddha, twenty-one-day retreat in the year 2002. Thay offered this talk at the New Hamlet, Plum Village, France.

Thay recounts the story of Siddhārtha’s enlightenment, from his initial practice of asceticism till the time he sat under the Bodhi tree, where he finally experienced what he was looking for, the Great Way. His enlightenment led to the formation of the original Sangha, which grew very soon to include hundreds of monks. Thay offers a detailed explanation of the six togethernesses, or six harmonies, which form the basis for the happiness of a Sangha. He also explained the importance of the saṅghakarman procedure, which brings about a synthesis of all ideas and provides a way to reach consensus in the Sangha.

Thay also explained how crucial is the practice of the mindfulness trainings for the happiness of the Sangha, emphasising how mindfulness of love protects us and our practice. He gave an example of how to practice the third mindfulness training, and how important this training is for teachers, because if a teacher misbehaves, for example by sleeping with a student, that will destroy the Sangha and himself or herself. Thay concludes by presenting the insights of Chapter 25 of the Lotus Sutra, centred on mindfulness of compassion, which can heal even the strongest sexual desire in us.

This is the seventh talk in a series of thirteen given during The Hands of the Buddha, twenty-one-day retreat in the year 2002. Thay offered this talk at the Lower Hamlet, Plum Village, France.

Thầy shares about the early phases of the original Sangha’s formation, specifically he recounted the event in which Śāriputra met Aśvajit. Śāriputra was very impressed by the monk, and asked him who was his teacher and whether he could receive a teaching from the Buddha right away. In response, Aśvajit mentioned the following four-line verse to him, and thanks to it Śāriputra glimpsed the Way:
“Everything manifests when conditions come together. Everything ceases to manifest when conditions are no longer together. And the great teacher Śākyamuni has already made this declaration.”

Śāriputra was also deeply impressed by how Aśvajit was walking: his way of walking was a living Dharma talk. This is a practice we can all train in: by investing all our body and mind in each step, we “print” peace on the Earth and are able to reconcile with ourselves, our ancestors, and all species - practicing the insight of the Avataṃsaka sutra as we walk. Then Śāriputra and his close friend, Maudgalyāyana, decided to leave the community they were practicing with in order to join the Buddha’s Sangha.

Building a Sangha requires patient, sensitive care—training in mindful breathing, walking, eating—so that each member may flourish and heal the world. Thầy highlights the fact that we cannot build a Sangha just by using our telephone, our fax, our email; we have to build our Sangha by the practice of breathing, of walking, and so on.

Thầy then examines the Buddha’s twelve links (Pratītyasamutpāda):

1. delusion (avidyā)
2. negative karma formations (saṃskāra)
3. consciousness (vijñāna)
4. name-and-form (nāmarūpa)
5. six sense bases (ṣaḍāyatana)
6. contact (sparśa)
7. feeling (vedanā)
8. craving (tṛṣṇā)
9. grasping (upādāna)
10. becoming (bhava)
11. birth (jāti)
12. aging-and-death (jarāmaraṇa)

Rather than seeing past, present, and future causes and effects, he invites us to study any single moment—thought, word, or deed—as a specimen in which all twelve links, both positive (wisdom, wholesome formations) and negative, are alive. Every action—mental, verbal, physical—carries immediate and long-term fruits; by recognizing “where we are going” here and now, we will understand our continuation.

This was the seventh talk in a series of thirteen given during The Hands of the Buddha, twenty-one-day retreat in the year 2002. Thay offered this talk at the Lower Hamlet, Plum Village, France.

Questions & Answers, No description yet, ‘suggest edit’ to add one.

Enjoying Life with the Gift of Non-Fear

Thay explains that people are afraid of being a non-being, of losing their identity, of dying, of becoming nothing. We also create a lot of dangers and more fears through misunderstanding, anger and craving. Through the many, sometimes unexpected, manifestations of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, this talk shows how understanding and compassionate actions can give the gift of non-fear. This is the greatest gift, with the power to heal suffering and transform despair into hope.

Thay also explains that we all exist in three interconnected dimensions: our Dharma body is in the ultimate dimension and is our true nature, our essence. Our human body (Retribution body) is shaped by Karma and manifests in this historical dimension. The third dimension is ‘Action’ – our purpose. Our body in the historical dimension may have a beginning and end, but our body in the ultimate dimension is indestructible. Once you can touch your Dharma body, you are no longer afraid of birth and death.

This was the eighth talk in a series of thirteen given during The Hands of the Buddha, twenty-one-day retreat in the year 2002. Thay offered this talk at the Upper Hamlet, Plum Village, France.

The Essence of Compassion That We Can All Manifest

Thay begins by discussing the advantages of keeping a kung fu notebook as a means of contemplating one’s thoughts and actions each day. He reminds us that mindful walking allows us to live in the present moment, which means living in the Pure Land. He points out that there should be no fear of change because the ground of change remains the same. However, we must purify ourselves in every form in which we appear. Thay then reads and comments on excerpts from the Universal Door chapter of the Lotus Sutra. He discusses the five contemplations and the five kinds of sound that are the essence of Avalokiteshvara. He describes how karuṇā and maitrī come together to form the rain of Dharma that extinguishes all manner of afflictions. He ends this teaching by reminding us of the main attribute of Avalokiteshvara, which we can also manifest: “Looking at others with compassionate eyes.”

This is the ninth talk in a series of thirteen given during The Hands of the Buddha, twenty-one-day retreat in the year 2002. Thay offered this talk at the New Hamlet, Plum Village, France.

Taking care of the environment and of the hungry ghosts in our society

Thay highlights the importance of Bodhisattva Earth Holder for our time. He speaks of the early work on environmental protection in which he and his community were involved from 1972 to 2002. Thay introduces Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha whose vow is to continue until all beings are saved and encourages us to become his arms of action. He tells the story of Angulimala which leads him to teach about hungry ghosts. Thay urges us to stay in our sangha in order to stay rooted ourselves and to build a refuge for others.

This is the tenth talk in a series of thirteen given during The Hands of the Buddha, twenty-one-day retreat in the year 2002. Thay offered this talk at the New Hamlet, Plum Village, France.

Thay elaborates on the practice of the Six Pāramitās, the path of bodhisattvas, as a way to bring peace and happiness to ourselves and the world. The practice of the Six Pāramitās can take us from the shore of suffering to the shore of well-being right in the here and now. The Six Pāramitās are giving (dāna), mindfulness trainings (śīla), inclusiveness (kṣānti), diligence (virya), meditation (dhyāna), and wisdom (prajñā).

This was the fourteenth talk in a series of sixteen given during The Hands of the Buddha, twenty-one-day retreat in the year 2002. Thay offered this talk at the Lower Hamlet, Plum Village, France.

Questions & Answers, No description yet, ‘suggest edit’ to add one.

Thay opens with details from The Global Environment Outlook, compiled for the UN and how aspects relate to the practice of mindfulness before going on to deepen the teaching on the practice of the six paramitas and the great actions of the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra.
In this talk, Thay shares a story from the life of the Buddha about an attempted coup by one of his senior disciples, Devadatta. He uses this example to illustrate the power of compassionate action in restoring peace and harmony within the Sangha and society.

This is the final talk in a series of thirteen, given during The Hands of the Buddha, twenty-one-day retreat in the year 2002. Thay offered this talk at the Upper Hamlet, Plum Village, France.