This talk details the teachings of finding the kingdom of God and happiness in the present moment, emphasizing that true contentment lies within rather than external pursuits like fame, profit, power, and desire. Teachers must embody this shift to guide others towards health, safety, and joy. The core teachings of Buddha, including impermanence, non-self, nirvana, emptiness, signlessness, and aimlessness, are challenging but essential. Compassion and wisdom must be united in guiding others gradually towards deeper understanding. Jesus Christ’s teachings for a happy and free life are paralleled with Buddhism’s teachings, highlighting the historical Buddha’s journey and the concept of Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya, and Nirmanakaya. The Mahasangika tradition emphasizes the eternal nature of Buddha beyond worldly limitations. The story of Vakali illustrates the harm of attachment and finding happiness in the Dharma body. Both Buddhism and Christianity emphasize focusing on the present moment rather than a distant future kingdom or Pure Land. Understanding and engaging with diverse faith traditions is crucial for meaningful dialogue and keeping Buddhism relevant and beneficial. Buddhism must evolve daily to serve people, avoiding becoming stagnant or outdated, and depends on practitioners to uphold this task.

Dwelling happily in the present moment means to live peacefully and at ease right in the here and now: “present” is what is happening, “dharma” is the teachings, “dwelling happily” is to live happily and at ease. Through the Upāsaka Sūtra, the Buddha taught the lay friend Anāthapiṇḍika and about 500 merchants to practice the Three Refuges and the Four Recollections (recollection of the Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha, and the Precepts) so that each step and each breath brings joy and peace. The practice is not to wait for happiness in the future, but to enjoy joy right in every moment: when washing the dishes, cooking rice, sweeping the house… we need to have full mindfulness so that the mind is not caught in worries and anxieties.

The Buddhadharma is a living body that has gone through three periods (early, middle, and late) and is transformed according to cultural context. In forty-five years of teaching, the World-Honored One skillfully “transformed” the prevailing ideas of the time (rebirth, the Four Immeasurable Minds…) into distinctive teachings, and left behind the essence:

1. The Four Noble Truths;
2. The Noble Eightfold Path – the path of right practice;
3. The Three Dharma Seals – impermanence, non-self, Nirvāṇa;
4. The Three Doors of Liberation – Emptiness, Signlessness, Aimlessness;
5. The teaching of the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination (some sutras mention 6, 9, or 12 links).
   The Buddhadharma continued as the Mahāyāna through the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtras, the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, and so on, about 300–400 years after the Buddha’s passing, and then entered Tibet, Thailand, China, and Japan by harmonizing with local cultures. Today, monks and lay friends are invited to continue “turning the Dharma wheel” with wisdom and insight, digesting new cultural elements so that the Dharma is always alive, serving the suffering of society, and deeply integrating into the present moment.

Every morning, sit in meditation for at least 5–20 minutes before the scheduled time, keeping your body upright, relaxed, making no noise, and sitting inside so as not to disturb those who come later. Each Dharma talk of 1–2 minutes serves as a compass for the whole day—breathing in is to return to the present moment and to feel ease and peace, and that peace is not only for ourselves but also radiates to our parents and ancestors. The practice of mindfulness can be applied at any time and in any place—walking, standing, sitting, lying down, washing 200 dishes, sweeping the meditation hall—every action is an opportunity to stop and find happiness right in the present moment.

The essence of meditation is stopping (samatha): “stopping” to end the wandering of the mind, placing ourselves in the Pure Land, touching the wonders of life and our ancestors; when we stop, we have already “become a Buddha,” there is nothing more to attain. If a tradition does not bring joy, it is useless, and if we do not renew the way we present, the language and the forms to suit the times, the Dharma will become a “mummy”—the meditation hall now does not need pillars and the temple must be as flexible as the Buddha, who always adapted the teachings to respond to the suffering and questions of his time.

Studying the history of the original Sangha is not for accumulating knowledge as in taking exams, but for contemplating the present, seeing clearly our own path of practice, determining what needs to be continued or abandoned, and making a firm commitment to practice what the future requires. While listening to the Dharma, we need to reflect on our own position, recognize suffering inside and outside, and from there apply the teachings to resolve those sufferings.

The diversification of schools in Buddhism is healthy because it brings a diversity of insight. From the split into the Sthavira and Mahāsāṃghika schools 140 years after the Buddha’s Parinirvana, to about twenty schools after several hundred years, there was a “hundred flowers blooming” without conflict. For twenty-two years, Plum Village has been both conservative in preserving the essence and progressive in renewing, offering practical fruits:

• The Earth Touching Practice responds to the aspiration for repentance of both monastics and laypeople
• The Five Mindfulness Trainings and the Ten Novice Precepts are presented clearly, practically, in non-religious language
• Prostration meditation and the second body renew the methods of practice
• The novice monastic code textbook has been compiled to replace the 400-year-old version
• The Vietnamese Chanting Book continues the tradition, carrying the essence of the Dharma

The tenth day of the three-month retreat, with 80 days left to cherish each moment of dwelling peacefully in the practice. Shamatha and Vipashyana meditation are inherently inseparable: shamatha brings concentration, vipashyana gives rise to insight, and concentration and insight are interwoven in a single moment of stopping. Practicing walking meditation in Plum Village is to take each step in mindfulness, refraining from conversation to hold firmly the “reins” of our steps; each in-breath and out-breath is an opportunity to stop the wandering of the mind, to connect with our father, mother, ancestors, and to encounter the “Pure Land” right in the present moment. When eating, dressing, or sitting, doing only one thing at a time, dwelling fully in the present, is to find peace, nirvana, and freedom.

From 450 BCE (the Buddha’s Parinirvana) to the early stages of Original Buddhism: the Buddha was born around 530 BCE, and for the next 100 years the Sangha continued the transmission until 350 BCE; about 140 years after the Buddha’s passing, the Mahasanghika and Sthavira schools formed, and in the following 255 years, many Hinayana schools emerged. From the first century BCE to the third century CE, the Prajnaparamita Sutras marked the beginning of the Mahayana; Master Nagarjuna systematized “Emptiness” and Maitreya expounded on the Yogacara teachings, and finally Asanga and Vasubandhu completed the Consciousness-Only school. King Ashoka (third century BCE) erected stone pillars and supported the Dharma, expanding Buddhism, blending the Buddha’s teachings with culture, from the Jataka–Avadana tradition to the ancestor worship customs of Vietnam, creating a path of practice for both monastics and laypeople.

This talk details the essence of yoga as a practice of unity and connection, touching the earth as devotion, and mindfulness to unify body and mind. Touching the earth reveals teachings of no-self and interbeing, aiding liberation from fear and despair. Recognize talents as gifts from ancestors, letting go of superiority, inferiority, and equality illusions. Understand interconnectedness with the cosmos to overcome complexes. Touching the earth symbolizes insights like non-self and impermanence, leading to nirvana. Recognize unity with spiritual figures like Buddha and Jesus, embody wisdom figures like Shariputra and Manjushri, and practice mindfulness to embody qualities like compassion and justice. Touching the divine within transcends duality, fostering empathy and deeper connections.

Keep each step solid, relaxed, and filled with happiness by nourishing mindfulness, concentration, and insight with every step of walking meditation. Each step is an opportunity to return to the present moment, to dwell solidly like a green mountain, to be at ease like a white cloud, and to manifest sovereignty over body and mind, so that we “become the king, the emperor of ourselves.” Using verses such as

“I have arrived, I am home, dwelling in the here and now, solid as a green mountain, free as a white cloud; thus the door of the unborn opens, just with one step, calm and unmoving”
helps maintain mindfulness, so that the Pure Land, the Kingdom of God is right in the present moment.

The early teachings of the Theravada tradition include the 37 factors of enlightenment, among which are the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of spiritual power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of awakening, and the Noble Eightfold Path. In the beginning, there was only the Ninefold Teaching (Nava Anga), later developed into the Twelvefold Teaching (Dvadasa), which includes:

1. Sutra (Discourses)
2. Geya (Repetitions)
3. Gatha (Verses)
4. Itivrittaka (Stories of This Is What Happened)
5. Jataka (Stories of Former Lives)
6. Adbhutadharma (Marvelous Dharma)
7. Avadana (Illustrative Stories)
8. Upadesa (Instructions)
9. Udana (Inspired Utterances)
10. Nidana (Causes and Conditions)
11. Vaipulya (Extensive Teachings)
12. Viakarana (Prophecies)
    The two literary forms, Jataka and Avadana, became a great body of literature, contributing to the widespread dissemination of Buddhism throughout India during the period of the early schools.

Maitrī, that is, friendship, is the root of all love – not only romantic love between man and woman, but also the love between father and child, mother and child, siblings, friends, descendants, homeland, humanity, and the environment. In the Buddha’s teaching, there are three other words alongside maitrī:

• karuṇā (compassion)
• muditā (joy)
• upekṣā (equanimity)

The monastic life and the sangha require the cultivation of brotherhood through the practice of mindfulness. The four elements that nourish oneself and the sangha, as mentioned in the morning meditation, are:

• freshness
• solidity
• calmness
• freedom

Every day, we should ask ourselves, “Today, what have I generated to nourish myself and to nourish the sangha?” so that we do not starve ourselves or our companions.

The upcoming three-month trip to Vietnam is a historic adventure, requiring each person to be diligent in purifying body and mind, to practice repentance, and to offer wholeheartedly their clarity and sincerity. Those of you who remain at home also need to offer your support through daily mindfulness, ensuring that the atmosphere both inside and outside the country is solid, so that the mission may be accomplished.

King Trần Thái Tông, though holding the throne, practiced diligently and once sought to leave home and ordain at Yên Tử Mountain, until Zen Master Viên Chứng advised him that “practice is not only on the mountain or in the temple,” but right in the palace, “while governing the country, the king can still study the Buddha’s teachings and practice the true Dharma.” He walked steadily in meditation with the mantra “each step touches the earth of reality,” every footstep touching “the ground of truth,” and transmitted this method to future generations. The Pure Land, according to the profound teachings of the Buddha, is not something to wait for after death or in the Western direction, but is “the Pure Land of the mind” present here and now – “the Pure Land in our hands” –, where each breath, each step with mindfulness and concentration brings us back to the present moment and to “the wonders of life” such as the blue sky, white clouds, birds singing, pines whispering, and flowers blooming.

During the period of the Lesser Vehicle after the Buddha’s passing, about twenty schools arose, among which the three main schools were:

1. Theravāda (School of the Elders)
2. Mahāsaṅghika (Great Assembly School)
3. Sarvāstivāda–Vibhajyavāda (School of All Exists–Distinctionists)

Sarvāstivāda and Mahāsaṅghika were pioneers in developing the Avadāna literature (Stories of Deeds) and Jātaka (stories of previous lives) – where the Bodhisattva ideal of the Lesser Vehicle was early revealed. Sarvāstivāda also added “emptiness” to the three Dharma seals (suffering, impermanence, non-self) to form the four Dharma seals, and deeply analyzed the five aggregates, the twelve sense bases, the Four Noble Truths, and the Noble Eightfold Path – heritages that the Mahāyāna later received and developed.

This talk details the practice of embracing and healing our wounded inner child through mindfulness and compassion. Many carry deep wounds from childhood, feeling pain from parents’ conflicts and unresolved suffering. Despite outward success, inner wounds persist, affecting adult lives. Through breathing, smiling, and meditation, acknowledge and comfort the inner child, offering compassion and healing. Visualize suffering, communicate with ancestors, and nurture inner peace. Engage daily with the inner child, fostering compassion and understanding. Through understanding suffering, compassion arises, healing ourselves and others. Finding solace in the Buddha’s presence, nurture peace, stability, and enlightenment within, sharing these qualities with all beings.

Today is the twentieth day of the retreat; there are still seventy days left to fully dwell in the practice. The retreat requires that “both feet are inside, not one foot in and one foot out,” in order to realize collective happiness. Observing nature gives us vivid lessons about the spirit of community and communication—bees, ants, termites, and the brain all operate as harmonious communities, without a master, relying only on the Dharma and the Vinaya. The energy of diligence (virya)—one of the five important sources of energy—not only protects the individual but also protects the whole. These five sources of energy are:

1. Faith
2. Diligence
3. Mindfulness
4. Concentration
5. Insight

Buddhism has gone through three main periods:
• 350 – 100 BC (Early Theravada)
• 100 BC – 300 AD (Sectarian Theravada)
• From 100 BC – 300 AD (Origin of Mahayana)

Among these, King Ashoka spread the Dharma throughout India by erecting stone pillars inscribed with Brahmi script. Mahayana expanded the ideal from Arhat to Bodhisattva with the path of the Three Vehicles (Śrāvaka, Pratyekabuddha, Bodhisattva), developing the “Bodhi mind” and the six Paramitas:

1. Generosity
2. Precepts
3. Patience
4. Diligence
5. Meditation
6. Wisdom

The key doctrines of Mahayana include the Three Bodies of the Buddha (the physical body, the Dharma body, the reward body), the theory of emptiness (śūnyatā), the store consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna), and skillful means, aiming to combine great wisdom and great compassion to liberate all beings.

Happiness is not a strictly individual possession: it is built together with the happiness of others. In the family as in society, we all have both the duty and the right to be happy; this right is born from our capacity to recognize the suffering around us and to act, even for just a few moments each day, to relieve a parent, a neighbor, or anyone in distress. This compassionate action connects us to others, gives meaning to our life, and produces within us a deep joy, independent of wealth, fame, or power.

Living happily here and now is possible thanks to mindfulness: by walking, breathing, and touching the wonders of life (the sky, the flowers, the fresh air), we cultivate the inner freedom that liberates us from fear, anger, and craving. For this, three practices are central:

1. Recognizing the suffering in ourselves and around us
2. Understanding its deep roots through meditative looking
3. Transforming suffering into compassion, the seed of true happiness
   By thus applying the Four Noble Truths—the reality of suffering, its origin, the possibility of its cessation, and the path leading to it—each moment becomes an opportunity to sow calm, freedom, and joy.

*The two original schools of Buddhism are the Theravada (Thượng Tọa Bộ) and the Maha Sanghika (Đại Chúng Bộ), from which the remaining 18–21 schools emerged. The main sources include:

1. Kathāvatthu (Points of Controversy) of the Theravada school
2. Dipavamsa – a 4th-century Theravada chronicle from Sri Lanka
3. The Śāriputra Inquiry Sutra (T 1465) of the Maha Sanghika, compiled in the Taisho Tripitaka
4. Treatise on the Schools (Dị Bộ Tông Luân Luận) – Xuanzang’s Chinese translation and Thích Trí Quang’s Vietnamese version
5. The Mañjuśrī Inquiry Sutra (T 468) – translated by Thích Già Bà La
6. The list of 21 schools recorded by Bhaviveka and Taranatha, in which the Vibhajyavāda is divided into four groups: Mahīśāsaka, Kāśyapīya, Dharmaguptaka, and Tāmraśāṭīya (present-day Theravada).

*The concept of the Buddha’s body developed from the two bodies (the physical body and the Dharma body) in the Early Buddhist tradition to the three bodies (the transformation body, the enjoyment body, and the Dharma body) in the Mahayana, emphasizing that the Buddha is one who is free from afflictions, transcending birth and death, “with one voice teaches all Dharma.” Every word, every action, and even his silence is a teaching. In the retreat, there are also collective activities with mindfulness songs:
“Come let us practice… We can sit down and breathe in and smile like Buddha smiles,”
and the melody “Happy birthday to you… Everyday we are born. Everyday we are free,” depicting the joy of mindfulness and being reborn in every moment.

This talk details the path to enlightenment, emphasizing mindfulness and practice leading to liberation. It’s believed seven lives are typically needed, but diligent practice can shorten this to three, four, or even this very life. By nurturing inner holiness, one can cultivate freedom and peace without seeking it elsewhere. Progressing leads to becoming a stream enterer, returner, non-returner, or arahant, achieving total freedom from afflictions. Buddhism teaches eight types of holy people, each embodying varying levels of freedom. Embrace suffering with respect and tenderness to transform it into wisdom and compassion. Live mindfully, finding holiness in everyday tasks like drinking tea, brushing teeth, or sweeping, embodying freedom and peace in daily life.

Deep listening is the most precious gift we can offer to the person we love: without the capacity to listen with compassion, we remain deaf to their suffering, we lose our calm, and communication breaks down, opening the door to pain, to anger, even to ultimate despair. To develop this quality, we train ourselves to:

1. practice mindful breathing to calm ourselves and bring body and mind together,
2. engage in deep looking, total presence in the here and now,
3. address the other with loving speech, without reproach, offering a safe space for them to express their pain.

This path of compassionate listening echoes Avalokiteśvara (Quan The Am), the bodhisattva of compassion: only compassion, nourished every day, protects us from anger and allows us to hear the “cries of suffering in the world.” At the same time, the Four Noble Truths offer the framework:

• to recognize suffering,
• to identify its causes (unwholesome nutriments, prejudices, ignorance),
• to take refuge in the possibility of transformation,
• to follow the Noble Path (right view, loving speech, mindfulness of body and mind, mindful walking and eating) in order to cultivate well-being and restore communication.

This talk details mindful eating practices that connect us to our ancestors and future generations, emphasizing compassion and awareness. Linda from England sang Irish songs reflecting ancestral fears of hunger, prevalent in countries like Scotland and Ireland. Thay and others formed groups to beg for food during suffering in Hanoi in 1944, highlighting shared sacrifice. Eating mindfully allows us to confront fears, nurture compassion, and honor ancestors’ struggles. True happiness arises from acknowledging suffering and embracing growth. Mindfulness practices liberate us from fear, anger, and violence, generating compassion and freedom. Every breath nourishes ancestors and descendants, emphasizing spiritual growth over material consumption. Practitioners aim to embody freedom and compassion, supporting others bound by fear and anger. Simple tasks done mindfully contribute positively to the world, offering inner growth and peace.