Two-thirds into our trip, we’ve faced many difficulties—from interpersonal tensions in our New Hamlet to grieving the loss of Thầy Giac Thanh—but through collective effort and the support of the Green Mountain, Maple Forest, Deer Park, and all three Plum Village hamlets, we’ve transformed conflict into deepened practice. In America, over one hundred monastics and laypeople gathered for Thầy Giac Thanh’s cremation, and Thầy sent a letter urging continued practice so his presence lives on. Upon Thầy Giac Thanh’s recommendation, Sư em Pháp Dung has been appointed acting abbot of Deer Park; the fourfold Sangha is called to support him and allow Thầy Nguyên Hải a three-month relief before his full return.

When individual interventions fail, the Sangha follows a four-step process to restore harmony:

1. Individual outreach to guide a brother or sister back to right practice
2. Sangha council meeting to offer advice and warning
3. Prescription of a traditional purification practice when warnings go unheeded
4. Collective acceptance of the council’s decision, with later sharing of overlooked details if needed

This method has been applied to several sisters—Thành Nghiêm, Độ Nghiêm, Thuần Nghiêm, Bích Nghiêm—and shown to heal and renew. Thầy emphasizes early communication of “small things” so they don’t become “big things,” reminding us that caring for our “second body” (the Sangha community) requires constant mindfulness, reverence, and the power of the great vow (bodhicitta). By taking refuge in the Buddha (“my mindfulness”), the Dharma (“my mindful breathing”), and the Sangha (“my five skandhas”), we cultivate the strong desire needed to transform suffering into compassion and ensure the Sangha remains a living embodiment of the Three Gems.

This talk details walking meditation in Plum Village as a valuable practice for releasing tension and living deeply, connecting with reality, and finding joy and happiness. Walking slowly and mindfully, repeating the mantra “I have arrived, I am home,” helps embrace the present moment, breaking habits of rushing and seeking happiness elsewhere. Buddhist teachings urge living fully in the present, emphasizing stopping and concentrating to calm and focus. Practicing mindfulness leads to inner freedom, happiness, and touching Nirvana, akin to waves recognizing they are water. Mindfulness empowers actions, turning daily tasks into sacred practices, manifesting the Pure Land here and now. Practicing mindfulness heals ourselves and the Earth, embodying interconnectedness and inner peace, leading to genuine happiness and Nirvana.

The second remote Dharma talk was given on January 28, 1996, from Plum Village to Cam Lo Meditation Hall in Australia, with about 100 listeners at Cam Lo and the Sen Bup Sangha. The content of the Dharma talk focused on “Living Joyfully in the World” (Cư Trần Lạc Đạo) by the Great Master Truc Lam, after introducing the Winter Retreat with the Zen Masters of the Tran dynasty:

1. Tran Thai Tong
2. Thuong Chieu
3. Tue Trung Thuong Si
4. Tran Nhan Tong (Great Master Truc Lam)

Thay reminded, for the 1,250th time, that love must be made of understanding: only when we have experienced suffering can our love not bring harm; true love is also the capacity to generate the energy of loving kindness for others. If we rush to serve without practicing with the sangha, we will easily suffer and fail.

Before studying the third section of Living Joyfully in the World, Thay offered these reminders:

• “Maintain your clarity, do not lose yourself in wrong paths” – that is, to contemplate in order to understand clearly and not be swept away by wrong views.
• “Transform yourself and study in the true lineage” – to practice mindfulness, precepts, concentration, and insight as taught by the Buddha.
• “Harmony in views, harmony in speech without contention” – to share a common understanding, to use loving speech so as not to hurt one another, the foundation for harmony and happiness within the sangha itself.