Thầy introduces the newly updated version of the Five Mindfulness Trainings, addressing the Parliament of World Religions meeting in Melbourne and supporting the Copenhagen conference on climate change. Sister True Dedication reads out the trainings one by one, and Thầy provides a commentary for each, moving from the First straight to the Fourth before returning to the Second, Third and Fifth.

Thầy emphasises that collective awakening is essential if we are to address the issue of climate change and war. He urges that both political and spiritual leadership is necessary, as the roots of war and reliance on non-renewable sources of energy lie in fear, anger and craving—the same fear he sees behind terrorism, anti-terrorism and the trade in weapons. He shares how the peaceful energy of the ongoing three-month retreat at Plum Village is an offering to this collective awakening, and describes sitting and walking meditation as a way to realise happiness in the present moment and so counteract the destructive tendency to run after wealth, fame, power and sex.

Commenting on the First Mindfulness Training, Thầy encourages practising in such a way that we can help ourselves and others to release wrong perceptions and attachment to views. With the Fourth, he encourages deep listening and loving speech between political leaders, imagining President Obama inviting the Taliban to the White House for dinner and walking meditation, and peace conferences where people live, cook and walk together for a few weeks before they negotiate. Thầy also points to a spirituality without religion; of the way we drink our tea, he says, “You don’t need a god, you don’t need a religion in order to do that.”

For the Second Training, he provides concrete examples of how the communities of Plum Village and Deer Park Monastery live in a simple and happy way that expresses gratitude to the Earth—having no-car days and following a vegetarian diet. Commenting on the Third, Thầy shares about the four basic elements of true love: loving kindness, compassion, joy and inclusiveness, showing how with this kind of love we can embrace the Earth and all beings. He concludes with the Fifth, emphasising the need to examine our volition, nourishing our wholesome desires, for example, to protect the planet, and to create supportive communities to help us in this regard.

This talk was given during the Parliament of World Religions held in Melbourne, Australia, in the year 2009. Thầy offered this talk at Lower Hamlet, Plum Village, France.