Thầy offers a commentary on the teachings on happiness, our deepest longing, emphasizing awakening the love within us, illustrated by recalling touching this love as a nine-year-old inspired by a serene Buddha image. Reflecting on a picnic and the allure of meeting a hermit embodying Buddha’s teachings, the profound experience of drinking crystal-clear water symbolizes touching the essence of enlightenment. Happiness blooms from nurturing love within and practicing mindfulness, concentration, right view, and right thinking. Right speech hinges on deep listening, rooted in understanding interconnectedness, and practicing generosity alleviates suffering. Upholding ethical precepts safeguards well-being, mindful consumption maintains health, and right livelihood respects beings and the environment. Engaged Buddhism emphasizes practicing in society, guided by mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom, rooted in precepts protecting from harm. The Noble Eightfold Path interconnected with precepts supports mindful living, fostering mental cultivation and spiritual growth.

This is the twelfth talk in a series of seventeen given during the Summer Opening retreats in the year 1994. Thầy offered this talk at the Upper Hamlet, Plum Village, France.