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Bhavana: cultivating joy and happiness with each step
• In today’s Dharma talk, Thay shares many events currently happening at Plum Village and Phap Van Temple: Monastic Day at Son Ha has been recorded to share with the other monasteries; the two-year ordination anniversary of the 13 Vô Ưu trees, along with the touching story of Sister Boi Nghiem’s birthday cake; moving letters from novices at Tu Hieu, recounting their ability to transform suffering and heal their families after only 2–3 months of practice. At the same time, Thay brings precious news about the upcoming retreats at Plum Village in 2006: a retreat for neuroscientists, the 21-day retreat “Le souffle du Buddha” for long-term practitioners, and the joyful news that the Thanh Son Sangha has received a building permit.
• The central message Thay wishes to convey is bhavana (“mental culture”)—the art of cultivating and training the mind in order to harvest the fruits of happiness in each breath, each step, and every daily activity. Thay emphasizes the practice of mindfulness so that each step, each task (washing dishes, rinsing the mouth, walking meditation…) is filled with joy and ease; always recognizing suffering as the background that highlights happiness; maintaining a practice journal to self-evaluate each evening, and continuously “building brotherhood and sisterhood” every day. In this way, the life of practice—whether monastic or lay—becomes a practical path of peace and liberation.
