All phenomena that come together and manifest are called formations, including bodily formations which are physical and physiological, and mental formations which are psychological. There are 51 mental formations in total, contained in the form of seeds in store consciousness and manifesting as energy in mind consciousness. To transform unwholesome seeds and nourish wholesome seeds, we practice the method of watering with mindfulness (selective watering), not watering the unwholesome seeds in ourselves and others, only watering the seeds of loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity.

Wrong perceptions (illusions) are the cause of most of our suffering. Through the tragic story of the woman of Nam Xuong, caused by the wrong perception and pride of her husband, Truong, the talk points out that wrong perceptions can destroy happiness. When a wrong perception is recognized, the suffering still needs time to calm down and to transform completely, just like a fan that continues to turn for a while after the power is turned off.

To overcome emotional storms, we need to practice four steps:

1. Be present and recognize the presence of suffering with mindfulness, our breath, and our steps.
2. Remind ourselves that suffering is impermanent and cut off its source of food, which is our upside-down perceptions.
3. Be willing to stay with the suffering, allowing it time to weaken and slowly die.
4. Look deeply into the nature of perception to uproot delusion, not letting pride prevent communication.

The talk also explains the four kinds of feelings, including painful feelings, pleasant feelings, neutral feelings, and mixed feelings.