We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track. If this problem persists help us by reporting it so we can investigate it.
Watch this talk
Login or create a free account to watch this talk and discover other teachings from Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh.
Log in or create an account
Clouds in a Sheet of Paper
Dependent co-arising is the principle that all phenomena only manifest when sufficient conditions are present: a sunflower seed cannot become a plant without soil, water, sunlight, and the effort of the farmer… Looking deeply into a sheet of paper or into our own body, we see “clouds,” “water,” “the earth,” “the sun”… all present together, reminding us that nothing exists independently. This is interbeing: this is because that is; there is no birth and no death, no coming and no going, not one and not different.
We practice mindfulness to touch the unborn, undying nature of ourselves—like the forest outside is our lungs, the sun outside is our heart—and to learn how to support those who are dying through the Four Recollections (recollection of the Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha, and the Precepts). The story of Anathapindika’s passing and Shariputra’s contemplation shows that when we water the seeds of happiness, suffering recedes. Finally, there is a call to support the printing of books, the opening of retreats, and to invite the monks and nuns to freely return to Vietnam to share this wondrous teaching.
