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
Come Back to Yourself in the Present Moment
The body of precepts, called Śīlakāya, is a protective energy that manifests the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha through our actions, speech, and thoughts. To touch reality, it is necessary not to be a victim of concepts, such as Descartes’ error stating “I think, therefore I am,” because there is no thinker separate from the thought. By looking deeply into the Five Skandhas—form, feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness—we perceive only a succession of ephemeral manifestations, kshanas, proving that there is action but no actor, and that the self is an illusion.
It is impossible to pass from being into non-being, just as a cloud does not die but becomes rain; we must therefore reject both nihilism and eternalism. “To be” actually means “to become,” and our true continuation manifests through the three forms of karma:
- Thought, a powerful energy that determines our future.
- Speech, which must be cultivated to express brotherhood and compassion.
- Bodily action, which allows us to serve and help others.
To produce Right Thinking, we must acquire Right View, which transcends the notions of being, non-being, birth, and death to touch Suchness and Nirvana, the extinction of notions. This wisdom allows us to transform suffering into compassion, for example by seeing a difficult employer as a suffering person who needs help rather than punishment. Finally, the practice of walking meditation allows us to regain our sovereignty and to live as a free person in every moment.
