The realm of the mind and its fifty-one categories of mental formations are accessed through the exercises of mindful breathing proposed by the Buddha:

1. Breathing in and out
2. Following the breath all the way through, aware of its length as long or short
3. Being aware of the body
4. Calming and relaxing the body
5. Bringing about the feeling of joy
6. Bringing about the feeling of happiness
7. Becoming aware of the unpleasant or painful feeling
8. Embracing and relaxing the painful feeling
9. Recognizing and being aware of the mental formation that is there
10. Gladdening the mind by watering positive seeds
11. Concentrating on the mind and looking deeply into the nature of pain
12. Liberating the mental formation through deep understanding
    Joy and happiness are born from the capacity of releasing, letting go, and practicing mindfulness, concentration, and true love. True love in Buddhism is maitrī, which means friendship, originating from mitra. It respects freedom rather than trying to possess.

Building a solid lay Sangha is essential for the fourfold Sangha, which consists of monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen. Lay practitioners must organize their own Sangha and conduct precept recitations separately. Before a recitation ceremony can take place, reconciliation must occur, as established by five traditional questions and statements:

1. Has the whole community assembled?
2. Is there harmony in the community?
3. Is there anyone absent who has asked someone to represent them and declare they have not broken any precepts?
4. What is the purpose of the meeting today?
5. Confirming that it is the right moment and there is harmony to authorize the recitation.
   A solid fourfold Sangha can collaborate to run an Institute for Applied Buddhism, offering courses on Buddhist psychology, training for couples preparing for marriage, and retreats for business leaders, politicians, and police officers.

The legendary singer Thái Thanh visits the Sangha to perform songs by Phạm Duy, including Giọt Mưa Trên Lá, Ngậm Ngùi, and My Dream, which is based on a poem written by Thay in 1964 about peace, reconciliation, and brotherhood during the war in Vietnam.