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Dharma Talk 02 - What is Meditation?

Thich Nhat Hanh · November 25, 1994 · Plum Village, France
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The talk begins with the origin of the word meditation (Sanskrit: dhyāna) and its names in various languages (Ch’an, Zen, Son…), along with four main explanations by the ancestral teachers about meditation:

  1. Contemplating a specific object.
  2. Coming into close contact in order to discover the nature of phenomena.
  3. Removing elements that cause suffering and restlessness.
  4. Burning away afflictions through the power of concentration, like light passing through a lens.

Next, mindfulness (Sati, Smṛti) is regarded as the heart of Buddhist meditation, expressed through mindfulness–concentration–insight in:

  • The Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path
  • The Three Trainings (ethics–concentration–insight), the Five Faculties, the Seven Factors of Awakening, the Four Foundations of Mindfulness…
    The concept of bhāvanā (cultivation, training the mind) is likened to plowing and sowing the seed of mindfulness, bringing forth the fruits of compassion and insight.

Finally, two key terms:

  • Stopping (samatha): calming the mind, pacifying it, focusing on a single object.
  • Looking deeply (vipassanā): looking deeply (insight) into the true nature of the object in order to give rise to understanding.
    The talk emphasizes mastering the Dharma door of mindful walking and the technique of “taking refuge” in the breath as a personal Dharma treasure, creating a foundation of peace and the ability to transmit it to others.
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Previous Talk November 24, 1994
1h 34m

Living Tradition of Zen Practice P G 2

Next Talk November 27, 1994
1h 57m

Living Tradition of Meditation Practice P G 3 - Four Establishments of Mindfulness - Four Meditations - Nine Levels of Concentration