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Dharma Talk April 96

Thich Nhat Hanh · April 21, 1996 · Plum Village, France

We will organize a tea meditation session together between Upper Hamlet and Lower Hamlet to share experiences about the method of beginning anew and to restore this practice in Lower Hamlet. The proposal for practice, even though it does not yet have translations in English, French, or German, will soon be completed and we will give rise to our aspiration to practice it. In the sangha, when there is misunderstanding or conflict, the two people involved must:

within three days, and no more than seven days, come together to reconcile
if reconciliation is not successful, ask an elder brother or sister in the sangha to help resolve the issue together

Anyone who breaks this commitment will be violating the precepts set forth by the sangha itself.

The practice of mindfulness and deep listening is the foundation for transforming all difficulties in the family or the sangha. Harmony and happiness do not come by themselves; they are the result of diligent practice in the past. If conflict is prolonged beyond seven days, or even two or three weeks, it will clearly diminish the collective happiness. Each person has the responsibility to maintain harmony, not allowing personal difficulties to harm the whole community.

Mindfulness brings us back to the Pure Land right in the midst of this world; when the mind is pure, our steps in the Pure Land can be seventy percent compared to thirty percent in the world of suffering. Each breath, each step, even urinating or cleaning the toilet, can become a gateway to peace if our practice is deep enough. True understanding and love—the fruits of practice—are the real qualities of life, transcending all material conditions.

Previous Talk April 14, 1996

1h 4m

Understanding

Next Talk April 25, 1996

1h 35m