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Dharma Talk for Nuns Seminar Opening
A bhikṣuṇī is equal to a bhikṣu, possessing the power to perform rituals and transmit precepts within a Sangha. Practicing as a monastic is an art where the materials are the five elements of the body:
- Form
- Feelings
- Perceptions
- Mental formations
-
Consciousness
By arranging these aggregates to bring harmony and peace within, one becomes a base for peace for all living beings. This practice is not about working hard but practicing joyfully as an artist, creating beauty through the substances of mindfulness, understanding, and love. When receiving the robe, a nun recites the gāthā: “How beautiful is the robe of a nun! It is the field of all merits. I am now bowing my head and receive it, and I vow that I will be able to wear this robe life after life.”
True happiness, or an lạc, is the absence of ill-being and the presence of peace and joy. Many mistake sensual pleasures for happiness, seeking objects to satisfy the cravings of the:
- Eye
- Ear
- Nose
- Tongue
-
Body
Indulging in these creates a state of fever, or nhiệt não, which covers up suffering rather than transforming it. True practice involves going back to embrace and transform ill-being, allowing happiness to spring forth from within like sweet water from the earth. This art of living is defined by three qualities: truth, goodness, and beauty.
The energy of a monastic is fueled by the sơ tâm, or beginner’s mind, which consists of bodhicitta—the mind of awakening and love. This desire to understand and alleviate suffering is protected by the precepts, which are concrete manifestations of mindfulness. Practicing the precepts is an act of love for oneself, ancestors, and future generations. To flourish, a nun requires the support of a Sangha environment, where collective practice makes the path natural and joyful.
