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Dharma Talk in English
The mudra of peace is introduced as a seal made with the hand, specifically the thumb pressing on the ring finger. This gesture, combined with breathing in to calm and breathing out to smile, helps neutralize the energy of war and anger within. For the energy of peace to be strong, body, speech, and mind must be in oneness. This practice is applied to daily activities, such as eating and walking. During community meals, one touches the food deeply—recognizing it as an ambassador of the cosmos—rather than eating one’s worries, projects, or fear. Walking meditation is the practice of arrival in the here and the now, restoring human sovereignty and freedom. The verses used for walking are: “I have arrived, I am home,” “In the here, in the now,” “I feel solid, I feel free,” and “In the ultimate I dwell.”
The Four Noble Truths are explored through the lens of interbeing, confirming that the existence of ill-being also confirms the existence of well-being. The truths are identified as: ill-being (the effect), origination (the cause, or the ignoble Eightfold Path), cessation (the presence of well-being), and the path (the Noble Eightfold Path). Traditional teachings describe three kinds of suffering (Tam khổ):
- Dukkha-dukkhatā (Khổ khổ) - the suffering found in oppressive or disagreeable things.
- Vipariṇāma-dukkhatā (Hoại khổ) - the suffering of change, where pleasant things disintegrate.
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Saṃskāra-dukkhatā (Hành khổ) - the suffering of formations, where all phenomena are seen as suffering due to impermanence.
However, impermanence should also be viewed positively, as it allows for growth, healing, and life itself.
To fully understand Buddhist teachings, one must perceive two dimensions of reality: the historical dimension and the ultimate dimension. The historical dimension contains birth, death, and relative truths, likened to waves that rise and fall. The ultimate dimension is the reality of no birth and no death, likened to the water itself. While relative relief is found in the historical dimension, the greatest relief and non-fear are found by touching the ultimate. A sixteen-word gatha illustrates this transition: “All formations are impermanent; they are things that undergo birth and death. Once birth and death is removed, this kind of peace is really happiness.”