Watch this talk

Login or create a free account to watch this talk and discover other teachings from Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh.

The title, description and transcript may contain inaccuracies.

Dwelling Happily in the Present Moment

Thich Nhat Hanh · November 14, 1999 · Plum Village, France · Audio Only
Feedback

• Practice at Plum Village revolves around three basic principles:

  1. Uninterrupted (miên mật): mindfulness is maintained without interruption in every activity—walking, standing, eating, washing dishes, going to the toilet… every moment is a moment of practice. Practice is “all day long,” not just when sitting in meditation.
  2. Present moment (hiện pháp): the entire practice is directed toward and for the present moment, bringing immediate results—“from the very first moment, one can feel peace and joy,” there is no need to wait ten years or even ten days.
  3. Dwelling happily in the present (lạc trú, sukha vihāra): meditation practice must nourish, heal, and bring joy right in the very act of practice; if sitting, walking, breathing, or washing dishes brings suffering, then it is not yet the correct Plum Village method.

• Patriarch Nhat Dinh (Tinh Thien Nhat Dinh)—the founding patriarch of Bao Quoc, Linh Huu, and Tu Hieu Temples—lived simply, letting go of all high positions to seek spiritual freedom, abiding in “the space where the moon is full and perfect.” His aspiration has been inherited by hundreds of sanghas across five continents, continuing the spirit of uninterrupted practice, present moment, and dwelling happily in daily life.

read more