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How is Your Buddha? Cultivating Inner Peace and Mindfulness in Daily Life
This title has been reviewed for accuracy.
Thầy introduces a new form of greeting practice by asking, “How is your Buddha?” This practice acknowledges the Buddha within everyone—not as a figure of speech or an abstract concept, but as the literal presence of the seeds of joy, mindfulness, and understanding. By practicing mindful breathing while sitting, walking, or even cooking dinner, we can identify and nurture these positive seeds.
The talk recounts Thầy’s childhood aspiration to embody these serene qualities, sparked by a magazine image of the Buddha. He shares his journey seeking a hermit while on a school trip to Na Sơn mountain; though he did not see a person, he encountered the hermit in the form of a natural well whose refreshing waters symbolized inner peace.
The session highlights verses from metta meditation, the importance of respecting freedom, and fostering compassionate communication. Ultimately, Thầy emphasizes that cultivating stability, humility, and non-fear through the support of the Sangha enhances both personal and communal well-being.
This is the eleventh of twenty-one talks given during the Summer Opening retreat, in 1995. Thầy offered this talk at the Upper Hamlet, Plum Village, France.