We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track. If this problem persists help us by reporting it so we can investigate it.
Watch this talk
Login or create a free account to watch this talk and discover other teachings from Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh.
Log in or create an account
Hungry Ghosts or Cultural Bridges? Vietnamese Youth Heal Through Mindful Consumption
Young Vietnamese growing up in the West embody a “double culture”—they profit from Western civilization’s strengths and Vietnamese heritage’s jewels, and can serve as bridges between East and West. Yet many become like “hungry ghosts,” cut off by loneliness, fear and poisoned by violence, craving and discrimination: seeds nurtured daily through what the Buddha calls sensorial nutriments. Thay urges young people (and their parents) to reclaim time together, to learn roots in Vietnamese history—from the first-century monk Tăng Hội to a thousand years of Buddhist kings—and to revive genuine communication within families and communities.
Central to the way out of today’s crisis is the mindful consumption taught in the Five Mindfulness Trainings. Key practices include:
- Edible food (đoạn thực): examine whether what you eat nourishes health, peace and well-being.
- Sensorial impressions (xúc thực): recognize that sights, sounds and conversations can be as toxic as junk food and demand the same mindfulness.
- Loving speech and compassionate listening: cultivate patience so that parents and children alike can truly hear and heal one another.
- Right livelihood in consumption (fifth training): learn to refuse what fuels violence, anger and despair, and protect body and mind from daily poisons.
By taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, and by practicing these trainings, young people and parents can transform suffering into understanding, reestablish joy in family life, and bring the best of both Eastern and Western cultures into harmony.
