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Kim Son Retreat - The Monastery Where the Teacher Dwells
Today’s gathering includes tea meditation, group sharing, and representatives from each group presenting the four main Dharma talks of Thay to strengthen our connection. The retreat brings together many teachers from Oregon, Houston, and Vietnam, all sharing the aspiration to unite the various schools in order to serve all of humanity, transcending all boundaries. The Buddha was born for the world, so our task is to be deeply concerned for the suffering of all beings, not just for Vietnamese Buddhism alone.
Whether monastic or lay, our practice and study need to be stable, relying on the sangha and the teacher as our refuge. This responsibility is built upon:
- detailed guidance from the teacher, paying attention to every aspect of daily life;
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four factors that easily create difficulties for newcomers:
- differences in culture and language,
- leaving home empty-handed,
- lacking a foundation in practice,
- not having spiritual friends;
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four causes of disharmony:
- absence of guidance,
- guidance without regular review,
- lack of mutual support,
- weak individual awareness.
Practicing mindfulness with each breath—“breathing in, I calm my mind; breathing out, I smile”—is the foundation that helps reduce sorrow and anger, connects brothers and sisters, and maintains the teacher’s teachings even when the teacher is not present. When the sangha is strong, with supportive conditions (y báo) and a great affinity with society (chánh báo), our practice becomes swift and joyful. The walking meditation concludes with the chanting of the Heart Sutra—Gate Gate Pāragate Pārasaṃgate Bodhi Svāhā—a call to cross together to the shore of awakening.