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Mahāyāna Vipaśyanā Two: The Art of Stopping—Śamatha and the Clear Reflection of Reality
Thầy introduces two books of practice verses: Tỳ Ni Nhật Dụng Thiết Yếu (The Essential Vinaya for Daily Use) and his own work, Present Moment, Wonderful Moment. These collections of gāthās offer a beautiful way to maintain mindfulness throughout the day, whether washing our hands or boarding a plane. As Thầy reminds us, mindfulness is the very base of all precepts; if we are truly mindful, that is enough.
Sharing his own path, Thầy describes his monastic aspiration as a “falling in love” that began at age nine, when he was struck by an image of the Buddha’s calm presence on the cover of the magazine Đuốc Tuệ (The Torch of Wisdom). This “Dharma talk without words” planted a seed of desire that led him to resolve to become a monk by age eleven. Thầy also touches upon the human dimension of his journey, including falling in love with a young nun as a novice, showing how these stirrings of the heart were all part of his unfolding path.
Thầy emphasizes listening to the Dharma without thinking, allowing our Store Consciousness to receive teachings like soil absorbing rain. This openness facilitates the practice of śamatha (stopping and calming), which is inseparable from vipaśyanā (deep looking). Referring to the Sōtō tradition, Thầy clarifies that “just sitting” is not a mere physical posture, but a continuous samādhi maintained while walking, eating, and working.
When we harmonize our five skandhas—form, feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness—through mindful breathing, we experience the peace of the Buddha within us. In this state of stillness, reality reveals itself without effort, and we discover that nature itself is a Dharma talk unfolding all around us.
This is the second talk in a series of thirteen giving during the Looking Deeply in the Mahāyāna Tradition, twenty-one-day retreat in the year 1992. Thầy offered this talk at the Upper Hamlet, Plum Village, France.
These teachings later appear in the book Cultivating the Mind of Love.
Mahayāna Vipaśyanā Three: The Art of Sangha Building: Finding Refuge in the Family of Practice