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"Mindfulness and the Power of Love: Guidance from Thich Nhat Hanh"
On November 2nd in Esbly, France, more than 1,200 people who were new to the Dharma door attended a one-day retreat which included
- the theme of loving – the heart of life – along with the practice of mindfulness and the Four Mantras
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prostration meditation guided by Sister Chan Khong for about 600 people, divided into two sessions, with many people weeping as they prostrated
The following Day of Mindfulness had about 350 participants, beginning with guided meditation by Sister Dinh Nghiem, followed by a Dharma talk on methods of transforming anger and the four kinds of nutriments that nourish body and mind; in the afternoon, prostration meditation and deep relaxation continued. Altogether, up to 900 people practiced prostration meditation out of the 1,000–1,200 attendees, and many wrote letters expressing their wish to come to Plum Village, noting the need for more French-speaking teachers to welcome the increasing number of practitioners.
Last week, we spoke about the Five Powers, in which faith is the first energy—not an abstract idea, but a living reality. When there is faith, joy arises, solidity, a sense of protection, and meaning in life; faith must be nourished every day. Perception is only knowledge—so tri—which can become so tri chuong (knowledge as an obstacle) if we think we already know. There are two kinds of people:
- those who see knowledge as a means to deepen their understanding of reality
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those who consider knowledge as absolute truth, unable to let go and move forward
When we do not let go, we are stuck at the third stage and cannot move to the fourth; letting go, or release, is the scientific method of the Buddha’s path to break through the mass of ignorance and directly touch reality, instead of clinging to images or notions created by the mind.