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Orientation: Living in Stillness to Enjoy Every Moment
This title has been reviewed for accuracy.
Thay discusses, in this orientation, the foundational practices of Plum Village: the practices of stopping and looking deeply in daily life, that can be applied when we breathe, when we walk, and when we eat. Thay highlights that we as humans have forgotten how to rest, because only through resting we can start to heal. We need to break the habit of busyness and realise that we do not need to struggle; we need simply to focus on the present moment - the here and the now - where life happens.
Thay offered instructions on mindfulness of walking and mindfulness of eating, highlighting how these practices can help us find joy and freedom, right now. We have a strong habit of looking for happiness in the future, but here Thay suggests that happiness can be found, and can only be found, in the present, where we have already many conditions for happiness - we just need to be consciously mindful of them to experience happiness right here and right now.
Thay also talked about the energy of the Sangha that supports and nourishes our practice. Practicing together as a Sangha is nourishing, healing, and it’s easier than doing it alone. Thanks to the foundational practices of stopping and looking deeply, we can discover our true essence and realise that we are not only a wave - we are the entire ocean. In this way we can release our fear and our suffering.
This is the first talk in a series of five given during the Pain, Love and Happiness retreat, in the year 1997. Thay offered this talk at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in the United States.