Watch this talk

Login or create a free account to watch this talk and discover other teachings from Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh.

The title, description and transcript may contain inaccuracies.
Tech notes: missing end due to 120mins tape full, maybe there is a tape 2

"Patience and the Four Immeasurable Minds: Opening the Heart, Transforming Suffering"

Thich Nhat Hanh · September 19, 1997 · Camp Swig, United States
Feedback

The details of this talk focus on the six paramitas, specifically the paramita of patience (Santi paramita). Patience is not just about enduring but also about the ability to accept and embrace. Thich Nhat Hanh emphasizes that each person has their own capacity for endurance, like a glass filled with water. When we reach our limit of endurance, we suffer. He gives the example of the great heart of the Bodhisattva and the ability to contain suffering. He also emphasizes that an open heart helps to contain more without suffering. He tells the story of the Buddha and the ability to contain and transform suffering like earth, water, fire, and wind. He introduces the practice of the Four Immeasurable Minds, which include loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. He also discusses understanding and accepting the suffering of others, avoiding imposing our own desires on them. He tells the story of Mencius’s mother and how she understood and improved her son’s educational environment. He emphasizes the practice of mindfulness and the paramita of diligence to control habits and improve spiritual life. He tells the story of the Buddha meeting Mara and how to handle negative emotions with mindfulness. He concludes that understanding and accepting suffering helps to open the heart and achieve inner peace.

read more