Protecting and Serving Without Stress or Fear

Thay begins this talk with a practice of healing the child in our parents and discusses how we can create healing across generations. He points out that cultivating positive seeds should be the practice of all of us. Also, we must be aware of the root causes of suffering before we can truly be effective in easing suffering, in diminishing the anger and violence in ourselves and others. Violence can never suppress violence. Only spiritual practice addresses the roots of violence, and mindfulness of consumption and transformation can solve the problem of violence. With loving mindfulness, we care for and transform our anger. We must feed our love with appropriate food and not feed our negative emotions. Corrections officers must first heal themselves to help heal inmates. Thay ends by talking about mindful consumption—not only of food but of ideas, media, and conversations.

This is the third talk in a series of four given during the Protecting and Serving Without Stress or Fear retreat in the year 2003. Thay offered this talk at Green Lake, Wisconsin in the United States.