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Pure Land in the Mud: Transforming Suffering into Love through Collective Mindfulness

Thich Nhat Hanh · March 21, 2010 · Italy · Audio Only

The Kingdom of God and the Pure Land of the Buddha are the same, and they must contain mud, for without mud, lotus flowers cannot grow. Similarly, without suffering, one cannot cultivate the flowers of understanding and compassion. Love is predicated on understanding; if one does not understand another’s suffering, they cannot love them. Consequently, the Pure Land is not a place devoid of suffering, but a place where one learns to understand and love. A good practitioner knows how to generate moments of peace and joy, but also how to handle the mud of sorrow, fear, and anger, using the energy of mindfulness to recognize and embrace these feelings rather than running away.

The Pure Land is a collective creation, a Sangha, which is a community that lives according to the living Dharma. This living Dharma is the energy of mindfulness generated through daily actions like breathing, walking, and eating. The Buddha is a human being, and humans and Buddhas are not separate entities. To sustain the practice and continue the Buddha in daily life, a local Sangha is essential. This support helps practitioners face the First Noble Truth, the existence of suffering, and the Second Noble Truth, understanding how suffering has come to be through specific nutriments. Understanding the nature of suffering unlocks the Fourth Noble Truth, the path of transformation and healing known as the Noble Eightfold Path:

Right View - Transcending dualistic thinking to see that happiness and suffering are not individual matters but that the happiness of both parties inter-are.
Right Thinking - Producing thoughts of compassion and non-discrimination.
Right Speech - Speaking without discrimination or hate.
Right Action - Acts that protect and save rather than harm.
Right Livelihood.
Right Mindfulness.
Right Concentration.

The path is concretely represented by the Five Mindfulness Trainings:

Protecting Life - Based on the insight of interbeing and non-dualism.
True Happiness - Realizing happiness comes from understanding and love, not wealth, power, fame, or sex.
True Love - Distinct from sexual desire, incorporating karuna (compassion), joy, and upekkha (inclusiveness).
Restoring Communication - Using deep listening and loving speech to remove wrong perceptions.
Right Consumption - Consuming only what brings peace and health, cutting off sources of anger and despair.

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250h 41m

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