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Questions and Answers
October 9, 2011. 105-minute dharma talk with Thich Nhat Hanh from Blue Cliff Monastery in Pine Bush, NY. The sangha is on the North American Tour and this is the third dharma talk for the Stepping Into Freedom, Savoring Life Retreat. Today we have a session of questions and answers. Our practice is to ask a question that will benefit everyone. We begin with the children, then teens, and finally the adults.
Thich Nhat Hanh answers various questions, including: When you are very upset, how can you show it without hitting? Do you ever get frustrated with yourself? How do I not suffer when people are not being good to this world? How young were you when you became a monk and what types of commitments did you need to make? When I have positive and negative energy, what should I do with it? When I’m engaged in a conversation, I worry about other things. What does it mean to go home to yourself? Can we still have the consciousness of our loved ones after death? Can we communicate? A question about the Five Mindfulness Trainings and karma. Is it forgiven? When I get discouraged or frustrated, I sometimes compare myself to you and it keeps me away and I don’t feel connected to the sangha. A question about commitment and coming from a place of truth and an unclear understanding from when the commitment was originally made. A question about attachment, discrimination, and violence. As a person raised Christian and have felt Jesus, so how can I know absolute truth? Is this it?
Thich Nhat Hanh also addresses questions about practicing mindfulness under difficult circumstances, dealing with strong energies, and controlling anger. He provides insights on reconciling the disparity of being attached to someone and favoring their life over others, and how to relate to Buddhism as a Catholic. Additionally, he discusses how to deal with frustration and not allow it to dominate us, and how to be true to one’s deepest aspirations even if it might cause suffering to others.
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