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Renewing Buddhism
The talk begins with a story from when Thay was an eleven-year-old boy. On a school trip to a mountain, he had a profound spiritual experience when he discovered a beautiful well. After drinking its fresh, delicious water, he felt completely satisfied and believed the hermit he was seeking had transformed into the well for him to meet. This experience nourished his intention to become a monk. As a young monk, he saw that the teachings were not suitable for young people and made a vow to renew Buddhism to make it relevant to his time.
This renewal became Engaged Buddhism, a practice not just for temples but for daily life: at home, in the office, and in the working place. It is practicing walking meditation to the parking lot, driving mindfully, and brushing your teeth with relaxation and peace. When eating with family, it is recognizing their presence. When anger arises with a partner, it is knowing what to do to calm the anger and suffer less. This applied Buddhism is contrasted with theoretical Buddhist studies that do not help with difficulties like anger, fear, hate, and despair.
During the war in Vietnam, a peace movement was started, calling for both sides to stop fighting. This led to forty years of exile, during which time over one thousand sanghas were built in Europe and America. The talk describes returning to Vietnam and organizing retreats across Asia, leading to plans to build a practice center in Thailand. This center, a continuation of the work of the teacher Buddhadasa, will serve people in Asia and train Dharma teachers. A strong, practicing Sangha is necessary to create the collective energy of mindfulness and compassion for transformation and healing.