We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track. If this problem persists help us by reporting it so we can investigate it.
Watch this talk
Login or create a free account to watch this talk and discover other teachings from Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh.
Log in or create an account
Second Dharma Talk, Nottingham Retreat
Today the most precious gift we can offer our beloved is our presence—that which is fresh, solid, and loving. By following the in-breath and out-breath or taking a mindful step, we unite body and mind and truly say to the other: “Darling, I am here for you.” This practice, called a mantra, need only be uttered in English (or any language) with full mindfulness and concentration to become a magic formula that brings joy and relief immediately—“quicker than instant coffee or instant noodle.”
Thay introduces three mantras to practice:
- “Darling, I am here for you.”
- “Darling, I know you are there, and that makes me very happy.”
- “Darling, I know you suffer. That is why I am here for you.”
He then explains the island within—a refuge built of mindfulness, concentration, and insight—where we return by breathing or walking mindfully. Our person comprises the five skandhas (aggregates): form, feelings, perceptions, mental formations (51 in total), and consciousness (store consciousness containing wholesome and unwholesome seeds). Through selective watering we nurture good seeds like compassion and forgiveness, refrain from watering seeds like jealousy or anger, and transform suffering (the “mud”) into understanding and compassion (the “lotus”).
