Watch this talk
Login or create a free account to watch this talk and discover other teachings from Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh.
The Silence of Life
Thầy illustrates the beauty, eloquence, and power of collective noble silence through an experience at a French retreat. He also recalls two moments in which, together with the surrounding trees and bushes, the sound of silence—the sound of no sound—was deeply experienced.He also recalls two moments in which, together with the surrounding trees and bushes, the sound of silence—the sound of no sound—was deeply experienced.
A series of provocative questions is offered for reflection. Concerning the eloquent emptiness of sound, Thầy asks, “What does it mean?” Reflecting on freedom, the question arises: “And free from what?” Of the sound of no sound, he asks, “What kind of sound is that?” Turning toward the wonders of life calling to us, Thầy asks, “Do you hear them? Do you hear the sound of the birds? Of the rain?” The inquiry then deepens: “You are there, but why are you there? Who are you? What do you want to do with your life? Have you had the time to answer that question? Where do you come from?”
The talk concludes with a poem by a Vietnamese poet that brings the teaching together:
“Spring has come. All the flowers are trying to open. How about your heart? Why don’t you let your heart open like the flower, and be happy right here and right now?”
This talk was offered during the Spring Retreat in the year 2014. Thay offered this talk at the New Hamlet, Plum Village, France.