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The 18th Mindfulness Training of Plum Village: Freedom Begins with Mindfulness

Thich Nhat Hanh · December 29, 2005 · Plum Village, France
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This talk focuses on the 18th lesson in the series “On the Wheel of Dharma” about free will. In philosophy, the question of whether free will exists remains controversial. People often feel trapped in a cycle of negative emotions such as depression, leading to the belief that everything is predetermined by habits and automatic reactions. For example, difficulties in marriage make many think that divorce is the only solution, but the problem persists if the way of reacting does not change. Thich Nhat Hanh emphasizes that living mindfully and with awareness helps break this negative cycle. He offers specific methods such as spending at least 3 minutes each day practicing mindfulness, paying attention to small actions like drinking tea or brushing teeth. This helps control negative emotions and achieve true freedom. He also notes that freedom does not come naturally; it requires effort to achieve through daily mindfulness practice.

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