And don't say that the teaching of the Buddha is vague, is not concrete. It's very concrete. The basic practice is to have the energy of mindfulness in order for you to recognize the nature of impermanence and of non-self in every minute, in every hour of your daily life. And that is the only way to cultivate your insight, your wisdom.

And that insight, that wisdom is the liberating factor that helps you to stop suffering. Because in Buddhism, liberation is obtained thanks to insight, and not through grace. If we think of grace as insight, it's okay. Insight always brings liberation and compassion.

And how to get the insight is to learn to look with the eyes of impermanence and of non-self. Then you will surmount a lot of suffering. You will be free from your suffering. These are two Dharma doors. They are two instruments with which you can cultivate your insight, your wisdom. [Thay writes on the board: impermanence + no-self.]

That insight is like the sword of Samantabhadra, of Mañjuśrī, that can cut, destroy all kinds of afflictions. Then those who speak a lot about impermanence, and they are caught in the notion of impermanence, and their life does not reveal the insight of impermanence at all. Then those who speak about no-self a lot, but their life does not reveal the insight of no-self.

And therefore the practice is not to talk about it, to entertain the idea of impermanence and non-self, but to live your moments of your daily life in such a way that you can touch the nature of impermanence and of non-self in each moment. And if you can do so, you will touch the nature of no birth and no death. The nature of nirvana. [Thay writes on the board: nirvana.]

That underlies everything that is impermanent, that is no-self. It is by touching impermanence and no-self that you can touch nirvana. Nirvana is our true nature of no birth, no death, no coming, no going. And that is the ultimate aim of the meditator. The meditator, by touching nirvana, liberates himself from fear, from everything. Nirvana, first of all, means the absence of notion. [Thay writes on the board: absence of notion.] ...including the notion of permanence and of self. [Thay writes on the board: permanence self.] But if you are attached to the notion of impermanence and of no-self, you have not touched nirvana.

The notion of impermanence is given to you, is offered to you so that you have an instrument to remove the notion of permanence. It is not for you to replace a notion with another notion, because the notion of impermanence does not have the power to liberate.

Like the yeast that is given to you in order for you to make the flour rise, in order to make the cake. So the notion of impermanence is given to you so that you can get the insight on impermanence, right? And when the insight of impermanence is born, it removes the notion of impermanence.

That is why nirvana means the absence of notions like permanence and self, but it is also the absence of notions like impermanence and of non-self. [Thay writes on the board: permanence/impermon self/no-self.] No-self is also a notion. And as notions, they cannot liberate you. What can liberate you is the insight of impermanence, the insight of no-self.