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
The Living Tradition of Zen Practice - Primary Retribution - Secondary Retribution - Everything is Interrelated
Practicing walking meditation every day helps us to stop, return to our breath, and remind each other to walk with solidity and ease. Mindfulness is not confined to the meditation hall but radiates into every ordinary action: in the kitchen, the vegetable garden, the bathroom, the toilet… For example, when brushing your teeth, keep mindfulness alive; seeing your teeth clean, your mind is also clean, and happiness is present right at that moment. Awareness of impermanence—our teeth will one day fall out—helps every moment of mindfulness in daily activities to become rich in happiness and peace.
Our body and mind are the “main manifestation” (chánh báo), and our living environment is the “secondary manifestation” (y báo); the two cannot be separated and are both created by us. In the place of practice, the simple environment of Plum Village—the muddy earth paths, the fresh air, the walking meditation trails—offers enough comfort to meet our true needs, helping us avoid chasing after artificial desires. Architects and urban planners need to understand the true needs of human beings in order to create peaceful landscapes, avoiding excessive conveniences that obscure the value of simplicity.
The technique of practicing the three prostrations daily brings deep transformative energy and nourishment:
- The first prostration is to dissolve conflicts with loved ones, to accept circumstances and ourselves in the past, present, and future.
- The second prostration is to integrate with those who are solid in the sangha and to embrace all beings who are suffering, nurturing the mind of loving-kindness.
- The third prostration is to let go of the notion of a separate self, to realize that this body is the crystallization of the life of our ancestors, parents, children, and grandchildren, transcending the limitations of space and time.
