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 Path Of Mindful Living
The best time to start the practice is now, and the best place is here, regardless of confusion, fear, or pain. The path is one of freedom, reclaiming ourselves from habit energy and afflictions. To succeed, three conditions are necessary:
- The Buddha: the one who shows the way.
- The Dharma: the way itself.
-
The Sangha: the persons who support us along the path.
The living Dharma is visible in the way practitioners walk, sit, and respond to difficult situations with compassion. Joining a Sangha means surrendering individual career and happiness to become part of a collective river. Like a football team, members share success and failure, working together to win understanding and overcome suffering.
This practice is fueled by the five powers:
- Faith: trust born from direct experience of the Dharma’s effectiveness.
- Diligence: the energy to practice consistently.
- Mindfulness: the power to be present and in control of one’s destiny.
- Concentration: the focus that arises from mindfulness.
-
Insight: the understanding that liberates us from fear and confusion.
To step into freedom, one makes the determination not to allow four things to lead one’s life: fame, profit, sex, and power.
Mind consciousness is the stage where automatic thoughts, emotions, and images manifest. Without mindfulness, negative seeds like phobias and depression can take hold. Mindfulness acts as a light; when it shines on an emotion or thought, that energy is transformed, as the observer always modifies the object of observation. Negative thinking, feeling, and behaving contribute to depression, but by watering wholesome seeds and using the collective eyes of the Sangha to recognize negative behaviors, we can restore our sovereignty. This mindfulness therapy allows us to transform suffering into compost for the growth of understanding and peace.