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The Practice of Meditation, Part 1
Zen Master Trừng Quang, Dharma name Thich Nhat Hanh, ordained at the age of 16 at Tu Hieu Root Temple, now 80 years old in life, 60 years in the Dharma, has been invited to lecture at many universities in the United States, the Netherlands, and France. His works include more than 100 books translated into many languages, among them Old Path White Clouds, The Miracle of Mindfulness, The Heart of the Buddha… which are bestsellers around the world. In 1967, the Zen Master was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Reverend Martin Luther King; in 2000, he was invited by President Bill Clinton to give a lecture at the White House, and in 2003, he spoke at the United States Congress. He has founded many practice centers and monasteries such as Phuong Boi Hermitage (1956), Phap Van (1964), Phuong Khe (1979), Maple Forest (1997), and Deer Park (2000), sowing the seeds of mindfulness across five continents.
In the Dharma talk, the Zen Master reminded us to practice Namo Avalokiteshvaraya—chanting with the heart so that the energy of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara permeates body and mind—and to pay attention to the breath every time we hear the sound of the bell: breathing in, aware of the presence of life; breathing out, smiling to that life. When witnessing a tragic accident, he sends energy to comfort the victims through the practice of invoking Avalokiteshvara. He pointed out that living slowly, cherishing each pure 24 hours of the day, is meditation, through the gatha:
“Waking up, I smile, twenty-four brand new hours are before me.
I vow to live fully in each moment and to look at all beings with eyes of compassion.”
Eyes of compassion originate from the Universal Door chapter of the Lotus Sutra: to understand and look at life with the eyes of loving-kindness in order to bring peace and happiness to oneself and others.