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The Purpose of a Monastic

Thich Nhat Hanh · February 19, 2002 · Plum Village, France · Monastic talk

To love your elder brother or younger brother in the Dharma is not only a natural feeling, but must also be based on the foundation of understanding and freedom so that both can progress together on the path of realizing the Way. When the image of your elder brother lingers in your mind and affects your practice, it is necessary to clearly recognize the needs in your body and mind, to distinguish which needs are legitimate and which are unnecessary, and then to let go of attachments in order to keep the mind spacious and at ease. Eating is an illustrative example: eating mindfully with all five senses, just enough, not letting greed for food dominate, will help the body feel light and the mind peaceful; on the contrary, snacking when not hungry is a habit energy, creating a cycle that is difficult to let go of.

Practicing mindfulness and relying on the Sangha for support is the essential path to transform old habit energies, to nourish wholesome habit energies and the bodhi mind—the great aspiration toward liberation and great compassion. A monastic needs to:

Record and reflect on unnecessary needs
Recognize and let go of habit energies through mindfulness
Rely on the Sangha, like an Avalokiteshvara of the Southern Sea, to prevent and transform attachments
Nourish the bodhi mind each day through precepts, mindfulness trainings, and practical Dharma doors

The ultimate goal is not to build temples or gain fame, but to attain great freedom (nirvana) inseparable from great love. When the bodhi mind is strong, precepts and mindfulness trainings become natural, love is non-discriminatory and non-possessive, helping the Sangha to be harmonious and to be a true refuge for everyone on the path of liberation.

Previous Talk February 18, 2002

1h 24m

Be a Lamp Unto Yourself

Next Talk February 20, 2002

1h 52m