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The Statue of Responsibility: True Success, Collective Awakening, and Healing the Past
Thầy introduces a five-line gāthā to help cultivate ease and stability and to touch the wonders of the present moment.
Addressing questions from the audience, Thầy first responds to how one can practice mindfulness amidst a busy and demanding life, emphasizing that mindfulness does not have to be slow and that it is also important to recognize the opportunities within the day to replenish oneself through practice.
He notes that because our ancestors and historical wounds live actively inside our physical cells, grounding ourselves in the present moment allows us to directly access and heal the past.
Thầy recounts real stories of people who were rich in money and power but who had perhaps become a victim of their “success,” illustrating the importance of taking care of those one loves in the present moment, before it is too late.
Thầy offers many ways that we can practice mindfulness in our daily life, such as when brushing teeth, driving, or waiting at the airport, as well as collectively and in a non-sectarian way.
He reminds political leaders that their real enemy is not man, but the sickness of violence, fear, and misunderstanding. Stating that “liberty without responsibility is not true liberty,” Thầy proposes building a Statue of Responsibility on the West Coast to balance the Statue of Liberty, inviting the congressmen and congresswomen present to reflect on legislative ways that citizens might be protected from the toxic effects of unmindful consumption.
The talk concludes with raw examples of the healing and transformation that has taken place on retreats for war veterans—including a specific account of a veteran redeeming historical guilt by protecting children in the present—and a concrete proposal for collective reconciliation retreats to be organized in Washington and Hanoi.
This is the last talk in a series of three given during the Leading With Courage & Compassion retreat in the year 2003. Thầy offered this talk at The William F. Bolger Center, Potomac, Maryland, United States.
Part of the following collections
Mindful Consumption: True Freedom Comes With Responsibility