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The three most important questions

Thich Nhat Hanh · June 5, 1997 · Plum Village, France
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The story of a young king who was always restless in seeking happiness for his people is divided into three fundamental questions:

  1. What is the best time to act?
  2. Who is the most important person to work with?
  3. What is the most important work to do?
    After hearing many complicated pieces of advice, the king climbed a mountain to find a quiet hermit. The hermit silently helped him dig the earth, then saved an injured enemy, and it was in that very moment that the three answers became clear: the present moment, the person right in front of us, and the work we are doing.

From Tolstoy’s story, three principles of practice are concretized:

  1. When should we act? This very moment.
  2. With whom? The person who is with us right now.
  3. What is the most important thing to do? The work right before our eyes.
    Applied to daily life, happiness arises when we practice mindfulness in each breath, take care of our loved ones, and complete the most ordinary tasks—washing the dishes, sweeping the floor, listening to one another—with awareness to stay with the present moment, looking deeply and embracing with love.
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2h 1m

In Search of the World-Honored One

Next Talk June 8, 1997
1h 25m

The door of faith, the door of contemplation, the door of action – the way to pray to God and the Buddha