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
Tuesday Morning Dharma Talk
Siddhartha’s first meditative experience occurs as a young child watching a farmer plow the fields. Seeing the suffering of the sweating farmer, the toiling buffalo, and the earthworms being eaten by birds, he is moved by compassion and sits under a rose apple tree, realizing that chanting cannot help the worms. Later, rejecting a political path filled with anger, hatred, and ambition, he leaves home to become a monk and transform his own delusions. We are invited to view ourselves as a leaf on a tree; though the umbilical cord is cut at birth, invisible stems link us to the Earth, the sun, and our ancestors. Just as a leaf is composed of non-leaf elements like sunshine and clouds, the self is made of non-self elements.
The mind functions through seeds, or bījas, stored in the lower level of consciousness known as ālayavijñāna (store consciousness). These seeds, whether wholesome or unwholesome, are transmitted by ancestors or planted during one’s lifetime. When conditions are favorable, a seed manifests in the upper level of consciousness, manovijñāna (mind consciousness). Allowing a seed of anger to manifest strengthens it, whereas inviting seeds of joy and smiling to manifest nourishes well-being. Meditation involves asking “what is not wrong?” and touching refreshing elements—like a non-toothache or a beautiful tree—allowing the ālayavijñāna to act like antibodies that naturally transform suffering. When internal seeds are too weak to handle pain, one must take refuge in a friend or the Sangha to reestablish balance.
Peace is not merely the absence of war but the capacity to enjoy the present moment, such as the blue sky or fresh air. Walking meditation is practiced not to arrive, but to be alive in every step, transforming the base of consciousness. With each step, a fresh breeze is created and a lotus flower blooms. Whether walking or eating an orange, mindfulness makes the object and the practitioner real. We get in touch with life through the four domains of meditation:
- Contemplation of the body in the body.
- Contemplation of the feelings in the feelings.
- Contemplation of the mind (mental formations).
- Contemplation of objects of mind (the world).
