This Dharma Talk was recorded on the 10th of December 2023 in Upper Hamlet, Plum Village (France). It is the sixth talk of the Rains’ Retreat 2023 Sunday Talk series.
0:34: 🌱 Brother Phap Ung shares about the interconnectedness of ethics, mindfulness, and compassion in the context of human existence and suffering.
• 0:34: Exploration of the link between normative ethics, metaethics, and applied ethics.
• 5:22: Cultivation of compassion, gratitude, and mutual support through the awareness of mutual nourishment.
• 9:23: Understanding the connection between right action, suffering, and happiness.
• 11:15: The analogy of the lotus growing in the mud, symbolizing growth and beauty from understanding and love of suffering.
• 12:22: The use of a hammer and nail analogy to illustrate the process of transforming and healing suffering without discrimination.
12:43: 🤝 Brother Phap Ung shares about the concept of meta-ethics and the interconnectedness of right and wrong, happiness and suffering.
• 12:43: The importance of understanding and applying meta-ethics in our actions and interactions with others.
• 16:45: The idea of returning home to our roots and recognizing the conditions and influences on our actions.
• 18:51: The story of seeking forgiveness and beginning anew in a community setting.
• 21:25: The concept of transcending the notion of right and wrong, happiness and suffering.
• 22:52: The practice of including suffering and wrongdoing in our compassion and understanding.
• 23:35: The importance of knowing what is appropriate and suitable based on the state of our body and mind.
• 24:12: Personal example of applying meta-ethics in making dietary choices for health reasons.
24:38: 🌍 Brother Phap Ung shares about the importance of compassion, understanding, and interdependence in achieving peace and addressing conflicts.
• 29:03: Peace is not a destination, but a way of understanding and approaching situations.
• 32:02: The root of war and conflict lies within the fear of non-being and the desire for survival based on a separate self.
• 37:34: Recognizing interdependence and cultivating inner peace is a pathway to addressing conflicts.
• 41:01: Practicing gratitude, compassion, and serving others are ways to take care of internal and external conflicts.
41:24: 🕊️ Brother Phap Ung shares about the importance of peace, forgiveness, and interdependence in overcoming internal and external conflicts.
• 41:57: Cultivating peace and non-fear is healing and nourishing.
• 42:59: Reflecting on the concept of winning and losing in the context of life and growth.
• 50:22: Exploring the cycle of war and the transmission of suffering through generations.
• 54:11: Highlighting the impact of childhood conditioning on perpetuating conflicts.
1:07:20 🎶 Our brothers and sisters offer the song “We Are One”, about cultivating the awareness of interbeing through music, meditating on suffering and happiness.
1:11:45: 🌍 The Song Ends: Brother Phap Ung continues his talk, sharing about the importance of living in harmony with the Earth and embracing a sense of community and inclusiveness.
• 1:19:43: Exploring the triple dimension: historical, ultimate, and action
• 1:22:18: Finding peace and meaning in the ultimate dimension
• 1:23:40: Understanding the no birth-no death nature of existence
1:25:31: 🌻 Promoting resilience, compassion, and support in the face of adversity.
• 1:25:31: Cultivating compassion and understanding through suffering
• 1:26:04: Emphasizing the ability to rebuild and manifest resilience
• 1:27:06: Encouraging support for life and renewal
1:28:09: 🎶 Inviting our venerable sister Chan Khong to sing a beautiful song in Vietnamese about finding solidity and compassion with the practice of interconnectedness
Ethics, Mindfulness and the Four Noble Truths
What are the roots of our personal sufferings and the pains of the world? We bring our mind home to re-examine our sufferings, to find a path. How to act. What we ought to do. What we ought to be. Join us in reflecting and applying Thay’s 2008-09 teachings...
