Dharma Talks / Feed and Nourish our Happiness

Thich Nhat Hanh

We have enjoyed some time to rest and have not so many dharma talks in the recent weeks. The monastics at Plum Village are currently participating in the bi-annual 21-Day Retreat and those talks will not be made available immediately. In the meantime, we return to the talks given at Magnolia Grove Monastery in Batesville, Mississippi during the 2013 Nourishing Great Togetherness teaching tour that haven’t been made available until now. This is the second dharma talk for the 6-day retreat with the theme Healing Ourselves, Healing the World. The date is September 26, 2013.

Try the BetterListen Version of this entire retreat – click the image below



When I was a young monk, I believed he did not suffer but I know now that is not true. How can you not suffer when a dear friend dies? He was not a stone, he was a human being. But he suffered much less because of his wisdom and compassion. This is a very important thing to learn. The other question that had as a young monk is why did the Buddha keep practicing after his enlightenment. I know the answer today. Happiness is impermanent just like anything else. We have to feed and nourish our happiness.

What is the goodness of suffering? It can help us to understand and love. We have to learn how to make good use of suffering. Then we can suffer much less. First, we must learn how to not let the second arrow come hit us. When we have pain in our body or mind and we let it be magnified the we create more pain and suffering. The second thing to learn is how to go home and take care of our suffering. To embrace tenderly our pain.

Our consciousness has two layers – store and mind. In the store, we have many seeds; mental formations. For example, anger is a mental formation. Another mental formation is mindfulness, the energy of mindfulness, and this can be used to lessen the energy of anger. Mindfulness can embrace tenderly and anger will be transformed. We can then invite you the seed of compassion. Mindfulness of compassion.

The first five mental formations are called universal. They are contact, attention, feeling, perception, and volition. They are universal because they are there at any time and at any place. How do we interact and engage with these universal mental formations?

The focus of the exercises of mindful breathing are body and feelings in the first eight. then, starting with the ninth we turn to the mind. The mental formations are the objects of our mind. The tenth is about gladdening the mind. We can use Right Diligence to help the negative seeds to not manifest in our mind. This is the first aspect of the practice. And if it’s already manifested, this is the second aspect, we invite the negative seed to return to store. The third aspect is to let the good seeds rise. The fourth aspect is to try keeping the positive mental formation present as long as you can.

We turn now to Right View – a part of the noble eightfold path. Right view is insight and enlightenment. From Right View, we can have Right Thinking, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, and Right Diligence. Insight can come right away! Right View transcends being and non-being, no birth and no death. Interbeing can be very helpful.

— More from 2013 North American Tour

How to stop looking for other people’s approval?

Thay answers questions on 21 June 2014. Question 5 Help us caption & translate this video! http://amara.org/v/FzGe/ Topics: buddhism, mindfulness, thich nhat hanh, teenager, teens, inferiority, affirmation, approval, criticism, self-confidence, independent, belief, vietnam war

Thich Nhat Hanh

June 21, 2014

Nutriments for Healing

September 25, 2013. 130-minute dharma talk given by Thich Nhat Hanh from Magnolia Grove Monastery in Batesville, Mississippi during the 2013 Nourishing Great Togetherness teaching tour. This is the first dharma talk for the 6-day retreat with the theme Healing Ourselves, Healing the World. We begin with two chants...

Thich Nhat Hanh

September 25, 2013

The Way Out is In

August 12, 2013. 76-minute dharma talk given by Thich Nhat Hanh from Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario during the 2013 Nourishing Great Togetherness teaching tour. This is the first dharma talk for the 6-day retreat with the theme Happy Teachers will Change the World. Topics Listening to the...

Thich Nhat Hanh

August 12, 2013

How to Promote World Peace

From the Rising Tide Meditation Hall at a retreat at Magnolia Grove Monastery in Batesville, Mississippi during the 2013 Nourishing Great Togetherness teaching tour. This is a session of questions and responses from those at the 6-day retreat with the theme Healing Ourselves, Healing the World. The date is...

Thich Nhat Hanh

September 28, 2013
Screenshot 2021-07-02 at 17.50.12

How to deal with anger and despair as an activist?

Thay answers questions during a retreat at Deer Park Monastery (October, 2013). Question: High flying planes leave behind white streaks. Some researchers claim these are polluting. This scares me, because this is a threat to my health. It also makes me angry, because no one is doing anything about...

Thich Nhat Hanh

June 21, 2014

How to transform despair into compassion and peace?

Thay answers questions on 21 June 2014. Question 11 Help us caption & translate this video! http://amara.org/v/FzGq/ Topics: mindfulness, buddhism, thich nhat hanh, thay, 9/11, Middle East, war, peace, compassion, fear, anger, calm, deep listening, understand, suffering, loving speech, korea

Thich Nhat Hanh

June 21, 2014

Our Ultimate Concern

October 12, 2013. 100-minute dharma talk given by Thich Nhat Hanh from Deer Park Monastery in Escondido, California during the 2013 Nourishing Great Togetherness teaching tour. This is the first dharma talk for the 6-day retreat with the theme Finding Our True Home. We begin with two chants from...

Thich Nhat Hanh

October 12, 2013

True Love and the Four Noble Truths

October 14, 2013. 80-minute dharma talk given by Thich Nhat Hanh from Deer Park Monastery in Escondido, California during the 2013 Nourishing Great Togetherness teaching tour. This is the third dharma talk for the 6-day retreat with the theme Finding Our True Home. The Four Noble Truths. The first is...

Thich Nhat Hanh

October 14, 2013

Exploring the Joy of Practice

From the Rising Tide Meditation Hall at a retreat at Magnolia Grove Monastery in Batesville, Mississippi during the 2013 Nourishing Great Togetherness teaching tour. This is the third dharma talk for the 6-day retreat with the theme Healing Ourselves, Healing the World. The date is September 27, 2013. We begin...

Thich Nhat Hanh

September 27, 2013

The Noblest Aspiration is to Help People Suffer Less

October 13, 2013. 105-minute dharma talk given by Thich Nhat Hanh from Deer Park Monastery in Escondido, California during the 2013 Nourishing Great Togetherness teaching tour. This is the second dharma talk for the 6-day retreat with the theme Finding Our True Home. We begin with two chants from...

Thich Nhat Hanh

October 13, 2013

Will Thay Sing us a Song?

August 15, 2013. 102-minute dharma talk given by Thich Nhat Hanh from Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario during the 2013 Nourishing Great Togetherness teaching tour. This is the fourth dharma talk for the 6-day retreat with the theme Happy Teachers will Change the World. We begin with two...

Thich Nhat Hanh

August 15, 2013

How can I stop behaving as a victim? |

Thay answers questions on 21 June 2014. Question 12 Help us caption & translate this video! http://amara.org/v/FzGh/ Topics: mindfulness, buddhism, thich nhat hanh, thay, deer park, Jew, native American, victim, compassion, suffering, happiness, avoid, help

Thich Nhat Hanh

June 21, 2014

Introducing the Four Objects of Mindfulness

August 13, 2013. 91-minute dharma talk given by Thich Nhat Hanh from Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario during the 2013 Nourishing Great Togetherness teaching tour. This is the second dharma talk for the 6-day retreat with the theme Happy Teachers will Change the World. We begin with two...

Thich Nhat Hanh

August 13, 2013

True Love and the Three Doors of Liberation

August 16, 2013. 82 -minute dharma talk given by Thich Nhat Hanh from Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario during the 2013 Nourishing Great Togetherness teaching tour. This is the fifth dharma talk for the 6-day retreat with the theme Happy Teachers will Change the World. Topics Third Mindfulness...

Thich Nhat Hanh

August 16, 2013

Finding Our True Home Questions and Answers

October 15, 2013. 103-minute dharma talk given by Thich Nhat Hanh from Deer Park Monastery in Escondido, California during the 2013 Nourishing Great Togetherness teaching tour. The sangha is on the 6-day retreat with the theme Finding Our True Home. Today we offer a session of questions and answers. How...

Thich Nhat Hanh

October 15, 2013

The Tea Inside the Calligraphy

August 14, 2013. 118-minute dharma talk given by Thich Nhat Hanh from Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario during the 2013 Nourishing Great Togetherness teaching tour. This is the third dharma talk for the 6-day retreat with the theme Happy Teachers will Change the World. We begin with two...

Thich Nhat Hanh

August 14, 2013

How to stop being obsessed with video games?

Thay answers questions on 21 June 2014. Question 2 Help us caption & translate this video! http://amara.org/v/FzGo/ Topics: buddhism, thich nhat hanh, children, kids, computer, video games, obsession, addiction, mindful, consumption, run away, problems, parents, dharma body, kingdom of God, gospel

Thich Nhat Hanh

June 21, 2014

Opening Mindfulness Retreat for Educators

August 11, 2013. 55-minute dharma talk given by Thich Nhat Hanh from Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario during the 2013 Nourishing Great Togetherness teaching tour. This is the opening session of the 6-day retreat. In this short talk, the focus is on the Art of Suffering and how...

Thich Nhat Hanh

August 11, 2013

Can There be Peace without War?

October 16, 2013. 111-minute dharma talk given by Thich Nhat Hanh from Deer Park Monastery in Escondido, California during the 2013 Nourishing Great Togetherness teaching tour. This is the fourth and final dharma talk for the 6-day retreat with the theme Finding Our True Home. A lesson for the children...

Thich Nhat Hanh

October 16, 2013

Mindfulness in Our Everyday Lives

September 1, 2013. 118-minute dharma talk given by Thich Nhat Hanh from Blue Cliff Monastery in Pine Bush, New York during the 2013 Nourishing Great Togetherness teaching tour. This is a public Day of Mindfulness when approximately 1400 people came to Blue Cliff to learn about the practice. What...

Thich Nhat Hanh

September 1, 2013

/ Register

Hide Transcript

What is Mindfulness

Thich Nhat Hanh January 15, 2020

00:00 / 00:00
Show Hide Transcript Close