Thich Nhat Hanh Dharma Talks

Thank you Thay for this new year's beginning meditation...and for your beautiful writings.

Cher Sangha,
Merci pour ce cadeau!
Merci d'amener tant de compassion et d'amour dans notre pratique. Merci d'être toujours là pour nous tous
Tous mes voeux pour cette nouvelle année.
I love you

Hello. I really enjoyed this talk which defined many key points worth rememmbering for 2010. Thank you! In the talk, Thay mentioned a sheet that was passed out to the audience of the talk and it seemed like that could be very helpful. Is it available for download anyplace? Peace

Dear Thay, Dear Sangha,
Thank you so much for making these dharma talks available to the wider sangha. What a wonderful gift! I will share these practices for the new year with my baby sangha in Maine tonight.
I am deeply happy to learn that some of the young Vietnamese monastics are practicing now in Thailand.
May the fruits of our practice be of benefit to all beings,
Marty Soule
True Land of Light
Chan Quong Do

I believe this pod cast will be very useful in my daily practice. thank you.

Thank you so much!

Thank you for making this dharma talk availaable.

Dear Thay, Dear Sangha: The mindful practice of placing our attention on what is truly present with the energy of maitri, karuna, mudita and upeksha is the healing of our worls and our species. We bow in gratitude for each other, for our teacher and for the chance to practice.

Dear Thay, with deep gratitude and wide smile for the incredibly good fortune of the Dharma and you as our teacher, timeless signless metta-maitri-maitreya.

Thank you, Thay! It's one of my GREATEST BLESSINGS that I could listen to Thay's Dharma Talk on the New Year day in Hong Kong to practise the first day of Love Meditation! You inspired and encouraged me a lot in your talk! Thank you!

I had been waiting for the audio recording for 1 whole day and am now so happy to have received it eventually.

Besides, as our monastic and lay sangha members are also in Plum Village, France, in the EIAB, Germany and in Thai Plum Village Practice Center during this New Year holiday, I feel extra-connected with Thay and our 4-fold Sangha through this Dharma Talk and the practice!

May all beings including YOU learn how to nourish ourselves with joy each day!

With boundless loving-kindness to you,
Gabriel
from Hong Kong

In Christ we are all one. The key is "in Christ". This perspective is not intended to diminish the beauty and practical application of meditation and the practice of mindfulness. In fact God Himself commands us to be still and know that He is God. When we are still, we can focus on our breathing and contemplate that first breath that God used to breath life into the first human being. We share that same breath. God's breath is our breath. As such we are all connected. That which may seem highly personal to one is often times most universal to all. So if you feel you do not know anyone or are not connected in any way, contemplate the suffering of another technically unknown to you and consider that but for the grace of God, that person and their plight could be yours. We are to share our burdens. When we cultivate the seeds of understanding and love within our hearts and minds, humility should natrually arise. We create nothing in and of ourselves. If we are in good fotrune, we should give thanks and practice generosity in that moment. When we face difficulty, trial and challenge, we should seek to find that which we can learn through that process and realize that we are not alone as, when we are in Christ, we carry the breath of God in us and we share that breath with every other human being on earth. We are no better and no worse than any other person as we are all equal in the eyes of our Lord. May the peace of the Lord be with you throughout this New Year and your life. Be of good cheer as He has promised to never leave you nor forsake you. So, if you find yourself facing a challenge of any kind; fear, anxiety, lonliness, lack, a sense of emptiness, anger, sorrow, please know that I am praying for you right now. As you read this, pray to God and let Him know your concerns and circumstances. Please pray for me too as I am filled with gratititude for your prayers. You are loved. You are special. You are a child of God and your life has meaning and purpose no matter how nominal you perceive your existance to be. Every life matters. Know that you are loved. Peace, joy and the knowledge of God's love be with you now and always.

Hi Joseph,

Beautiful reflection. You remind me of the fact that when John Main (the founder of Centering Prayer) went to study at a Buddhist monastery in Indonesia during World War II, he was told by the head monk that he was a Christian (even though Main did not believe himself to be Christian the the time), and because he was Christian, he would have to study Buddhism as a Christian. He did so, and later brought Buddhist meditation to his Benedictine Abbey in Montreal. Why should it not be politically correct to connect Christian belief and Buddhism, yet politically correct for others to exclude the beliefs of Christians? Thich Nhat Hanh himself connected the two in his book "Jesus and the Buddha as Brothers".

Have you considered that the person you are addressing might be of another religion or agnostic or atheist, and that your reference to Christ might not resonate for them at all. That said, Thich Nhat Hahn's practice has nothing to do with believing in a higher being and everything to do with recognizing and embracing your humanity and the humanity of those around you. Spirituality resides within, it does not require giving over to anyone or anything but yourself.

Sounds like you haven't read much of Hanh's writings.

My sense is that you haven't absorbed Thầy's teachings or you would not have sent this kind of reply in defense of your views. I have studied and practiced Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh's teachings for many years. I have traveled with him throughout Vietnam and have been in residence in Plum Village as a member of his Order of Interbeing. I stand by my original comment.

Blessings in this new year

a sweet year for all of you

what a joice to receive
the song of bells
the voice of bells

happy new year to every one
inès

loving kindness to all!!!!

we are all in community when we meditate: peaceful year

Happy New Year in peace to Plum Village.

I breathe with you

:)

Amy: If you find it difficult to practice Metta on someone you know, perhaps it would be easier to practice with someone you don't know at first. Thay perhaps?

Listening and Meditating with Thay ...What a great way to start the New Year and New Decade ...http://tnhaudio.org/2010/01/01/practices-for-the-new-year/

If only this were required listening for ALL...

What if I'm not close to anyone? There is no "other person" in my life. It sometimes seems like this practice is for people who have no problems.

I wonder if the responses given to you helped? It seems that your question comes from the depth of your aching heart and I wonder whether cyberspace is equipped to deal with one's heart?

Dear Amy, the whole purpose is to open our heart, to let love , understanding to pervade in every cell of our body, with equanimity,i.e unconditional, without discrimination. Consequently , if initially one feel "there's no other person" in one's life , one can always cultivate to increase loving kindness by including "a neutral person" such as the postman, in our meditation. Slowly one would find ample of space in one's heart to accomodate many people without discrimination. Happy Metta meditation .

I may not be right but I interpret someone you are close to or someone you love not necessarily as a partner, husband, etc, but rather as someone you feel love for, someone you are close to as opposed to someone you do not like. I hope this helps you.

Send Love to the one that is waiting for you. By practicing mindfulness and being mindful of the blessings in our life, we attract all of the things that make us happy! Blessings to you!

I can guess there are no people alive that have no problems. The practice is good for anyone who wants to find peace and joy. It's a way to become the person you choose to be. I don't think it's particularly easy all the time for anyone. It's particular a challenge in the every day modern world. I think that's why Thay stresses the need for a sangha that actually practices. When I do the practice it always helps me. Sometimes more than others.

YOU are my guiding light