A few words from Thich Nhat Hanh - Day 1

I was reading through my travel notebooks that I still carry with me throughout my trip and I remember my time in France at Plum Village (www.plumvillage.org). It was a revolutionary time for me and one that I hope I can bring back with me to the states. My notes are fairly verbatim since he speaks so slowly so I thought I would share them but keep in mind these are translated. Most are complete sentences but there are a few sentences somewhat incomplete but I think you'll get the jist in its own context. It's a serious of ?? - maybe 4 or 5 days. This is day one, July 10th, 2005.

Embassador of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam along with his first and third secretary. Now Thai's (Thich Nhat Hanh) books can be published in Viet Nam. Trying to work to bring Thai back to Viet Nam (he was exiled). 'They have done sitting eating and walking meditation and are still here today', he said with a smile and much laughter!

Happiness - slight difference between joy and happiness. If you are someone undertaken to travel through a desert, it may happen that you run out of water and you are suffereing from that thirst. That may last 1-2 days. Suddenly you see an oasis and believe to have water. So there's joy. The happiness is when you actually drink the water. There's more excitement with joy. For happiness, you have to drink the water.

In teaching of the Buddha we have to know the difference. What is happiness?

It's hard to realize happiness when you have it but when you loose it you then know you had happiness. It's strange.

We have needs like food, job, salary, housing, friends. Are you sure you are happy when you have these things? Good health also. But even with good health they are not happy. They think there's something wrong so they go to the doctor and the doctor says nothing's wrong. But the person still suffers. Health can not only be measured with instruments. So where is the happiness?

In the practice of Buddhism happiness is always there. We may think we aren't happy but we have everything we need.

Mindfulness is the source of happiness. Mindfulness is an energy that we can generate ourselves. If you are drinking tea and aware of it then there is mindfulness in that act. I am aware of walking and I am mindful. The energy of being mindful of what we are doing and what's around us. I am aware of touching the surface of this planet with my feet. I am deeply in touch with Planet Earth.

If you are caught in pressure, stress, fear then walking will not be mindful and not feel free.

Happiness is always there in the present moment. Looking at the blue sky. Practioners have to know how to generate the energy of mindfulness. Present in the here and the now. When you breathe n you recognize I am breathing in and you bring yourself back to the here and now. That way the mind is with the body and you know you are there. This is the basic conditions of touching life and it's wonders in us and around us. To be able to see, taste, recognize happiness you must be mindful. When we hear the bell, we breathe in with mindfulness - I'm breathing; I'm alive. It is the greatest miracle that I'm still alive.

Look at the body of someone and realize that this person can not get up and take one more step. But you can - you can get up. You have happiness, don't seek it in the future. In the present moment the Sun is beautiful!

Babanah - cultivation, culture - mental. Mind is at the base of all pain/suffereing and happiness! The seeds of joy, happiness are there but we have to cultivate them - bring into existence. Don't just brush your teeth quickly so you can go do something else. Enjoy it - be mindful of here and now, not thinking of the future. You can't buy happiness in the grocery store.

When you breathe in, take 2 steps - "I have arrived." And when you breathe out think, "I'm home". I'm not running because happiness is here. I'm home; I feel at ease. I am home. And every step liek that you feel at home. To feel like you have already arrived. That way you are free. There's no happiness without freedom. I am solid and I am free.