Have I Got a True Home?

Summary

This talk centers on the theme of finding a true home through mindfulness practice, delivered on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2013, in the Still Water Meditation Hall at Upper Hamlet Village in Plum Village. The speaker frames Christmas as an occasion to reflect on home, belonging, and the deepest human need for inner stability. He contrasts the lives of the Buddha and Jesus Christ, both of whom lacked a settled home in worldly terms: the Buddha left palace life despite material comfort, and Jesus was born as a refugee and spoke of having nowhere to lay his head. Yet both, through practice, found a true home, and their followers are invited to continue that path. A major emphasis of the talk is that true home is not a physical location or a future destination, but something accessible in the present moment. The speaker repeatedly returns to the formula “I have arrived, I am home,” explaining that every mindful breath and every mindful step can bring a person back to the here and now. In this view, Plum Village offers a concrete practice for arriving home: mindful breathing, walking meditation, and the cultivation of embodied presence. The body is described as the first home, and the speaker encourages listeners to stop treating the body as an object to ignore or fight against. Instead, one should recognize the body as a wonder of life, just like a flower in the garden of humanity. The talk gives practical instruction on mindfulness, especially the exercises of mindful breathing taught by the Buddha. The speaker explains how breathing in mindfully brings the mind home to the body, creating the oneness of body and mind. He also describes the third and fourth exercises: recognizing the body, smiling to the body, and releasing tension. Smiling is presented as an act of love that can reduce stress and soften the many muscles of the face. He suggests simple daily moments for practice, such as looking in the mirror before brushing one’s teeth or taking a mindful breath while sitting in a car. These small acts can create peace, joy, relaxation, and happiness. The speaker then broadens the discussion to the modern condition, arguing that many people use consumption, entertainment, food, television, and electronic devices to avoid facing suffering within themselves. He criticizes a civilization that encourages people to run away from themselves, their families, and nature. Mindfulness is presented as the antidote to this tendency because it helps people return to themselves, care for their bodies, and become more available to others. He emphasizes that if one cannot care for one’s own body and feelings, one cannot truly care for family or community. Another key section concerns the generation of joy and the handling of suffering. The fifth and sixth exercises of mindful breathing are described as ways to generate joy and happiness by recognizing the many conditions of happiness already available: eyes, ears, lungs, a functioning heart, strong feet, fresh air, birdsong, and the beauty of the world. Joy is framed as a practice, not merely an emotion that appears by chance. The seventh and eighth exercises address painful feelings and emotions. Rather than suppressing loneliness, fear, anger, or despair, the practitioner is encouraged to recognize them, greet them tenderly, and calm them with mindfulness. The speaker uses images of a mother holding a baby and a big brother holding a younger sibling to illustrate nonviolent, compassionate care for suffering. The talk also highlights the importance of the Sangha, or spiritual community, as the best expression of home. The speaker explains that Plum Village’s true gift is not its buildings but its collective energy of brotherhood, sisterhood, joy, and mindfulness. He describes the monastic and lay communities in Plum Village, in France, Germany, Thailand, Australia, Hong Kong, America, and elsewhere as extensions of this home. He stresses that no one can sustain practice alone; the Sangha provides support, continuity, and shared energy. He connects this to the examples of the Buddha, Jesus, and Martin Luther King Jr., all of whom understood the importance of community. He recalls conversations with Martin Luther King in Chicago and Geneva about Sangha-building and compares King’s “beloved community” to the Buddhist Sangha. Finally, the speaker turns to aspiration, volition, and life purpose. He urges listeners to ask themselves what they truly want to do with their lives, beyond material comfort. This question is especially important for couples, parents and children, and anyone nearing the end of a year or a stage of life. He suggests that people should talk openly about their dreams and help one another realize them. The talk closes by linking this inner clarity to practical transformation in retreats, families, schools, hospitals, and workplaces. Through mindful breathing, deep listening, loving speech, and Sangha practice, people can heal, restore communication, and build true homes wherever they are. The message is that a meaningful life requires both inner practice and community, and that true home is created through presence, compassion, and shared aspiration.