Happiness is Possible Now

Summary

This Dharma talk, delivered at the Assembly of Stars Meditation Hall in Dhammanikta Temple, Lower Hamlet, Plum Village during the 2014 spring session, focuses on the practical meaning of mindfulness as a way to care for one’s whole being. The speaker begins by reflecting on the common greeting “how do you do,” interpreting it not as a question about work or social function, but as an inquiry into the condition of a person’s body, feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness. This framework is presented through the Buddhist understanding of the five aggregates, emphasizing that true well-being involves all aspects of human experience, not merely external success or business performance. A major theme of the talk is restlessness, described as agitation or the absence of peace. The speaker explains that restlessness can arise in the body through accumulated tension, and in the mind through fear, anger, loneliness, worry, and despair. Left unrecognized, this condition can become overwhelming and, in severe cases, contribute to suicide, especially among young people who do not know how to handle strong emotions. The talk therefore stresses the importance of learning concrete methods for transforming suffering, and suggests that parents and teachers should be able to guide children and students in dealing with restlessness and emotional distress. The speaker then turns to the practice of mindful breathing as taught in the Sutra of Mindful Breathing. The first exercise is simply to know that one is breathing in and breathing out. The second is to follow the in-breath and out-breath all the way through. The third is to become aware of the body while breathing in, and the fourth is to smile to and release tension in the body while breathing out. These exercises are presented as simple but profound methods for restoring the unity of body and mind. The speaker repeatedly emphasizes that when the mind returns home to the body, a person becomes fully present, alive, and capable of touching the wonders of life in the here and now. The talk also highlights the role of the mindfulness bell in Plum Village practice. When the bell sounds, practitioners stop thinking, stop talking, and return to their breathing. This is described as a habitual training that even long-term practitioners continue to do. The speaker explains that mindful breathing is not a dry or difficult discipline, but a source of joy, freedom, and insight. One breath can free a person from the past, the future, and the constant stream of projects and worries. The speaker contrasts this with what is called “non-stop thinking,” which prevents people from being present and fully alive. Another important section concerns total relaxation and body scanning. The speaker describes lying down and bringing mindfulness to each part of the body, from the forehead and eyes down to the heart, liver, and other organs. Each part is recognized, smiled to, and treated with compassion. This is presented as a form of self-love and healing, and as a practice that can be shared with family members, students, and others. The speaker notes that one does not need to be a Buddhist to benefit from these practices, because they are practical methods for reducing suffering and restoring balance. The second half of the talk focuses on walking meditation. The speaker explains that many people habitually run toward the future, believing that happiness lies elsewhere and later. This tendency is described as a wrong perception inherited from social conditioning and family habits. Walking meditation is offered as a training to stop running and to arrive in the present moment. With each step, practitioners say, “I have arrived” and “I am home,” affirming that the present moment is the only place where life, happiness, understanding, and love are available. The speaker insists that this is not mere verbal affirmation but a real practice that must be embodied through slow, mindful steps. Examples are given from visitors to Plum Village, including the rector of Hong Kong University and a journalist from Paris, both of whom initially found slow walking difficult but gradually learned to enjoy it. The speaker uses these stories to show that happiness and relaxation are habits that can be trained quickly. Walking meditation is described as generating solidity and freedom, freeing practitioners from the pull of the past and future. The talk concludes by returning to the central issue of restlessness, stating that the practices of mindful breathing and mindful walking can help end restlessness in the body, and that the same approach can later be applied to painful feelings and emotions in the next Dharma talk.