Bringing the Practice to Life

Summary

This talk, delivered on July 12, 2012 at the Meditation Hall of the Upper Hamlet in Plum Village, presents a practical introduction to meditation and Buddhist practice for children and families. The speaker explains meditation in simple terms as the ability to look deeply and listen deeply with the mind and heart, not merely with the eyes and ears. Meditation is described as a way of concentrating fully on what is present so that one can perceive realities that are ordinarily invisible, such as the interdependent elements contained in a flower or a cup of tea. Through examples like the orchid, the cloud, the sunlight, the earth, minerals, compost, and water, the talk emphasizes interbeing: every object contains the conditions that make it possible to exist. To truly see a flower, one must recognize the non-flower elements within it. A major theme is the practice of “selective watering,” meaning that one should nourish the positive seeds in oneself and in others while avoiding the reinforcement of negative seeds such as anger, violence, and jealousy. The speaker explains that every person contains both wholesome and unwholesome seeds. When a child or friend shows anger, the proper response is not to react with more anger, but to breathe, look deeply, and ask how to help that person suffer less. The talk stresses that violent behavior often comes from suffering and ignorance, and that compassion can help reduce that suffering. A memorable anecdote describes a husband who, after hearing a Dharma talk, returned to Bordeaux and transformed his wife’s mood by repeatedly watering her good qualities with appreciative words. This illustrates how quickly positive speech and attention can change a relationship. The talk also frames meditation as a form of mutual protection. If one allows another person’s anger to water one’s own anger, both people suffer. Instead, friends can make a “peace and happiness treaty,” promising not to water each other’s negative seeds and to actively nourish kindness, love, compassion, understanding, and freshness. This is presented as a concrete, everyday application of meditation in school, at home, and in friendships. The second half of the talk broadens the teaching into a Buddhist framework of the three bodies: the Buddha body, Dharma body, and Sangha body. The Buddha body refers to the seed of awakening in each person—understanding, love, wisdom, compassion, and the capacity to make others happy. The Dharma body is the body of practice itself, the spiritual dimension that must be cultivated through daily mindfulness and retreats. The Sangha body is the community of practitioners, whose collective energy supports healing, transformation, and continuity of practice. The speaker emphasizes that these are not abstract ideas: the Buddha should be a living Buddha, the Dharma a living Dharma, and the Sangha a living Sangha. A living Buddha is found in one’s own awakened capacities; living Dharma is embodied in mindful walking and breathing; living Sangha is a community that actively generates mindfulness, concentration, brotherhood, sisterhood, and joy. The talk then introduces the Anapanasati Sutra, the Buddhist teaching on full awareness of breathing, and begins explaining the first eight of the sixteen breathing exercises. These include recognizing the in-breath and out-breath, following the breath from beginning to end, becoming aware of the body, calming bodily tension, generating pleasant feelings, generating joy and happiness, recognizing painful feelings, and embracing suffering with tenderness. The speaker explains that mindfulness and concentration allow a person to return to the present moment, release tension, reduce pain, and touch the conditions of happiness already available in daily life. Joy and happiness are described as arising from letting go, mindfulness, and concentration rather than from external possessions or status. The talk concludes by encouraging listeners to continue practicing after returning home so that their Dharma body becomes strong enough to handle difficulties and generate peace, joy, and healing for themselves and others.