July 8, 2011. 55-minute Dharma Talk in English, given by Thich Nhat Hanh Lower Hamlet, Plum Village, France. This is the first talk of the Summer Opening Retreat.
Thay speaks on free will as something available to us in every moment, and on the Pure Land and the Kingdom of God. When mindfulness is there, forgetfulness is no longer there. Mindfulness is the light that allows us to be there, to be fully present in the here and the now, to be fully alive. And that is not very difficult. Thay also shares about arriving at every moment and every step, printing your seal of arrival on the Earth, how the Buddha is not a God but a human being like us, how there is no happiness without freedom, and no lotus without mud, how we can generate a collective energy of mindfulness by practicing together as brothers and sisters in the practice, how everyone is a Sangha-builder in his or her way of breathing and walking, how to exercise our sovereignty, how if you feel comfortable in the here and the now you are already home, and how to become solidly established in the here and the now.
We apologize for a few brief errors in the recording.
The talk was given in English and is available below. There is a video version available too.