This short teaching is an excerpted from the Dharma talk "Prajñapāramitā Sutra (Heart Sutra) part 1" originally posted by the Thich Nhat Hanh Dharma Talks Archive Team.

🔔 Video transcript

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Dear Sisters and Brothers,

In this post, the TNHT project invites you to discover Thay's teaching on the art of making space inside and the practice of non-judgemental listening.

"When we listen to something, we should apply the method of deep listening. Listen in such a way that what others say can sink in. Because among us, very few are able to receive what others say."

[...]

"Only Buddhism teaches this matter down to the last detail. Because we wage war on one another, we kill each other, we fight each other, and we beat each other -- all because of this. If we know how to listen deeply, if we know how to make space inside, we will stand a good chance of building peace and humanity among us, and among different peoples. This should be put into practice going about our daily life. We should learn to listen and to speak. Speak only when we feel it's absolutely necessary to speak. Every time you open your mouth, there should be a very good reason to speak. Say, because it helps the other person. And when the other person speaks, we should learn to listen with the utmost carefulness and respect."

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Original Vietnamese title: "Tạo Khoảng Trống trong mình - Trích Pháp thoại Sư Ông Làng Mai 09/04/1998"

Talk given: April 09, 1998, Plum Village France

Length: 27 minutes 32 seconds

Originally posted by: TCT Phượng Trần, who creates and posts the excerpt at TCT Phượng Trần. You can listen to the full Dharma talk "Prajñapāramitā (Perfection of Wisdom) Sutra part 1" on the Thich Nhat Hanh Library website (only available in Vietnamese)

May you enjoy the space inside, and out.

In gratitude and breathing joyfully,

🙏

Living Dharma of the Heart

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REFERENCES (Resources used to translate this Dharma talk)

1. Lang Mai, n.d., "Kinh Bát Nhã Hành" (Prajñapāramitā Sutra)

2. Wikipedia, n.d., "Taishō Tripiṭaka"

3. Thich Nhat Hanh, 2022, "The Admonitions and Encouraging Words of Master Guishan: Text and Commentary," USA: Palm Leaves Press.

4. Thich Nhat Hanh and the Monks and Nuns of Plum Village, 2006, Chanting From The Heart, USA: Parallax Press.

5. Thich Nhat Hanh, 2004, Touching the Earth: Guided Meditations for Mindfulness Practice, USA: Parallax Press.

6. Thich Nhat Hanh, "Ái ngữ và Đế thính (1)" (Loving Speech and Non-judgemental Listening), Dao Phat Cua Tuoi Tre (Buddhism for Young People), La Boi (Palm Leaves) Publisher

7. Thich Nhat Hanh, n.d., "Truyền Thống Sinh Động Thiền Tập," (The Living Tradition of Meditation Practice), eBook-langmai

8. Thich Nhat Hanh, 2014, "New Heart Sutra translation by Thich Nhat Hanh," retrieved from Plum Village website

9. Extended Practices, retrieved from Plum Village website

10. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2016, "Basic TB Facts"

11. Br Minh Hy, 2022, "Dharma Banquet," retrieved from Plum Village website

12. Norman Fischer, 2021, "Buddha: The Great Physician"

13. Wikipedia, n.d., "Phạm Duy"

14. Wikipedia, n.d., "Śrāvaka"

15. Wikipedia, n.d., "Prajnaparamita"

16. Thich Nhat Hanh's Talks, 2022, "Non-self is the Grain of Buddhism [The basics of Plum VIllage practice] Zen Master Nhat Hanh (Nov 22, 2012)"

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Republished on the Plum Village App with kind permission of Thich Nhat Hanh's Talks channel 🙏