September 9, 2010. 82-minute dharma talk given by Thich Nhat Hanh in Singapore during the Peaceful Mind, Open Heart Retreat at the Kong Meng San Pu Jue Zen Monastery. The talk is given in English on the second day of the retreat.
Our talk begins with a gentle and loving talk to the children with the story of the corn seed growing into a corn plant. Thay suggests that we talk to the corn plant and remind it of being a seed just as we need to remember being a seed once ourselves.
The remaining 55-minutes we are taken through exercises for identifying our breath and mindfulness.
Breathing in, I know this is an in breath
Breathing out, I know this is an out breath
Breathing in, following the in breath all the way through
Breathing out, following the out breath all the way through
These are steps for dwelling happily in the present moment. It allows for the three energies to arise: mindfulness, concentration, insight. The next exercise is useful for body scanning.
Breathing in, I am aware of my whole body
Breathing out, I am aware of my whole body
Breathing in, I release the tension in my body
Breathing out, I release the tension in my body
This talk contains common themes, but ones that are always good to be reminded of for our daily practice. Enjoy.
Please note, some parts of the audio recording sounds like it is skipping. These are all minor and a problem with the source recording.