Note: this talk includes references to Jesus, God and Allah. Please feel free to adapt these references to your own religious / spiritual understanding as feels comfortable and appropriate for you.
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The 2007 United States Tour began in August at Stonehill College in Easton, Massachusetts. In this recording, Sister Chan Khong offers a lovely orientation to the basic practice. Sister Chan Khong is one of Thich Nhat Hanh’s most senior students, having met Thay in 1959 and then becoming one of the first members (the “Six Cedars”) of the Order of Interbeing.
This talk was recorded on August 12, 2007.
Introduction
We want to learn the ways in which the young man Siddhartha discovered the ultimate dimension - the Buddha dimension - within himself. If we can put this into practice, we can also touch the ultimate dimension within ourselves. How can we learn to be in touch with this deep dimension?
Our body is here, but our mind is somewhere else. Our mind is not in the present moment. That is why we don’t see the ultimate dimension. The training he discovered is our breathing. This can bring our mind back to the body. Our breathing is the link. During this week, we learn this training. Be aware of your in-breath and your out-breath.
The first part of Buddhist practice is samatha. Stopping. Doing this we can see deeply. We then use vipassana. If you look deeply, then it is very interesting. We can see the wonderful nature of the present moment. During our retreat, when we hear the bell then we stop and come back to the present moment.
Breathing
The practice is to be happy. Even if we have 30% bad things, we also have 70% good things. With our practice, we go back to the present moment all the time. In the present moment, we go deep into the positive things. Even our cell phone can be our bell of mindfulness. Sr. Chan Khong relates a story of a retreat at the Ojai Foundation that occurred during a fire. Many people were so upset by the helicopters, and Thay reminded everyone that this too can be a bell of mindfulness. We come back to the present moment by following our breathing – this is not so easy, but we work toward stopping our thinking. Even when we are irritated. Any unfriendly noise can be transformed by following our breathing.
Sitting
Sitting meditation. How can we sit on the cushion, or the bench, or the chair? Chrysanthemum position – whatever position is most comfortable for you. The key is to sit in a stable position. What can we do with pain we experience during sitting meditation? If you are in pain, then you may be trying too hard. It is okay to change position. And we pay attention to our breathing as it goes in and out of our body. In the book, Blooming of the Lotus, there are simple exercises for following our breathing that build and expand upon the Buddha’s teachings on the Sixteen Exercises of Mindful Breathing.
Sister Chan Khong offers us one of these short exercises through a song. In. Out. Deep. Slow. Calm. Ease. Smile. Release. Present moment. Wonderful moment. We can use this song while practising walking meditation.
By dwelling deeply in the present moment, we can all become enlightened during this retreat.
In the World
Sister Chan Khong shares a story of her own experience of touching the ultimate dimension, which takes her from a present-day church in Florence to an experience during the Vietnam War.