Youtube link in the public domain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toVNeTrwbtc&list=PLV7Diz4DTv4nv-RTpS-0QuDNHUh0b1OLP&index=23
This is a continuation of Thich Nhat Hanh’s teaching on the Four Noble Truths. The fourth truth is described there as “the path to well-being.” This teaching below is an elaboration of that path that leads to well-being. Similar to what I said about TNH’s teaching on the Four Noble Truths, now I also affirm that this simple teaching of Master TNH on the Noble Eightfold Path is one of the best I’ve encountered because it is very deep yet easy to understand. TNH, one can see, is really a master teacher. May this transcription help us all to let this teaching permeate our inner beings and lead to effective practice! (thanks to my Research Assistant Aimee Paradis for help in the transcription!) -jkk
Right
View
(00:01) The Noble Eightfold Path comprises eight elements. The first element we spoke of this morning is Right View. Right View is the kind of view that is free from all wrong views, born from notions like being/non-being, birth and death, coming/going, sameness and otherness, and so on. Right View is a kind of insight that helps us to be liberated from all kinds of discrimination, dualism. You are no longer caught between left and right, above and below, white and black, inside and outside, creator and creature, and so on. We remove all pairs of opposites. This is the ultimate truth. And sometimes it's called Nirvana, sometimes it's called Maha Prajnaparamita, the great insight that has the power to transport us to the other shore, the shore of freedom.
(1:48) Based on Right View -- non-discrimination, non-separation, non-dualism, then we can practice Right Thinking. Right Thinking is the kind of thinking that goes along the line of Right View. No discrimination, no separation. You are in me; I am in you. There is no discrimination whatsoever. And all of us know [that] a lot of suffering has been created on the basis of discrimination. Religious discrimination, racial discrimination and all kinds of discrimination. We have to practice in order to help remove discrimination in the mind of people. Right Thinking is the kind of thinking that produces understanding and compassion. We can, at any time, produce a thought in the line of Right Thinking. A thought free from discrimination, a thought full of understanding and compassion. As a practitioner, we can produce a thought like that several times a day. As soon as you are able to produce a thought of reconciliation, of compassion, of understanding, that thought begins to heal us and heal the world. Right Thinking can heal the world, can save the world. And wrong thinking can destroy the world. Wrong thinking can lead to suicide, can lead to terrorism, and so on. If we cultivate the Right View, then our thinking will be Right Thinking.
Right
Thinking
(4:19) Suppose we produce a thought of anger, of fear, of hate, of despair. That's not good for our health. If we keep producing thoughts of hate, fear, despair, we'll destroy our body and mind, and destroy the world. That is why, as a good practitioner, we have to cultivate the practice of Right Thinking. Our thoughts should be characterized by non-discrimination, mutual understanding and compassion. We understand the suffering inside and the suffering of the other people of the world. From there, compassion arises. And thinking like that is very healing. And we need a teacher, and need fellow practitioners in order to support us, to guide us in the practice of Right Thinking. Right Thinking can change the world and save the world.
Right
Speech
(5:43) With the foundation of Right View, we can practice Right Speech. Anything we say has the power to inspire people, to restore faith, to restore communication, to reconcile, to help people feel better, to show the way. That is the right kind of speech that we practice. Right Speech, or loving speech, goes along with compassionate listening. That is the objective of the Fourth Mindfulness Training. Many of us have received The Five Trainings this morning, and the Fourth is about the practice of Right Speech and Deep Listening. The practice of Right Speech and Deep Listening helps us restore communication and reconcile. A few days of practice can already help. When you are able to see the suffering in the other person, when we have the intention to help him or her suffer less, then we are already ready to practice Deep Listening and Loving Speech in order to restore communication and to reconcile. The miracle of reconciliation always takes place in our retreats.
(7:37) When we write a letter, when we send an email, or use our mobile phone, we can very well practice Right Speech. It can restore communication. It can inspire people. It can make a person happy right away. "Darling, I'm here for you." "Darling, I know you are there. That makes me very happy." "Darling, I know that you have difficulties. I'm here for you." All these kinds of practices can help bring relief and healing. As a good practitioner, we are able to practice loving speech several times a day. It does not cost anything. It can restore communication. It can make a person happy right away. Be generous because the other person has good seeds in him or her. If you recognize the good seeds in him or her, they will become a happy person, and you will profit from his or her happiness. Effects come very quickly.