Mahayana · Words of the Buddha · 1926–2022
Thich Nhat Hanh
Zen of the Lam Te line · Plum Village · Mindful breathing · engaged Buddhism
The one who returned the great teaching to a simple in-breath – and showed that home is not outside, but within.
The essence of the teaching: The end of loneliness and suffering lies not in outer connection nor in devices, but in a return inward through mindful breathing, so as to embrace and shelter one's own pain.
Transmission
Thich Nhat Hanh taught with the utmost gentleness and the utmost directness. To truly be with another, first switch off the device and connect to yourself. Sit. Breathe in and breathe out, aware of the breath. Scan the body and the feelings – without judgment, simply knowing what is there. If within there is loneliness, fear, anxiety – do not flee from them and do not suppress them. Smile at them and say softly: my dear loneliness, I know you are here, I will care for you. And so suffering ceases to be an enemy, and out of the care for one's own pain is born the real capacity to care for others. This is engaged Buddhism – a wisdom that does not leave the world but heals it, beginning with a single breath.
The full transmission — for members of the School. Here is its essence and its taste.
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