Adapted from a talk by Thich Nhath Hanh.
Christmas and the New Year is always a good time to meditate on our true home. The Buddha did not have a home when he was young; he was unhappy even with all the material conditions. And Jesus Christ was born a refugee and was also trying to find a home. But both the Buddha and the Christ practiced and they found a True Home. Have you got a true home, a place of comfort and ease?
When you come here you are offered a practice to help you find a home. Because home is not located in space and time. Our first fruit of the practice is often the thought: “I have arrived. I am home.” Our true home is in the here and now, in every breath and every step.
The practice of mindful breathing brings our mind in touch with our body. Our body may be our first home. Are you in conflict with your body? We are all flowers in the garden of humanity. Do we know how to take care of our flowers? Meditation, right diet, good work, getting in touch with how to really care for our bodies, that’s a big step.
The year is ending and it is a good time to ask what we want to do with our life. If you are a couple, you may wish to sit down and discuss your dream and see how to support each other. Can we look at our relationships and see how they might be improved? That can be with a friend, a family member and ultimately ones own self. Jesus had a dream. Buddha had a dream. Krishna, Moses, Meera, Guru Nanak, Mahavira, Martin Luther King, all great spiritual leaders have had a dream.
Wherever we go, our satsang or sangha is with us. Together or alone, satsang, sangha is our home. We can practice in such a way that our family is our satsang, our sangha. We should devote our time and energy to building our true home so that we can realize our dream.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Christmas and the New Year is always a good time to meditate on our true home. The Buddha did not have a home when he was young; he was unhappy even with all the material conditions. And Jesus Christ was born a refugee and was also trying to find a home. But both the Buddha and the Christ practiced and they found a True Home. Have you got a true home, a place of comfort and ease?
When you come here you are offered a practice to help you find a home. Because home is not located in space and time. Our first fruit of the practice is often the thought: “I have arrived. I am home.” Our true home is in the here and now, in every breath and every step.
The practice of mindful breathing brings our mind in touch with our body. Our body may be our first home. Are you in conflict with your body? We are all flowers in the garden of humanity. Do we know how to take care of our flowers? Meditation, right diet, good work, getting in touch with how to really care for our bodies, that’s a big step.
The year is ending and it is a good time to ask what we want to do with our life. If you are a couple, you may wish to sit down and discuss your dream and see how to support each other. Can we look at our relationships and see how they might be improved? That can be with a friend, a family member and ultimately ones own self. Jesus had a dream. Buddha had a dream. Krishna, Moses, Meera, Guru Nanak, Mahavira, Martin Luther King, all great spiritual leaders have had a dream.
Wherever we go, our satsang or sangha is with us. Together or alone, satsang, sangha is our home. We can practice in such a way that our family is our satsang, our sangha. We should devote our time and energy to building our true home so that we can realize our dream.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.