Search Results for: three poisons

The Three Poisons

The three poisons or the three roots (of suffering) were the subject of Brother Phap Vu‘s dharma talk on Saturday, April 30, 2016 at the Earth Holder Retreat in the Deer Park Monastery. The three poisons are variously translated as shown in the following table (reading down) desire greed attraction hatred ill-will aversion ignorance illusion […]

Man is Not the Enemy

With lots of unrest in the world and in the United States about the inauguration we have to remember that man is not the enemy. So who or what is the enemy? I would say that greed, aggression and delusion are the enemy – the three poisons taught by the Buddha. For example, in Tanzania, […]

Reverence for Life

Reverence for Life is the first of the Five Mindfulness Trainings authored by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (known as “Thay” by his followers.) In the time of the Buddha it was known as the first precept and, in fact, at that time, all of the precepts were simple statements like, “Not to kill,” “Not […]

Addicted to Ease and Comfort

On Sunday night, I attended Marin Sangha. The teacher was Lisa Dale Miller and her topic was addiction. She said that we live in a society addicted to ease and comfort. I couldn’t agree more. She also explained that what we commonly thing of addictions are usually the result of some childhood trauma. This also […]

Get-What-You-Want Buddhism

Jan Nattier is a scholar of Early Indian Buddhism, Early Mahayana Buddhism, and Chinese Buddhist Translation and author of A Few Good Men (Studies in the Buddhist Traditions). She was a professor of Buddhist Studies in the Department of Religious Studies at Indiana University and held the post of the Shinnyōen Consulting Professor (Buddhist Studies) […]

Killing You Softly

Roberta Flack tells us that “[He] is killing me softly with his song.” But I say, sugar is killing you softly with its sweetness. This is especially true for refined sugar. There are other foods that also my be killing you softly. These are mainly packaged foods that contain GMO (genetically modified organisms) ingredients like […]

One Thing You Can Do About Mindful Consumption

Here is one thing you can do about mindful consumption: turn off your TV:)! Mindful consumption is the subject of the Fifth of the Five Mindfulness Trainings. It reads, Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful consumption, I am committed to cultivate good health, both physical and mental, for myself, my family, and my society by […]

Gratitude for Rain

This gratitude for rain video is by one of my dharma brothers, David Nelson and friends. It it called Rain Gratitude Meditation and is totally appropriate for today, now that the hot weather is here and we did have some rain this week. The extent of drought in California is so severe that it is […]

Protecting Our Children

Dharma Talk given by Thich Nhat Hanh on August 7, 1998 in Plum Village, France. Protecting Our Children © Thich Nhat Hanh Good morning dear friends. Today is the 7th of August, 1998. We are in the New Hamlet, and today we are going to speak French. That’s good, isn’t it? You know well that […]

The Nature Of Self

Dharma Talk given by Thich Nhat Hanh on July 21, 1998  in Plum Village, France. © Thich Nhat Hanh The Nature of Self Good morning, my dear friends, my dear Sangha. Today is the 21st of July, 1998, and we are in the Upper Hamlet. I would like to tell you the story of Blanche. […]