Arriving and Being Alive

Dear friends, For the past week, the Ocean of Peace meditation hall at Deer Park Monastery was filled to the brim with over one thousand members of the sangha: monks, nuns, lay practitioners and our teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, who we affectionately call Thay. Over the next several weeks, we will offer his talks divided into our usual thirty minute segments. If you heard about the Dharmacast at the retreat and are just tuning in: welcome. We hope you enjoy this chance to hear the Dharma from Thay a second time. In this first segment, Thay looks deeply into the Sutra on Knowing the Better Way to Live Alone. He shows us that to live alone is to be free of the past and the future and to arrive in the present moment. He continues on to share that by practicing mindful breathing and walking meditation, we can awaken to the miracle and joy of being alive. Remember that you can always find the Deer Park Dharmacast at dpcast.net, on Facebook, Twitter and iTunes. Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply. For reference, the essence of the Sutra on Knowing the Better Way to Live Alone is below. The complete text can be found here. Do not pursue the past. Do not lose yourself in the future. The past no longer is. The future has not yet come. Looking deeply at life as it is in the very here and now, the practitioner dwells in stability and freedom.