In this Dharma Talk offered on the last day of our Summer Retreat, Sister Lang Nghiem offers her insights and experiences on the great power of coming back to the present moment, which is at the chore of our practice in Plum Village.

We can learn a lot about ourselves by coming back to the present moment, we can understand our mind, our feelings, and get in touch with the stream of ancestors that flows in us. But we have a strong habit of being out of the present moment. Sometimes, we find it overwhelming to stay present. It can be unpleasant and we don't want to be there. We have a tendency to run away.

In Plum Village, we train everyday to learn to be in the Present Moment and turn it into a moment where we can take refuge in. Being able to generate joy and happiness in the present moment, even in difficult situations, is a legacy we can transmit to our children.

Sister Lang Nghiem shares with us different ways to look at ourselves in the present moment exploring the Buddhist teaching on the 7 bodies. Each body becomes a door to develop our practice of dwelling in the here and now. We learn to take care of ourselves, to look at life with clarity, and to gradually develop our wisdom. This helps us to realize the insight of interbeing and to touch the insight of no-birth no-death right in the present moment.

Are we able to come back to this moment and touch the wonders of life available even in our times, knowing our civilization might not survive? We need to learn to stop and resist the whirlpool of society. The most important thing to do is to awaken to this new way of being.

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