How Do We Practice?

April 7, 2013. 86-minute dharma talk given by Thich Nhat Hanh from Mahachulalungkornrajavidyalaya University in Bangkok, Thailand. The sangha is in the 5-Day Applied Ethics Retreat as part of the spring Asian Tour. The talk is given in English with consecutive translation into Thai. Today is a session of questions and answers.

The questions

1. When practicing deep listening and the other person uses words that hurt themselves and others then what should we do?
2. How do I use skillful means and loving speech when the other person uses derogatory  speech in regards to women and people of color.
3. With the hill tribes, they need to kill animals and cut the trees in order to survive. How to help transform their way of life that isn’t so harmful?
4. How to work with schools that have rules and don’t allow applying mindfulness into the school environment?
5. How do I practice when there is suffering in my life, in my students lives, and in my parents lives?
6. When I practice, something happens for transformation but it doesn’t always stay and I feel discouraged. How can I keep the transformation?
7. Living in a busy city it’s challenging to apply the mindfulness practices we learn here. Can you help?
8. How do we practice reconciliation for children who have been abused by their parents?

The session concludes with an explanation of the Five Mindfulness Trainings.