What am I?VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THICH CHAN TANH.

14

If the thought is me then when I don't think is not me. If I do not think that I am, the thought is not me. That is enough to prove that the thought is not me, because it is suddenly not. All things wandering quietly, perception is everlasting.

LAs a Buddhist, you take care of living for your family at the same time, you take care of spiritual practice, and at the same time helping the brothers around you know how to practice, that is a good condition. So I will remind you more of the important points in Buddhism.

Buddha Shakyamuni was born, pointing to heaven with one hand pointing to the earth, saying, "In heaven, in heaven, only I am above all." This sentence has been widely explained by the teacher, but here I emphasize the focus. People thought Buddha said that was the ego above all else, but the truth is not so. With the connotation of Buddhism, there is only me in heaven, that is, people are first.

Why so? Because in the universe, heaven covers the earth, but heaven and earth are inanimate, only humans are sentient. The earth supports us, but it doesn't know what to do, it's just a protective form that helps us to have life. And the sky is the cloud, the rain, the sun, the moon, helping us to qualify for this world. It should be said that heaven and earth are inanimate, only human is perceptive, so perception is above all. So man is the center of heaven and earth, not ordinary.

For a long time we all are the same, most of us despise us, only respect heaven and earth. That is a very big mistake. Fear of god's punishment, goddamn love, pray for local support for many ... all those things are just insignificant external appendages. Mainly people. Humans are very important to Buddhism, so Shakyamuni Buddha was born and declared that vital goal. He was born because of the upholding of human values. That is the focus, unlike scientists or philosophers, always researching and exploring the outside, conquering the universe, but forgetting to turn around people, conquering ourselves.

Buddhists test back in our lives, to see if we miss ourselves a lot or remember the outside a lot. How about waking up in the morning? Prepare to go to the market or go to work, always remember the outside things, do not remember yourself. Lo this and that, buy all kinds of things. In the market, there are new products, if you have money, go shopping. We like new things from the outside, rarely think of ourselves. Have you ever thought of what you are? Maybe no! Just be satisfied with people like this, life like this is enough. In addition to the clothes, the house, the car, worrying about that much but forgetting to think of what I am.

I do not know what I am, but everything is worried about me. Buy radio, ask for whom, buy for yourself. What to buy a mattress for? Let me lie down. Everything is fine. But try to ask me what I do not know! That is the point that we all forget, we all ignore.

Buddhism does not allow such Buddhists, but we must know ourselves clearly and thoroughly. External objects only depend, that is, how much or how much you know, it is important to know yourself, because man is the center of the universe. Knowing everything without knowing me, then that knows not really know. All I can ask myself is what I don't know. Thus, all that does not solve the root of man. Living without knowing what you are, life is very empty and worthless. If we only worry about dressing up for happiness, building upstairs and cars, that is just worrying about enjoying the well-being, but what we do not know, who will enjoy it?

That is the problem that the Buddha or a practitioner sacrificed his whole life, had to find clues to resolve about the human condition. Today, we follow Buddhism need to understand that problem, cannot be underestimated. Just worry about dressing, worry about living to wait until the day of death, finally disbanding. For example, if we build a beautiful house, but know it will be ruined tomorrow, will we still love it? What is not durable, does not last, we are not precious. Then this body does not last long, why am I precious, is it delusion or enlightenment? It is mesmerizing.

So Buddhism teaches us to be aware, not to indulge. The person who loves is not wise, has no wisdom. Without wisdom, without wisdom, living like death, having no value at all! The important meaning is to know yourself in order to have a valuable life. Whether living in poverty or living in poverty has the same meaning as usual. Without knowing what I am, life is completely meaningless.

But what to do to know what I am? At this point I would like to guide Buddhists to apply the practice to find themselves what they are? Many people, whether intellectual or popular, think they always make money, but asking what they are, they cannot answer. Thus, that present money is just an illusion. We must find out what we are, and cannot imagine it. We do not have to look for something far away from the outside, but turn to enlighten ourselves to find out what we are? What is real me? If I find the truth, I am enlightened. Do not think that enlightenment is to run up the mountain, to the mountain, to the cloud, to the sky, but to be enlightened is to find the true one. After finding the real thing, we have solved the life and death stream. If we do not find the truth, we always live in fluctuations and changes. But fluctuating changes are impermanent generals. If you hold all the impermanent form of mind that is yourself, you are a stream of change. Changing one place to another does not stop, Buddha calls it samsara. Having reincarnated, only liberation of samsara is fun.

I often say this body is not real. But everyone cling to it, also thinks it is me. If this body is real, it is intact, but if it is in our flesh where there is a boil, there is stinking pus. That stink is me reasonable? It was not me from my flesh. If it was me, we should love it, otherwise we disgust it. Like saliva in the mouth is it me? If it was me, when I spit it out, I get it back; But do we do that? Even blood and blood is essential to life, but we prick about a single blood, and then we dare drink again? If I really do, then I can't let it go; If we let go of it, we can't tell us if we disgust it. If this body is me, then when I am anemic, buying the blood of another person will bring it in, the blood of another person will not be mine. But when I brought it in and then said my blood Strange yet! If we exclude ourselves from ourselves, we will be disgusted, while others bring it in and claim it as us. That's ridiculous! That is why it is clear from then that this body is not really me.

In the sutras, the Buddha recounted: There was a man going to another village, meeting the desert in the middle of the road. It was dark, and he saw that the old hut was uninhabited, so he stayed overnight. Lying lying, there was a sound outside, he got up to listen. Suddenly the door was pushed open, when a large demon was thrown onto the ground with a dead body. He was too scared to stand behind the wall. Suddenly a second demon ran in, eating with the first. This one said my zombie, the other said my zombie, they both fought and quarreled.

At that time they suddenly found him standing by the wall. The first demon spoke from start to finish with this man testifying, if he spoke of anyone, he would eat. Hearing that, he was so trembling, if this guy spoke, the other guy would break his neck, but I would rather die than not lie. So he said: "Just now, it was clear that Mr. A brought the corpse here." The other boy was so angry and jerked him an arm. The first demon, feeling sorry, tore off the dead corpse's arm to him. Just finished assembling, the second demon pulled out its other arm and threw it. The first demon tore off the dead zombie's second arm attached to it. Then right foot, left foot. Whenever one demon tore and flung it, the other took the leg of a dead corpse. Finally tired of the two demons stopping arguing, they split his legs, his hands were thrown away and eaten.

What is he in panic, he asks himself? Apparently limbs are now dead corpses. He just went looking for wise people to ask what he is now. Meeting an Arahant, finished paying homage, he said:

- Bach you, I was razed by two demons, hands and feet of a dead zombie, what am I now?

The Arahant said:

- Very good! So he is about to enlightenment.

The story is over there. You see if the fictitious temporary thing that we know to question, investigate, and not believe it to be true, then it is insight, seeing the truth. Does anyone in this life see the truth, anyone wonder what they are? Or just be satisfied. If you are satisfied, then find everything for it to enjoy, wait until the day of ruin. It is human pain in a deluded life. We have to realize what we are, find out that self is the root of cultivation. People who know how to go back to find themselves are those who are about to see religion.

Therefore, I instruct monks and nuns in monasteries as well as Buddhists in the ashramas to put the Prajñā sutras heavily when chanting. In the Prajna Sutta the first sentence: "Contemplation in the Bodhisattva in depth Bat-elegant Ba-la-security-time projection of the five aggregates of zero, the degree of suffering required." Just reflect on the unreal five aggregates, all suffering will be over. Have you looked back? Sometimes when I read it, I don't read it again. It is necessary to examine the body of these five aggregates to see if it is real or not. If it is clear that it is not real, all suffering will be over. This is very specific.

Often we see this body, this delusion is me, so what provides this body is healthy, rich and other people take away, we get angry. I think what is right and who says otherwise will get angry. Thus suffering is caused by attachment to body, attachment to mind. If we know that this body is not true, our thoughts are not true, we will not accept it, we will not be angry with anyone, so all our suffering will be over. People swore, I just laughed. There is nothing real to suffer, to be angry, to spend more, to lose. You are not real, I am not real, the curse is not real, so you just laugh.

On the contrary, if you see the truth, it will immediately feel angry when you touch the flesh, and when you touch your left opinion, you will get angry. Obviously, because of the attachment of the body and the mind, we suffer. Therefore, the Prajñā sutta reminds us that the five aggregates would otherwise pass all suffering. Cultivation is very simple, not having to pray to the Buddha or pray to anyone to make us all suffering, just clearly seeing the five aggregates is not really the end of suffering.

The five aggregates are materialistic; feeling, perception, action, mental consciousness; both are not real. Knowing so well, all suffering will be over, not Buddha or Bodhisattva, any gods let us end our suffering. The end of the tribulation is due to our wisdom that enlightens the body of the five unreal aggregates. The sutras teach only one sentence, we cultivate for life. Tu is to re-examine, not to eject. But now most of the cultivators pray more than reflect.

Considering the two parts of matter and spirit: Form is material qualities that is not true body. Life, thought, practice, mental consciousness is also not real. Seeing so clearly is the sense? The maze is not far apart. Seeing the real body, the reflection is mesmerizing. Seeing the body is not real, the contemplation is not real awareness.

In the Vien Giac Sutras there is a Bodhisattva who asks the Buddha:

- Bach Thế Tôn, what is ignorance?

Buddha replied:

- Accepting the body of the four great conditions is our true, accepting the wandering thinking mind is our true mind is ignorance.

Out of ignorance is awareness. So the delusion is like turning my hand, but I can't cultivate from one side, why? Because the attachment of attachment is so long ago. Today, reading the Buddhist scriptures, listening to the teachers has just flashed a little, not necessarily seeing it unreal. Only when we sit back and see that the body is not real, the mind is not real, all due to temporary conditions, seeing so clearly, all suffering will be over.

So living here is like Pole Bliss, nothing is sad, nothing suffering. We also eat and drink like everyone else, but we can not criticize our anger and not deluded ourselves. If you want to do that, you must re-examine yourself, you cannot shoot out anymore. The Buddhists just let go, do not know to return, so going to the temple for twenty years still does not get rid of defilements.

Now back to the question of practice, what do we meditate for? To look back at me. Because we look out, the eyes see sharp, the ears hear sounds, the nose smells the scent, the tongue tastes the taste, the wind touches the ceilings. At that time, even though we cultivate, we are still influenced by the outside. Only when sitting still, eyes looking down, hanging all five ceilings outside, not letting it attract any more. So the meditation time is the sitting time to reflect. How to see?

The original means, we use the inhalation breath to count one, the count two inhalation breath, ... like playing. But thanks to remembering the breath in, the breath in, the breath is in, so we are reflective. Seeing the breath in, the breath out regularly like that, if you breathe out without breathing in, you die. Clear body temporary, right? Just start thinking of something immediately let go, I remind myself that the idea is not true. This body is made up of four elements. The breath is the root, the exhalation without the inhalation is death, so life is very fragile. Already fragile, plus the mind suddenly has, not suddenly a false delusion. Practice re-enlightening yourself like that, called awareness.]

Taoyuan in Japan said, "One hour of meditation is one hour of being a Buddha." Why? Meditation hours are sensory hours, and hours outside are delirious hours. In a day, you Buddhists have all kinds of things. Seeing this, listening to that story was all going out, not back. Now meditate is time to turn back to me. According to the breath, seeing delusion, letting go; that is looking back at yourself, clearly alert, not deluded. What is that awakening moment Buddha? Buddha is enlightened. We are aware, so we are Buddha.

What is the reason for being beaten in meditation? Because the focus is on awareness. We sleep in a sleep, so we fight to wake up. That is why the meditator is strict. Because we are afraid that we are deluded by the scene, or deluded by not knowing anything, we must make ourselves awake, that is, awareness. So an hour of sitting meditation is an hour of being a Buddha, don't sit and sleep so that you can be a Buddha.

We must understand the meaning of breathing contemplation. Many times we practice without understanding so we cannot grasp well, such cultivation will not go anywhere. The in and out breath seems trivial, but thanks to remembering the breath, we return. If I don't remember the breath, my mind is running around. Tu is to come back to enlighten yourself. Thanks to monitoring the in-out breath, while breathing without breathing again, we die. Only a few seconds, to know that life is not durable, not real. That's enough for us to experience this life.

To delusion, this thought jumps out of the other, we let go, it is gone; to see this mind is also not real. Seeing the body is not real, seeing the mind is also not real, what is not awareness? So the time of meditation is the time of awareness, the time of meditation is the most important, not trivial. When we are aware, we can see clearly. Seeing that this body is not real, and this mind is not real, all the attachments follow. The attachment is gone, then the suffering ends. This is just the number one stage only.

I would like to ask the monks for a little while, when they meditate for about five or three minutes, they don't remember anything in their minds, do we at that time? Do you know. So, with or without me? Only me.

If the thought is me then when I don't think is not me. If I do not think that I am, the thought is not me. That is enough to prove that the thought is not me, because it is suddenly not. All things wandering quietly, perception is everlasting. That's me, in fact not far away. Thus, that true self is not thought. To think that birth and death is temporary, not true. I don't think but I always know, there are sounds that I immediately hear, images come immediately see, the wind touch is cool, etc.… quiet and clear without thinking, that's really me.

Often what is dynamic is impermanent, arising and passing away. The body moves so the impermanent body arises and passes away, and the mind moves so the impermanent mind arises. The attachment of the impermanent body arises and passes away as the body, the attachment to the impermanent arises is the mind, that is a mistake. If you let go of those two attachments, just receive the non-moving, no arising and disappearing, no impermanent form, constant insight, then nothing will be led in samsara.

With practice, we will see it clearly, there is no doubt. Living with true moments, we can see that when we think about it, the truth is, it's money, not without. We do not realize it is because we keep thinking, one thing after another, constantly chasing thoughts, how do we know that when we don't think, there is truth. So it is easy to say meditation. Concentration is to stop all thoughts. Stop thinking, the truth is money. Realizing that, then awareness, called enlightenment. Ie see the truth of the body, mind, fake knowing, real knowing. That is the nature, is seeing the religion. Simple as that.

In the Buddhist teachings, the body, mouth, and mind create kamma, which is mainly the mind. Good thought, good mouth, good body. Bad thoughts, bad mouths, bad bodies. I mean the owner. This thought is quiet, then what else creates karma. Karma is the root that leads us in samsara. If the karma ends, what will lead us again, so what is not liberation?

So, when enlightenment of the impermanent body, the mind arises and passes away, the real truth does not arise, not cease. Living with this truth will no longer create karma in samsara. So it is clear that practice is to free samsara.

Our purpose of cultivation is nothing but the focus of the Buddha's teaching "turning people around". Because people are paramount. Whether we can fly in the air (now we are on a jet), or build a house on the ninety and ten floors etc ... are impermanent, but now we will die. Only to return to one's true formless mind is not impermanent; constant constant should not arise and cease. That is the truth. Then we will believe the Buddha's teaching is not false.END=NAM MO SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).GOLDEN AMITABHA MONASTERY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THICH CHAN TANH.AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.16/8/2020.