Dharma Talks / Transcending Dualism in Ethics

1:39: 📚 The video discusses three approaches to ethics: religious, scientific, and Buddhist, with a focus on the theistic traditions of Judaism and Christianity.

• 1:39: The video discusses three approaches to ethics: religious, scientific, and Buddhist.
• 2:39: The theistic traditions of Judaism and Christianity teach that the world was created by a loving, all-powerful God to provide a home for us.
• 3:31: In the major theistic traditions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, God is conceived as a lawgiver who has laid down rules for us to obey.

14:45: ⚖️ The video discusses the importance of right view and right action in Buddhism, emphasizing the impact of thinking, speech, and action on our daily lives.

• 14:45: The noble path consists of right view and right thinking.
• 18:25: The value of our life depends on the value of our thinking, speech, and action.
• 18:47: Thinking, speaking, and acting are considered as triple action in Buddhism.

34:37: 🌱 The nature of the sheet of paper is explored, revealing its previous forms and the idea that it has no birth or death.

• 34:37: The sheet of paper has existed in other forms before its current manifestation.
• 35:39: The nature of the sheet of paper is such that it has not come from nothing and cannot die.
• 36:02: The manifestation of the sheet of paper is not a birth, as it does not come from nothing, and it is impossible for it to die.

44:46: 💭 Mindfulness can help alleviate fear and suffering by bringing us back to the present moment and allowing us to live truly.

• 44:46: Mindfulness and concentration can help remove the fear of dying by bringing us back to the present moment.
• 45:48: Right mindfulness allows us to be aware of the present moment and avoid dwelling on past suffering.
• 46:17: Continuously revisiting past suffering leads to further suffering, and the practice of mindfulness can help break this cycle.

54:18: 👶 The video discusses the original fear and desire for human connection and the learned behaviors of manipulation and diplomacy from a young age.

• 54:18: The feeling of fragility and vulnerability without another person is deeply ingrained from a young age.
• 54:35: Individuals learn to manipulate and use diplomacy to attract and please others in order to feel secure.
• 55:47: The fear and desire for constant companionship and the feeling of being without means to defend oneself is always present.

1:03:26: 🌱 The practice of mindfulness helps us live in the present and free ourselves from suffering.

• 1:03:26: The future and the past are like ghosts, and we should focus on living in reality with right mindfulness.
• 1:04:03: We should help those who suffer and remind them that everything is okay in the present moment.
• 1:05:35: The nature of existence is described as no birth and no death, as seen in the example of the cloud and the sheet of paper.

1:13:53: 🕯️ The nature of existence is explored through the analogy of a cloud and a candle flame, emphasizing the absence of birth and death.

• 1:13:53: The nature of existence is characterized by the absence of birth and death, as demonstrated by the example of a cloud and a candle flame.
• 1:14:23: Right view is the absence of all views, including the view of birth and death, being and non-being, permanence and annihilation.
• 1:15:05: Meditation is likened to the question of whether a second flame from a candle is the same or different from the first, highlighting the nature of change and identity.

1:26:16: 🧠 The video discusses the nature of perception and consciousness, emphasizing that the object of the mind is not separate from one’s consciousness.

• 1:26:16: The object of the mind is not separate from one’s consciousness
• 1:26:52: Seeing, hearing, and thinking always involve perceiving something
• 1:28:19: Overcoming the view of subject and object as separate entities is essential for right view

1:36:35: 🐻 Winnie the Pooh and Piglet track paw marks and encounter possible woozles.

• 1:36:35: Winnie the Pooh and Piglet track paw marks
• 1:37:23: Bear discovers two animals and asks Piglet to come with him
• 1:38:03: Piglet agrees to come in case it really is a woozle

1:45:58: 🧘 The video discusses the importance of mindfulness in transforming the mindset of terrorists and preventing fanaticism.

• 1:45:58: The necessity of helping terrorists see beyond their intention to kill in order to transform their anger and suffering.
• 1:46:56: The insight that a person free from all views will never have the desire to kill, eliminating the need for enforcement.
• 1:47:23: The presentation of mindfulness training to help people understand interbeing and avoid being caught in extremist views or ideologies.

What are the roots of our personal sufferings and the pains of the world? We bring our mind home to re-examine our sufferings, to find a path. How to act. What we ought to do. What we ought to be.

Join us in reflecting and applying Thay’s 2008-09 teachings on a Buddhist contribution toward a Global Ethic – made available for the first time with English subtitles.

This is the third talk of the series, which the community in Plum Village France watched on the 8th of November 2023. Original date of talk: 7th June 2009.