A cup of Tea

A cup of tea, a cup of spirituality...

Doctors, health workers and an assortment of other invitees joined world renowned Zen master and international peace-maker Thich Nhat Hanh and other senior monks at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences here on Monday evening for a “session with a difference”.

The Buddhist spiritual leader, whose unique “mindfulness” meditative techniques in daily living and engaged Buddhism have benefited countless practitioners around the world, is now here working through a packed schedule. Addressing the doctors, he said: “Life, joy and freedom can happen by being in the present and being mindful. Meditation and spirituality can be possible at any time of the day and it is important to nourish yourself in order to be able to help other people.”

Asserting that age was no bar for practising spirituality, the seasoned monk said: “We have very young participants who live and practise spirituality which brings peace and joy to the world. Spirituality can be practised while doing simple everyday things like drinking your cup of tea. Life can only be found in the present moment. The past has gone, and the future is not yet here, and if we do not go back to ourselves in the present moment we cannot be in touch with life.”

Guiding his audience through chants of healing, he said: “We have an appointment with life and that is made in the present. But we think too much about the past and the future. By meditation and by being mindful we can learn to help ourselves.”

Recommending total relaxation sessions to be organised at hospitals, he said: “With tension and stress the body diminishes its ability to heal. The body has the capacity to heal, and allowing the body to rest is important. Sessions of total relaxation could be organised in the hospitals to accelerate the healing process.”

Asking his audience to recognise and ensure that we all have enough happiness, the master said: “We can be happy right here, right now. This is the weakness of the present civilisation that we are not able to live in the present moment. We have to learn to live happily in the present moment and not worry too much about the future. We have to learn to go home to our present.”

The master is the founder of Van Hanh Buddhist University in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and currently lives in France with his community of nuns, monks and lay practitioners.

Monday evening’s session with the master was put together by AIIMS and the World Academy of Spiritual Sciences-Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in association with Max Healthcare and Ahimsa Trust.