How to stay calm in a storm | Thich Nhat Hanh (Stonehill College, USA, 2007-08-16)

There is a practice called
the practice of taking refuge.

You want to feel safe,

to feel protected.

You want to feel calm

and if you don't practice that

you lose your peace

your feeling of safety, your calm

you will suffer

and you will make other people suffer.

So when the situation
seems to be turbulent,

overwhelming,

full of suffering

we have to practice
taking refuge in the Buddha,

the Buddha in ourself.

Beacuse each of us has

that seed of Buddhahood

that capacity of being calm,

being understanding,

being compassionate.

And take refuge in that island

of safety within us.

So we can maintain
our humanness,

our peace,

our hope.

And this practice is so important.

Practicing like that you become
an island of peace,

of...

of compassion

and you may inspire other people to...

to do the same.

It's like a boat crossing over the ocean.

If they encounter a storm

and if everyone on the boat panics

and then the boat will turn over.

So if there is one person in the boat

who can remain calm

and then that person
can inspire other people

to be calm.

And then there will be hope

for the whole boatload.

Who is that person

who can stay calm

in the situation of distress?

In Mahayana Buddhism

the answer is you.

You have to be that person,

you'll be the saviour of all of us.

This is a very strong practice

the practice of Boddhisattva,

taking refuge.

And in a situation of war, injustice

if you don't practice like that
you cannot survive.

You lose yourself

very easily

and if you loose yourself

we have no hope.

So we count on you.

Thank you.