Taking Refuge in the Island Within | Dharma Talk by Thich Nhat Hanh, 2014-03-20

Listening to the Bell
Everytime we hear the bell, we practice together listening to the bell. We don’t say we hit the bell or ring the bell, we say we invite the bell to sound. Before we invite the bell to sound, we breathe in and out three times. We have to calm our body and mind. The quality of the sound depends very much on the peace inside. So the bell master should practice breathing in and out three times before he or she invites the bell to sound.
If you want to be a bell master, you have to learn by heart this verse. The verse has four lines. You breathe in with the first line and you breathe out with the second line. Then you breathe in with the third line and you breathe out with the fourth line. After that you are calm enough. You are qualified to be a bell master. The verse is like this:
Body, speech and mind in perfect oneness
I send my heart along with the sound of this bell
May all of you who listen to me awaken from your forgetfulness
And transcend the path of anxiety and sorrow
Breathing in and out like that, you calm your body, your feelings. The sound of the bell will have a higher quality.
And then you will make a half sound. After about 8 - 10 seconds, we invite a full sound of the bell. Everyone practice mindful breathing 3 times. You may recite the gatha for listening to the bell:
I listen, I listen
This wonderful sound of the bell brings me back to my true home
My true home is here and now. In a practice centre, we consider the sound of the bell as the voice of the Buddha calling us home. The Buddha in our heart is calling us back to our home to ourselves.
We come back to the island within ourselves. We all have an island within us. Before the Buddha died, he said, “Dear friends, don’t rely on anyone. Don't rely on anything. Rely on the island within.” That was the Buddha’s last recommendation.
So everyime we hear the bell, we practice mindful breathing and go home to the island within and take refuge. We don’t risk to be drown in the ocean of worries and suffering. In that island we are protected by our spiritual and blood ancestors.
There is the practice of deep listening. You don’t practice just to listen with your ears and your mind. You have to listen with your whole body. It is possible to invite all the cells in your body to join you in listening to the bell. All our ancestors, blood and spiritual, are still alive in every cell of our body. They are still alive. They have not died. You can get in touch with them in every cell in your body. That is why when you listen to the bell, you invite all your ancestors to join you to listen to the bell. Every cell in your body is breathing together with you. When you breathe like that, peace will penertrate into every cell. And transformation and healing can take place. So when I said “I listen, I listen”, that is not very correct. We have to say “We listen, we listen” because all our ancestors are listening to the bell together with us.

[@bowman134]

Listening to this talk, I focused on my breath and imagined all my ancestors feeling freedom. Tears started to roll down. It's a beautiful feeling.

[@HidingPlainSight]

I will do that, too...thank you for sharing your experience. ❤️

[@kristinekanel]

I breathe in now im feeling pain within, feeling sadness,sorrow, lonelyness, suffering inside. I breathe out Breathing inn i now relise pain in me. Hello i see you pain and lonelyness im here to take care of you

[@EBLOCK1995]

God Bless You and All You Know, Have Known, Have Been, and Will Be.

[@tigistusiba7837]

Our mind is always bombarded by so many life situations. That's why we are always terrified by fear. This amazing person's teaching shows us how it is too easy to block all unnecessary things which confuse our mind. We always forget the most precious thing which is located in us. As Than indicated we can't avoid all situations which disturb us, but we need to follow his unique teachings to live with them. Thank God for creating this kind of great teacher!!

[@ginoporrasabarca3854]

Thank you brothers and sisters of Plum Village for uploading this teaching. I am happy that you are there.

[@karunamayiholisticinc]

I find his voice very soothing and meditative. I couldn't agree more about love and freedom.

[@jayromalamb6769]

I have learned to love and appreciate the fact that there are always some thumbs down on almost any video the matter how profound and beautiful it is. It helps me to remember that everything is perception

[@marcalvarez4890]

KZbin wisdom.

[@anthonybrown7964]

Most people simply do not see when they are operating through the defilements... it is on us to cast light on this darkness and start to uproot it. People can thumbs down anything they want, theyre likely heading in that very same direction after they die - and thats not meant to be harsh, its simply the reality of it form what i understand of the Dhamma

[@HidingPlainSight]

Jay, what you shared is also my experience. I believe that because things that once felt one way, at another time will change with my own perception. Perception has a myriad of variables and that is why it's been unwise for me to judge others.

[@maralynfarber2068]

Thank you, dear dear Thay. Your work has enhanced my life -and the lives of countless others. ❤️🙏❤️

[@federicoramirez8175]

This is truly a wonderful talk! What a great teacher Thay is. Thank you to the beautiful community of Plum Village for making these teachings available!!

[@ginamori4970]

❤ buddha nature 😊❤hello plum village Im so greatful to the songha all over the world. I even see it in my marker when I paint. 😂❤ So powerful spirit of love compassion. Thank you so much so greatful for it all. Thank you for the beautiful words of your song!

[@carmenmaria3884]

One of my favourite talks, and when he smiles I can't simply resist it, he is so adorable! I love him . A real bodhisattva , so inspiring. I love so much this talk. Thanks for doing it possible ❤❤❤❤

[@gracel6218]

he is saving my life. Thank you, much love.

[@amandinebochet8515]

Je me sens plus calme après avoir écouté ce talk❤.

[@ConexionHumanaOficial]

My honor and gratitude Venerable Thay. The total of this Dharma Talk is full of wisdom. Evangelina Cortes.

[@ikiiken]

Thanks dear Thay... You are a great boddhisattva :) Gassho!

[@pyrsartur3675]

Thank you so much for sharing these talks with us. There are so many. I am part of Thay’s continuation. ☺️

[@ConexionHumanaOficial]

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Venerable Thay. You have helped me a lot with this wonderful class on the sound of the bell. I really enjoyed every single of your words in this talk, and for sure I'll practice in order to develop experience inviting the bell to produce the esencial sound of healing. Evangelina Cortes.

[@genpren]

What if your idea of god is just an idea? Take refuge in something concrete. Know god that way.... This is one of my favorite talks.

[@lindang9088]

Dear Thay. Thank you for your wonderful wisdom. I will see you in the clouds when I look up in the skies. 🙏🏼🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️ nam mo a di da phat.

[@jemb9896]

Thank u Thay

[@girlperson1]

He has an amazing voice. Very relaxing to listen to Thay.

[@aquasapien9275]

I swim with the honorable cetacean. They also breath together ... These beautiful beings usually surface twice and return to the waters depths for another 6 or so minutes to repeat the process again. I have had the honor of Mindful breathing and swimming with these honorable beings for many years. I take refuge in the pods that visit drawing from the collective energy. My water sangha of dolphins and whales. Life is full of wonders.

[@bassofone1]

WOW! That's fantastic! Just thinking about it made me so happy.

[@hughslevin7120]

What a truly wise and wonderful Man

[@supremeplustv1892]

Basis of Budhism is reincarnation and law of karma . The necessity of Budhism is impermanence sufferings and concept of no soul . Budhism guides us to stay in human world and in heavens until final stage is attained 🙏🙏🙏

[@isabelkassan5244]

Thank you!

[@ElaKozak-cd9bg]

Thank you so much brothers and sisters zen 🙏❤️ Namo Amitabha Buddha 🪷

[@60seconds529]

Thank you, you are appreciated beyond words

[@graceacer9369]

Thank you

[@wahyudianto8432]

❤❤❤

[@KRSNALOKO813]

0:14 Bell is invited 9:42 Bell is invited 13:20 Bell master's verses 26:00 Bell is invited

[@douglashagan65]

First step I think is creating your own Island your refuge perhaps this is an entry point into the course of miracles which is a complicated text but I finished the first course

[@noBodyuNope]

🙏❤️

[@denisekrytus8955]

❤

[@kareemhawari3096]

50:00 insight

[@dwanderful1]

Shame the loud background noise

[@jinkyjoyacain6800]

Father Thich Nhat Hanh the Employees of DNL Industries Inc. with the nurse injecting DIARRHEA to my Baby Elijah Joy Than Acain Balatico. I love you very much my Father Thich Nhat Hanh and Thank you very much in my Spirits and in my Life.

[@butterflybeatles]

Wow. Look at all those holy people.

[@kareemhawari3096]

60:00 breathing

[@annabellacrewe8858]

Sorry. It is unfortunately not possible to hear You !