Làm gì khi lo âu, buồn chán - Thiền sư Thích Nhất Hạnh

Summary

Thích Nhất Hạnh compares the mind to the sky: it can be bright and clear, or cloudy with worry, sadness, and restlessness. Both states are natural and change over time. Rather than treating difficult feelings as enemies, we can learn to meet them with mindfulness and compassion.

Key wellness practices

• Make use of clear moments: When the mind feels calm and happy, practice mindfulness and appreciate that state. This can deepen your own happiness and help you bring happiness to others.
• Notice difficult feelings without judging them: When sadness or anxiety appears, pause and acknowledge it. Ask yourself, “Are you suffering? Are you my enemy?” Don’t rush to suppress or push it away.
• Befriend and embrace the feeling: Treat a gloomy state as something to care for, not fight. You might silently tell it, “I know you’re here; let’s stay together for a while.” Look closely, offer kindness, and allow the feeling to be present.
• Choose whether to shift your attention: The talk describes “replacing the peg” or changing channels—bringing up a more positive mental state through a mindful breath, a poem, a short text, or support from a fellow practitioner. This is one option, but it isn’t always necessary to change the mood immediately.
• Use mindful breathing and community support: The breath can help you connect with the mind. A spiritual friend or practitioner may also help you move through a difficult state.
• Accept that happiness and suffering coexist: Happiness doesn’t require eliminating every painful feeling. Like a garden that turns waste into compost, difficult mental states can contribute to future growth and appreciation.
• Adapt gently to your mental “weather”: Don’t fear clear or cloudy days. Respond with care to the state you’re in, and remember that feelings change naturally.
• Practice non-duality: Avoid dividing experience into feelings that must be kept and feelings that must be destroyed. Hold difficult emotions with compassion and recognize their relationship to positive states.
• Try walking meditation: Walk with a difficult feeling by holding it gently in awareness, examining it, and showing it kindness and gratitude.

Presenters and sources

• Presenter/teacher: Thích Nhất Hạnh
• Sources and figures mentioned: Buddhist scriptures; the French saying “After the rain, there will always be beautiful weather”; poets Xuân Diệu and Nguyễn Bính; and the Lý Dynasty nun Diệu Nhân.