Thay has a great teaching for us to keep us from getting caught in our views, "Are you sure? Are you really sure? Are you really really absolutely sure?" Another teaching given to us by the Buddha to help with our views is his Thundering Silence (the title of one of Thay's books on this topic). This Sunday we will dive into the Sutra: The Discourse on Knowing the Better Way to Catch a Snake. Near the end of his life, the Buddha declared, “during forty-five years, I have not said a word” to encourage his students to avoid being caught by words or ideas. Thich Nhat Hanh calls this “the thundering silence of a Buddha.” Essentially, the teaching is to help guide us to make sure that we really are understanding the Buddha's teachings properly, so that we don't get bit by grabbing the snake in the wrong way.
-Nick
practicing mindfulness in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh