Dharma Talk "Four Catastrophic Risks to Human Life" – 86th Seven-Day Retreat

This morning Sep 11, 2017 (Jul 21, lunar calendar), based on the invitation from retreat organizer, Venerable Thich Dong Thanh, Abbot of Thien An pagoda (Binh Dinh ward, An Nhon town, Binh Dinh province), Head of Preaching Department and Principal of Binh Dinh Buddhism Study Institute (Intermediate level), has come to deliver Dharma talk to practitioners of 86th Seven-Day Retreat on the subject "Four Catastrophic Risks to Human Life". They are:

2) Man-made Risk: as war, accidents, pollution, toxic chemicals

3) Risk from living beings: as dangerous animal/insect, epidemic disease, bacterial infection …

4) Spiritual Risk: We are easily attracted to superstitious behaviors and then be cheated or disoriented by fraudulent ones.

Dharma practitioners should acknowledge the impermanent rule affecting this world to dispel challenges and balance spiritual life to feel free and easy in crisis.

When looking inside and contemplating carefully, we can recognize threats happening in every moment:

Threat of eldership:

+ Eldership of age: there are continuous changing and destruction in every cell of human body. It is the rule of impermanence.

From Buddhism point of view, to cope with aging situation, practitioner should contemplate the optimistic side of eldership:

* The elderly should be happy for the longevity (s)he is enjoying. Not everyone can have such merit.

* The elderly can have more time practicing than youngster.

* The elderly possesses more experience than youth.

Impermanence exists everywhere. Acknowledging that, practitioners should be awakened and diligent in every moment. Thanks to practice and sowing good deeds that we can calmly face and overcome all the catastrophic threats.

Threat of disease: sickness in body, mentality or from karma.

It is necessary for us to acknowledge that all are affected by cause and effect rule. What we receive today are the results of what we have done in the past. Therefore, everyone should have positive attitude to illness, actively practice to transform, eliminate sickness and purify body and mind

Following are recorded photographs:

BBT Website