Oprah Meets Thich Nhat Hanh
It doesn’t matter if we know the dharma really well and we can even teach. But are we humble and kind to everyone.
Even to people that annoy us or are irresponsible. Being kind does not mean you don’t recognize qualities that need to change. It just means you have to be patient and dwell on the other qualities that are… ok. They might change and they might not, but out compassion for others, be an inspiration for them to change by you yourself changing first. We can choose: Be happy or unhappy.
I like this photo of Oprah with the Great Master from Vietnam Thich Nhat Hanh. Oprah was blessed to meet him. I am happy for her.
Tsem Rinpoche
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Oprah must be very fortunate to meet with the great spiritual master Thich Nhat Hanh, thanks for the lovely moment sharing.
In the rush of modern life, we tend to lose touch with the peace that is available in each moment of our life. Dharma is the philosophy that our experiences lead us toward our life purpose.
Wonderful indeed been able to meet with Master Thich Nhat Hanh a global spiritual leader, poet, and peace activist, revered throughout the world for his powerful teachings and bestselling writings on mindfulness and peace.
Oprah has the chance to meet dharma and has it planted. We can learn Dharma even though we knew little about it. Age is not a problem. Be kind and compassion will lead us to a happiness.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this with us.
Thank you Rinpoche for another simple yet profound sharing. It is among people that we have the biggest opportunity to practice dharma. Being humble sounds simple but it’s extremely challenging because of our inherent self centric ego. Being kind to everyone, the key word here being everyone feels like a monumental task specially when people are annoying, irresponsible and simple not nice. But there is way and we can be humble and kind. It starts with ourselves, tame our mind and begin the transformation from within ourselves and the world and the people in it can become very different.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this with all the readers. Through this it shows us that no matter who are are, where you are from, how old you are, you will also have the chance to meet dharma.
I think it is really good that Oprah has the chance to meet dharma. Reason being that through the talk that Oprah manage to have with Master Thich Nhat Hanh, it would allow dharma seeds to be planted in her. Allowing her to influence others as well if she openly talks about Buddhism in her shows. Dharma would be able to reach out to those that watches her shows.
I like this very much – “It doesn’t matter if we know the dharma really well and we can even teach. But are we humble and kind to everyone.” This reminded me of one of the Eight Verses of Thought Transformation http://blog.tsemtulku.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/eight-verses-of-thought-transformation.html
“Whenever I am with others,
I will practise seeing myself as the lowest of all,
And from the very depths of my heart
I will respectfully hold others as supreme.”
If we can be humble and kind, we will not hurt others, we will be responsible for our own actions and have integrity so we do not burden others. We will also develop selflessness by focusing on others, which is one of the main points of all dharma teachings in itself.
What a beautiful picture! Two wonderful persons of different faiths coming together in harmony. Lovely to see Oprah meeting with the great Thich Nhat Hanh. If the world had more people like them, im sure we will be living in harmony always.
Yes. To be happy or unhappy? I have always been unhappy with what I was going through because I choose to show people my poor me look.
Now I choose to be happy always because I can’t change people but I can change myself. So I accept them for who they are instead.
” We can choose Be happy or unhappy” This is very true, in the 8 verses of mind transformation, it teaches me to be humble. From the “humble” eventually i learn to see the other side of things, and learn to let go and choose to be happy. After all, what am i searching all this while- happiness. Thank you Rinpoche for these wise words
Instead of magnifying people’s short comings, we should change our focus to look at their good qualities. Once we focus on the good qualities, everything seems to change for better. We can be happier by changing our perspective, it is definitely easier to change ourselves than to change others. Dharma practice is all about changing ourselves to influence others, to bring peace. Do not wait for others to change and complain about our unhappiness.
I wonder what Oprah did in her previous lives to have such a powerful voice now, and be able to meet so many people who wield such an influence in the world. Although there are some things that she does which I don’t agree with (Dr Phil on TV, anyone?), you can’t deny that this lady has the ability to move mountains just by opening her mouth.
I will take a chance here and any karmic affinity I may have with Oprah to make this request:
Dear Oprah, if you happen to read this,please check out these two amazing books -‘ If Not Now , When’ and ‘ Gurus for Hire’ by H.E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche. You are always making people happy and bringing knowledge to all of us to make the world a better place to live in.These two books do exactly the same thing and more ,to bring spirituality to people in a very practical and relational manner.
If we know the Dharma we should teach but we still have to be humble to anyone we meet. We also have to be kind to everyone regardless of who they are, even if they are people that treats us very super badly! They might never change at all, but first, make an example, you change first!
I personally am a fan of Oprah. I think it was quite cool that Oprah actually spoke to a great master. She is planning to stop the Oprah series next year and go in to a new franchise called Oprah’s Next Chapter. There she will go around the world interviewing people. Maybe she might visit the Dalai Lama, I can’t wait for Oprah to have an episode where she meets a real enlightened being. Wouldn’t that be extraordinary!
I really like Oprah, she is like this mix between a very agressive business-minded woman and a very compassionate heart.
No surprise she engages in a conversation with a buddhidst master such as Thich Nhat Hanh, a master of compassion himself.
Compassion is a key to happiness, and it is inspiring to read the comments that Rinpoche left with this post, reminding us that compassion shouldn’t be limited to friends and family but to those who are annoying us, those that we actually resist being compassionate with. These people are our perfect objects for us to train in compassion, make it stronger and wider.
Thinking of it, compassion should logically not know any boundary.
I agree with Beng, she does use her fame to make a difference in the lives of others. What I love about her is that like Thich Nhat Hanh, she’s another person who stands up for what she believes in. Obstacles to her are a sign that something is worth doing. And I think that essentially, neither of them make a distinction in who they help – if someone is suffering and needs help, they help. Human is human. I don’t think Oprah would’ve made it to her position by discriminating, stepping on people’s toes, and hurting them. In her way, Oprah practises Dharma.
I’ve read and listened to a lot of Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings. Such a gentle, softly-spoken, compassionate monk who, through his own examples, provides us with powerful insights on the benefits of compassion towards others: not only do we help others tremendously, but we also help ourselves greatly through the cultivation of strong and positive qualities.
Anyone who hears the words of great teachers such as H.E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche and Thich Nhat Hanh is very fortunate indeed.
Kindest regards.
How wonderful that a humble Buddhist master like Thich Nhat Hanh was invited to speak on the Oprah Winfrey show. Who would have thought that a lifetime of meditation, contemplation and quiet sharing with others would culminate in this?
I’ve always liked Oprah Winfrey, she’s one of the celebrities who uses her fame to make a difference in the lives of others.
and I can’t wait for the day when Tsem Rinpoche will speak to the global audience too … let’s go TED!
Here is the full interview between Oprah Winfrey and Thich Nhat Hanh: http://www.kechara.com/support/resources/inspiration-corner/oprah-talks-to-thich-nhat-hanh/
By the way, if Oprah or any of her team are reading this, you gotta check out If Not Now, When? for the Oprah Book Club!
http://www.kechara.com/publications/publications/mind-body-spirit/if-not-now-when-the-peace-edition/
Thank you Rinpoche.
Yes it is really important to be kind to everybody, even if we judge them as “good” or “bad”. All people are sensible and have qualities even if we do not see it by our eyes…
Even the worst person always have good inside him/her.