Hai Nguyen, 1735 Sauerkraut Road, Wardensville, WV (2026)

01/06/2026

If you are in Fairfax, Virginia on Saturday 24 January, I would like to invite you to join me to welcome 2026 with a day of spiritual enrichment to bring well-being to the entire year!

Looking forward to meeting and sharing with you the wonderful teaching. Online registration is at https://forms.gle/z1mNCfEDCM3vdrC67

12/26/2025

Bài Pháp Thoại Việt ngữ với chủ đề "Họa Đồ cho Một Đời Sống Tỉnh Thức"

Thân mời quý thân hữu lắng nghe một bài Pháp thoại đã được chia sẻ trong khóa thiền cuối tuần mùa Xuân năm 2024 tại Trung Tâm Thiền Quán Sinh Thức vùng Wardensville, WV tại https://youtu.be/vlu9ix9gq7U

Trong bài chia sẻ này, một họa đồ sống tỉnh thức rất là khoa học và thực tế đã được trình bày qua những câu chuyện thú vị trong đời sống. Những giáo lý sâu sắc và cách sống thực tiển cũng đã được tuần tự chia sẻ như Sống thế nào là Minh và Vô Minh? Sự khác biệt giữa một tình thương vướng mắc mang đến trói buộc và tình thương không điều kiện đem lại tự do; Cách sống thản nhiên với vô thường, sanh tử; Thân Tâm này có thật sự là của mình không nếu không thì là của ai? Làm thế nào sống với khó khăn, phức tạp của đời sống mà không bị vướng mắc, chìm đắm trong đau khổ? ...

12/10/2025

You are invited to listen to a teaching talk on "the Essential Elements on the Spiritual Path" on YouTube at https://youtu.be/1weOQpxaby0 The Teaching talk is from the Spring weekend retreat at Sinh Thuc Meditation Center in Wardensville, WV. At this talk, I shared that regardless of the spiritual tradition one takes, it needs to have these essential elements to ensure well-being. I also shared the following important topics:
- The need to understanding the mind to not wasting time & effort on the wrong things.
- Aware of the various states of the mind using images of the mirror to understand the complex teaching.
- How direct experience is required to realize life moment.
- How mindfulness is often misunderstood in the traditional practice such that the more one practice to be mindful the less mindful one would be, …
Several practical questions were asked and answered such as does baby have a better chance than adult on realizing the truth?

Finally, I shared the uncomfortable true that most of us are imprisoned by the mind and because it is an invisible jail, we do not even know to free ourselves!

Enjoy listening to the Talk, and let me know your thoughts!

11/28/2025

Aware of the Experiences: Sensory and Conceptual.

Life can only be experienced two ways either via Sensory experience or Conceptual experience. Sensory experience is experiencing directly via the physical senses i.e. eyes seeing sight, ears hearing sound, nose smelling scents, etc. Conceptual experience is experiencing via the mind with its interpretation, thinking. Sensory experience receives life moments accurately as they are. It does not see “husband” or “wife” only the physical forms (sight, sound, scent…) in the here & now. Sensory experience does not see “good husband” or “beautiful wife.” These are the interpretation, thinking of the mind that appear only in the conceptual experience.

In our life, without knowing, we are often completely engrossed in the conceptual experience. Living in the perceived realm that may look nothing like the true reality. Awakening from the dream world is simpler than you think. Awakening is not about practicing to get rid of the conceptual experience, but simply aware of, know the experiences i.e. Is this experience Sensory/Direct (Trực tiếp) or Conceptual (Tưởng)?

To truly live life and not get caught in the drama of the mind, Let’s aware and awaken!

P.S. - Sharing with you a photo when I was directly experienced life moments in Budapest, Hungary and recognized the conceptual experiences of the beautiful and magnificent sceneries. Not getting caught in the drama, thinking of the mind that things should be this or I should do that and simply be & experience life moments as they are (:-))

11/19/2025

Mindfulness is aware of the mind not just the objects

Mindfulness (chánh niệm) is often mistaken as knowing clearly the surroundings moment-to-moment in the here & now. True mindfulness is actually about aware of the mind view to experience life moments accurately. Life circumstances don’t create suffering or wellbeing, the mind does. We can be in front of a beautiful scenery but if what we have is a worry, unsettle mind; we won’t be able to truly experience the wonderful moment. Therefore, don’t focus too much on creating, finding great life moments to experience but do aware of the mind view (thái độ tâm) to fully be and experience life moments as they are. Do you know your mind view? (:-))

P.S. - Sharing with you photos when I was wondering, discovering the city of Regensburg on the Danube River in southeast Germany and found myself at the magnificent 13th century Gothic architecture medieval cathedral of St Peter.

11/01/2025

Saturday 6 December, a Day of Nurturing Well-being in Fairfax, VA

Let’s take a journey to discover the magic of practical mindful living. The essence of practical mindful living is not about practicing, training to be better or to be aware of everything that are happening moment by moment as it is not possible, but about being in touch with the natural awareness existed in all of us. As hard as life can be sometime, mental suffering is not caused by life circumstances but heavily depended on the view of the mind. We will share with you that it is possible to experience peace right in the turbulence of life. It is possible to experience well-being in the midst of life crisis. We will learn to recognize that heaven or hell, happiness or suffering are labels of the mind and not reality. The Day will be conducted in a warm, friendly, and supportive environment and structured with a balance of practical teaching talk, awareness meditation, insightful storytelling, light wellness exercises, group discussion and Q&A.

Light lunch and water bottles will be provided. Online registration is required at https://forms.gle/d92A8rfJ1cmgz94d8 Please sign up early, so we can adequately prepare.

10/30/2025

True Freedom and True Happiness

We often work very hard to establish a stable living conditions and practice diligently to be skillful to transform life challenges when they arrive. These life and spiritual efforts can be exhausting as life chaotic and crisis are like waves in the ocean. They continue to show up and would not stop!

True freedom and true happiness are not depended on life conditions to be optimal. True freedom and true happiness are not achievable through doing but instead by being …

“Freedom is being at ease within constraints
Happiness is being at peace amidst suffering”

These are not only possible but very doable (:-))

P.S. – Would like to share with you a few beautiful photos from the autumn weekend retreat at Sinh Thuc Meditation Center with nature showing off its magnificent colorful mountain forest. Additional photos can be viewed at https://photos.app.goo.gl/hAWAU7Lac4t9eAZX8

10/15/2025

Let be Present and Ready to be Amazed

Looking forward to welcome you to the last mindfulness weekend retreat of the year on 24-26 Oct at Sinh Thuc Meditation Center. Please sign up at https://forms.gle/PR95U2hiLzJjqsPC8

09/23/2025

24-26 October Fall Well-being Weekend Retreat

The Weather is getting cooler. The leaves have started to change color. At the Sinh Thuc Meditation Center, we are busy getting things ready for the Fall weekend retreat. We are looking forward to welcome you and together we will take a journey in self-discovery to learn to be in touch with the inherit well-being, stability in the mid of the chaotic of life. We will learn to recognize that difficulty, bad or happiness, good are labels that we put on life situation. This realization will enable us to embrace life with the spirit of openness to discover the true-life experiences and our view, responses to the situation. And awakening to the fact that life challenges can be invaluable opportunities to wake up and learn to be free from our attachment and mental imprisonment.

The retreat will be structured with a balance of awareness meditation, teaching talk, storytelling, wellness Taichi & Chi-kung exercises, group discussion, Q&A and personal relaxation in the beautiful fall nature. Buffet-style vegetarian meals, drinks and dormitory lodging accommodation will be provided. Online registration is required. Please sign up early at https://forms.gle/PR95U2hiLzJjqsPC8 so the staff has adequate time to prepare for the retreat.

08/29/2025

Nirvana is Here and Now

On a late Summer wandering day in San Antonio, TX; I found myself sitting in deep contemplation in a small 1700s Historical Mission Church with beautiful catholic Latin chanting. The environment is so unique and nurturing that transforming the moment into a magnificent spiritual bridge effortlessly connecting me to the natural well-being that is present in all of us. Nirvana (Niết Bàn) or Heaven (Thiên Đàng) exists in everyday life moment. It is up to us to uncover the mind clutters that are covering it up to realize and be in touch with this beautiful and refreshing nature of well-being.

08/16/2025

Looking forward to spend a day of well-being with you on "Liberation from Suffering is Here and Now" Saturday 23 August from 9 AM to 4 PM at Fairfax Government Center 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, VA 22193 - Conference Room 2&3

Light lunch and water bottles will be provided. Online Registration is required at https://forms.gle/ypLKtkeepRrfpaCe6

08/03/2025

Vietnamese Teaching Talk on the Essence of the Spiritual Path (Tinh Hoa của Sự Tu Học)

Ngày nay, chúng ta có hàng ngàn kinh điển truyền thừa từ truyền thống Nam tông và Bắc tông cũng như rất nhiều những phướng pháp thực tập và tông phái như Thiền, Tịnh, Mật … Ngay đến Thiền Tông thì cũng có rất nhiều những tông phái, phương cách khác nhau. Là một người cư sĩ, nếu không có nhiều thời giờ nghiên cứu, trải nghiệm rõ ràng thì rất là khó để chúng ta biết được sự tu học nào là thích hợp và lợi ích nhất cho chính mình. Trên con đường tu học, chúng ta không nên hoàn toàn dựa vào phương pháp, hình thức tu học vì đó chỉ là phương tiện chứ không phải là cứu cánh, mà phuong tiện thì cần luôn thay đổi cho thích hợp, lợi ích tùy theo hoàn cảnh, nhu cầu sống. Xin chia sẻ những câu chuyện thực tiển để trình bày, nêu lên một số những đề tài quan trọng như sự khác biệt giữa hiểu và biết, căn bản cần thiết để có sự giác ngộ ngay trong đời sống, và nhận biết chính xác về Niết Bàn … Xin chia sẻ với quý thân hữu là “Người đời thì thường chuyển hoàn cảnh để được an tâm. Người tu thì thấy tâm để tâm an trong mọi hoàn cảnh.”

Kính mời quý thân hữu lắng nghe bài Pháp Thoại Việt ngữ tại trang Spotify hay tải về (download) để nghe sau tại https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/sinh-thuc/episodes/Tinh-Hoa-ca-S-Tu-Hc-e36b5vh

Hai Nguyen

01/06/2026

12/26/2025

12/10/2025

11/28/2025

11/19/2025

11/01/2025

10/30/2025

10/15/2025

09/23/2025

08/29/2025

08/16/2025

08/03/2025

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