This is the question and answer session, Day 2, offered by Thich Nhat Hanh on Sunday, October 9th, 2011, in the Stepping into Freedom, Savoring Life Retreat at Blue Cliff Monastery. Thay answers questions of the children first, followed by teenagers, young adults, and others. Some of the questions: What do you do when you get so upset that you just want to hit? How do you control that? Do you ever feel frustrated with yourself? I want to be in the here and the now: how can I not suffer when people are not being good to this world? How old were you when you decided to become a monk, and what are some of the big commitments you have to make if you want to become a monk? How do I deal with negative energy? What does it really mean to go home to yourself? Can we know that the consciousness of our loved ones is still with us? Can they hear us? In many of the world's religions of today, if you follow their teachings your sins are washed away. I'm taking the Five Mindfulness Trainings tomorrow morning. Will my negative actions be wiped away? What can I do when I compare myself to Thay and feel unworthy in what I do? I teach karate, and if someone or something attacked you or one of the monastics, I would stop them and may have to kill them. How can I reconcile this with the 14 Mindfulness Trainings?

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