Teaching in Virginia Beach in 2022, Ven. Chuc Thanh told the sangha “We are not this body. We are awareness.”
Ven. Chuc Thanh often reminds the sangha members to reflect on who, or what, we are as human beings. Society tends to place emphasis on the physical aspects of living. One way Buddhism describes the makeup of a human being is the Five Aggregates: form, feelings, perceptions, mental formations and consciousness. Try thinking about Chuc Thanh’s observation through the lens of the Five Aggregates.
(Venerable Thich Chuc Thanh is the Dharma Master at Dong Hung Temple. This quotation is part of a continuing collection from his dharma talks given in Virginia Beach, VA and Southern Shores, NC beginning in 2015. The quotation title and commentary are by temple member Mark Palamara.)