A Moment that Changed My Life
I’ve spent 30 years of my life travelling the world living a life extra ordinary. Without knowing, I was actually running away from my problems.
Ever since I was a child I had struggled with the understanding of my mind and it’s emotions. I felt like this was only happening to me and as a consequence I always felt left out. For years I felt confused and wondering where my place in life actually lay.
Until I discovered Mindfulness and three Simple Life Principles
It all began after walking the Camino de Santiago, a 1000 year old pilgrim route across the entire north of Spain. It was after spending 40 days and 40 nights walking 1027km from sun up to sun down that I really discovered my own mind. On my way home I decided to go to Plum Village Monastery, the home of Thich Nhat Hanh. I spent 3 months learning the beginnings of meditation and mindfulness from the brothers and sisters of this wonderfully spiritual place.
It was a cold period during my stay and snow had fallen all around. Thay, as he was affectionately known, had taught us bare foot walking meditation in the snow. And as each practiced on their own I found myself walking through a small part of the forest near where Thay’s small hermitage was, without warning and rather suddenly, as I rounded a corner there the great man strode gracefully bare foot in the snow towards me.
A chance meeting with the Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh changed my entire life.
I instantly bowed with great respect to this master, and he gestured me to sit next to him on a fallen tree. I would like to say I stay calm an present in the moment, but instantly I was so nervous and extremely excited an emotional mix filled my mind.
However…….
As I sat next to this great man my worries and excitement ceased to be and a great calm and love filled my heart as if I had returned to the warm embrace of my mum as a child. Thay spoke to me in a slow and soft voice but spoke volumes as loud as any crashing ocean. He gave me three simple lessons that have stayed with me my entire life, he also gave me a mission to go out and experience what he had just said for my own truth.
Three Simple Principles
These three lessons were so powerful that I knew instantly what and where my entire life needed to go. Thich Nhat Hanh gave me purpose and hope and a new awakening I’d never felt or experienced before. It was as if a seed was planted in my mind, watered, grew and flowered all in one instant.
For the next 8 years I traveled Europe and Asia practicing what I’d been taught. From meditation centres in Sri Lanka, Ashrams in India and Monasteries in Malaysia I diligently learnt to master the ancient art of meditation and mindfulness. Finally I myself became an ordained monk in the jungles of North Thailand in the district of Chang Ria close the the Myanmar and Laos boarder.
I become known as Dhamma Tāpasā and have kept this name ever since.
After leaving the monastic setting to return home I began exploring the 21st century’s equivalent of mindfulness and immersed myself into NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) and consequently became a certified coach. I then spent a few 4 years travelling Europe seeking out secluded places to practice meditation and deepen my understanding of our human consciousness and finally settling in beautiful Portugal.
And Now To The Present Moment
Everywhere I went, and everyone I met, wanted to learn more. I started creating stories to help illustrate the points I was trying to make and ‘The Four Trees’ and 4enlightenment.com were born.
I have helped hundreds of people during my last 10 years based on what Thich Nhat Hanh told me and these 3 simple principles of mind. It has become my passion to help others feel less suffering, as I know the experience only to well. I now teach and share my simple understanding using both Buddhist mindfulness, these 3 Simple Life Principles, and through my original stories and analogies of our mind. There is nothing painful to my process and I’ve been told it feels like chatting to an old friend over a cup of coffee.
If you would like to know more and how I can help you then try my Positive mind Training or book Dhamma Tāpasā for a FREE personal one-on-one experience
Kind and Warmest Regards
Dhamma Tāpasā is a former Buddhist monk and is the spiritual name given to Andrew Hallas. Dhamma’s life has been shaped by trauma, deep inquiry, and years spent living simply in nature. After searching for answers through meditation, solitude, and spiritual practice, his understanding settled around a quiet truth. That our experience of life is created from the inside out, through thought. Through stories, reflections, The Quiet Space, and gentle one-to-one conversations, Dhamma now shares a grounded approach to mental well-being for those seeking clarity, peace of mind, and a deeper trust in themselves.
You can find your quiet space here
Some Of Dhamma Tāpasā compelling stories
The Two Arguing Tigers
An argument arises of what’s right and wrong between two tigers
The One Bad Apple
How focusing on the one bad apple in our lives can have disastrous effects
The Horse & Butterfly
A Beautiful tale illustrating the prison’s we create within our minds
Positive Mind Training
The PACT-RICA Framework – Shining A Light on Life Changing Positivity
Transform Your Mind Transform Your Life
My life has been shaped by trauma, deep inquiry, and years spent living simply in nature. Through deep insight gained into how the mind truly creates our experience, I developed the PACT-RICA Framework. Because when understanding deepens, the mind naturally settles and clarity will return.
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