Dharma Talk: Community as a Resource
By Thich Nhat Hanh in January 1990
We can make people happy. One person has the capacity...
The Three Jewels
Published in January 1990
As you are breathing, imagine, at the very center of your breath...
The Bell of Mindfulness
Published in January 1990
Inviting the Bell to Sound Body, speech, and mind in perfect oneness. I send my heart along with the sound of the bell. May the hearers awaken from forgetfulness and transcend all anxiety and sorrow. In Buddhist meditation centers, we…
Other articles in this issue
Poem: Hearing the Bell
By Marti Pease I walk down a path: a child smiles in greeting and gives me a flower cupped gently in his hands. The child, the flower, smiles "Breathe and…
Poem: La Marche
By Jean-Pierre Maradan A Plum Village favorite-published here in case you want to keep the healing, refreshing seeds of this song alive and well where you are. Quand la cloche a sonne…
War and Reconciliation
By Gary Gill The Veterans' Retreat with Thich Nhat Hanh last April was attended by Vietnamese, American veterans of the war, and Americans who did not serve in Vietnam. During the first few…
Eating Meditation
I slid my fork under a bite-sized piece of English muffin and poached egg topped with Hollandaise sauce. The Meditation Bell rang and I paused, breathed, and smiled. After three…
Poem: Mindful Mouthful
I used to eat my dinner going at the speed of light,with stereo a-blaring and newspaper in sight.But something has happened here.It's very plain to see.For now I feel connections…
Child As Peacemaker
We parents try to teach our children to value peace. We break up fights, settle arguments, and tell our children that their fighting is bad. We seem not to realize that children are…
Bringing Plum Village Home
Mon fils Leonard dort pres de moi et l'on a chante une chanson du village des Pruniers avant qu'il s'endorme. Le voyage de retour en Suisse depuis Ie village, s'est tres bien…
The Campanile
One of the gifts of living in Berkeley is the bell tower on the university campus. It rings hourly and on quiet days can be heard throughout the town. While preparing a…
Nurturing Dharma Seeds
Emily (11) and Bruce (7) continue to show me creative ways to nurture the seeds of dharma. This September, Emily entered a new school -- an enormous, public middle school after attending…
Being a Young Buddhist “Alone”
I would like to share this story to shed light on some difficulties that might be relevant to other people from non-Buddhist cultures. It is very unusual in my country for young…
Reconciliation with Teens
I recently spent five days with my daughter Alexandra and her class while on an astronomy camping trip in the mountains. One evening around midnight, some boys came to visit some girls in…
Poem: Untitled Poem
Free, free, free my smile and breath make me. Shawn Hickey, Los Angeles 19 years young
Silence Is O.K.
Amy is three years old. She loves to stand by the window on rainy days and watch the rain fall. Two of her favorite books are The Umbrella and Rain Rain Rivers.…
Poem: Rain Retreat
The squish-squish of rain in sandals in the mud;the silence of rain;the glistening drops on pine needlesand on the tips of noses;the earth's fragrance before rain, during rain,during more rain,…
Breathing with Mom
Three years ago, I went to Plum Village for the first time. There I met some friends who helped me in the practice of breathing: trees, flowers, pebbles, clouds, and a smiling child--all…
“Sponsoring Hungry Families”
The word "sponsor" comes from the Latin word...
