As this issue of the Mindfulness Bell comes to you in June 2014, Thich Nhat Hanh is giving a twenty-one-day retreat in Plum Village, exploring “What Happens When We Die.” Twenty-one-day retreats are a very special opportunity to receive the Dharma and put it into practice in the context of Sangha as we live and work together, create new habits in a family-like setting, and cultivate seeds of a beloved community. Even if we don’t travel to Plum Village for a retreat, we can create opportunities for deep practice with our local Sanghas. A group of West Coast US Sanghas has organized a twenty-one-day residential retreat in Ukiah, California, to coincide with the Plum Village retreat. Their intention is to be inviting to a diverse cross section of the Plum Village community. The Ukiah retreat will be offered by core community members and Dharma teachers in the Plum Village tradition. This retreat will begin on June 13, and it is open to three-week, two-week, and one-week participation. Participants will practice the Dharma with a similar format, schedule, and Dharma talks as the Plum Village retreat. For more information, go to: www.21daystogether.wordpress.com.

If you can’t travel or devote twenty-one days to a retreat, we encourage you to be inventive in your local community. Organize your Sangha around talks streamed from Plum Village (www.tnhaudio. org); form study groups, Days of Mindfulness, or weekend retreats; pair with buddies; organize telephone conference Dharma sharings.