Remembering Brother Phap Luong

The Plum Village community announces the very sad news that on July 24, 2019, our beloved elder Brother Thay Phap Luong, a member of our monastic Sangha at the European Institute of Applied Buddhism (EIAB), passed away.

The monastic Sangha was on an outing at Biggesee Reservoir in Sauerland, Germany when a young brother found himself in difficulty in the water. Thay Phap Luong went to his aid but then drowned. Our community feels the deep loss. Many Plum Village centers have already held ceremonies to come together, embrace the tragedy, and honor and celebrate Thay Phap Luong’s life. A ceremony was held at the EIAB in Germany on July 28, 2019.

Thay Phap Luong was loved and appreciated for his deep commitment to brotherhood, his continual joy, his equanimity, and the many bonsai trees he raised with so much loving care. Many saw him as a father figure, ever present to offer help and advice. Through his many acts of care and loving kindness, he will continue always in our hearts.

Brother Thay Phap Luong was ordained by Thich Nhat Hanh on June 28, 2001, and became a Dharma teacher in January 2009. Here is the gatha he received from Thay during the Dharma lamp transmission:

Although there are immeasurable, skillful Dharma Doors, 
(they all) one day, definitely lead us to realize the fruit of Buddhahood. 
The fragrant earth offers a new spring, 
and on the way back white clouds call for the blue sky.

Remembering Christiane Terrier

Maison de l’Inspir is sad to share news of Christiane Terrier’s death on July 27, 2018. Order of the Interbeing member, Dharma Teacher, and Maison de l’Inspir friend and neighbor, Christiane “Chan Huong Dao” was well known and loved for her Educ’Inspir (Wake Up Schools) workshops.

Since 2013, she led Educ’Inspir workshops with a lot of enthusiasm and humor, using her own method. She also facilitated a Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings study group, which became a real community. Since 2010, as member of the Sangha le Jardin d’Instant, Christiane was part of the family that plans the Days of Mindful- ness in Verrières-le-Buisson, France.

Faced with a serious illness, Christiane put Thay’s teachings into practice and went through this ordeal with great courage. Supported by the teachings, she was able to cultivate joy, choosing between hell and paradise.

Her funeral was held August 3, 2018 at the crematorium in Champigny-sur- Marne, France.

Thank you, Christiane, for all you offered us. You are in us. We continue this beautiful path for you.

Here is the gatha she received during the Dharma lamp transmission at the 21-Day Retreat in Plum Village in June 2018:

Fragrant is the incense of the heart. 
It turns the endless path to joy. 
Faith always gives rise to inner strength. 
Birth and death are no obstacle.