We all wish to return to a place where we truly belong, where we feel happy and at peace. Most of the time we feel lost, as though we are living in exile. People all over the world feel this way, constantly searching for an abode of happiness and peace.…
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Human Relations, Human Rights
I am more than Vietnamese. I am also a citizen of the world. We must be aware of the "interbeing" of all countries' happiness. Happiness is not an individual matter. The happiness of the United States is crucial for the happiness of others in the world. The happiness of the Vietnamese people is also the…
Receiving Dharma Rain
Winter Retreat, Wahat al-Salam, Neve Shalom 2019 photo by Amir Levin I was like a busy ant that had been carrying her grains of wheat. During the retreat in Israel two years ago, I saw the heap of grains I had accumulated. The diligent practice of years seeped through and…
Dwelling in the Ultimate in North Mississippi
By Steve Black “In the Ultimate I dwell,” Thay says. And turning to the child holding his right hand, he says, “Do you know what the Ultimate is?” Silence. The child looks at Thay. His head is level with Thay’s thigh. He says nothing. Thay gently repeats the question: “Do…
A Monk: To Be or Not to Be?
By Brother Phap Kinh (Dharma Meridian) I stepped onto the monastic path relatively late, although the seeds were present at an early age. At age fifteen, a group of friends and I meditated together. When that group disbanded, I continued (for the next thirty-five years) meditating twice daily. At age…
Dharma Talk: A Peaceful Heart
Just before the land offensive in the Gulf, the Soviet Union proposed a six-point peace plan to end the war. The first point was that Iraq consent to withdraw all its troops from Kuwait within twenty-one days. But President Bush said that Iraq must evacuate Kuwait in just seven days,…
Sangha Profile
Lotus Buds Sangha, Sydney, Australia I n late 1986, Thay was invited by the Buddhist Peace Fellowship to lead retreats in Australia. During his visit in Sydney, the Vietnamese community had a rare opportunity to enjoy mindfulness practice with him. During that five-day retreat, many of us tasted true peace and joy for…
A Lotus Blooms in the Catholic Church
By Mike McMahon Several years ago, following my divorce, my daughter Annie and I moved into a rundown house in one of Omaha's older neighborhoods. I was broken emotionally, financially, and spiritually—and deeply depressed. The condition of the house seemed to match my own. Even so, like a wounded animal that crawls into a cave,…
From Irritation to Appreciation
By Jaime Robeck River; photo by Jaime Robeck It is a lovely spring evening. The meditation hall is silent as each practitioner makes the last adjustments to their cushion or chair. In this quiet moment, the birds make their debut. Their sweet voices enter the building and rise to fill…
Transforming Fear
My Companion Along the Path By Jindra Cekan Joyful sisters during Vietnamese Retreat, Plum Village, 2019; photo courtesy of monastic Sangha I come from a charming, multilingual, and disruptively dysfunctional family. There was much to be afraid of. What would happen to my mother if she hurt herself while falling…