By Caleb Cushing Our Sangha has often thought about participating in a special project that would reflect our care and understanding. I'd silently wondered who would come forth first and commit. To my surprise, it was the Sangha as a whole. As we practiced together, our stability, joy, and gratitude grew, and so did our…
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The Fire’s Fortunes
By Ronna Kabatznick In October 1991, the most destructive residential fire in U.S. history ripped across the Oakland hills. Twenty-four people were killed and 2,991 dwellings burnt to the ground within 12 hours. Eight of the 24 people, including my neighbor, died on the narrow and beautiful road where I once lived. My home was…
Touched by Heart Nectar
Stories from a Joyful Retreat By Lorrie Harrison A friend recently sent a description of what he imagined it was like at Plum Village: “I get a flash of it being like individual bees flowing toward an attractant. The sweet words of Thay and the lovely people and surroundings pull…
What does it mean to become a Great Being?
Brother Phap Hai, Author of The Eight Realizations of Great Beings In celebration of this release, Brother Phap Hai sat down and answered some questions about the core messages in The Eight Realizations of Great Beings, which insight gives him the most pause, and what he hopes readers come away…
Living with the Precepts
Like a coin, the precepts have two sides, and both are essential for our practice. One side guides us toward what is beneficial and protects us. The other side is the emptiness of the precepts. To describe the first aspect, I would like to share this story: When I was…
The Three Dharma Seals
By Sister Annabel Laity (Chan Duc, True Virtue) photo courtesy of monastic Sangha Sister Annabel Laity offered this Dharma talk at the 21-Day Retreat: VulturePeak Gathering on June 20, 2016, in Upper Hamlet, Plum Village. Respected Thay, dear Sangha, Tomorrow some of us will have to go home from the…
True Wonderful Action
By Anissa Housley I’m in Estes Park, Colorado. The cavernous meeting hall is filled with people. It’s early morning; everything is dimly lit. Monks and nuns sit onstage and Thay is leading the ceremony for the transmission of the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings. I’m standing, I’m prostrating, I’m kneeling, I’m singing.…
Be Mindful in Daily Life
Photo by Renee Burgard Mindfulness is the energy of being aware and awake to the present moment. It is the continuous practice of touching life deeply in every moment of daily life. To be mindful is to be truly alive, present, and at one with those around you and with…
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…
Dharma Talk: The Different Faces of Love
Teachings on the Dimension of Action of Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva of Great Compassion from the Universal Door Chapter of the Lotus Sutra When the bodhisattva named Inexhaustible Mind heard the name Avalokitesvara, he asked the Buddha, "Why did that bodhisattva get such a beautiful name?" The Buddha replied, "Because the…