By Jill McKay A wedding photo of Jill’s parents Several years ago, before a five-day retreat on the topic, “Embracing our Inner Child,” Dharma teacher Anh-Huong invited us to bring a baby picture or the earliest photo of ourselves we could find. During our first family group sharing, we silently…
Search results for “is nothing something”
1403 Results
Through Prison Gates
By Bill Menza On October 16, 1999, for the first time ever, the state of Maryland opened its prison doors to a renowned Buddhist Zen master. The Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh rode in the second of two cars caravaning from Washington, D.C. to the medium security prison at Hagerstown, Maryland. The glorious autumn day reflected the…
Happy Rooting!
For some of us Christmas brings up happy memories, for others it brings up either painful ones or no memories at all. Christmas, in and of itself, is neither pleasant nor painful. If we can really see that our perception of Christmas is often based on how we've experienced it in…
Building Happiness from Scratch
By Bas Bruggeman, Han Nguyen, and Felipe Viveros Prayer flags for ancestors, Bhumtang Valley, Bhutan; photos courtesy of Felipe Viveros “Being young today, you have a world to invent. The old world has dead-ended, and a new reality is about to emerge. It is a moment of crisis and transition—full…
Letters of Thanks
In November 1998, Plum Village sent $2,500 to Sisters Hanh Toan and Hanh Lien from Quang Nga and $10,000 to Hue, to help victims of the recent typhoons in Vietnam. These letters are in response to this aid. On December 14, 1998, after receiving Sister Hanh Toan's letter (below), Sister Chan Khong sent another $6,000, all…
A Good Practitioner
“A good practitioner always knows how to generate a feeling...
Birth of the Asian Institute of Applied Buddhism
By Brother Phap Nguyen Lotus Pond Temple, Hong Kong; photo by Young Whan Choi On April 25, 2011, thirty monks and nuns were welcomed at the Hong Kong airport by the Sangha and transported to the newest Plum Village monastery. A small car held Thay and his attendants, and three…
Letter from the Editor
photo by Bruce Nichols Dear Thay, dear Sangha, Many people in my community have been impacted by the economic downturn. Layoffs, cutbacks, and furlough days have given us the challenge and gift of less work and less income. Some people are seeing their losses as opportunities—to live a simpler life,…
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, after rain;the mouth-wide tongue out taste of rain;the taste and crunch of rain in lettuce;the cool of rain, the smooth…
Right View for the World
By Dorota Golebiewska Editor's note: This article appeared in the Polish newspaper Zycie Warszawy (Life of Warsaw). The author (friend and co-practitioner) was asked to explain the background of the conflict between the Pope and Sri Lankan Buddhists. Dorota writes, "I felt reluctant at first. I had a feeling that the harm had already been…