THIS WEEK

Celebration of Tet, Plum Village 2011

HAPPY NEW YEAR ~ Chuc Mung Nam Moi

(Please See Below for a timetable of the weeks events)

This Thursday – 3^rd Febrary, 2011 - is the start of the Lunar New Year and the biggest annual celebration for all Asian peoples. A time for family and community to come together and celebrate. In Plum Village (and all our other centres) we celebrate Tet – Vietnamese New Year – over the course of the coming week. The Legendary Earth Cake has been prepared the traditional way (picture the community taking an afternoon to drink tea and skilfully wrap the Earth Cake in banana leaves and tying with string then vigils of singing monastics cooking them over night in large pots over wood fires under the Winter's sky), the Hamlets have all been decorated and the Ancestors have been formally invited to support and join us in the festival. If you are nearby please come and join us (please contact us for information on an overnight stay).

As well as the joy of sharing lovingly prepared traditional foods – including Vietnamese, Indonesian, Thai and Western dishes - this is a time of great spiritual nourishment. The spirit of Coming Home, Being Together Joyfully is infused with music, poetry, playfulness, Oracle readings*, ceremonies and performances (including a play reporting events of the year of our communities). Afternoons we practice room visiting (and hosting) – the only time of year monks and nuns visit each others rooms along with the layfriends. Expect tea, sweets, song and games, extended oracle readings, and deep sharings together. There is also plenty of time to enjoy the beautiful grounds, take meditative walks in the forest and enjoy sitting meditation in the halls.

* A short explanation of the Oracle readings: Four morning sessions combine a little of the mysterious with a great opportunity to ask and receive guidance for the real question of your heart. A number of longterm guests are invited to come forward in front of the community and select a couplet of lines from an epic poem of vietnam -- seemingly at random but with concentration required on the question. The question is then answered in light of the verses selected. These morning sessions conducted by our teacher, Thay, the Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh, always bring insight, transformation and delight for all present. In Plum Village the role of Oracle is played by Vietnamese Bard, Nguyen Du, who wrote the epic poem, The Tale of Kieu (the most famous work of literature in Vietnam). This year the Western Bards – Shakespeare and Victor Hugo have also been invited an there will be oracles available based on their work. There are opportunities for everyone to have an oracle reading, interpreted by a monastic Dharma Teacher after these morning sessions with Thay.

TET Schedule, 2011

Monday 31^st January

Morning Ceremony: Touching the Earth to express our gratitude to all our Spiritual, Blood and Land Ancestors for their support in the past year, and asking for their continued support in the coming New Year.

Wednesday 2nd February

LOCATION – New Hamlet

3:00PM: Dharma Talk by Thay in Vietnamese (translation into English and French provided)

5:30PM: Sitting meditation until 6PM (Midnight Vietnam time) to welcome in the New Year.

Dinner and Evening performances.

Thursday 3^rd February (first day)

LOCATION – Upper Hamlet

9:00AM:

Paying gratitude to Thay and the ceremony for the respective communities of monks and nuns to bow to each other in gratitude and respect.

Oracle Readings with Thay

Lunch

Room visiting – Monks residence and longterm layfriends rooms

5PM Tet opera perfomance

6PM Dinner

Continue room visiting in evening.

Friday 4^th February (second day)

LOCATION – Lower Hamlet

10AM: Oracle Readings with Thay

Lunch

Afternoon: Room visiting – Lower Hamlet Nuns residence and longterm layfriends rooms

Dinner

Continue room visiting in evening.

Saturday 5th February (third day)

LOCATION – Son Ha Hamlet

Morning: Oracle Readings with Thay

Lunch

Afternoon: Room visiting – Lower Hamlet Nuns residence and longterm layfriends rooms

Dinner

Continue room visiting in evening.

Sunday 6th February (fourth day)

LOCATION – New Hamlet

Morning: Oracle Readings with Thay

Lunch

Afternoon: Room visiting – New Hamlet Nuns residence and longterm layfriends rooms

Dinner

Continue room visiting in evening.