On 15 October, we formally opened the Plum Village Monastery Rains Retreat with the Face-to-Face Ceremony (Ceremony of Taking Refuge) in Upper Hamlet with 228 practitioners (150 monastics and 78 lay friends), committing to practice dwelling peacefully together for 90 days.
In Vietnamese, the Rains Retreat is called An Cư. An means “in peace” or “in stillness” and Cư means “dwelling”. The Rains Retreat is a tradition in which, from the time of the Buddha, the monastic community stayed in one place, practicing for 90 days during the monsoon season, so as to protect the lives of all beings, not causing harm to the many insects and other small creatures that experience heightened vulnerability during the rainy season.
An Cư or the Rains Retreat is an invitation for the monastic community, and the longterm friends who also commit to practice for the full 90 days, to come back to ourselves, to cultivate inner stillness, peace, and happiness within the defined external, physical boundaries agreed upon by the sangha. It is a time of concentrated practice in which we can purify our bodies and minds, transform our afflictions, and cultivate peace and well-being in order to be a source of stability, support, and refuge for ourselves, our beloved community, and the world.
The theme of this 2026 -2027 Rains Retreat is nondiscrimination. As a community we will look deeply at the myriad of ways in which discrimination is embedded in our systemic societies and cultures, and in our individual and collective consciousnesses. We will contemplate and reflect on the roots of discrimination, our habit energies of our three karmas (actions) of body, speech, and mind which perpetuate discrimination, in order to transform and liberate ourselves from the restrictiveness of discriminative behavior, so that we can be more inclusive and open individuals, community, and world.
The Preciousness of a Spiritual Family
During the Ceremony of Taking Refuge, Brother Phap Huu, as abbot of the Upper Hamlet, shared these opening words of deep gratitude for our beloved community and aspiration for the Rains Retreat.
This is a happy and precious moment.
In my heart I feel so grateful to have Brother Phap Ung's presence with us as a great elder tree in the garden of Dharma Cloud temple as a refuge for so many young siblings. At the same time I am also so grateful to be in the presence of so many great elders in this hall in this moment--Sister Chan Khong, Sister Chan Duc, as well as Brother Minh Hy, Brother Phap Lai. Sister Dinh Nghiem, Sister Jina, Sister Tu Nghiem, and so many others.
Sometimes I take for granted this beloved community. And the Rains Retreat is an opportunity to come back home and to be reminded of how precious it is to have a spiritual family. As a spiritual family, it takes effort to build and cultivate the siblinghood, the trust, and the openness.
This tradition has been passed down for so many years as an opportunity for all of us, monastic and lay, to take refuge in one another’s practice and to be role models for one another in the practice of mindfulness, concentration, and insight.
In this Rains retreat, I will take refuge in all of my elders, especially Brother Phap Ung in the Upper Hamlet, to continue to cultivate my presence, my practice, my humility, as well as to be present for all who take refuge.
Everything I look for, I find in our sangha
Through her personal sharing, Sister Thuan Nghiem reminded us beautifully about the practice of appropriate attention and that everything we are looking for is already in our sangha. Her inspiring words transmitted the spirit and aspiration for our collective practice during this Rains Retreat.
Everything I look for, I find in our sangha.
I find the beauty, the simplicity, and the purity of living a celibate life.
I find the clarity that arises from meditation and mindfulness practice.
I find sincerity in applying Thay’s teachings in daily life.
I find stability in generating and sustaining our collective energy.
I find creativity in organizing sangha activities.
I find humility in expressing our views and receiving guidance.
I find flexibility in living and running the hamlet together.
I find equality in sharing resources and responsibilities.
I find curiosity in learning about new subjects and engaging in social issues.
I also find dedication, selfless service, and courage to speak up and compassion in embracing challenges and difficulties.
May we all live peacefully and harmoniously within our boundaries during this three month Rains Retreat.
May every step we take deepen our understanding.
May every challenge strengthen our patience.
May our sincere practice benefit not only ourselves, but also society and future generations.
I wish all our longterm friends who dwell with us for three months to have a very successful retreat, to realize the fruits of your practice with your transformation, and to renew your aspirations.
Thank you.
Precious Moments from the “Ceremony of Taking Refuge”
You are warmly invited to practice with us for Short Term Stays during our 2026 – 2027 Rains Retreat with our beloved Plum Village community from October 2026 to January 2027.
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