The monastic sisters of the Lower Hamlet, Plum Village, France wish to offer a sincere apology for the pain some of our community endured when they saw on the Plum Village France Instagram three photographs of some nuns and lay friends on a peace walk to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. To some of you it looked as if our monastics were supporting Palestinians and demonstrating against Israelis.
We are very aware of our negligence and do not want to offer excuses for posting those photographs. We shall be very careful that this does not happen again. We also ask to share that both our senior monastic advisors for social media, who are normally consulted before anything is posted, were absent and were not consulted. Our monastics will also be very careful when going on a demonstration for peace not to hold banners or placards, since this can so easily lead to misunderstandings.
May we add that on Sundays after formal lunch we receive frequent requests to send healing energy to the Middle East. Our elder monastics who read out these requests have always been very careful to make sure that the request read is completely inclusive and impartial, embracing the pain of both Israelis and Palestinians. We humbly ask for your understanding and support as we follow in the steps of our dear teacher Thầy Nhất Hạnh to “take a clear stand against oppression and injustice, striving to change the situation, without taking sides in a conflict.”
We are deeply aware of the suffering that is going on now in the whole region of the Middle East. We do not have any intention to take one side over another. Our primary concern is to voice our heartfelt aspiration, as members of human family, to call for any and all possible actions to help reduce the profound ongoing suffering in the region.
May we express here our deep commitment to the path of inclusive compassion as stated in our beloved Teacher’s 14 Mindfulness Trainings, as recited every two weeks in our community:
The Tenth Mindfulness Training: Protecting and Nourishing the Sangha
Aware that the essence and aim of a Sangha is the practice of understanding and compassion, we are determined not to use the Buddhist community for personal power or profit, or transform our community into a political instrument. As members of a spiritual community, we should nonetheless take a clear stand against oppression and injustice. We should strive to change the situation, without taking sides in a conflict. We are committed to learning to look with the eyes of interbeing and to see ourselves and others as cells in one Sangha body. As a true cell in the Sangha body, generating mindfulness, concentration, and insight to nourish ourselves and the whole community, each of us is at the same time a cell in the Buddha body. We will actively build brotherhood and sisterhood, flow as a river, and practice to develop the three real powers – understanding, love, and cutting through afflictions – to realise collective awakening.
Sister Chân Đức
Plum Village, France
