Plum Village offers these parallel verses to mark Tết, the Lunar New Year.
What is this tradition all about?
Thich Nhat Hanh has established a tradition, on the eve of the Lunar New Year, of offering the sangha a simple poetic couplet in calligraphy that can inspire and nurture our mindfulness practice throughout the year. Thay’s innovation has been to offer the couplet in English, French and Vietnamese (rather than in Chinese characters). The Plum Village Community is very happy to continue this beautiful tradition.
In Plum Village practice centers all around the world, we print out these calligraphies (keeping the diamond form), paste them onto coloured cards, and pin them up around the dining halls, meditation halls and living quarters in preparation to celebrate the Lunar New Year. We hang them from early-blossoming Japonica and Plum branches that we bring in to brighten our rooms.
While reciting these phrases we can combine each line with our breathing. For example, we can contemplate “Each breathe gives life” as we breathe in, and contemplate “Each step brings healing” as we breathe out. These words are not a declaration, but a living aspiration we wish to nurture.
We post the two complementary diamonds as a pair, near each other (above, below, or besides). You can print out and post the couplets on your fridge, doors or near light switches as an auspicious reminder to be mindful of their message, and renew ourselves by applying them in our daily lives. You can get creative with how and where to post and practice the phrases.
Download the Gathas
Download the Gathas in English, French, or Vietnamese to print on A4. (Various sizes)
Advice on How to Practice with this Year’s Gathas
Each breath gives life
Each step brings healing
Thay's Commentary: ''I enjoy walking in the kingdom of God every day. It is something you can do right now—it is not something to hope for. Why should I deprive myself of that joy? It is very healing and nourishing. My friends can do this, too, if they really want to. If all you want in life is a diploma or a large salary, that may take time, but if you want to enjoy walking in the kingdom of God, you can do it now—as long as you are able to go home to the present moment.'' “When you breathe in, you can say, ‘I have arrived.’ When you breathe out, you can say, ‘I am home.’ Our true home is the here and the now. It is only in the here and the now that we have our real refuge. In the present moment, we can get in touch with our ancestors, with God, and with our children and grandchildren. They are already available in the present moment. That is your true home. And if you feel that you are home, then you don’t need to run any more, and your practice is successful. If you still feel that you need to run, then you have not arrived, you are not home yet. Your home is not only in the Middle East, Holland, England, or America, your home is here—here means life. All the wonders of life are available in the here and the now, and it brings you a lot of joy, peace, and happiness.” From Thích Nhất Hạnh. Peace Begins Here: Palestinians and Israelis Listening to Each Other. Parallax Press, 2004, p. 26–7.
“Each breath”— Are we really aware of each breath? Even when we practice mindfulness for many years, there are moments when we lose ourselves in our thoughts and fears. The verse reminds us to be present for each breath, as a foundation for the powerful awareness we need to generate in every moment. Don’t let even one pass you by while you’re lost in forgetfulness.
“…gives life”— Our breath literally gives us life. Each cell burns the oxygen we breathe to produce the energy we need to go on. The Buddha saw the root of life and awareness in the breath. Sitting under a tree in the forest, we see that we already have enough conditions to be happy. All we need is our breathing. I once cared for a man with muscular dystrophy so severe he could not breathe on his own. Every moment that the machine breathed for him through the tube in his throat meant another moment of life. How many of us take our capacity to breathe in and out for granted? The life of our cousins the trees, plants, and algae comes to us through the oxygen, and we return the gesture breathing out carbon dioxide. The wondrous nature of our relationship is the nature of interbeing.
“Each step”— With mindfulness our steps on the Earth are light and free. Heavy, plodding steps mean we’ve lost our joy, lost our awareness. We can let the lightness and care of our steps remind us, with each step, whether our mind is truly there or whether we’re lost again in our worries. With this step we arrive, and the next, and the next.
“…brings healing”— Thay invites us to walk as if we are kissing the Earth with our feet. Mother Earth is there in every cell of our body, and when we walk with mindfulness on the Earth, we are the Earth walking on Earth. We reconnect with our mother—and realize we have not ever truly been separate. Stop our hurrying, we give ourselves to walk like a true human being, and healing
has the space and time to take place. We reconnect with life, with Thay, and with Mother Earth. Body and mind are one, and a powerful energy of healing, transmitted to us by our ancestors, manifests.
