Sangha Stories / An Impermanent Day of Mindfulness
October 7th, 2023 - It was supposed to be the last Day of Mindfulness of our tour. A peaceful trip to west Bethlehem in a Salesian convent.
Articles
Buddhist Ethics / Talk 5: Letting go of rigid beliefs
If love is something limitless, then understanding and wisdom should also be something limitless. We cannot say that our understanding ends here.
New Year Prayer to Mother Earth and All Our Ancestors
Dear Beloved Thay, Dear Beloved Ancestors, Dear Beloved Mother Earth, We have gathered as a fourfold sangha in this solemn moment of the New Year to express our gratitude and aspiration as a spiritual family, and to begin anew.
“My life is my teaching” – honoring our ancestor Thay
In January 2024, Thay’s monastics and lay disciples from around the world are gathering in Vietnam to honor our beloved teacher as he becomes an ancestor in our lineage. Join us, to practice together in-person or online.
Message for the Holy Season
Dear friends of Plum Village, this Holy Season let us all bring light into the world. There is the physical light ...and there is a spiritual light, which is the practice of Right Mindfulness and full awareness.
A Mindful Christmas – Part 1: Difficult Relationships
Christmas is a time of joy and celebration but is also not without its difficulties and challenges. We asked senior Plum Village Dharma teachers about how to mindfully navigate some of those challenges.
Buddhist Ethics / Talk 4: Moral Dilemmas and Cultural Differences
"The mind is a restless bird. The more it gets the more it wants and still remains unsatisfied." - Mahatma Gandhi
Be Free Where You Are
Sharing siblinghood and freedom joyfully together. Reflections at our recent LGBTQIA+ Retreat at the Dharma Mountain Center.
Buddhist Ethics / Talk 3: How Can We Know What is Right?
When you produce a thought in the line of Right Thinking, a thought that has no discrimination, that goes along with interbeing, understanding, forgiveness, and compassion, that thought will have an effect right away on your mind, on your health, and on the world.
Buddhist Ethics / Talk 2: A Zen Master’s Lion’s Roar
According to Buddha Shakyamuni, free will is possible. It begins with mindfulness, and we are all capable of walking in mindfulness and breathing in mindfulness. These are concrete practices that help us establish our freedom and make it greater, so we can stop being lost.
Photos / Daffodil Family — Ordination Ceremony 2023
The "Daffodil Family" of three novice nuns and seven novice monks ordained on November 5th in Plum Village France.
Buddhist Ethics / Talk 1: At Home in the Here and Now
The first teaching of the Buddha set the foundation for an ethic - the real sufferings in our hearts and in society, seeing their roots, and finding a path to transform suffering. Join us in reflecting and applying Thay's teachings on a Buddhist contribution toward a Global Ethic, made...
The Ancestors Calling Me Home
A touching account of transformation by connecting deeply to our ancestors in the present moment.
An Invitation to Sit Together for Peace
In response to the current situation in the Middle East, we share an open letter, a guided meditation, and a letter to the President of the United States.
“Now We Have a Path” – The 2023-24 Rains Retreat
The Plum Village community in France began our 2023-24 Rains Retreat on October 19. Amidst a turbulent world, the community of 225 practitioners is committing to dwell peacefully together for 90 days. Recognizing "Our actions really matter. Our love and compassion are the fabric of every moment."
Encounters with a Zen Master / Thay in our hearts
In this post are encounters with Thay shared by our monastic siblings and friends, who have offered these stories as a gift to celebrate Thay's Continuation day (October 11).
Thay’s Dream
May the sound of this bell bring relief to the world. May the hearers awaken from their delusion of a separate self.
Study with the Monastics, Online
The next edition of Plum Village’s groundbreaking new long-form online course, Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet, will run from October 15 - December 3 2023, and there is still time to join.
My Face Before My Mother Was Born
Brother Ruộng Pháp recounts his experience of taking care of his dying grandmother, elucidating the spiritual teachings contained within this challenging situation.
You Are the Earth. The Earth is You.
Brother Phap Linh aka, Brother Spirit, recently spoke at Overheated, a climate event in London co-presented by Billie Eilish.
Photos / Educators Retreat 2023
Over 300 educators from Europe and afar gathered for this one week retreat in late August to rest, renew, and connect within and with each other.
Free at School
Former school teacher Richard Brady speaks to Kaira Jewel Lingo about how he became a mindful teacher and his work helping other teachers learn mindfulness.
Photos / Love in Action – 2023 Wake Up Retreat
We share photos and a first-hand account of our recent retreat for young people.
The Angels of Summer
Sister Bồ Đề recounts the challenges and the joys of last summer's children's program at the EIAB (European Institute of Applied Buddhism) in Germany.
Photos / Summer Opening 2023
We invite you to share in moments from the Summer Opening for families. Over these three weeks, more than 2,000 lay practitioners – including 170 teenagers and 480 children came to live in simplicity, cultivating awareness, understanding, and compassion.
Thich Nhat Hanh on... / Homosexuality and discrimination
In this extract from Answers from the Heart, Thich Nhat Hanh addresses how he sees the Buddhist view of homosexuality, and how we can free ourselves from the suffering caused by discrimination.
Coming Home to Our Roots
Three young friends recount how they explored questions of belonging and "home" during a retreat in Plum Village Monastery, France for young Asian diaspora.
Transformation and Healing in Latin America 2023
Enjoy a taste of two teaching tours in Latin America.
Photos / “Love is Freedom” ~ Earth Retreat 2023
In June 2023, Plum Village Monastery, France hosted its first "hybrid" retreat with around 700 practitioners in-person and over 800 practitioners from around the world joining online.
Expanding the Spectrum of Love
This Pride month, Brother Bao Tang and Rainbow Family Sangha members share heartfelt reflections on nurturing inclusiveness in the Rainbow Family.