With great joy and gratitude, we are happy to share the newly published Plum Village Newsletter — a fragrant offering of insights, care, and creativity from our global monastic and lay sangha. In this article, we highlight three precious treasures and share the link for you to explore more deeply.
Reclaim your Sovereignty
Thich Nhat Hanh: The territory of our person is very large. If we do not know how to bring peace and order and well-being into our territory, we cannot help a friend; we cannot help a brother or a sister to do the same. That is why to restore peace, to restore order and bring well-being into our territory is the first act of peace. Without this practice, peace outside will not be possible.
Outside is also a territory. If the territory inside is occupied, we have no more sovereignty over it and it becomes a mess. When it becomes a mess, it contributes to the situation of war outside. The territory outside is just a projection of the territory inside, because the land in which we live is a collective creation of our consciousness, of our inner self. Suppose we are 100 people who are peaceful.
We are capable of smiling and loving each other. Then, the piece of land in which we live will become peaceful. The Kingdom of God inside determines the Kingdom of God outside. Paradise is a collective manifestation, and hell is also a collective manifestation. It depends on our territory inside.
Visiting Vietnam – A Bouquet of Gifts
Brother Nhất Ấn: I didn’t have any expectations of visiting Vietnam. I had heard many things from my siblings, especially my Vietnamese siblings, of how beautiful Vietnam is. But I went with an open mind and it allowed me to take everything in. For me, the most important part of the trip was getting in touch with my spiritual ancestors.
While at the Root Temple in Hue, we joined a monastic retreat for over 400 monastics from all of our centers. It was a big retreat full of the energy of practice, of laughter, enjoyment, and togetherness.
During the monastic retreat, all the English-speaking monastics got together and had lunch outside. Even though we were eaten by mosquitos, it was so lovely. We shared our memorable moments with each other and I shared my surprise at touching my spiritual ancestors so deeply at the Root Temple.
One of the sisters asked me, “Are you Vietnamese?” I said, “No”. She said, “What do you mean then?” Indeed, when you look on the altars, it was all drawings and photos of Vietnamese patriarchs.
For me though, it wasn’t just about those spiritual ancestors, but also those who came long before that. Getting in touch with all the monastics that came before me, from the time in India when Buddhism was still flourishing and monastic life thriving. Getting in touch with those who paved the way for me to be, perhaps, the only Indian monk that many people might see in Vietnam in their lifetime, and having a lot of gratitude for that.
Awakening to Life’s Purpose – Interview with the Tulip Tree Family
Sister Tang Hanh: For me, I never asked myself, “Should I become a monastic or not?” It wasn’t really a decision. Like Sister Tri Hanh, in my family, there was no spirituality, maybe even an aversion to anything religious. Becoming a nun never crossed my mind except at times when I joked with my friends, “I’ll try out life, but if I just want to be happy, I’ll become a monk!” Not even a nun! I never seriously considered it.
I came to Plum Village quite randomly. I booked the Wake Up retreat remembering that a friend mentioned Plum Village a few years before. I was very happy at first because I found a place where I felt like I could be myself—perhaps for the first time—and be surrounded by people that are truly kind and have compassion.
The final days of the retreat were difficult because I could see more clearly the disconnect between my way of life outside the monastery and what matters most to me. I remember listening to the Big Bell Chant one evening in French, and I completely broke down and didn’t understand why. My journey has been about accepting that those aspirations are there, that this lifestyle was so aligned with everything I value.
We invite you to download the full bouquet of offerings here.
