This is an overview of the Sharing Groups that it is helpful to read over before each sharing session, and also reference during sharing sessions as needed. For a printable version of these guidelines, please see here.
➡️ Roles: Spend a moment at the start of the session agreeing on who will take each role below. You can also do this prior to the session, using the chat feature in your group. We encourage you to alternate who does a role each session.
- 🔔 Bell keeper: To invite the bell at the start of a session three times, just before sharing once, and at the end of the session. Plus, anyone in the group can ask the person Bell Keeper to sound the bell additional times, if needed to support the group. If you don’t have a physical bell, you can use the Plum Village App. (Please note: In order to be able to hear the bell over Zoom, you need to enable the ‘original sound’ setting on Zoom – details here.)
- 📖 Reader: Read out loud for the group the Deep Listening and Loving Speech points (below) and the prompt question for the week (found under Course tab> relevant week> Live Group Sharing Sessions). You can also copy these points into the Zoom chatbox as a reminder throughout the session.
- ⌛ Timekeeper: To help ensure session keeps to an hour, and to time when each person is sharing, and to send a message or make a hand signal to let someone know if they exceed the 5 minutes maximum advised time per person’s sharing.
⏱️ Process: Follow these timings as a guide for your group sharing sessions.
- 1 minute: Bell
- Three sounds of the bell for a moment of shared silence and breathing.
- 10 minutes: Check in
- Share your name, pronouns, where you are based;
- Follow with 1 sentence about how you are feeling right now;
- You can name another person to hand to during the check in;
- (In the first session, you may like to take slightly longer to get to know each other during the check-in and then you will just need to be mindful of adjusting time in the following sections).
- 2 minutes: Reading guidelines and prompt
- The Reader reads aloud the Deep Listening and Loving Speech points below
- The Reader also reads aloud the prompt question from Brother Phap Linh (found under Course tab> relevant week> Live Group Sharing Sessions)
- Followed by a sound of the bell from the Bell Keeper to open the sharing
- 45 minutes: Open sharing
- Based on the prompt question of the week. Sharing can be done popcorn style, meaning sharing when you’d like to, not everyone has to share and silence is also welcome.
- Throughout open sharing please practice deep listening and loving speech (see guidelines below).
- To close:
- Bell keeper can invite one sound of bell to close.
💚 Deep Listening and Loving Speech Guidelines:
- Share from your heart – this is not the space to discuss theories, even Buddhist ones 😉.
- Signal when you want to start and finish sharing – with a bow 🙏 a hand on your heart ❤️ a wave 👋🏾 or however you would like.
- Listen deeply, without interrupting.
- Don’t respond directly to what has been shared by others – it’s not a conversation.
- No advice! We’re not here to fix each other.
- Silence is welcome.
- Anyone can invite the bell keeper to sound the bell when needed.
- Keep everything shared confidential.
🐣 Helpful Tips:
- New tip: The reader / anyone in your group can copy the deep listening and loving speech points above into the Zoom chatbox as a reminder throughout the session.
- Refrain from a second sharing until everyone else has shared.
- In order to make sure there is enough time for everyone to share, don’t speak for more than 5 minutes maximum (you may find it supportive to time yourself or have a group timekeeper, as mentioned above, or anyone in the group can pop a chick emoji 🐣 in the chat if someone is going over 5 minutes).
- Remember the prompt question of the week.
- We also ask that everyone respect our safeguarding guidelines in sharing groups, to help the group remain a safe space for all members.
- Enjoy the practice, let things flow and feel into what feels wise in the moment.
Please check out the Frequently Asked Questions for further details, and get in touch with zasp@plumvillage.org if anything is unclear.
This is an overview of the Sharing Groups that it is helpful to read over before each sharing session, and also reference during sharing sessions as needed. For a printable version of these guidelines, please see here.
➡️ Roles: Spend a moment at the start of the session agreeing on who will take each role below. You can also do this prior to the session, using the chat feature in your group. We encourage you to alternate who does a role each session.
- 🔔 Bell keeper: To invite the bell at the start of a session three times, just before sharing once, and at the end of the session. Plus, anyone in the group can ask the person Bell Keeper to sound the bell additional times, if needed to support the group. If you don’t have a physical bell, you can use the Plum Village App. (Please note: In order to be able to hear the bell over Zoom, you need to enable the ‘original sound’ setting on Zoom – details here.)
- 📖 Reader: Read out loud for the group the Deep Listening and Loving Speech points (below) and the prompt question for the week (found under Course tab> relevant week> Live Group Sharing Sessions). You can also copy these points into the Zoom chatbox as a reminder throughout the session.
- ⌛ Timekeeper: To help ensure session keeps to an hour, and to time when each person is sharing, and to send a message or make a hand signal to let someone know if they exceed the 5 minutes maximum advised time per person’s sharing.
⏱️ Process: Follow these timings as a guide for your group sharing sessions.
- 1 minute: Bell
- Three sounds of the bell for a moment of shared silence and breathing.
- 10 minutes: Check in
- Share your name, pronouns, where you are based;
- Follow with 1 sentence about how you are feeling right now;
- You can name another person to hand to during the check in;
- (In the first session, you may like to take slightly longer to get to know each other during the check-in and then you will just need to be mindful of adjusting time in the following sections).
- 2 minutes: Reading guidelines and prompt
- The Reader reads aloud the Deep Listening and Loving Speech points below
- The Reader also reads aloud the prompt question from Brother Phap Linh (found under Course tab> relevant week> Live Group Sharing Sessions)
- Followed by a sound of the bell from the Bell Keeper to open the sharing
- 45 minutes: Open sharing
- Based on the prompt question of the week. Sharing can be done popcorn style, meaning sharing when you’d like to, not everyone has to share and silence is also welcome.
- Throughout open sharing please practice deep listening and loving speech (see guidelines below).
- To close:
- Bell keeper can invite one sound of bell to close.
💚 Deep Listening and Loving Speech Guidelines:
- Share from your heart – this is not the space to discuss theories, even Buddhist ones 😉.
- Signal when you want to start and finish sharing – with a bow 🙏 a hand on your heart ❤️ a wave 👋🏾 or however you would like.
- Listen deeply, without interrupting.
- Don’t respond directly to what has been shared by others – it’s not a conversation.
- No advice! We’re not here to fix each other.
- Silence is welcome.
- Anyone can invite the bell keeper to sound the bell when needed.
- Keep everything shared confidential.
🐣 Helpful Tips:
- New tip: The reader / anyone in your group can copy the deep listening and loving speech points above into the Zoom chatbox as a reminder throughout the session.
- Refrain from a second sharing until everyone else has shared.
- In order to make sure there is enough time for everyone to share, don’t speak for more than 5 minutes maximum (you may find it supportive to time yourself or have a group timekeeper, as mentioned above, or anyone in the group can pop a chick emoji 🐣 in the chat if someone is going over 5 minutes).
- Remember the prompt question of the week.
- We also ask that everyone respect our safeguarding guidelines in sharing groups, to help the group remain a safe space for all members.
- Enjoy the practice, let things flow and feel into what feels wise in the moment.
Please check out the Frequently Asked Questions for further details, and get in touch with zasp@plumvillage.org if anything is unclear.