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Communication in the Sangha
The happiness of a monastic does not come from power, fame, or wealth, but lies in solidity and freedom in the heart. Solidity means not being swept away by unwholesome paths such as fame, profit, power, or sensual desire; freedom means being free from craving, hatred, doubt, jealousy, and fear. The greatest success is inner freedom and peace, when there is no longer any longing and happiness is already complete in the present moment.
The success of the Sangha is based on true brotherhood between teacher and student, brothers and sisters in an ordination family. The love of the teacher is only meaningful when accompanied by brotherly love, accepting each other as blood siblings. At Plum Village and practice centers such as Maison de l’Inspir, the organizational structure includes:
- the Great Precepts Council (bhikshus, bhikshunis), which decides all matters related to the happiness of the Sangha
- a smaller Executive Council elected by the community to carry out the decisions
- the Dharma Teacher Council, responsible for building the teaching schedule and proposing practice programs, but all must be approved by the Great Precepts Council
All practices are aimed at building brotherhood and maintaining peace of mind, in which mindful breathing meditation and the Discourse on the Four Establishments of Mindfulness teach four domains of mindfulness:
- mindfulness of the body (contemplating the whole body)
- mindfulness of feelings (contemplating painful, pleasant, neutral, and collective feelings)
- mindfulness of the mind (perceptions)
- mindfulness of objects of mind (objects such as life, death, happiness, suffering)
The Anapanasati Sutra (Mindful Breathing) is the basic Dharma door, encouraging us to breathe in knowing we are breathing in, breathe out knowing we are breathing out, to bring the mind back to the present moment, nourish body and mind, and relax the whole body, thereby activating the capacity for self-healing and maintaining peace in every moment.