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Monastics of Kim Son - Hand-Holding Meditation
When a novice brother holds the hand of a nun, it is not merely a personal act but also reflects the relationship between the Dharma and culture. In old Vietnam, husband and wife would not walk side by side in public; they would keep a distance of three or four meters and absolutely would not hold hands. That tradition was meant to preserve the spirit of reverence and the purity of the relationship between men and women. When receiving Western culture, it is important to maintain the essence of Vietnam—such as wearing the conical hat and brown robe when going on alms round abroad—while also being flexible in adjusting the forms of practice (eating mindfully on the ground, Hugging Meditation, ancestor ceremonies followed by hugging) to suit the new context without losing the soul of tradition.
The true spirit of practice must rely on the sangha, the precepts, and mindfulness to protect freedom and to transform instinct into the seed of Bodhi. All intimate interactions—Hugging Meditation, holding hands, internal correspondence—should only be practiced with consent and awareness, while maintaining the “red line” of the sangha’s dignity, avoiding entanglements. Bodhicitta, the shared aspiration of the Three Jewels, is the source of energy that nourishes brotherhood, enabling the sangha to be joyful and stable.
Special terms and key practices:
- Hugging Meditation: practicing mindfulness in an embrace, transforming awkwardness into the joy of presence
- Dignity: a means of protection, expressed through the precepts and mindfulness, not rigid formality
- Bodhicitta: the aspiration for enlightenment and liberation, the foundation for all practice and the building of true brotherhood
- Sangha: the community of practice that supports one another, a place to nurture and protect the freedom to practice
