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Opportunities for Practice
I offer to the Tathagata of the three times wondrous garlands of flowers, fragrant incense, music, and adornments such as lamps, precious incense, and perfect offerings of fruits; bringing forth a mind of deep understanding and faith, following the great vows of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra to make a complete offering. Remembering the beginningless negative karma created by body, speech, and mind through greed, hatred, and ignorance, I sincerely repent; I rejoice in the merit of all beings, the Tathagatas, and the Bodhisattvas, and pray that the Venerable Ones may always abide, turn the Dharma wheel to liberate living beings, and share this merit with all species in the Dharma realm.
This coming summer, about 1,600 practitioners will return for retreat, requiring more care, guidance, and also moderation of our own time to avoid burn out. The art of service is not to work to the point of exhaustion, but to know how to preserve our energy, for we can only offer what we truly have. Every word, every gesture—whether in the office, the kitchen, or while driving—is an opportunity to practice the Bodhisattva path:
- Manjushri Bodhisattva with wisdom
- Samantabhadra Bodhisattva with action
- Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva with compassion
- Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva with courage
The story from May 11, 2001, on Yen Tu Mountain illustrates absolute mindfulness: while sitting in a hammock, Thay and Brother Thường Nghiêm discovered a snake below. Instead of chasing it away, they remained silent, sang to the snake, and invited it to contemplate “no coming, no going” in order to dwell peacefully in the present moment. Plum Village has been open for 19 years; this coming summer marks its 20th anniversary. We are preparing to edit a commemorative book, recording experiences of practice, lessons learned, and the joy of caring for and preserving our energy, taking refuge in the Sangha, and planting seeds of compassion and understanding in our daily lives.