We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track. If this problem persists help us by reporting it so we can investigate it.
Watch this talk
Login or create a free account to watch this talk and discover other teachings from Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh.
Log in or create an account
Returning to Refuge
Right after his enlightenment, the Buddha sought out his five former ascetic friends in the Deer Park, among whom was Venerable Kaundinya. Through his teaching on the Four Noble Truths, Venerable Kaundinya attained awakening, forming the original Sangha of six people. This Sangha lived simply: three would go on alms round while three stayed at home to practice. Within just a few months, their number grew to sixty; in the first year, the number of ordained practitioners reached 1,250. When entering Rajagaha, the Sangha already had 1,250 members, and later it grew even larger, including not only monks and nuns but also laymen and laywomen, forming the Fourfold Community. For over 2,600 years, that Sangha has continued to exist, carrying on the Buddha’s legacy through the practice of mindfulness, concentration, and the arising of insight.
The Sangha is seen as a spiritual family, complementing our blood family, a place where each person practices, cares for, and heals suffering together. Through this practice, we do not fall into hell, the realm of hungry ghosts, or the animal realm right in this very life. Today, the Plum Village Sangha has about 800 members across Europe, America, and Asia, each practicing two essential foundations:
-
- The Four Recollections
- Recollection of the Buddha
- Recollection of the Dharma
- Recollection of the Sangha
- Recollection of the Precepts
-
- The Five Mindfulness Trainings
- Not killing
- Not stealing
- Not engaging in sexual misconduct
- Not lying
- Not consuming intoxicants
If we sincerely practice the Four Recollections and the Five Mindfulness Trainings, we are protected by the living energy of the Three Jewels, we overcome fear, and we build peace and liberation in this very life.
