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Suffering Nourishes Happiness, The Miracle of the Sangha
This year, the Winter Retreat at Plum Village takes the theme of happiness and the art of being happy, in which:
- happiness is always linked with suffering; suffering is the background that allows us to recognize happiness
- the capacity to be happy is our most precious strength, not entirely dependent on material conditions
- mindfulness helps us to recognize moments of happiness as they are happening, and this capacity can be transmitted to others
Thay gave the example of illness—persistent coughing and hospitalization in Boston—to illustrate: by going through suffering, Thay learned to cherish each healthy breath; during treatment, the sangha came together to care for Thay, and even though it was difficult, happiness could still be found in the midst of hardship. The Bat Nha incident and the Colorado retreat showed that the strength of the sangha far surpasses individual talent, creating miracles through collective awareness and each person wholeheartedly fulfilling their part.
Regarding sangha activities, there are two points to note:
- the incident of the second letter shows the danger of division arising from suspicion, turning views into attachments—we need to use wisdom to verify directly, and avoid making unfounded assumptions
- forms of ceremony (prostrations, wearing the sanghati, receiving the precepts, the 10 mindful movements…) must be decided based on the principle of being simple enough to preserve the essence, flexible according to the culture and needs of each retreat, not following trends and forgetting the original source.
