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Thay, Brothers and Sisters Tiếp Hiện
Working with street people and those facing progressive dementias offers a chance to be a wounded healer, entering a world of shadows and misperceptions as a great opportunity. The new version of the Fourteen Precepts is introduced as the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings of the Order of Interbeing. The Vietnamese term giới is explained not as precepts, but as a means to alert, warn, prevent, and protect. Mindfulness is the essence of the precepts, and the wording has shifted from “I vow” to “I am determined to.” The concept of “Sangha eyes” is vital, allowing individuals to see themselves more clearly and profoundly through the collective insight of the community.
A four-year training program for Dharma teachers and Tiep Hien members is detailed, emphasizing that a Tiep Hien person cannot exist without a Sangha body. The Order of Interbeing comprises both monastic and non-monastic branches, requiring different structures and ways of practice. Decisions regarding ordination and Lamp Transmission are made by a council representing the whole Sangha, utilizing Sangha eyes. Thirty-nine chapters on mindful manners are available for the training of novices and lay members, offering concrete proposals for mindfulness in daily life.
Various Sanghas provide updates on publications and activities, including the Mindfulness Bell, which is transitioning to a journal to reflect in-depth experiences of transformation. The UK Sangha is publishing a Manual of Interbeing, a loose-leaf folder containing five sections:
- Practice
- Teachings
- Ceremonies
- Readings
- Information
Reports follow from German, Maple Village, Italian, Manzanita Village, Australian, Dutch, French, and Vietnamese communities, noting that the Vietnamese newsletter is read underground by tens of thousands. Local Sanghas in Washington D.C. and New York describe activities such as family retreats, morning sitting groups, and the integration of Vietnamese and American communities.