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The Plum Blossom Assembly
The seed of Dharma teaching blossoms
The story of the almond tree, bare of leaves in the midst of winter, suddenly bursting into radiant bloom like rows of pristine white apricot blossoms—teaching the Dharma not through words, but through the presence of our own being. When asked about love, happiness, God, the Buddha, the Dharma, or the Sangha, we need only stand there and let flowers bloom from our eyes, our ears, our mouth, and each finger. The view that transcends time and space, the view beyond this life, shows us that flowers never truly fade.
Mother Earth teaches us patience, to let go of superficial beauty, to endure the cold winter night and then store up vitality for the spring to surge forth. Prajñā and dāna pāramitā are the practices of blooming in every moment, from the midday meal to transforming garbage into compost and flowers. At Plum Village, we practice ending the use of plastic bags and reducing waste.
The embodiment of Avalokiteshvara in deep listening and the journey to India
The telephone is like the ear of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara; we practice compassionate listening and deep, continuous listening in order to respond in a timely way and with gentle, loving speech.
The journey from February 19–23, 1997, in India with more than 1,500 people attending four Dharma talks in Madras and New Delhi, included:
- Meeting Vice President Narayanan, proposing a mindfulness bell and a short document on loving speech in Parliament
- Visiting the Jain bird hospital in Old Delhi, practicing compassion for all species
- Walking meditation and Dharma talk at Bodh Gaya, Bakraur village, offering “Old Path White Clouds” in Hindi and English
- Climbing Vulture Peak, sitting meditation, reciting the Five Mindfulness Trainings, ordination ceremony, and building a mindful Sangha as a foundation for aspiration and the spreading of the Dharma door everywhere