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Building a Sangha
The land of emptiness, the country of the present moment, is an “unconquerable nation”—it is lost only when we no longer wish to dwell there, and it is restored only when we invest our whole heart and energy into it. When we abandon the present moment, whether for a few times a day or for many years, we lose our citizenship in that land, and it is very rare to regain it in this lifetime if we do not cherish it.
Within the Sangha exists a collective energy capable of healing both individual and collective wounds. A retreat—especially the three-month Winter Retreat—must be organized with the highest priority given to living together, so that:
- wounds have the opportunity to heal,
- brotherhood and sisterhood in the community are strengthened,
- only what has been refined and is beautiful is transmitted.
Key points emphasized:
- only transmit what is fully ripe, to avoid sowing further suffering,
- the strength of the Sangha is increased when technology is a tool, not a master,
- celebrating 25 years of Plum Village with 2,500 English books sold out and a second edition being printed,
- Thay’s health has improved after treatment with Mycostatin and Flagyl for fungal and bacterial infections,
- in the spirit of mindfulness, chanting and meditation songs also help nourish the energy of healing.
Sangha and the Laser Beam