By Peter Smith When the tree died, she continued as a violin, a chopping board, and a floorboard. At first the violin was very content. She felt grateful for the skill, care, and love with which she had been crafted. But, over time, the violin started to feel a little…
Search results for “is nothing something”
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Always at the Beginning
My First Retreat Experience By Haven Tobias A friend and I set out from Oklahoma, bound for the Rocky Mountains, and my first mindfulness retreat. Two years before I knew nothing of Buddhism or Thich Nhat Hanh. Now, I still feel uninformed, but trust my friend, Marla, and my well-intentioned…
Practicing Reverence for Life
By David Gates Snail at Cabo da Roca; photo by David Gates Reverence for life is a simple three-word phrase reverberating with meaning and truth, perhaps more than any other three words possibly could. At least that is how it struck me in 2010 when I discovered the Five Mindfulness…
Practicing Acceptance
By Svein Myreng I was born with an organic heart disease that has limited my physical activity and more than once has brought me to the brink of death. Mental aspects of this handicap have, on the whole, been hardest to handle. The gap between my wish to be active and the limits set…
Full Moon Ceremony with Plum Village
By Joann Malone and Patrick Smith calligraphy by Thich Nhat Hanh; photo by David Nelson Ten years ago this summer, my husband and I learned a mindfulness practice at Plum Village that has since nourished our home and our marriage. The leader of our Avatamsaka family group, Shantum Seth, suggested…
Family Day at Deer Park
On December 17, 2006, Deer Park held its first family day of mindfulness. The intent was to offer a full day of activities for both parents and children to enjoy together. Since January 2006, we have offered a regular children’s program at Deer Park, on every first and third Sunday.…
Letter from the Editor
Dear Thay, dear Sangha, While this issue was coming together, I spent an evening reading our teacher’s poetry on his experiences in war. Afterward, I dreamt that people in my community were drafted into military service and a war was going to break out within a few days. I was…
True Love, the Greatest Relief
By Katherine Cook I found myself ambivalent about going to the retreat I had signed up for so many months in advance. I feared the size of the crowd (450 people) and my own internal formations about "not being good enough." After consulting a good friend, I decided to make the leap and go…
Watering Seeds: An Exercise for Children
By Terry Masters This is an exercise I have done with the children I teach. Please adapt it to work in your situation. The teacher’s comments are in bold, the children’s responses are in italics. Here is what each child will need to do this experiment:2 clear wide mouth jars…
Solidity and Generosity
A Retreat for the U.S. Congress By Susan Hadler Dharma talk at Warner Theater; photo by Abbie Chesler Word came from Sister Peace that Thay and the Plum Village Sangha would visit Washington, DC toward the end of their North American tour in October 2011. Thay would offer a talk…