By Caleb Cushing A decade ago, on the infamous exercise yard of San Quentin State Prison, an inmate sat upright by himself along the fence. A few close friends approached and asked what he was doing. He said he was practicing Zen meditation, and they sat down with him. All…
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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…
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…
Reflections
I have found that my ability to work mindfully is directly related to the arrangement of my furniture and tools. Two years ago during a stay at Plum Village, I talked to Sister Jina about how to stretch and loosen up leg muscles to make sitting at work more comfortable. She mentioned that nothing…
The Collective Bodhisattva
Sisterhood and Brotherhood in the Twenty-First Century By Sister Annabel, True Virtue If you were to ask me what could save this planet Earth I would say not eating meat, not using fossil fuels—but only if based on sisterhood and brotherhood. Sisterhood and brotherhood come first. Whatever we do we…
Here Is the Pure Land. The Pure Land Is Here.
One day, Queen Vaidehi asked the Buddha, "Is the place with no suffering very far away?" The Buddha replied, "No, it is not far away." And then the Buddha taught the queen how to touch the land of Great Happiness in her own heart and in her own mind. We talk about "the Pure Land." In…
Letting Go
By Roberta Schnorr Sweat. I am bathed in sweat. The temperature has gone up ten degrees since breakfast. I have put on more clothes: a long sleeved “Haz-Mat” suit, huge rubber overshoe boots, and three pairs of gloves (nitrile medical gloves, covered by dishwashing gloves, covered by leather work gloves).…
The Gift of Plum
By Emily White One day, Ocean looked at Sky and thought, “I love Sky so much that I must give him a gift!” So Ocean took some of her water and made a present. She made Sky a cloud. Sky was thrilled. He loved his beautiful cloud so much that…
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…