Dear friends,
This week: we will meet Monday from 7-8:30PM EDT online, Wednesday morning from 7-8AM EDT in person at the AU Labyrinth in honor of Earth Day, and Friday 12-1PM EDT online.
Magda will facilitate Monday night.
DHARMA EYES
“But when our ‘spiritual eyes’ are opened, we never lose the ability to see the wonder of all dharmas, all things” (Thich Nhat Hanh, Fragrant Palm Leaves, p. 102).
On my recent pilgrimage to Vietnam to commemorate the second anniversary of Thich Nhat Hanh’s (Thay’s) continuation, I do my best to view everything with dharma eyes. My entire experience at Phoung Boi, the retreat founded by Thay at the Dai Lao Mountain in the B’su Danglu forest, feels like an act of mindfulness.
At the start of the visit, Sister Tue Nghiem asks us to serve as Thay’s continuation: “Wherever we sit, Thay sat at the very spot. Wherever we walk, we are walking in Thay’s footsteps. Let’s enjoy the place with Thay’s feet, Thay’s eyes, Thay’s ears, and Thay’s heart.” Having read Thay’s book Fragrant Palm Leaves, where he describes this hermitage vividly and with nostalgia, I try to take in every detail through my physical and spiritual eyes. Feeling extremely privileged, I aspire, through my writing as well as the accompanying illustration, to share Phuong Boi with those who would have loved to be here but could not.