Monday, August 3, we will meet online.
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Dear Friends,
This week, we will meet Monday evening, August 3, from 7-8:30PM ET online; Wednesday morning, August 5, from 7-8AM ET in person at our meditation space (3812 Northampton Street NW); Thursday morning, August 6, from 7-8AM ET online; and Friday, August 7, 12-1PM ET online.
On Monday evening, Camille will guide our meditation. She shares:
This week we will focus on the first half of the chapter “The Blossoming of Plum Village” in the book At Home in the World by Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay).
In this chapter, we learn about the hardships Thay and others faced as they worked with the Buddhist Peace Delegation to help refugees in France and also those suffering in Vietnam. We also learn about the founding of the Plum Village Mindfulness Practice Center in France: how they acquired the land, worked very hard to renovate dilapidated buildings, planted numerous plum trees, and were blessed with the help of kind neighbors.
While the first years at Plum Village were very hard, Thay shares how, with the practice of mindfulness, he found happiness in sharing tea meditation, singing songs and sharing poems, writing and binding books, sitting and walking, and enjoying those who came to Plum Village to share in the practice.
A particular passage that resonated with me was the passage where Thay writes about losing a good friend and neighbor who had helped tremendously in the early days of Plum Village. It was a painful time for him, and he found that he could not sleep. Even after practicing breathing amongst his beloved cedar trees, he still could not sleep. Finally, he brought to mind a young child who came to Plum Village who was so cute and delightful that everyone wanted to be around her. When her image came into his mind, he practiced breathing and smiling, and shortly thereafter he fell asleep. He shares how remembering experiences can give us strength in painful times:
Each of us needs a reserve of memories and experiences that are beautiful, healthy, and strong enough to help us during difficult moments. Sometimes when the pain in us is so big, we cannot truly touch life’s wonders. We need help. But if we have a strong storehouse of happy memories and experiences, we can bring them to mind to help us embrace the block of pain inside.
You may have a friend who is very close to you and who understands you deeply. Just being with them, without saying anything is already a great comfort. In difficult moments you can invite the image of your friend to come up into your consciousness, and the two of you can breathe together. You will feel better right away.
Whenever you are with your friend, you are able to reestablish the balance with you. That is why when you are sitting or walking with them, you need to practice mindfulness so that you experience their presence deeply. This will help you to find your inner strength in order to feel solid when you are alone again. But if you just use your friend’s presence to ease your suffering, the memory of them will not be strong enough to sustain you when you return home. Every positive experience we live deeply, in full awareness, is like a wholesome seed planted in our consciousness. We need to practice mindfulness all the time so that we can plant healing, positive seeds in ourselves. Then, when we need them, they will be able to take care of us.
While my mom passed away earlier this year, I continue to carry with me so many memories and experiences of her that bring me happiness. When I am sad or not feeling grounded, I sit and breathe and remember a silly story or a funny phrase she shared. She loved flowers, so seeing lotuses blooming at a local garden brought a vivid memory of her planting in our garden growing up. It makes me smile just writing this and thinking about her. She is with me when I sit, walk, breathe, garden, and practice mindfulness. The positive seeds in me began with her.
On Monday evening, we can enjoy reading some passages from the book together and sharing our reflections on this or other parts of the book that we have read or enjoyed. We can share how we might understand better what helps us find strength and solidity during stressful or painful times.
I look forward to seeing you on Monday night.
Much love,
Camille