The Full Awareness of Breathing
The Full Awareness of Breathing
Issue 53 $8/8/6
A R e t R e At w i t h
A Fruitful Relationship
June 3-8, 2010 (with German translation)
June 15-19, 2010 (with Dutch translation)
All of us wish to relate well with ourselves, our family, our community and the world.
To relate well with ourselves is to be able to recognize, understand and embrace
our body and mind. Once we can do this, we can more easily embrace others. These
retreats include a program for children 6-12 and for teens 13-17.
Visit www.eiab.eu
for more information about our
upcoming courses taught by both
lay and monastic Dharma Teachers,
and for our Course Catalog with
a full description of all courses.
European Institute of Applied Buddhism A retreat with Thich Nhat Hanh 12/04/09
MINDFULNESS BELL: 1/2 PAGE AD 7.25 (w) x 4.375 (h) (no bleed) CMYK
2010
R E T R E ATS
May 18
May 30 to June 23
V I S I T P L U M V I L L AG E . O R G F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N .
GERMANY
PLUM VILLAGE SUMMER RETREAT
July 7August 4
ENGLAND
August 9-20
SOUTHEAST ASIA
(SINGAPORE, MALAYSIA, INDONESIA,
THAILAND, HONG KONG)
September 6 - November 15
Dharma Talk
4
35 Releasing Regret
37 Moms Haiku
38 Touching Sunlight
40 Mourning My Daughter
By Patricia Webb
By Sheila Klein
By Peter Smith
By Starr DiCiurcio
By Janice Rubin
Embracing Vietnam
18 Support Monastics in Vietnam
By Susan OLeary, Mitchell Ratner, and
Members of the Monastic Community
Mindful Living
25 New Habits, New Life:
A Winter Retreat at Home
28 Bees in Lavender
By Alexis Roberts
Sangha News
44 Seeding Hope and Peace
Reviews
46 Happiness: Essential
Mindfulness Practices
By Thich Nhat Hanh
Winter/Spring 2010
Sister Annabel
Managing Editor
Natascha Bruckner
Associate Editor
Janelle Combelic
Design
LuminArts
Subscriptions & Advertising
David Percival
Webmaster
Brandy Sacks
Advisory Board
Volunteers
2 Winter/Spring 2010
s h a rin g o u r V I E W S
d har m a TAL K
Sutra on the
Full Awareness of Breathing
Dharma Talk at Stonehill College, Massachusetts
August 16, 2009
4 Winter/Spring 2010
d h a rma TA L K
Today is the last day of our five-day retreat. We will speak about
the sixteen exercises proposed by the Buddha on mindful
breathing.
The first four exercises are about practicing with the body.
The second set of four are practicing with feelings. The third set
of four are practicing with the mind. And the last four are about
practicing with the objects of mind.
Body-Centered Practice
The first exercise is to identify the in-breath and out-breath.
Breathing in, I know this is my in-breath. Breathing out, I know
this is my out-breath. To recognize my in-breath as in-breath.
The second is to follow my in-breath all the way through.
By doing so, I keep my mindfulness and concentration strong. I
preserve my mindfulness and concentration during the whole time
of my in-breath and my out-breath.
The third exercise is: Breathing in, I am aware of my whole
body. This exercise will bring mind and body together. With mind
and body together, we are truly established in the here and the now,
and we can live our life deeply in each moment.
The fourth exercise is to release tension in our body. These
four exercises help the body to be peaceful. They help us to take
care of our body.
d har m a TAL K
Discourse on the
Full Awareness of Breathing
O bhikkhus, the full awareness of breathing, if
developed and practiced continuously, will be
rewarding and bring great advantages. It will lead
to success in practicing the Four Establishments
of Mindfulness. If the method of the Four
Establishments of Mindfulness is developed and
practiced continuously, it will lead to success in
the practice of the Seven Factors of Awakening.
The Seven Factors of Awakening, if developed and
practiced continuously, will give rise to understanding
and liberation of the mind.
What is the way to develop and practice
continuously the method of Full Awareness of
Breathing so that the practice will be rewarding and
offer great benefit?
It is like this, bhikkhus: the practitioner goes into the
forest or to the foot of a tree, or to any deserted place,
sits stably in the lotus position, holding his or her
body quite straight, and practices like this: Breathing
in, I know I am breathing in. Breathing out, I know I
am breathing out.
1. Breathing in a long breath, I know I am
breathing in a long breath. Breathing out a long
breath, I know I am breathing out a long breath.
2. Breathing in a short breath, I know I am
breathing in a short breath. Breathing out a short
breath, I know I am breathing out a short breath.
3. Breathing in, I am aware of my whole body.
Breathing out, I am aware of my whole body. He
or she practices like this.
4. Breathing in, I calm my whole body. Breathing
out, I calm my whole body. He or she practices
like this.
5. Breathing in, I feel joyful. Breathing out, I feel
joyful. He or she practices like this.
6. Breathing in, I feel happy. Breathing out, I feel
happy. He or she practices like this.
7. Breathing in, I am aware of my mental
formations. Breathing out, I am aware of my
mental formations. He or she practices like this.
The twelfth exercise is to liberate the mind. The mind is tied up, caught
by the afflictions of sorrow, of fear, of anger, of discrimination. That is why
we need the sword of concentration in order to cut away all these binding
forces.
d h a rma TA L K
long time, and that she will be always the same. Everything is changing
every moment, like a river, and yet you still think of her as she was twenty
years ago. If you are unable to touch her in the present moment, you are
not in touch with the truth of impermanence.
Using mind consciousness, you need to meditate to touch the true nature
of impermanence. You need the concentration, the insight of impermanence
rather than the notion of impermanence to liberate you.
The notion of impermanence may be an instrument which can help
bring about an insight into impermanence. In the same way, a match is not a
flame, but a match can bring about a flame. When you have the flame, it will
consume the match. What you need is the flame and not the match. What you
need for your liberation is the insight of impermanence and not the notion
of impermanence. But in the beginning the notion, the teaching of impermanence can help to bring the insight of impermanence. When the insight
of impermanence is there, it burns up the notion of impermanence.
Most of us get caught in notions when we learn Buddhism. We dont
know how to make skillful use of these teachings in order to bring about
insight. We have to practice. While sitting, walking, reading, drinking, we
are concentrating on the nature of impermanence. That is the only way
to touch the insight of impermanence. Concentration means to keep that
awareness alive, moment after moment, to maintain it for a long time. Only
concentration can bring insight and liberate you.
Suppose you and your husband disagree about something. You are angry
and are about to have a fight. Suffering is in you, suffering is in him, and the
mind is not free. To free yourselves from anger, you need concentration. Let
us try the concentration on impermanence. You close your eyes. Breathing
in, I visualize my beloved one 300 years from now. What will he become
in 300 years? What will I become in 300 years? You can touch the reality
of impermanence. We have a limited time together, and we are wasting it
with our anger, with our discrimination. Thats not very intelligent.
When you visualize both of you 300 years from now, you touch the
nature of impermanence and you see how unwise you are to hold on to your
anger. It may take only one in-breath or one out-breath to touch the nature
of impermanence in you and in him. With that insight of impermanence
you are free from your anger. Breathing in, I know I am still alive and he
is still alive. When you open your eyes, the only thing you want to do is
to take him into your arms.
d har m a TAL K
is dangerous and you risk damaging your body and your mind.
If you know how to be in the present moment, happiness can be
obtained right away.
No Birth, No Death
The fifteenth exercise is contemplating nirvana. This is real
concentration. This concentration can help us touch the deep
wisdom, the nature of reality that will be able to liberate us from
fear and anger and despair.
In Buddhism the word nirvana means extinction. Nirvana is
not a place you can go. Nirvana is not in the future. Nirvana is the
nature of reality as it is. Nirvana is available in the here and the
now. You are in nirvana. Its like a wave arising on the surface of
the ocean. A wave is made of water, but sometimes she forgets.
A wave is supposed to have a beginning, an end. A coming up,
a going down. A wave can be higher or lower than other waves,
more beautiful or less beautiful than other waves. And if the wave
is caught by these notionsbeginning, ending, coming up, going
down, more or less beautifulshe will suffer a lot.
But if the wave realizes she is water, she enjoys going up,
and she enjoys going down. She enjoys being this wave, and she
enjoys being the other wave. No discrimination, no fear at all.
And she doesnt have to go and look for water; she is water in the
present moment.
Our true nature is the nature of no beginning, no end, no birth,
no death. If we know how to touch our true nature of no birth and
no death, there is no fear. There is no anger, there is no despair.
Because our true nature is the nature of nirvana. We have been
nirvanas from the non-beginning.
While breathing in, you keep your concentration on impermanence alive. And while breathing out, you keep your concentration
on impermanence alive, until you make a breakthrough into the
heart of reality. The object of your observation may be a cloud, a
pebble, a flower, a person you love, a person you hate, it may be
your self, it may be your pain, your sorrow. Anything can serve
as the object of our meditation.
Contemplating Non-Desire
The fourteenth exercise is contemplating non-desire, noncraving. It has to do with manas, that level of our consciousness
that always runs toward pleasure. If you look deeply into the
object of your craving, you will see its not worth running after.
Instead, being in the present moment, you can be truly happy and
safe with all the conditions of happiness that are already available. Because manas ignores the dangers of pleasure-seeking, this
exercise is to help manas to enlighten, to see that pleasure-seeking
8 Winter/Spring 2010
d h a rma TA L K
To the children we said that before the date of their birth, they
already existed in the womb of their mother. They spent about nine
months in the womb of their mother. So its not true to say that they
began to exist on the day of their birth. The birth certificate is not
correct. But did you begin to exist at the moment of conception?
Before your conception, you already existed at least half in your
father and half in your mother. You have not come from nothing,
from non-being. You have always been there in one form or another.
So your nature is the nature of no birth.
mental formation.
Extinction, nirvana, means the extinction of all notions, including the notion of birth and death, the notion of being and non-being.
We remove all views, all notions. That is the job of the fifteenth
exercise.
There are theologians who say that God is the ground of being.
But if God is the ground of being, who will be the ground of nonbeing? God transcends both notions of being and non-being. The
fifteenth exercise is to remove, to transcend all kinds of notions.
True happiness, non-fear, is possible only when all these notions
are removed.
Imagine our beautiful wave. She now recognizes that she is
water, and knowing that she is water she is no longer afraid of beginning, ending, coming up, going down. She enjoys every moment. She
doesnt have to go and look for water; she is water. Our true nature is
the nature of no birth and no death, no being and no non-being.
The sixteenth exercise is to throw away, to release all these notions, and to be completely free.
The Sutra on Mindful Breathing offers sixteen exercises on
mindful breathing that cover four areas of life: body, feelings, mind,
and objects of mind. We can use the sutra as a manual to practice
meditation. Together with the sutra called the Four Foundations of
Mindfulness, the Sutra on Mindful Breathing is very precious. A
real gift from the Buddha. In the Plum Village Chanting Book, you
can read both the Sutra on Mindful Breathing and the Sutra on the
Four Establishments of Mindfulness, which are common in every
school of Buddhism.
Dear friends, as I told the children, the Sangha is always there.
It is a joy when you see the Sangha manifesting like this. Please continue with your practice. Please share the practice with your friends
and help bring joy and peace and hope to our society. Continue to
be a torch. Each of you is a continuation of the Buddha. We should
keep the Buddha alive, the Dharma alive, the Sangha alive in every
moment of our daily lives.
When you go home, please do your best to set up a group of
practitioners in order to have a refuge for many people who live in
your area.
photo by Paul Davis
The Miracle
of Sangha
Winter/Spring 2010
mira c le o f SAN G H A
mira c le o f SAN G H A
Every Waking
Moment
By Mariann Taigman
12 Winter/Spring 2010
mira c le o f SAN G H A
In the
Eyes of
the Sangha
By Soren Kisiel
As we became
used to seeing
Thay in each monk
and nun, we began
to look for him in
every one of us.
14 Winter/Spring 2010
mi ra cl e of S AN GHA
persons eyes, in each smile, in each gentle step.
His presence permeated the retreat. Something
very precious was taking place. We all felt it. We
discussed this in our Dharma groups. Here was
interbeing, right before our eyes. Thay and the
Sangha were one and the same. We and the Sangha
were one and the same. Here was Thay, present
with each of us, in each of us.
You think you are here to ordain with Thay, I said to myself, but that is a misperception. You are here to ordain with the
Sangha.
d h a rma TA L K
my brother
is listening
I can see myself in his eyes
The Be-In celebration that evening was filled with light and
love and joy. We had seen something in one another and in ourselves. The energy of our smiles filled the room to bursting. The
bears in the hills, Im quite certain, could hear our laughter.
dragonflies
dazzled with one another
late summer in the Rockies
The first time I wore my brown jacket at the retreat, shortly
after ordination, a woman stopped me and asked me to instruct her
in walking meditation. I was thrilled at the opportunity to share.
After some initial guidance, we walked together. Picture
lotuses blooming in each footstep, I told her quietly, paraphrasing
Thay. You are leaving a path of lotuses behind you.
She breathed deeply at the image and smiled, eyes wet. I knew
in that moment she saw Thay
in me. And, in that moment,
I could too. Gratitude flooded
through me, deep and strong.
And my eyes, too, filled with
tears.
Soren Kisiel, True Land
of Serenity, was ordained
last summer, and is part of
the Deer Park Dharmacast
team. His home Sanghas
are the Open Way and
Flowing Mountain Sanghas
in Montana.
a dewdrop
has fallen into the lake
photo by Paul Davis
A Living Thay
By Caleb Lazaro
By Trish Nelson
16 Winter/Spring 2010
mira c le o f SAN G H A
e m br acing VIETNAM
Support
Monastics
in Vietnam
By Susan OLeary,
Mitchell Ratner, and Members of
the Monastic Community
18 Winter/Spring 2010
World governments have been responding to the situation. In October the U.S. Embassy made an official visit to Phuoc Hue Temple to
express concern. On November 26, the European Parliament passed a
resolution condemning the expulsion of the monastics from Bat Nha
and urging the Vietnamese government to curb its violations of freedom of expression, religion, and assembly. The United Nations Human
Rights Council has recommended sending a United Nations Special
Rapporteur to Vietnam to examine the situation.
As we go to press, the situation appears to again be worsening.
Signs indicate that the Vietnamese governments intention is to break
up the Bat Nha community, and to force the monks and nuns practicing in the tradition of Plum Village to renounce their vows and leave
the monastic life.
How you can help:
1) Practice diligently so as to nourish the energies of equanimity,
compassion, and non-duality.
2) Deepen your understanding of the situation of the Bat Nha
monastics through following the HelpBatNha website (www.HelpBatNha.org) and through studying other sources. A useful source is the
United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Annual
Report, http://www.uscirf.gov/images/AR2009/final%20ar2009%20
with%20cover.pdf.
3) Develop and maintain relations with your national government
and national representatives, keeping them informed of new developments and suggesting concrete actions they could take. The governments who have expressed concern have done so after being contacted
by Sangha members.
4) Contribute to the Help Bat Nha fund, which will be used to support the monastics in Vietnam as well as pay for the operational costs of
international support efforts. (Contribute at www.HelpBatNha.org.)
5) Send a message of support to the Bat Nha monks and nuns at:
[email protected].
e mb ra c in g V I E T NA M
The Last
Walking
Meditation
By a Young Monastic Sister from
Bat Nha Monastery
We never thought that this would be our last walking meditation on this lovely piece of land that was full of life.The atmosphere
was still peaceful, and everyone was ready for the next activity,
a Day of Mindfulness. For our class, The Heart of the Buddhas
Teachings, the topic of the four nutriments was going to be presented, but it had to be cancelled.Perhaps that presentation became
the non-verbal Dharma talk, manifesting its insights through our
love and profound brotherhood and sisterhood.
At 8:00 a.m., all of us returned to our rooms and sat on our
own beds, waiting. I did not know what I was waiting for; I only
thought of it as a routine Sunday schedule. Over the last few
months, there had been no Sunday when we were not shouted
and cursed at. We only knew to sit still and keep our minds calm
and receptive.
At 9:00 a.m., wethe sisters in the Mountain Cloud Hamlet
received the news that the brothers hamlet, Fragrant Palm Leaf
Hamlet, was being attacked.Everything was being destroyed and
thrown into the rain.A number of elder and younger brothers were
dragged outside and driven away. We were shocked by the news,
and we did not believe that it could be true.Soon after that, I saw
one elder brother and one young novice running toward Mountain
Cloud Hamlet in soaking wet robes.They only had enough time
to bring their Sanghatis [monastic ceremonial robes] wrapped on
their shoulders.
Victims of Ignorance
At 10:30 a.m., we were allowed to take our food.I was on
the cleaning team, so I stayed back to clean up and put things
away before I went to eat.As soon as I sat down on the straw mat
and picked up my alms bowl, I was told to get my things immediately.All of us put down our alms bowls and went to pack our
belongings.We only thought about bringing our Sanghatis, alms
bowls, monastic certificates, and identification cards.It would be
all right if people came and took the rest of our belongings for their
own use.We understood that they were only victims of poverty
and constant struggle.They were unfortunate to grow up and live
in negative environments, so they were easily brainwashed and
incited by distorted information.
e m br acing VIETNAM
We Love Vietnam
That morning, about 100 women and men came down to the
sisters hamlet.Whenever they saw a monk, they would jump in
to tear at his clothes and beat him.When we tried to protect our
brothers and sisters, we suffered the same fatethey pushed us
down; the women used umbrellas and rocks to hit and kick us on
our hands and backs.Some of them even slapped our faces.We
only knew to endure it or duck.We did not do anything else.
The more we looked, the more we also felt sorry for the
uncles.There was one uncle about fifty years old, who wore a helmet and walked with a limp.While he was smashing the windows
his hand got cut, and it was bleeding severely.We ran to the first
20 Winter/Spring 2010
When all of that happened to us, we did not shed one tear
or complain.We only felt that our society was full of violence,
hatred, and fear.We felt that we needed to protect and guard our
e mb ra c in g V I E T NA M
Only when it was dark outside did we quietly walk to our sisters Warm Hearth Hamlet.We were moved by the way our sisters
greeted us and received us.They were able to start two fires so that
we could warm ourselves.Then they cooked ramen noodles for
us to eat.We all felt a burning in our eyes.Was it from the smoke
or from the love for each other?
That night, the Warm Hearth Hamlet was left temporarily in
peace.We sat next to each other and looked at each other carefully for a long time. We knew that it would be difficult for us
to be united like this again.Even though I was tired, I could not
sleep.As soon as I lay down, the image of Thay Phap Hoi and the
other brothers being taken away arose in my mind.I was afraid
that it would be the last image, and the last time that I was able to
see him.If this were true, then we would cherish even more deeply
his silent sacrifice.It would further affirm our confidence in our
path of practice. Rest assured, dear elder brother.You are present
in us.You have transmitted to us your quietness, your calm, and
your solidity in those moments.We will never lose you.
That night, the rainstorm continued strong.I sat up to look
around our room in the Phuong Vy 2 dormitory.Seeing my
sisters sleeping, my heart surged with love.If my sacrifice would
bring them peace so that they could live and practice, I would do
it.Fear in my heart yielded to a powerful love.Two streams of
tears ran down, and down.These were the first tears shed since
what happened in Bat Nha.The teardrops came from an unlimited
source of love.
At five oclock the next morning, one by one, we got on the
bus to Phuoc Hue temple.I was on the second trip.Looking at my
sisters facesso young, innocent, and puremy heart jolted with
a sharp pain.We began to sing Here is Our Beloved Bat Nha.Everyones eyes became red and teary.When we got to Here is our
beloved Bat Nha, with those who carry in our hearts the Great
Vow, to live together and to build the Pure Land right here, we
could not sing anymore.We just cried.The driver saw us, and he
was also moved to tears.
Never before had we cherished so much every moment we
were together. To be able to stay together, we were willing to endure any amount of poverty, pain, and suffering.Only five minutes
were spent in deep sadness; then we continued to sing our practice
songs.We sang and sang until the bus stopped in front of Phuoc
Hue temple.From that moment on, our life has moved on to a new
page, not any less beautiful or majestic.
e m br acing VIETNAM
The
German
Maitreya
Fonds
Helping Our Sisters and
Brothers in Vietnam
By Eva K. Neumaier
more about this aid project. I explained that the Maitreya Fonds
was created by the late Karl Schmied in Germany in 1992, in
response to the poverty widespread among rural communities in
Vietnam. Under the leadership of Christian Kaufl, a small group
of dedicated volunteersall students of Thayhas come together,
working hard to raise funds to finance various projects in Vietnam.
I promised to provide my fellow retreatants with more information
once I returned to Germany.
Kindergarten Is a Privilege
With a sharp jolt our bus came to a stop and retreatants from
all over the world poured into the tiny coastal village of Phu An.
Children crowded around us, eyes wide with excitement. Sister
Chan Khong provided the basic facts about the kindergarten and
the dire circumstances of life the parents and their children face.
The kindergarten consists of one room with tables and benches
made from roughly hewn boards; a thatched roof provides minimal
protection from the scorching sun and constant downpours. There
are no extra amenities in this room, nothing that is not absolutely
necessary, and yet for the village children it is a privilege to attend the kindergarten. It means that they are not left to their own
devices to forage for edibles in the fields while their parents look
for work wherever they can find it as hired laborers.
The children formed a circle and, led by their teachers, sang
several songs. We returned to the bus, leaving with a mixture of
feelings. On one hand, we were happy that the children were able
to enjoy some education, care, and love, but on the other hand
we were saddened by the magnitude of poverty and need in this
country.
When I returned to Germany, I decided to be one of the
volunteers working for the Maitreya Fonds, providing help to
those so greatly in need in Vietnama humble way of showing
my deep gratitude to our teacher and our spiritual ancestors. It
took almost a year for me to pull together the information for my
fellow retreatants on that bus. Assuming most of them will read
the Mindfulness Bell, I am summarizing our work for them and
any other readers here.
22 Winter/Spring 2010
e m br acing VIETNAM
min d f u l L I V I N G
New
Habits,
New Life
A Winter Retreat at Home
By Participants in the Maison de lInspir
Winter Retreat
A Commitment to Practice
Inspired by the monastics winter retreat activities, we committed to the following practices:
Listen to at least one of the two teachings given by Thay each
week of the retreat. It was possible to listen to this teaching either
on Thursday at the Maison de lInspir during the Day of Mindfulness, or at home at any time thanks to the Internet.
Make one or two resolutions.
Write daily in ones journal.
Share about our practice once a week during meetings at the
Maison de lInspir with Sister Ton Nghiem (Sister Stephanie).
On the occasions when we could not come together in person,
sharings were done by email.
Practice a new gatha each week. Gathas are little poems that
are recited with daily activities to help us go back to ourselves in
mindfulness (see the book Present Moment, Wonderful Moment
Mindfulness Verses for Daily Living).
We practiced the gathas for opening the tap, opening or closing a door, throwing out the garbage, sitting down, lying down,
contemplating our food, beginning to eat, and finishing our meal.
During the course of the retreat, we began to re-write the gathas
in rhyming verses that were short and very pleasant to recite.
The gatha for throwing out the garbage (In the garbage I see
a rose; In the rose I see the garbage; Everything is in transformation; Even permanence is impermanent) became:
Lassiette finie,
Je nai plus faim.
Rose et dchets,
Tout inter-est.
De tous, le bien.
All inter-is.)
The one for finishing our meal (The plate is empty. My hunger
is satisfied. I vow to live for the benefit of all beings) became:
mindful LI V ING
26 Winter/Spring 2010
min d f u l L I V I N G
Conscious Work
A Mindfulness Training
By Meryl Bovard
I wrote this mindfulness training during my process of aspirancy to ordain in the Order of Interbeing. One of my mentors,
Lyn Fine, suggested I write a mindfulness training for an area of
my life in need of transformation. It really helped. Five years later,
my work life is much healthier, and I take time to rest and practice
deep relaxation each day.
I will work to transform the seeds of fear of scarcity, peoplepleasing, and status-seeking in myself by practicing a diet of
the Mindfulness Bell 27
mindful LI V ING
Bees in Lavender
What perfect immediacy:
the intense concentration of bees
in lavender.
How like pendulums entrained
they refuse distraction,
yellow monks draped in
purple robes, flying zazen,
their circle of wings
forgetting all attachments,
no words to disconnect
them from the world.
- Alexis Roberts, Awakened Sound of the Heart
28 Winter/Spring 2010
min d f u l L I V I N G
Im the Library Director at a large community college in Santa Barbara, California. For the past three years Ive been leading weekly and,
for one semester, daily meditation sessions on campus. All students,
faculty, and staff are invited to participate in Meditation in the Library. The purpose is two-fold: to provide a space to introduce mindfulness practice into the community, and to provide me with time for
sitting in the middle of the workday.
Meditation in
the Library
By Kenley Neufeld
The room is set up with chairs facing one direction, though there
is space to sit on the floor as well. We keep the lights off, but plenty
of light comes in through the windows, so its not completely dark. If
new people are present, I may start with suggestions on sitting posture
and then begin a guided meditation focusing on the breath. We sit for
twenty minutes and end with one sound of a bell. A person or two may
engage in casual conversation at the end, but we generally do not share
thoughts. There are one or two regulars; the rest of the participants are
rather transient due to the changing schedules of college students.
On occasion, students participate to get extra credit in their Personal Development course. This course is designed to help students
be successful in college, and one element of success is stress management. The students earning extra credit have also invited me to speak
in their class. I attempt to keep the conversation non-sectarian, but in
a thirty-minute presentation to a classroom full of students, questions
about my personal practice often arise. In these class sessions I present my experience with meditation and provide concrete examples to
show how meditation supports me in my work and in my relationships
with other people. I provide details on sitting and breathing, plus opportunities to practice mindfulness. We end the class presentation with
a five-minute guided meditation.
Having Meditation in the Library has been very nourishing
for my practice. Reminders to practice in the work environment, and
especially making others aware that I have a regular meditation practice, help my energy level and bring awareness to my interactions with
others on campus.
photo by Paul Davis
mindful LI V ING
Mindful In
Any Weather
By Frank Doyle
Now I can enjoy the work a lot more regardless of the weather; in fact, I quite like the
days when the weather is really wild.
Ive been doing this job since 1979. Years ago, I worked in a
larger office in a nearby town, and that was a much noisier place
to be, particularly at 5:00 a.m. when we started work. You wouldnt
think that we had all just woken up. In fact, when one man began
working there, he remarked that he thought he had stumbled upon
the annex to a lunatic asylum: music playing, shouting, insults
(mostly friendly), laughter, complaints, arguments with management, none of it at all mindful. When I think back to how I behaved
myself at that time, oh dear! But, as we all behaved very much in
the same way, no one could see anything wrong with it.
min d f u l L I V I N G
The Ultimate
Dimension
A Practice with Dying and Death
By Haven Tobias
32 Winter/Spring 2010
d e a t h a n d DY I N G
nursing home.
34 Winter/Spring 2010
d e a t h a n d DY I N G
Releasing
Regret
By Patricia Webb
Yes it is, I said. But youre letting go of a lot of bad feelings. I think everyone has regrets like this, dont you?
Hmm. Maybe. He was thoughtful for a moment. His breathing shifted, becoming more rhythmic and relaxed. We slept then
watching a sunrise.
the Mindfulness Bell 35
until the phone rang around 8:00 a.m. Our Dharma teachers, Peggy
Rowe (True Original Source) and Larry Ward (True Great Sound)
were calling to check on us. I told them what had been going on.
Larry asked to speak with David.
David, how are you today? Are you getting enough rest?
He asked.
Im miserable, said David. Ive messed it all up.
Understood, Larry replied. Okay now, David. Now is an
excellent time to remember your Dharma nameTrue Mountain
of Goodness, right? David, your practice is to bring to mind, to
focus on the thoughts, the words, the actions of yours that have
brought goodness. There is so much to recall, David, great fields
of goodness. And you know that, man. Dwell on that. And dwell,
too, on the goodness that has come to you. This is the time for
that, okay?
Got it. Right, David said. Then Peggy came on the line.
Remember, David, how much we love you. Your Sangha, your
friends, we are with you. Youre doing a great job with this journey. David smiled.
Watching David in the moments just after that phone call
was like watching a sunrise. He gently allowed his consciousness
to shift, letting light come in. I saw him surrender to the force of
bright, positive consciousness. As he focused on his breathing, I
quietly busied myself, making ready for the day. His mood brightened slowly as he continued the beautiful work.
Now is an excellent
time to remember your
Dhar ma nameTr ue
Mountain of Goodness,
right? There is so much
to recall, David, great
fields of goodness.
36 Winter/Spring 2010
d e a t h a n d DY I N G
Moms Haiku
Death spoke softly
Brushing her cheek
With a white feather.
Mother said
Yes.
Tears flow.
The river carries leaves
Touched by
Lengthening shadows.
Touching
Sunlight
By Peter Smith
38 Winter/Spring 2010
d e a t h a n d DY I N G
Volunteering for Hospice brings a wealth of deep experiences, including opportunities for practice. Two years ago I was asked to visit Mary, who was dying
of bone cancer and suffering from dementia. She lived with her daughter and
son-in-law in a quiet, small village home, and her family needed support.
Before each visit, I sat in the car and did metta meditation for myself, Mary,
those caring for Mary, and all beings. With peaceful steps, I walked to the house
and introduced myself.
Mary was a charming woman with great stories of her family and travels.
She was intelligent and asked insightful questions about my life and work. But
then, on most visits, she would get lost in her own mind. Her dementia was a
torment. When she felt it coming on, she would often realize what was happening
and comment on losing her mind. As it progressed, she would become fearful of
strangers breaking into the house and would weep over the death of her very alive
daughter. This was heartbreaking to witness. Although her physical pain was well
under control, her mind was far from it. Together we took deep breaths and held
hands. This was never quite enough to bring her back to the room.
Her family told me that she used to practice as a Catholic, my root tradition.
They thought she might like me to pray with her, but didnt think she knew a lot
of prayers herself. When asked, they told me she hadnt said a rosary in years. I
asked permission to give it a try. With little confidence, they agreed.
First I had to find a rosary, which I didburied in my bedside table. My
parents had had it blessed for me by Pope Pius XII and Id never had the heart
to part with it. Now was its time to shine! Then I had to find a prayer book that
covered the rosary, since I was more than rusty. One of these was also waiting
on a bookshelf. Things were coming together for my experiment.
As an interfaith minister, it is my work to find bridges between faith experiences. I thought the rosary was quite similar to the mala. In our tradition, to the
best of my knowledge, the mala beads are used by monks to follow their breath.
Our practice centers on the breath, and I wanted to find a way to bring this to
Mary in a manner that she could understand and apply without introducing a
Buddhist concept.
In time we were able to effectively use the breath to ease her suffering, with
her rosary beads as a sustaining guide. It was like a miracle to see her agitation
settling down and calm taking root. But it wasnt a miracle at all. It was solid
practice beyond the terminology and labels of traditions. As Mary took her prayer
beads, we paused and followed our breath. In, out. After each short prayer, so
familiar and comfortable to her, we took another breath. In, out. Steadying.
Integrating. Mary found her way back to her true self.
When Mary transitioned, I felt a real loss. But in the last months of her
life she was able to be more present and more peaceful thanks to the practice
of mindfulness, the practice she never knew by
name. It was the gift of my own practice, that I
could share it and pass it along. Why else are
we alive?
Starr DiCiurcio, True Understanding of the
Sangha, practices with Kingfisher Sangha of
Schenectady and Greenwich, New York.She
and her husband recently moved to Glens
Falls, New York, where she works as an
interfaith minister.
Meditating
with Mary
By Starr DiCiurcio
Mourning My
Daughter
By Janice Rubin
I speak to her dear husband regularlyhe needs a compassionate, nonjudgmental listenerand I learn more and more about
the suffering she experienced and visited on others. I sometimes
cry for days after we talk, but I will be there for him as long as
he needs me, as I would have been for my daughter, if she had let
me.
Every day a dozen things bring her to mind. I see her as her
husband found her when he came home from workin the drivers
seat of her locked car in the garage with a hose hooked up to the
exhaust and taped in the passenger windowand I cry.
People remark how strong I am because I did not miss one sit
of our Sangha or any of the classes I teach, and because I have not
collapsed and given up on life. I do not feel strong. I feel incredibly weak and vulnerable, but I believe that without my Sangha to
sustain me I would not be in as strong a position as I am.
I know that over time I will continue to feel better able to deal
with my grief; that by continuing to practice watering the seeds
of the good memories of my daughter, I will feel less sad when I
think of her; and that, as in the past, I will find solace in my own
island as I continue to be faithful to my practice. I know that she
is part of the matter of the universe and that I have only to look
into my hand to always find her. Until these thoughts become
the feelings of my heart, my loss will be real and I will miss her
every day.
Janice Rubin is the
convener of the Practice
Community at Franklin
Lakes. She is a former
journalist and the author
of Looking Back, Moving
On: Memoir as Prolog,
and Four Lives: Despite
the Odds.
d e a t h a n d DY I N G
Diamond
Life
Losing my Brother in a
New York State of Mind
By Nate Metzker
Many times Ive heard Thich Nhat Hanh say, At the airport,
when they search you before boarding a plane, they are not looking
for your Buddha naturethey are looking for your terrorist nature.
We have to start to recognize our Buddha nature. It was important
for me to notice manifestations of Buddha nature in the city.
Sometimes I sat, closed my eyes, and meditated on my breath.
I got in over an hour of sitting meditation every day, and just as
much walking meditation (I almost always took the stairs at the
workplace). The only other place in which I had that much time
to practice was at the monastery.
In the spring of 2008, my worldly situation hadnt changed a
lot, yet I was much happier. Practicing mindfulness had allowed
42 Winter/Spring 2010
d ea t h a n d
My Brothers Presence
On May 28, I got a phone call in the middle of the night with
the news that my brother, Jason, had died. He was thirty-seven
years old. In a hotel in Elko, Nevada, where he worked as a dentist, he had run up three flights of stairs to avoid being on a full
elevator. He then bought a drink from a vending machine, turned
from the machine, took a few steps, fell forward with his arms
hugging his chest, and died. We later found out that he had died
from an overdose of Demerol.
My family went through a complex process of mourning.
And while Jason was the sibling to whom I felt closest, I am sure
that my suffering was reduced because I entered it meditating on
interbeing and our birthless and deathless nature. When I saw my
other siblings and cried, I wasnt always crying because Jason
wasnt there with us. Sometimes I cried because I was so happy
to be in the presence of my family. Now, many months later, much
of my family is still sometimes crippled with despair and sadness.
But, because of my practice, I feel very in touch with my brother
and feel his presence in all things when I am mindful. In fact
and I know this may sound strangehis death feels to me like he
made a decision to move forward with his life.
Everythings in Everything
I returned to Deer Park in the second half of December, 2008.
Id achieved my goal of deepening my practice in New York City
and now felt I had to be in a quiet place to make sure I wasnt in
a state of denial about my brothers death.
During my retreat at Deer Park, we were put into groups for
Dharma discussion. I told the group about my experience with
the Diamond Sutra and my brother. There was another man in the
groupIll call him Hwho had also lost his brother the year
before, and still appeared to be in a lot of pain. The next day, as the
Sangha walked among the sage and boulders of the surrounding
mountains, I thought to myself, Jason is not Jason. Thats why we
call him Jason. H was walking ahead of me, and he immediately
stopped and turned around. He smiled and gave me a great big hug
that pushed my hat askew and stopped the long line behind us.
had with Brother Phap Dung, the abbot of Deer Park, about being
at the monastery. Here, he said, when you need a brother or
sister, a brother or sister is there for you. When you need a mom,
a mom tends to appear.
A simple, childlike painting that Cameron made hangs in our
bedroom in New York. Its a large group of people, all colors and
sizes, each with a heart in their chest, sitting under a yellow sun
and torn-paper sky. If you look closely, you can see that the little
clouds are words torn from a dictionary: weallhaveabeatingheartinourchest. On Christmas Eve, I played a song to
the Sangha gathered in the meditation hall at Deer Park. I looked
at all the faces therethe children, parents, brothers, sisters,
monks, and nunsand told them how much they reminded me
of the painting. The song was called Everythings in Everything,
inspired by Camerons painting, The Diamond that Cuts Through
Illusion, and the reality of interbeing.
We all have a beating heart in our chest
There is nothing separating East and West
We are breathing in and out the same sky
We are looking at each other with new eyes
Everythings in Everything
Everyones in Everything
Everythings in Everyone
Everyones in Everyone
I love all the people passing by me
I love all the buildings in the sky of the city
I know all the forests are my lungs breathing
I know all the oceans are my blood streaming
Peace is resting in the palm of our hands
We can see it in a tiny grain of sand
Breathing in and out we smile to the moment
Everythings in everything and always flowing
Nate Metzker,
Compassionate Sound
of the Heart, is a
novelist and musician
who lives in Brooklyn
and teaches at the
McCarton School for
Children with Autism.
On his website, www.
natemetzker.com, is
an mp3 of the song
mentioned in this story.
s angha N EWS
Sangha News
Background
Thich Nhat Hanh teaches that the true source of peace is in the
mind and that it is always possible to nourish peace and reconciliation. During the worst years of the war in Vietnam, when
millions were dying, he founded the School of Youth for Social
Service with Sister Chan Khong. Risking their lives, they and
thousands of young people went to the countryside to establish
schools and health clinics and to rebuild villages destroyed in
the fighting. Thich Nhat Hanh did not choose sides; he worked
to bring peace rather than war to divided Vietnam. Because of
his courageous efforts, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. nominated
Thich Nhat Hanh for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967.
Strategy
With the support and spiritual guidance of Thich Nhat Hanh
and Sister Chan Khong, Seeding Hope and Peace seeks to
assist in moving toward the realization of peace, justice, and
reconciliation. The groups initial effort will be to offer two
special retreats with Thich Nhat Hanh at the Plum Village Practice Center.
Members of Seeding Hope and Peace Steering Committee: Sister Pine, Baruch Shalev,
Sister Chan Khong, Mitchell Ratner, Sister Peace, and Dan Urech
44 Winter/Spring 2010
sangha NEWS
The first retreat for twenty to forty people will take place the
first week of May, 2010. It will bring together the Steering
Committee of Seeding Hope and Peace with recognized peacemakers, who will be recommended by the Advisory Board. The
peacemakers will be individuals who are known both for their
nonviolent methods and for their ability to work directly with
groups engaged in violent conflicts. The peacemakers might
be religious leaders or leaders of social organizations, who are
genuine messengers of hope and peace. It may include Nobel
Peace Prize Laureates and nominees.
During the week-long retreat with Thich Nhat Hanh, the group
will practice together and develop plans for the second retreat,
planned for May, 2011, which will include leaders and emerging leaders from conflict zones.
During the second retreat, under the guidance of Thich Nhat
Hanh and Sister Chan Khong, the participants will learn and
practice the tools of peace and reconciliation, including deep
Contact us at:
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.buddhapath.com
www.elevendirections.com
Qualifications:
- Ability to work on garden and landscape projects.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Has taken the Five Mindfulness Trainings,
Three Jewels and received a Dharma name.
- Sangha references.
- Has a daily practice.
Happiness
Essential
Mindfulness Practices
By Thich Nhat Hanh
Parallax Press, 2009
Softcover, 160 pages
Reviewed by
Janelle Combelic
46 Winter/Spring 2010
Savor
Mindful Eating, Mindful Life
By Thich Nhat Hanh and
Lilian Cheung
HarperOne, March 2010
Hardback, 256 pages
me d ia R E V I E W S
Failsafe
Saving the Earth
from Ourselves
By Ian Prattis
Manor House Publishing,
2008
Paperback, 192 pages
Reviewed by Christopher
Titmuss (excerpted
with permission from
www.resurgence.org)
Touch the
Earth
By Joe Reilly
CD, 40 minutes
Reviewed by
Nicole Brossman
Touch the Earth showcases true genre diversity, taking listeners through an intriguing landscape of rock, hip-hop, country,
eco-rock, and meditative balladry. Reillys honest voice and
consistent message have the unique ability to pull the eclectic
mix together. With his Native American heritage, roots and upbringing in contemporary Catholic folk music, ever-deepening
understanding of life through Buddhist meditation practice,
and academic studies in environmental justice and racism,
Joe Reilly is able to unite people across diverse lines of race,
class, gender, age, religion, ability, and musical genre.
While listening to Touch the Earth, listeners are able to engage in lyrical discussions of ecological cycles, meditation,
global warming, war, and spirituality with an open mind.
Reillys music strengthens community while embracing diversity, inspiring listeners to experience the interconnection
with one another and their environment, and inviting them
to look deeper and connect with the positive aspects in their
own nature. This is exemplified when he asks, in the title
song, Wheres the Earth?, then answers, in your hands,
underneath your feet right where you stand.... Its what you
eat. Take off your shoes and socks and sink your feet in the
mud of the Earth, its the blood of your birth.
Reilly is a practitioner in the Plum Village tradition, and
practices with the Huron River Sangha in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He also practices at Deer Park Monastery, where he
received the Five Mindfulness Trainings in 2004, with the
Dharma name True Faith of the Heart. He has visited Plum
Village twice, and wrote many of the songs on Touch the
Earth while he was there. Its clear from the first track of the
album, when Reilly sings Keep it E-A-S-Y, that his songwriting invites listeners to smile, laugh, and sing along with
him. Reillys creativity brings both humor and depth to things
that seem very ordinary. Through his songs we learn that a
tree, a tomato, a guitar, and a human being are not separate
and isolated.
the Mindfulness Bell 47
mindfulness BEL L
Subscribe to the
Mindfulness Bell
A Journal of the Art of Mindful Living in the Tradition
of Thich Nhat Hanh Published by Plum Village
www.mindfulnessbell.org
Download subscription forms from the Mindfulness Bell web site.
48 Winter/Spring 2010