practicing mindfulness in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh
Sunday, December 7
Dear Thay, dear sangha,
During our practice I will share part of a dharma talk given by Thay introducing the Healing Ourselves, Healing the World retreat in 2013, including chanting the name of Avalokitesvara.
a lotus for you,
-Heather
Awakened Stream of the Heart
During our practice I will share part of a dharma talk given by Thay introducing the Healing Ourselves, Healing the World retreat in 2013, including chanting the name of Avalokitesvara.
a lotus for you,
-Heather
Awakened Stream of the Heart
Sunday, November 23
Here is a message from Marge about our practice this Sunday:
Impermanence is one of the 3 Dharma Seals, one of the 3 key teachings of the Buddha (along with non-self and nirvana). In the sangha gathering this Sunday we will contemplate impermanence and see what this teaching has to do with our daily lives. We will also continue to practice our mindfulness as we hold Thay in our hearts to support his healing from his brain hemorrhage.
Impermanence is one of the 3 Dharma Seals, one of the 3 key teachings of the Buddha (along with non-self and nirvana). In the sangha gathering this Sunday we will contemplate impermanence and see what this teaching has to do with our daily lives. We will also continue to practice our mindfulness as we hold Thay in our hearts to support his healing from his brain hemorrhage.
Sunday, November 16
Dear brothers and sisters,
This Sunday I will facilitate Sangha from 4-6PM. The topic will be impermanence, non-self and continuation.
We
have recently lost a Sangha sister and our teacher Thay has been hospitalized for a week.
How do we use this to fuel our commitment to practice rather than as a
source of sadness or despair? Please come back to the breath as we have
practiced. Surf the wave(s) of emotions and dare to open the heart even
more. We can honor Linda, Thay and all our ancestors in this very
breath. Even in the midst of a tornado there is calm at the heart.
Grounded in mindfulness we feel the feelings and think the thoughts but
are also the awareness of feelings and thoughts. The thoughts and
feelings do not define us, are not a destination. Touch the awareness of
what is good and beautiful in this world, the many gifts our friends
and loved ones have shared. How do we honor them in the way we live?
Thay
has repeatedly said the best gift we can offer him is our energy of
mindfulness. Our practice. He wants us to practice now. To breathe
wholeheartedly with awareness. To take refuge in the Sangha, trusting
the Sangha and our own Buddha nature. As we generate the energy of
mindfulness we are Thay and Buddha’s continuation. They live in us,
right here and now. That is a precious condition for happiness, a
source of great dignity and purpose.
Some
of you may remember when Thay was hospitalized in Boston a few years
ago and scheduled to lead a retreat in Colorado. My friend Mitchell
reminded me of a letter he wrote at that time, I share part of it with
you now. The book “One Buddha is Not Enough” was the result of that
retreat.
“When
the Sangha is a true Sangha, the Buddha is also there, because the
Buddha is a human being like us. If you want to look for the Buddha, the
safest place to look is in a human being. The Buddha is not a god. The
Buddha is a human being, who has suffered, who has practiced, and who
has developed his understanding and compassion. He has proved that
understanding and compassion are possible, that happiness is possible .
The Buddha is someone who has practiced the true Dharma. Since every
member of the Sangha is trying to practice the true Dharma, everyone in
the Sangha is a Buddha - if we're not yet a full-time Buddha, we're a
part-time Buddha. So the safest place to look for a Buddha is in the
Sangha, because the Sangha is made of human beings. In Colorado (when Thay was unable to attend the retreat), people had to look for the Buddha in places they did not expect They found the Buddha in themselves and in the Sangha around them. One lesson we can take away from Colorado is not to look for your happiness in one person or one set of conditions. Your happiness is there in the community around you, your happiness is there inside of you. It is available any time. It is available right now." Thich Nhat Hanh
I hope to see you Sunday. Bowing,
Pete
True Ocean of Joy
Sunday, November 9
Dear Sangha,
I will be facilitating this Sunday
and I look forward to practicing with you. Please come 5 to 10 minutes
early so we are all settled, concentrated and ready to contribute to the
collective mindfulness of the Sangha when we invite the bell promptly
at 4:00.
We come together as a Sangha to awaken to the wonders of
life and to discover our true nature, as Ultimate Reality manifesting as our
unique and wonderful individual selves, as well as every other being in the
universe. We come together as a Sangha for the support of the Sangha and to
contribute to the healing and transformative power of the Sangha. We come
together as a Sangha to heal and transform ourselves, our Sangha brothers and
sisters, and all the beings and communities of which we are members. Ultimately
we are members of the community of all beings, integral to the evolving
universe and even the Ultimate Mystery, which birthed the universe. We come
together as a Sangha to remember and celebrate our unbelievable giftedness and to
help a hurting world be able to enjoy the immense gifts of being human, and to
help all beings in the earth community, and the cosmic community, be well.
To
prepare for facilitating and to prepare to send something out to you in
advance I meditated this morning and then did some writing. Below is
the final paragraph of what I wrote.
I am smiling and looking forward to being with you this Sunday,
Keith
True Enlightenment Garden
Universal Emptiness of the Heart
Sunday, November 2
Dear Thay, Dear Sangha,
You are warmly invited to join us at sangha this Sunday for a modified version of the “Ceremony for the Deceased”. We will be honoring the life of our beloved sister, Linda Gail Walters, whose physical body died on October 26 due to congestive heart failure. While we will no longer feel her physical presence, she will continue in our hearts and minds. We will have some poetry of Thay’s, do sitting and walking meditation, sing some songs of practice, and have an opportunity to share our experiences with Linda or reflections about impermanence and living fully in the present moment.
Please be aware that parking will be limited due to many activities happening at the church where we meet, including a memorial service for a church member, starting at 3:00. If the parking lot is full, you may need to park in the parking structure at UCSD, or on the streets nearby. Public transportation or carpooling are encouraged. Please come early to allow time to park and arrive before we invite the bell to ring at 4:00. Thanks!
Bowing,
Your Facilitators
Loretta, Embracing Peace of the Heart
Marge, True Crane Garden
You are warmly invited to join us at sangha this Sunday for a modified version of the “Ceremony for the Deceased”. We will be honoring the life of our beloved sister, Linda Gail Walters, whose physical body died on October 26 due to congestive heart failure. While we will no longer feel her physical presence, she will continue in our hearts and minds. We will have some poetry of Thay’s, do sitting and walking meditation, sing some songs of practice, and have an opportunity to share our experiences with Linda or reflections about impermanence and living fully in the present moment.
Please be aware that parking will be limited due to many activities happening at the church where we meet, including a memorial service for a church member, starting at 3:00. If the parking lot is full, you may need to park in the parking structure at UCSD, or on the streets nearby. Public transportation or carpooling are encouraged. Please come early to allow time to park and arrive before we invite the bell to ring at 4:00. Thanks!
Bowing,
Your Facilitators
Loretta, Embracing Peace of the Heart
Marge, True Crane Garden
Sunday , October 19
Linda will facilitate about our spiritual ancestors, in honor of the Thay Giac Thanh memorial weekend.
Sunday, October 12
Keith will facilitate our practice and offers us this question:
How do we practice so that we bring happiness and healing to ourselves and to the world?
Sunday, October 5
Karen will facilitate our practice together and will include a guided sitting meditation.
Sunday, September 21
Linda will facilitate taking care of the Earth from Thay's book "Love Letters to the Earth."
Sunday, September 14
Dear Sangha,
We are so lucky. We have a teacher, a practice and a Sangha
with which to practice and with whom we can share our practice with the world.
The fundamental practice is mindfulness. We practice mindfulness together,
which is wonderful, and we learn how to apply mindfulness practice to every
moment of our lives. That is the means and that is the goal, applied
mindfulness. When the means and the goal are the same you know you might be on
to something. How do we apply mindfulness to every act we make? How do we keep
steering ourselves toward well being and cultivating mindfulness when
distraction and negative thinking are so pervasive? We’ll explore what our
practice offers us in regards to this on Sunday. I look forward to being with
you and facilitating.
Keith
True Enlightenment Garden
Universal Emptiness of the Heart
Sunday, September 7
This Sunday I will be facilitating Sangha. I have a short film clip to share with a theme of non attachment to view and our capacity to change perspective.
Hope to see you there.
Bowing,
Pete
Hope to see you there.
Bowing,
Pete
Sunday, August 24
Dear Friends,
Our practice is not difficult or complicated, but it is infinitely deep. We are guided on the path of practice by Thay and the Sangha. We learn and practice together to strengthen our mindfulness and to carry mindfulness with us through every moment of our lives. I will share the way I experience the Dharma with you and together we will practice applying it as our individual selves and as the Sangha body. I look forward to facilitating with you this coming Sunday.
Keith
True Enlightenment Garden
If you would like, please stay for community building (bring your own sack dinner) and a viewing of one of Thay's Dharma talks from the 21 Day Retreat at 6:30 pm. There is a request for $1-2 dana per person to support the extra room rental for the viewing.
Our practice is not difficult or complicated, but it is infinitely deep. We are guided on the path of practice by Thay and the Sangha. We learn and practice together to strengthen our mindfulness and to carry mindfulness with us through every moment of our lives. I will share the way I experience the Dharma with you and together we will practice applying it as our individual selves and as the Sangha body. I look forward to facilitating with you this coming Sunday.
Keith
True Enlightenment Garden
If you would like, please stay for community building (bring your own sack dinner) and a viewing of one of Thay's Dharma talks from the 21 Day Retreat at 6:30 pm. There is a request for $1-2 dana per person to support the extra room rental for the viewing.
Sunday, August 10
Pete will facilitate this Sunday on Right View of Emotions with a meditation on mindfulness of breath, body and feelings.
If you would like, please stay for community building (bring your own sack dinner) and a viewing of one of Thay's Dharma talks from the 21 Day Retreat at 6:30 pm. There is a request for $1-2 dana per person to support the extra room rental for the viewing.
If you would like, please stay for community building (bring your own sack dinner) and a viewing of one of Thay's Dharma talks from the 21 Day Retreat at 6:30 pm. There is a request for $1-2 dana per person to support the extra room rental for the viewing.
Sunday, July 13
Pete will facilitate this Sunday on the topic of Engaged Buddhism and include a short offering from Thay.
Sunday, July 6
Sunday, June 29
Please join us in reciting the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings this Sunday, facilitated by Loretta.
Sunday, June 22
This week we will listen to a short talk by Thay and Pete will facilitate on the Heart of a Bodhisattva. Cultivating intention in the face of futility. Can we really make a difference in the face of climate change and global suffering?
Sunday, June 15
This Sunday we will practice mostly in silence with sitting, walking & deep relaxation (bring a blanket if you like).
Sunday, June 1
Karen will facilitate on "Restoring Peace within Yourself" from Thay's book, True Love.
Sunday, May 25
Heather will facilitate the Recitation of the Five Mindfulness Trainings, with some chanting:
Sunday, May 11
This week Loretta will guide the sangha through "Touching the Earth" practice followed by "Deep Relaxation" (Ah...sounds so good, doesn't it!). In order to have room for these practices, we will meet in the be big hall downstairs (Bard Hall). Or if the weather is warm enough, we will Touch the Earth outside and come into the hall for Deep Relaxation. Please bring a towel or mat on which to lie and/or cover up.
After sangha, everyone is invited to come strengthening our sisterhood and brotherhood further by dining (dutch) at the Loving Hut.
After sangha, everyone is invited to come strengthening our sisterhood and brotherhood further by dining (dutch) at the Loving Hut.
Sunday, May 4
A few weekends ago a few members of our sangha celebrated Earth Day by joyfully participating in the Earth Holding Theme Weekend at Deer Park Monastery. Brother Phap Ho gave a talk where he gently invites us to look at our world with open eyes. He encourages us to see that we are not separate from the trees, the rocks and other humans. We have the potential to wake up to our true boddhisattva nature to protect the Earth and nurture the boddhisattva in others. Marge will bring to our sangha some of the highlights from the weekend and will share part of Thay’s Letter to Mother Earth. We will walk peacefully upon Earth, sit together in meditation, and share our aspirations for appreciating this amazing home of ours.
Sunday, April 27
Keith will facilitate this Sunday:
The monastics at Plum Village spent the 3 month winter retreat in the deep practice of understand our mind. Thay wrote a book about it called Understanding Our Mind. All the Dharma talks from the retreat are online at tnhaudio.org. I have enjoyed listening to them all and contemplating the teachings along with the monastics. I'll share some of my insights with you and lead us in a practice designed to awaken us to the nature of our minds and heal and transform our consciousness, our experience of being alive. The Buddha handed us down a very powerful and complete guided meditation practice in the Sutra on the Full Awareness of Breathing, the 16 breathing practices, and we'll use them to understand and transform our minds.
Sunday, April 13
We will practice with the week 9 dharma talk of the Ten Gates teachings
from Deer Park's Winter 2012-2013 retreat. Here is the study guide
from the talk, which includes these reflection questions:
1) How have you created meaning and purpose in your life?
2) What activities do you find most meaningful? Which ones are
difficult? Why is that do you think?
3) What does it mean to you to be “useful” or “beneficial” to others?
1) How have you created meaning and purpose in your life?
2) What activities do you find most meaningful? Which ones are
difficult? Why is that do you think?
3) What does it mean to you to be “useful” or “beneficial” to others?
Sunday, April 6
Pete will continue to facilitate "dropping the story" and the Four Establishments of Mindfulness.
"Monks,
an uninstructed run-of-the-mill person feels feelings of pleasure,
feelings of pain, feelings of neither-pleasure-nor-pain. A
well-instructed disciple of the noble ones also feels feelings of
pleasure, feelings of pain, feelings of neither-pleasure-nor-pain. So
what difference, what distinction, what distinguishing factor is there
between the well-instructed disciple of the noble ones and the
uninstructed run-of-the-mill person?"
"For
us, lord, the teachings have the Blessed One as their root, their
guide, & their arbitrator. It would be good if the Blessed One
himself would explicate the meaning of this statement. Having heard it
from the Blessed One, the monks will remember it."
"In that case, monks, listen & pay close attention. I will speak."
"As you say, lord," the monks responded.
The
Blessed One said, "When touched with a feeling of pain, the
uninstructed run-of-the-mill person sorrows, grieves, & laments,
beats his breast, becomes distraught. So he feels two pains, physical
& mental. Just as if they were to shoot a man with an arrow and,
right afterward, were to shoot him with another one, so that he would
feel the pains of two arrows; in the same way, when touched with a
feeling of pain, the uninstructed run-of-the-mill person sorrows,
grieves, & laments, beats his breast, becomes distraught. So he
feels two pains, physical & mental.
"As
he is touched by that painful feeling, he is resistant. Any
resistance-obsession with regard to that painful feeling obsesses him.
Touched by that painful feeling, he delights in sensual pleasure. Why is
that? Because the uninstructed run-of-the-mill person does not discern
any escape from painful feeling aside from sensual pleasure. As he is
delighting in sensual pleasure, any passion-obsession with regard to
that feeling of pleasure obsesses him. He does not discern, as it
actually is present, the origination, passing away, allure, drawback, or
escape from that feeling. As he does not discern the origination,
passing away, allure, drawback, or escape from that feeling, then any
ignorance-obsession with regard to that feeling of
neither-pleasure-nor-pain obsesses him.
"Sensing
a feeling of pleasure, he senses it as though joined with it. Sensing a
feeling of pain, he senses it as though joined with it. Sensing a
feeling of neither-pleasure-nor-pain, he senses it as though joined with
it. This is called an uninstructed run-of-the-mill person joined with
birth, aging, & death; with sorrows, lamentations, pains,
distresses, & despairs. He is joined, I tell you, with suffering
& stress.
"Now, the
well-instructed disciple of the noble ones, when touched with a feeling
of pain, does not sorrow, grieve, or lament, does not beat his breast or
become distraught. So he feels one pain: physical, but not mental. Just
as if they were to shoot a man with an arrow and, right afterward, did
not shoot him with another one, so that he would feel the pain of only
one arrow. In the same way, when touched with a feeling of pain, the
well-instructed disciple of the noble ones does not sorrow, grieve, or
lament, does not beat his breast or become distraught. He feels one
pain: physical, but not mental.
"As
he is touched by that painful feeling, he is not resistant. No
resistance-obsession with regard to that painful feeling obsesses him.
Touched by that painful feeling, he does not delight in sensual
pleasure. Why is that? Because the well-instructed disciple of the noble
ones discerns an escape from painful feeling aside from sensual
pleasure. As he is not delighting in sensual pleasure, no
passion-obsession with regard to that feeling of pleasure obsesses him.
He discerns, as it actually is present, the origination, passing away,
allure, drawback, and escape from that feeling. As he discerns the
origination, passing away, allure, drawback, and escape from that
feeling, no ignorance-obsession with regard to that feeling of
neither-pleasure-nor-pain obsesses him.
"Sensing
a feeling of pleasure, he senses it disjoined from it. Sensing a
feeling of pain, he senses it disjoined from it. Sensing a feeling of
neither-pleasure-nor-pain, he senses it disjoined from it. This is
called a well-instructed disciple of the noble ones disjoined from
birth, aging, & death; from sorrows, lamentations, pains,
distresses, & despairs. He is disjoined, I tell you, from suffering
& stress.
"This is the
difference, this the distinction, this the distinguishing factor between
the well-instructed disciple of the noble ones and the uninstructed
run-of-the-mill person."
The
discerning person, learned, doesn't sense a (mental) feeling of pleasure
or pain: This is the difference in skillfulness between the sage &
the person run-of-the-mill. For a learned person who has fathomed the
Dharma, clearly seeing this world & the next, desirable things don't
charm the mind, undesirable ones bring no resistance. His acceptance
& rejection are scattered, gone to their end, do not exist. Knowing
the dustless, sorrowless state, he discerns rightly, has gone, beyond
becoming, to the Further Shore.
The discerning person, learned,
doesn't sense a (mental) feeling of pleasure or pain:
This is the difference in skillfulness
between the sage & the person run-of-the-mill.
For a learned person
who has fathomed the Dharma,
clearly seeing this world & the next,
desirable things don't charm the mind,
undesirable ones bring no resistance.
His acceptance & rejection are scattered,
gone to their end, do not exist.
Knowing the dustless, sorrowless state,
he discerns rightly, has gone,
beyond becoming, to the Further Shore.
Sunday, March 23
Marge will be facilitating our sangha gathering this Sunday. In our sitting and walking meditation and our dharma sharing we will explore businessless, 'nothing to do and nowhere to do.'
Master Linji, the Zen master who founded the lineage from which Thay comes, invented the term “businessless person,” the person who has nowhere to go and nothing to do." This was his ideal example of what a person could be. According to Master Linji, the businessless person is someone who doesn’t run after enlightenment or grasp at anything, even if that thing is the Buddha. This person has simply stopped. She is no longer caught by anything, even theories or teachings. The businessless person is the true person inside each one of us.
When we learn to stop and be truly alive in the present moment, we are in touch with what's going on in and around us. We aren't carried away by the past, the future, our thinking, ideas, emotions, and projects...Insight can't be found in sutras, commentaries, or Dharma talks. The person who has nothing to do is sovereign of herself. She doesn't have to put on airs or leave any trace behind. The true person is an active participant, engaged in her environment while remaining unoppressed by it. Although all phenomena are going through the various appearances of birth, abiding, changing, and dying, the true person doesn't become a victim of sadness, happiness, love, or hate....In doing nothing, in simply stopping, we can live freely and true to ourselves and our liberation will contribute to the liberation of all beings"
So our practice is simple: 'breathing in, I know I am breathing in [with nowhere to go] and breathing out I know I am breathing out [with nothing to do.] And each of us will still have to find our own way: 'nothing to do and nowhere to go' in the middle of the experience of an unpleasant emotion of physical sensation or a daydream, or deep peace, or an agitated mind or a happy mind.
We can't be businessless all the time, but we can make space for that in our lives - time to just be.
Social Event This Sunday after Sangha
Let's enjoy a mindful meal together as a community after our practice together Sunday. If you wish to join us, let's meet at 6:30 at the Loving Hut Restaurant at 1905 El Cajon Blvd. (in the little strip mall on the south side of the street). The parking lot fills up, so you may have to park on the street.
Master Linji, the Zen master who founded the lineage from which Thay comes, invented the term “businessless person,” the person who has nowhere to go and nothing to do." This was his ideal example of what a person could be. According to Master Linji, the businessless person is someone who doesn’t run after enlightenment or grasp at anything, even if that thing is the Buddha. This person has simply stopped. She is no longer caught by anything, even theories or teachings. The businessless person is the true person inside each one of us.
When we learn to stop and be truly alive in the present moment, we are in touch with what's going on in and around us. We aren't carried away by the past, the future, our thinking, ideas, emotions, and projects...Insight can't be found in sutras, commentaries, or Dharma talks. The person who has nothing to do is sovereign of herself. She doesn't have to put on airs or leave any trace behind. The true person is an active participant, engaged in her environment while remaining unoppressed by it. Although all phenomena are going through the various appearances of birth, abiding, changing, and dying, the true person doesn't become a victim of sadness, happiness, love, or hate....In doing nothing, in simply stopping, we can live freely and true to ourselves and our liberation will contribute to the liberation of all beings"
So our practice is simple: 'breathing in, I know I am breathing in [with nowhere to go] and breathing out I know I am breathing out [with nothing to do.] And each of us will still have to find our own way: 'nothing to do and nowhere to go' in the middle of the experience of an unpleasant emotion of physical sensation or a daydream, or deep peace, or an agitated mind or a happy mind.
We can't be businessless all the time, but we can make space for that in our lives - time to just be.
Social Event This Sunday after Sangha
Let's enjoy a mindful meal together as a community after our practice together Sunday. If you wish to join us, let's meet at 6:30 at the Loving Hut Restaurant at 1905 El Cajon Blvd. (in the little strip mall on the south side of the street). The parking lot fills up, so you may have to park on the street.
Sunday, March 16
Loretta will facilitate on "A Life of Miracles" from The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh book.
Sunday, February 9
This week, Heather will facilitate on non-judgement and interbeing. And as 2014 is a continuation of 2013, Thay offers us this blog entry and this Dharma talk.
Sunday, February 2
Nick will facilitate the "Energy of Prayer," inspired by Thay's book with that title. Thay also offers us this
Dharma Talk.
Sunday , January 12
Here is a note from Keith, who will facilitate:
"In our practice and path and the goal are the same. We either choose the path of forgetfulness and suffering or the path of enlightenment and well being, in each moment. Our practice generates joy, happiness, peace, love and compassion in the present moment, and every moment we practice strengthens our capacity to generate more and helps us to maintain our practice when times are difficult. We will practice together to generate well being individually and collectively, as a loving, wise, enlightening Sangha."
"In our practice and path and the goal are the same. We either choose the path of forgetfulness and suffering or the path of enlightenment and well being, in each moment. Our practice generates joy, happiness, peace, love and compassion in the present moment, and every moment we practice strengthens our capacity to generate more and helps us to maintain our practice when times are difficult. We will practice together to generate well being individually and collectively, as a loving, wise, enlightening Sangha."
Sunday, January 5
Nick will facilitate on the 2nd of the 4 nutriments: "Sense Impressions" as a source of nutriment.
Thay began talking about the 4 nutriments in this talk @ 57:50 (57 minutes and 50 seconds into the video); he specifically begins talking about "sense impressions @ 1:03:35
Thay began talking about the 4 nutriments in this talk @ 57:50 (57 minutes and 50 seconds into the video); he specifically begins talking about "sense impressions @ 1:03:35
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