Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful speech and the inability to listen to others, I am committed to cultivating loving speech and compassionate listening in order to relieve suffering and to promote reconciliation and peace in myself and among other people, ethnic and religious groups, and nations. Knowing that words can create happiness or suffering, I am committed to speaking truthfully using words that inspire confidence, joy, and hope. When anger is manifesting in me, I am determined not to speak. I will practice mindful breathing and walking in order to recognize and to look deeply into my anger. I know that the roots of anger can be found in my wrong perceptions and lack of understanding of the suffering in myself and in the other person. I will speak and listen in a way that can help myself and the other person to transform suffering and see the way out of difficult situations. I am determined not to spread news that I do not know to be certain and not to utter words that can cause division or discord. I will practice Right Diligence to nourish my capacity for understanding, love, joy, and inclusiveness, and gradually transform anger, violence, and fear that lie deep in my consciousness.
practicing mindfulness in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh
Tuesday, January 29 at DBT
Karen will share about the fourth of the Five Mindfulness Trainings: Loving Speech and Deep Listening
Sunday, January 27 at UU
Tree will facilitate the Recitation of the Five Mindfulness Trainings, which may include some of the ceremonial chanting (Incense Offering, Touching the Earth, Opening Verse, The Heart Sutra, The Three Refuges, Closing Verse) in the Plum Village tradition.
Tuesday, January 22 at DBT
The Sangha will contemplate using gathas (simple verses, practice poems) to guide meditation practice. The Plum Village website says “Gathas are short verses that help us practice mindfulness in our daily activities. A gatha can open and deepen our experience of simple acts which we often take for granted. When we focus our mind on a gatha, we return to ourselves and become more aware of each action. When the gatha ends, we continue our activity with heightened awareness.” I will facilitate and share how I use gathas in my daily sitting meditation, and I will hand out several that I have written. The Plum Village app has many gathas, and they are labeled “Practice Poems”.
Bowing to you,
Marge
Bowing to you,
Marge
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