Posted onJanuary 28, 2022bysangha|Comments Off on Funeral Ceremony in Vietnam time change
Good morning dear friends –
A momentous funeral procession (cortège), with chanting, drums, bells, flowers, and parasols as Thay’s casket makes the final journey to the cremation grounds (in Vietnamese, with English commentary).
The ceremony will take place at:
15:00 – Friday 28 (US PT / California, USA)
It appears that the time for our beloved teacher’s funeral ceremony is somewhat fluid! As you see above, the earlier information that it would be 4:00 has changed to 3:00 p.m. PST The youtube site (below) suggests 2:00 p.m. That may be the time that live streaming starts….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHYCibNJV2E
Please remember that you can watch these Ceremonies after they are broadcast live by going to the same online site. You may also want to check out the Deer Park Monastery site for their online streaming for the Ceremony.
Comments Off on Funeral Ceremony in Vietnam time change
In gratitude again to all Sangha members who attended our Sunday Sangha to offer and to receive the words of Br Phap Ung, Susu, Thay, Louise, Sr Annabel, Alda, and the many present who spoke so deeply about their experiences with our beloved teacher and the monastic community. The on-line links of the talks and texts of the Guided Meditation, Contemplation and Song are included at the end of this blogpost.
We are looking for a Sangha member to help us with updating our website. It would also be helpful to have a 1 hour/week dana offering to continue updating resources based on our Sangha gatherings. Anyone with WordPress experience can contact Bethan through wwsangha@gmail.com.
This Sunday, January 30, we will continue offering our practice to Thay. We will also discuss some of the changes coming to our regular Sunday Sangha gatherings. These will include guided movement meditation after our first sitting meditation and offering tea meditation two by two in silence after our second sitting. We will also discuss outdoor walking meditation and safe social gathering during half-Days of Mindfulness. These changes arise from our earlier Survey results.
This Friday at 4:00 we can join Thay’s funeral ceremony from Tu Hieu Temple in Hue VN. Those of us who are still working at that hour may be able to get time off for the funeral.
There will also be ceremony from Deer Park Monastery from 3:30-5:00 live.
NOTE: Information on-line concerning dates and times can be confusing because of the time zone difference. If you go to the YouTube link it will most often tell you how many days/hours until the event is happening live.
We can also access past Ceremonies and monastic practice occurring this week.
For example, the Great Bell, Chanting and Silent Sitting from Deer Park:
For example, the Thich Nhat Hanh Memorial “Novice Ordination” from Day 4: Five novices (four monks and one nun) were ordained into the Plum Village monastic community today as we celebrate Thay’s continuation and legacy. Watch the novices receive the ten novice precepts, their monastic names and the ceremony where their hair is shaved.
Offering gratitude for Thay Plum Village asks that we post our memories of hearing Thay’s teachings, attending his retreats, or simply how his teachings and writings have impacted your life. https://plumvillage.org/gratitude-for-thich-nhat-hanh/
Thay’s words for us:
“Tomorrow, I will continue to be.
But you will have to be very attentive to see me.
I will be a flower, or a leaf.
I will be in these forms and I will say hello to you.
If you are attentive enough, you will recognise me,
and you may greet me.
I will be very happy.”
RESOURCES FROM 2022 01 23 Sangha gathering
Br Phap Ung 3: A Sacred Moment
https://plumvillage.org/memorial/
Thich Nhat Hanh – What happens when we die?
The sound quality is not perfect – in the background we will hear translation
Sr Annabel – How to practice during the ceremonies
https://plumvillage.org/memorial/
Guided meditation for first period of sitting (Susu)
Breathing in, I’m aware of my in-breath.
Breathing out, I’m aware of my out-breath.
In-breath; out-breath
Breathing in, I become aware of my whole body.
Breathing out, I smile to the miracle of being alive in this moment.
Aware of body, smiling to life
Breathing in, I invite Thay to sit with my back.
Breathing out, I invite Thay to breathe with my lungs.
Thay enjoying the sitting; Thay enjoying the breathing
Breathing in, I’m aware of my sadness.
Breathing out, I smile to my sadness with compassion.
Embracing sadness, smiling with compassion
Breathing in, I’m aware of my gratitude for Thay’s teaching.
Breathing out, I smile to my joy.
Feeling grateful, smiling
Breathing in, I’m aware of our sangha breathing together around the world.
Breathing out, I take refuge in the sangha, breathing together around the world.
Sangha breathing together; taking refuge in the sangha
The Contemplation of No Coming, No Going (Louise)
This body is not me.
I am not limited by this body.
I am life without boundaries.
I have never been born,
and I have never died.
Look at the ocean and the sky filled with stars,
manifestations from my wondrous true mind.
Since before time, I have been free.
Birth and death are only doors through which we pass,
sacred thresholds on our journey.
Birth and death are a game of hide-and-seek.
So laugh with me,
hold my hand,
let us say good-bye,
say good-bye, to meet again soon.
We meet today.
We will meet again tomorrow.
We will meet at the source every moment.
We meet each other in all forms of life.
No coming no going (practice song) Alda
No coming, no going
No after, no before
I hold you close to me
I release you to be free
I am in you and you are in me
Please subscribe to The Raft for ongoing information and resources.: https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/the-raft
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Dear friends – This will be our last blog post for today.
There is significant information arising from the news of our beloved teacher’s passing. You may want to check with the Deer Park Monastery website for events in our time zone over the next several days
There will be a Ceremony streamed live from from Deer Parkon youTube this evening at 7:00 pm PST
Right now, Deer Park Monastics are live streaming the sounding of the Great Bell
There is a comprehensive obituary posted on Tricycle
https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/thich-nhat-hanh-dies/
And we may remember that Thay would not want us searching searching for news but rather nourishing our peaceful heart in stillness and silence.
We have received word that Thich Nhat Hanh, our beloved teacher, passed away peacefully at Tu Hieu Temple in Hue, Vietnam, at 00:00hrs on 22nd January, 2022, at the age of 95. We are invited to take a few moments to be still, to come back to our mindful breathing, as we together hold Thay in our hearts in peace and loving gratitude for all he has offered the world.
In Sangha this Sunday we will sit and walk and read aloud from Thay’s writings on no death. We will also chant to support ourselves and the international Plum Village Sangha. There will be an opportunity for small group discussion.
We will dedicate our practice to all those suffering the loss of loved ones – please recite with an open heart Thay’s Contemplation on No Coming, No Going (below)
With a tender heart, Bethan
The Contemplation on No Coming No Going
This body is not me.
I am not limited by this body.
I am life without boundaries.
I have never been born,
and I have never died.
Look at the ocean and the sky filled with stars,
manifestations from my wondrous true mind.
Since before time, I have been free.
Birth and death are only doors through which we pass,
sacred thresholds on our journey.
Birth and death are a game of hide-and-seek.
So laugh with me,
hold my hand,
let us say good-bye,
say good-bye, to meet again soon.
We meet today.
We will meet again tomorrow.
We will meet at the source every moment.
We meet each other in all forms of life.
Here we are – 2022. There is still snow on the ground where I am – and I am so fortunate to have had the pure joy of a puppy and her first snow! A bit of a mess indoors as the snowballs on her coat begin to melt. But what is the mess compared to the joy? Messes can be cleaned up (certainly this one). Joy can be hard to come by in this third year of the pandemic.
For me, this year is going to be about focusing less on the mess and more on the joy…. What can I do to touch the deepest desires of my heart – the place where I am still and quiet and clear – where I allow the fewest perceptions and feelings and concepts to distract me from my Buddha nature. As we have been practicing over the last months, nourishing our selves and others requires that we pay attention to our edible food, our sense contacts (and cravings), our acknowledged volition/ intentions/ deepest desires, and mind consciousness.
When my mind moves to mess, my intention is to let my heart bring me back to joy!
We will begin the new year of Waves and Water Sangha practice this evening with the Ceremony to Recite the Five Mindfulness Trainings. Throughout the rest of the month Caretaking Council members will offer teachings in the second hour that will support our capacity to nourish happiness through our everyday actions.
We have an announcement below followed by links to resources used in December.
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 27, 2022 THREE SANGHA ZOOM
A CELEBRATION co-hosted by the Mindfulness Practice Community of Vancouver, North Shore Mindfulness and Waves and Water Sangha: Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet, based on Thay’s Earth teachings and including wonderful commentary throughout by Sister True Dedication as well as an afterword by Sister Chan Khong.
On this Sunday we will meet as usual at 6:30 for sitting meditation. Members of the other Sanghas will be there as well. At 7:00 there will either be a presentation by a Plum Village Monastic or a panel of senior practitioners. This will be followed by a question and answer period and small group discussions.
If possible, please read the book in advance! And if you intend to attend it would be great to let us know so we can have some numbers to help us with the details. You can e-mail wwsangha@gmail.com to indicate your interest. Closer to the date, we may ask for pre-registration and provide the Zoom link.
BEGINNING ANEW
Susu gathered these resources to build on her presentation in December:
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Upcoming Events
SUNDAY EVENINGS
Every Sunday from 6:30-8:30 ALL ARE WELCOME
We take refuge in the practice of mindful meditation: sitting, movement, drinking tea, Dharma study and Dharma discussion. With loving speech and deep listening we explore how our practice manifests through our everyday actions of body, speech and mind.
Please note : we will not be meeting on Sunday May 18, 2025 due to the The Buddha, The Scientist Retreat that weekend at UBC. We look forward to practising with you again on Sunday May 25, 2025.
