Waves and Water Sangha Vancouver

Plum Village, France
January 3, 2015

Happy New Year! May you and your loved ones enjoy a truly New Year, blossoming with health, happiness and peace. We would like to thank everyone for continuing to generate the energy of healing and compassion for our Beloved Teacher.

In the last three weeks Thay has gradually emerged into wakefulness, and has his eyes open for much of the day, to the point where the doctors can now say that he is no longer in a coma. In his current state, Thay is able to recognize familiar faces. He is very responsive to verbal stimuli and has brought everyone great joy by starting to smile in the last few days.

One of Thay’s close attendants recounted some shared memories from being on Tour with Thay. There was a particularly humorous story which, to his astonishment, even made Thay smile and chuckle. However at the present time Thay is not yet able to speak. This indicates some degree of aphasia, which is being monitored closely and may evolve favourably in response to therapy.

Thay’s physical condition remains stable, and thanks to the excellent care Thay has received from the medical staff, he is able to enjoy being comfortable and at ease. Thay is investing great effort in his physiotherapy sessions. He is making daily progress, and the attendants are learning from his mind of determination, as they witness him practising the exercises from time to time throughout the day.

There are plans for Thay to be transferred to a specialist Stroke Rehabilitation Clinic soon. In the Rehab Clinic he will get the best possible care and training in order to regain as much as he can in his speech ability and movements.

Today in Plum Village we concluded our special Christmas and New Year Retreat. Nine hundred people, including many friends from near and far, participated in our New Year’s Celebrations on the 31st. We practised walking meditation together along Upper Hamlet’s legendary paths, burned New Year Resolutions in a bonfire, listened to a nourishing Dharma Talk from a senior Dharma Teacher, and enjoyed a festive meal and lively performances, ranging from jazz to rap, kung fu and an in-house skit of “The Goodfather”.

Sister Chan Khong offered a Total Relaxation and Touching of the Earth, and the whole community sat in meditation as midnight arrived, signalled by the giant temple drum and bell. Thay has built a beautiful community for us all to take refuge in, and we know the peace and joy of our spiritual family is Thay’s peace and joy.

A real sangha always carries within itself the energy of love, the energy of brotherhood and sisterhood, hope and compassion. Our sangha is our home. Our sangha is our hope.  TNH, December 24, 2010

With trust and love, The Monks and Nuns of Plum Village

Good afternoon dear friends –

There was fog this morning – and now it’s gone!Low hanging clouds in the north mountains. It’s a lovely time to practice breathing in and out. . . .

On Thursday evening, January 1st, Waves and Water Sangha will celebrate new beginnings and healthy continuations with a tea ceremony. We will meet at the usual time and place. There will be tea and cookies and chocolate and fruit. There will be poems and songs and readings and stories – whatever you would like to bring along. One Sangha member has promised a New Yorker cartoon that will make mindfulness of the mind in the mind stunningly clear – including manas, clearly depicted!

Some of us will also celebrate New Year’s Eve with Mountain Rain Zen and other sister Sanghas. 108 bells leading up to midnight – plus chants for peace interspersed with sitting and walking all evening long. Go to http://www.mountainrainzen.org/events/2014/12/31/new-years-eve-retreat for all the details. You can arrive when you want and leave when you want. . . .

With love and understanding from the Sangha

Good evening dear friends –

Please note that there WILL be a Sangha gathering on Thursday, December 18 and Thursday, January 1. There will NOT be a Sangha gathering on Thursday, December 25.

May all beings being peaceful, happy and light in body and spirit. . . .

OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
December 13, 2014

To all Plum Village Practice Centers,
To all Practice Centers and Sanghas worldwide,
To our Dear Beloved Friends,

Thay continues to surprise the doctors with his strong vital signs and steady, peaceful breathing. They are still amazed that Thay has been able to survive and even to show small signs of progress.

A few days ago, one of the doctors shared that “Thay is an enigma”, and another said they were “witnessing a miracle.” When a top neurosurgeon from the US visited last week, he was deeply impressed by the medical team’s commitment to giving Thay every possible chance of recovery.

In recent days Thay has been showing some indications of wakefulness, but he continues to remain in a deep coma. There have been times when Thay had his eyes open for more than two hours, and is responsive, but he is not yet showing clear signs of communication. The doctors remind us that it may be weeks or months before we can understand the damage caused by the hemorrhage and discover the extent of healing that may be possible.

The medical team has started to stimulate Thay to have more wakefulness. Every day the nurses help Thay sit in a chair, and in addition to acupuncture and massage from the attendants, physiotherapists come to activate Thay’s body. We sing to Thay, and we also let Thay listen to Sangha chants and beautiful sounds of nature.

We are very grateful to the EIAB and Maison de L’Inspir’ sanghas and all the Venerables from Vietnam and elsewhere, who came to offer their support and presence in Plum Village, as well to all the many lay practitioners who have offered your presence, or sent energy, letters and drawings of love and support. We can feel the Sangha body, as an extension of Thay’s body, finding nourishment and healing. Here in Plum Village the Sangha continues with our Winter Retreat, offering Days of Mindfulness, monastic days, dharma talks, dharma circle sharings and classes, deepening and strengthening Thay’s sangha body.

On December 18th there will be a Monastic Ordination Ceremony for new novices, as Thay would have wished. The monastic community will ordain 31 new monks and nuns in Thailand, nine in Plum Village, and one new novice monk in Deer Park Monastery, California. This group of new monastics will belong to the “Red Oak Family”. This event is momentous for our Plum Village community as we continue the work and love of our Teacher. There truly is only continuation.

During the holiday season, please take some time off to take care of yourself, your loved ones, and friends. Find time to be with nature, to enjoy the stars, and the white clouds and to truly come home and be at home within ourselves, as Thay always encourages us to do. You may like to write love letters instead of spending money and consuming more. The New Year is a wonderful opportunity to begin anew with ourselves and let go of resentments and regret.

We will release another update about Thay’s health in the New Year.

Until then, may you and your family touch true peace and happiness.
May you be able to enjoy your true home.

Good evening dear friends

We would like to remind everyone that Waves and Water Sangha is offering a Day of Mindfulness this Saturday, December 13. We will practice with The Refuge Chant – resting in our intention “to live simply and sanely with few possessions, to keep our bodies healthy.” As we investigate mindful consumption at this time of year, we also give ourselves up to soft and peaceful darkness. Please arrive by 9:45 and remember to bring a bag lunch! More information on our Days of Mindfulness can be found at http://wavesandwater.org/site/practice/days-of-mindfulness/

Also – a reminder for the New Year’s Eve practice with Mountain Rain Zen Community and sister Sanghas. Beginning at 7 p.m. there will be 40 minutes of sitting, 10 minutes of walking, 10 minutes of chanting each hour, ending by midnight with the sound of 108 bells to dispel our many delusions. We are welcome to come and go as our schedules permit.

Finally, here is the text of Thay’s talk – offered by Sr Chan Khong – at the Vatican December 2.

SUMMIT OF WORLD FAITH LEADERS
TO END MODERN SLAVERY & HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Vatican City, December 2, 2014

SPEECH BY

ZEN MASTER THICH NHAT HANH

Read by Venerable Bhikkhuni Thich Nu Chan Khong, his eldest monastic student
**Watch the Video Footage here**

Your Holinesses, Your Excellencies, Your Emminencies, dear Most Venerables, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen. Please allow me to read the words that our Beloved Teacher, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, wished to deliver here today:

“We are grateful to gather today to announce to the world our commitment to work together to end Modern Slavery; and to plea to those who traffic in human beings to stop their exploitation; and to ask world leaders and organisations to protect the dignity of these young women, men and children. They are our daughters and sons, our sisters and brothers.

“It is clear that in this age of globalisation, what happens to one of us, happens to us all. We are all interconnected, and we are all co-responsible. But even with the greatest good will, if we are swept away by our daily concerns for material needs or emotional comforts, we will be too busy to realise our common aspiration.

“Contemplation must go together with action. Without a spiritual practice we will abandon our dream very soon.

“Each of us, according to the teaching of our own tradition, should practice to touch deeply the wonders of Nature, the wonders of life in each of us, the Kingdom of God in each of us, the Pure Land, Nirvana in each of us, so we can get the healing and nourishment, the joy and happiness born from the insight that the Kingdom of God is already available in the here and now. The feeling of love and admiration for nature, that we all share, has the power to nourish us, unite us, and remove all separation and discrimination.

“By being in touch with everything that is refreshing and healing, we can free ourselves from our daily concerns for material comforts, and will have a lot more time and energy to realise our ideal of bringing freedom and compassion to all living beings. As it says in the Gospel, “Do not worry about what you will eat or drink or wear. Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be given to you. Don’t worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will take care of itself.”

“In our work to end modern slavery, we must find the time to take care of ourselves, and to take care of the present moment. By doing so, we can find some relative peace in our body and mind to continue our work. We need to recognise and embrace our own suffering, our anger, fear, and despair so that the energy of compassion can be maintained in our hearts. When we have more clarity in our mind, we will have compassion not only for the victims, but for the traffickers themselves. When we see that the traffickers have suffered, we can help them wake up and stop what they are doing. Our compassion can help transform them into friends and allies of our cause.

“In order to sustain our work of compassion, we all need a spiritual community to support us and protect us – a real community, where there is true brotherhood and sisterhood, compassion and understanding. We should not do this work as cavaliers seuls, as lone warriors. The roots of modern slavery run deep, and the causes and conditions, the networks and structures supporting it are complex. That is why we need to build a community that can continue this work to protect human life not just until 2020, but long into the future.

“The world in which we live is globalized, and so too is this new form of slavery, that is connected to the economic, political and social systems. Therefore our ethics and morality also need to be globalized. A new global order calls for a new global ethic. We have to sit down together, as people of many traditions, as we are doing now, to find the causes of this suffering. If we look deeply together, with clarity, calm and peace, we will understand the causes of modern slavery, and we can find a way out.”

Good afternoon dear friends –

Investigating Mindful Consumption Please join Waves and Water Sangha for a Day of Mindfulness on December 13. We will be exploring our commitment to MINDFUL CONSUMPTION during this season, taking refuge in living simply and sanely with few possessions and keeping our bodies healthy.

New Years Eve: Cultivating Peace in our Hearts Please join Mountain Rain Zen Community, Waves and Water Sangha, and other sister Sanghas on New Years Eve. Beginning at 7 p.m. there will be 40 minutes of sitting, 10 minutes of walking, 10 minutes of chanting each hour, ending by midnight with the sound of 108 bells to dispel our many delusions. We are welcome to come and go as our schedules permit.

January Retreat with Michael Ciborski The Mindfulness Community of Puget Sound (Seattle) annual retreat (January 16-23, 2015) is almost full! If you are interested, please see this page: http://wavesandwater.org/site/practice/retreats/

An update on our Grandfather Teacher Thich Nhat Hanh
November 30, 2014
To all Plum Village Practice Centers,
To all Practice Centers and Sanghas World Wide, To our Dear Beloved Friends,

As the Winter Retreat continues to unfold in all our practice centers in Europe and America, Thay’s condition in the hospital remains stable.

Thay continues to rest peacefully with the ticking clock on his pillow, and we sense that he is relying on his deep awareness of breathing, rooted in Store Consciousness, to guide his healing process. Even the doctors have been surprised at the consistent level of oxygen in his blood. Thay is truly is the best breather in the world, inspiring us to deepen our full awareness of the breath. Thay continues to remind us that each day we are alive is a miracle, and that simply to breathe is a gift.

The latest scan shows that Thay’s hemorrhage has slightly reduced in size. The edema is still present, but has not worsened. The doctors have met to re-evaluate their approach and review how to nourish Thay’s body more as we enter medium-term treatment. Thay continues to receive 24-hour care from his monastic attendants as well as hospital nurses. We are very grateful for the commitment of the hospital neurologists who are maintaining Thay’s healing process will open hearts and minds.

Earlier this year, Thay accepted an invitation from Pope Francis to go to the Vatican on December 1 & 2 to support a global initiative to end modern slavery. A delegation of 22 monks and nuns, including Sister Chan Khong and Thay Phap An (Director of our European Institute of Applied Buddhism in Germany) are now in Rome to realise Thay’s wish.

We continue to be grateful for your messages of support and the energy of mindfulness and compassion being generated for Thay. Wherever we are, we know that our practice of nourishing and healing ourselves is the best way we can all take care of Thay, and take care of the present moment.

Because suffering is impermanent, that is why we can transform it. Because happiness is impermanent, that is why we have to nourish it. -TNH, 10th June 2014

With trust and love,
The Monks and Nuns of Plum Village

Future reports on Thay health and recovery will be posted officially at plumvillage.org, langmai.org, villagedespruniers.org, and www.facebook.com/thichnhathanh.

PDF LINK: http://bit.ly/1v7Gdj3

Plum Village, 22 November, 2014

To all Plum Village Practice Centers,
To all Practice Centers and Sanghas World Wide,
To our Dear Beloved Friends,

The doctors have expressed surprise at Thay’s resilience and stability over the last week, as the intensive treatment continues. Thay’s blood pressure and pulse are stable, he is still breathing on his own, and he is becoming increasingly peaceful. However, in recent days Thay has been sleeping more deeply and communicating less.

The monks and nuns attend our teacher continuously at his bedside, breathing with him, embracing him with their love, praying that the millions of healthy cells in Thay’s body may become millions of bodhisattvas, helping his brain to heal. As Thay’s condition remains critical, please intensify your practice of generating the energy of Great Compassion of Avalokita for Thay.

Let us support Thay by sustaining our practice of mindfulness throughout the day, wherever we are, keeping Thay alive within us and within our community. With deep conscious breaths and mindful steps, let us allow Thay’s teachings to ripen within us, helping us see Thay’s continuation body and Thay’s sangha body.

May we let go of resentments against those who have hurt us, and release our fear and sorrow, by coming back to the calm and gentle breathing that Thay has transmitted to us. This is the best way we can support Thay and be his beautiful continuation.

With trust and love,

The Monks and Nuns of Plum Village

Future reports on Thay’s condition will be posted officially at plumvillage.org, langmai.org, villagedespruniers.org, and www.facebook.com/thichnhathanh.

Dear friends –

We know so many are holding Thay in their hearts, breathing with him, offering him their practice. For the next while, we will post official updates from Plum Village. Please feel free to attend Sangha on Thursday as we continue our study of the Four Establishments of Mindfulness. We will benefit from each others’ practice as we consider how mindfulness of the mind in the mind frees us from unwholesome reactions – those habit energies that remain an obstacle to peace, love and happiness

Plum Village, 15 November, 2014

To all Plum Village Practice Centers,
To all Practice Centers and Sanghas World Wide,
To our Dear Beloved Friends,

Th?y is now in a hospital with a highly reputable neurologist monitoring his progress. He is in the right place with the best possible care and attention. New tests have been done. Doctors report that Th?y is showing good progress in terms of remaining stable and not having major changes in his condition during this critical part of his recovery. The area of hemorrhage has not grown and his vital signs are normal.

In the early morning, Saturday, November 15, Th?y opened his eyes for the first time since his cerebral hemorrhage, to look at his attendants for a brief moment. He was very conscious and attentive to what was happening around him, lifting his left hand to touch the attendant next to him. Since then, he has also opened his eyes several times and his gestures of communication are clearer, nodding or shaking his head to respond. Th?y has been able to rest and sleep peacefully for several hours each day. The doctors are cautiously optimistic and remind us that Th?y’s condition is still in a critical stage and conditions can change at any moment.

Winter Retreat Opens
The Fourfold Sangha of Plum Village gathered this morning in the Still Water Meditation Hall of the Upper Hamlet to formally open the Winter Retreat and to participate in the “Face To Face and Request for Refuge Ceremony”. We know that it has always nourished our Teacher to see all his students, lay and monastic, gather to practice and take refuge in each other for 90 days. At least in Upper Hamlet this year, we have broken a record high with 60 lay friends taking refuge, 52 Bhikkhus and 18 Novices. We will share this wonderful news and spiritual food to nourish Th?y. All our monasteries around the globe will also host the three month retreat as usual, to deepen our practice and nourish our community and our brotherhood and sisterhood.

Collective Support
We are aware and grateful for the love and practice that people are offering from all around the world to support Th?y’s recovery. Sanghas and groups of practitioners are gathering to send their peaceful energy to our Teacher. He is clearly receiving this energy. Each of our mindful breaths and mindful steps is nourishing Th?y. Please continue to enjoy the blue sky for Th?y, the fresh morning air and the small pathways in nature for Th?y. Especially, please enjoy each other, your loved ones, and our togetherness for Th?y.

If possible, you can dedicate a day to eat vegetarian as a way to generate compassion to send to Th?y. You can reconcile with your loved ones, or to let go of your resentment of someone and write them a love letter. And in the same Winter Retreat spirit being practiced at our monasteries, you can participate in your local Sangha more, support the collective energy of mindfulness, consume less and reduce your time online.

With trust and love,

The Monks and Nuns of Plum Village

Future reports on Thay health and recovery will be posted officially at plumvillage.org, langmai.org, villagedespruniers.org, and www.facebook.com/thichnhathanh.

LINK: http://plumvillage.org/news/an-update-on-thays-health-16th-november/

Dear friends –

Plum Village has officially confirmed that our beloved teacher is in hospital and has experienced a severe brain hemorrhage (the announcement is below). We had earlier cancelled Sangha for this evening because of minimal conditions in the Meditation Hall (Mountain Rain is on retreat at Loon Lake). Now WE WILL BE GATHERING THIS EVENING FOR SITTING WALKING AND PRACTICING THE CEREMONY TO SUPPORT THE SICK. We believe there will be sufficient chairs. You may want to bring your own sitting or kneeling support.

If you cannot join us, the North American Dharma Teachers Association has suggested that we chant at 7:30 p.m. wherever we are to send loving and healing energy. The chanting of Avalokita’s name can be found on Facebook: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNfaXNGJiUc The chant May the Day be Well is posted on the Waves and Water Sangha website: http://wavesandwater.org/site/resources/may-the-day-be-well-chant/

As we sit in stillness and silence we may realize that Thay is exactly as he is – and thus he is well.

With a bow /\

Plum Village, November 12, 2014

To all Plum Village Practice Centers,
To all Practice Centers and Sanghas World Wide,
To our Dear Beloved Friends,

With a deep mindful breath we announce to the world the news that yesterday, the 11th of November 2014 Thay, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, experienced a severe brain hemorrhage. Thay is receiving 24 hour intensive care from specialist doctors, nurses and from his monastic disciples.

At present, Thay is still very responsive and shows every indication of being aware of the presence of those around him. He is able to move his feet, hands and eyes. There are signs that a full recovery may be possible.

For the last two months, Thay’s health had already been fragile due to his advanced age. He was hospitalized in Bordeaux on the 1st of November. He was gaining strength day by day until this sudden and unexpected change in his condition.

All the monasteries in the tradition of Plum Village are organizing practice sessions to generate the energy of mindfulness and to send Thay this healing and loving energy. We would like to ask the whole worldwide community of meditation practitioners to participate and support us in this critical moment. We know and trust that Thay will receive all your energy and that this will be a big support in his healing and recovery.

Our practice of stability and peace in this very moment is the best support we can offer to Thay. Let us all around the world take refuge in our practice, going together as a river to offer Thay our powerful collective energy. We are all cells of the great Sangha Body that Thay has manifested in his lifetime.

Future reports on Thay health and recovery will be posted officially at www.plumvillage.org, langmai.org, villagedespruniers.org, and www.facebook.com/thichnhathanh.

On behalf of the Monastic Dharma Teacher Council of Plum Village,

Bhikkhu Thich Chan Phap Dang
Bhikkhuni Thich Nu Chan Khong Nghiem

Announcing that our Beloved Teacher has suffered a stroke

Good morning dear friends –

The light is so beautiful this morning – soft and gentle after a fierce night of wind and rain.

THIS THURSDAY and coming weeks:

This week we will have a full Ceremony for the Recitation of the Five Mindfulness Trainings. Lovely chanting, deep looking, touching the earth. . . .

We have completed our series on mindfulness of the feelings in the feelings with great success and much engagement from Sangha members. And for the next two months we will be practicing mindfulness of the mind in the mind. . . . Please join us as we explore how our mental formations arise habitually, informing our actions of body and speech as well as mind.

THURSDAY CANCELLATIONS:

We want to let everyone know that we will NOT be gathering on Thursday, NOVEMBER 13 (the conditions in the meditation hall are not sufficient) or on Thursday, DECEMBER 25 (Christmas).

DECEMBER ACTIVITIES:

Please check the website for holiday activities including a Day of Mindfulness December 13 – taking refuge from consumption by concentrating on living simply and sanely with few possessions, keeping our bodies healthy. Also we have the opportunity to celebrate 108 bells with Mountain Rain Zen on December 31. And we will be gathering on Thursday, January 1, to welcome the New Year and take refuge in stillness and silence.

JANUARY RETREAT AT CAMP INDIANOLA (NEAR SEATTLE)

Also on the website is a link to the annual six-day residential retreat organized by The Mindfulness Community of Puget Sound (January 16 – 23). Dharma teacher Michael Ciborski will be providing leadership and there will be a children’s program on the weekend with full and part-time attendance possible.

Dear friends –

The message below is from a Sangha brother in California – may the many messages he talks about strengthen our sense of community and our Sanghas. Note that you do NOT have to have a Facebook page to access the messages.

Dear Community:

As you may know, yesterday was Thay’s 88th continuation day. Inspired by the Foundation message a couple weeks ago, we posted an invitation on Thay’s Facebook page inviting the world to make a present of the heart – a promise that can be done in each of our lives everyday.

In the last 30-hours, the “birthday” post has been seen by over 1.5 million people and has had over 69k shares, likes, or comments. In fact, the comment category is what I want to bring your attention to in particular. Even if you read only a handful of 4,312 comments, your heart will open wide with joy and happiness.

The sincerity of each comment is definitely a present of the heart. And thought the gift is for Thay, it is truly a gift for all of us.

No need to have Facebook to read these comments.

http://on.fb.me/ZAjmzv