Dear friends –
This is a New Year for so many of us. In the New Year Ceremony from the Plum Village book of Buddhist Ceremonies and Daily Practices – Chanting from the Heart – a section of the Address to our Ancestors at the New Year reads:
“Trees have their roots and water has its source. We know that you, our ancestors, are our roots and we are your continuation…. We are determined to build a society in which people are not always busy, where little is consumed, and there is plenty of time to live with nature, look after nature, and bring happiness to, care for, and smile to each other…. We promise to let go of all our anger, sadness, and resentment, and to forgive, love and accept each other. We know that only by doing this do we really express our feelings of gratitude and loyalty towards you.”
Please know that Waves and Water Sangha welcomes all those who wish to practice in the Plum Village tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. Our first Thursday of this New Year – January 7 – we will recite the 14 Mindfulness Trainings of the Order of Interbeing (OI). We will have a panel who share their experience of practicing the 14 Trainings as an OI Member, an OI Aspirant and a Sangha member who feels nourished by the 14 Trainings. There will be time for discussion.
As we move through January and February together we will study and practice the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore – Thich Nhat Hanh’s revised translation of the Heart Sutra. The words, music and chanting of the Sutra are available at http://wavesandwater.org/site/resources/new-heart-sutra/
Plum Village has released a New Year Prayer. It is available at http://plumvillage.org/news/new-years-prayer-2016/ May we all have the opportunity to welcome this prayer into our heart as we continue our practice together.
