How’s your breathing in this moment?
As we breathe in and out, we know we are breathing with each other in the It’s Now Virtual Meditation Hall.
The Five Contemplations
This food is a gift of the earth, the sky, numerous living beings, and much hard and loving work.
May we eat with mindfulness and gratitude so as to be worthy to receive this food.
May we recognize and transform unwholesome mental formations, especially our greed and learn to eat with moderation.
May we keep our compassion alive by eating in such a way that reduces the suffering of living beings, stops contributing to climate change, and heals and preserves our precious planet.
We accept this food so that we may nurture our brotherhood and sisterhood, build our Sangha, and nourish our ideal of serving all living beings.
Do you have a question in your heart?
Today we have a session of Question and Answers where a panel of monastic Dharma Teachers will be ready to receive questions from the retreatants.
Walking meditation is a precious opportunity to take a break from our daily worries, go outside and enjoy a walk. In that time of walking whether it be for 5 minutes, 20 minutes, or 60 minutes we let go of all our worries of work and other things and try to get in touch with the quiet within. Doing so, we can truly enjoy each step and this will help us to find happiness in walking and peace in the here and now.
The monastics in our 3 U.S. centers of Deer Park, California, Magnolia Grove Mississippi and Blue Cliff, New York will be enjoying walking meditation together as a community around the monastery grounds. We invite you to also take this time to practice walking meditation at home too.
Enjoy your steps!
Can you vacuum the floor in mindfulness? Can you sit in front of the computer and type out a spreadsheet in mindfulness? Can you cook in mindfulness? The answer is yes. If every 15, 30, 45 or 60 minutes you stop what you’re doing, close your eyes and take 3 deep in and out breaths that is just one example of how you can apply mindfulness and meditation into your work life.
You’re invited to use this time to also practice working meditation. Tend to your chores and tend to your To-Do list and see if you can work in mindfulness.
After you’ve prepared your meal, please sit at a table and join us online for lunch. We will practice mindful eating and perhaps have time to chat afterwards.
Join us for the lunch at Breakout Tables
In the practice of Total Relaxation, we meditate while laying down, so that we can release all of the tension in the body, relaxing each muscle as we bring our awareness to it. We use the breath as our anchor to help us. We can feel the breath like the ocean feels a wave, and allow it to gently rock us into a deep peace. In this state of rest, our body and mind can release their burdens. A lot of healing happens just by letting go and sinking into this state of total relaxation. This practice and the techniques within it can be applied at any time during the day when you have free time. It only takes a few minutes of practice to create more lightness and ease in the body and mind.
We invite you to take this time to practice total relaxation at home. Rest, recover and restore so that you can feel fresh for the rest of the day!
You can find many guided Total Relaxations in our Plum Village app. You can download here.
Hello dear friend 🙂
I know you are there, and I am very happy.
For those of you who registered for Dharma Sharing, you will receive a Zoom link in your email to join your Dharma Sharing Family.
Thank you for being there 🙂
Today we will have workshops! How wonderful!
We have 5 workshops being offered. Each one of us are free to choose which workshop they want to join. This is a precious opportunity to once again come together with like minded people to share, discuss and explore topics that are close to our hearts.
To join the Workshop you’d like to participate in, please click on the theme of the workshop. (example: if you’re interested in the Monastic Aspiration workshop, then click on Monastic Aspiration :))
Monastic Aspiration
Are you interested in the life of zen monks and nuns?
In this workshop, we have a chance to hear from Plum Village monks and nuns about their life and what it’s like to be a zen monk or nun in today’s day.
Beginning Anew
In the Plum Village tradition we don’t only focus on ourself and our meditation practice but we use what we learn from the teachings to better all aspects of our lives which includes our relationships whether it be with our parents, friends, colleagues or partners.
In this workshop on Beginning Anew we’ll learn powerful and practical communication techniques on how to restore and strengthen our relationships.
Việt Wake Up
This workshop is for Vietnamese young adults offered by Brother Phap Dung and other monastics. We will explore and discuss the dynamics and complexity of being raised bi-cultural and having to navigate around and through the generational and cultural gaps that exist in our families and society. Watch a 15 min film, “No Crying at the Dinner Table” directed by Carol Nguyen. Short presentation on positives and negatives of “double belonging”, with breakout sharings and group discussion.
This workshop was not recorded.
Protecting What We Love
An interactive workshop with two Earth Holders, Sara + Simona. Earth Holder Community is a Plum Village Sangha that is engaging with the environmental, climate, and global crisis by intersecting the present moment with engaged Buddhism and mindful practices. We are hoping that from this workshop, insights and actions will arise which you can continue to nourish in yourselves and in your communities.
Inclusiveness & Belonging
Cultivating Inclusiveness & Belonging in the Midst of Challenge
Beloved Community is a collective manifestation of the Insight of Interbeing. How do we get there? Explore concrete practices that support and honor the diverse ways that we and others show up in community.
This is the first of a two-part workshop. Part 1 focuses on personal practices that support inclusiveness and belonging. Part 2 will be offered next weekend, and will focus on structural practices at the community and systemic level. All are welcome to join. Click here to join Part 2 of the workshop on Sat Jun 5, 7:30pm-9:00pm ET live via zoom.
The Five Contemplations
This food is a gift of the earth, the sky, numerous living beings, and much hard and loving work.
May we eat with mindfulness and gratitude so as to be worthy to receive this food.
May we recognize and transform unwholesome mental formations, especially our greed and learn to eat with moderation.
May we keep our compassion alive by eating in such a way that reduces the suffering of living beings, stops contributing to climate change, and heals and preserves our precious planet.
We accept this food so that we may nurture our brotherhood and sisterhood, build our Sangha, and nourish our ideal of serving all living beings.
We’re invited to use this time to practice sitting meditation on our own. Whether it be for 5 minutes, 10 minutes or 30 minutes… in each minute we have an opportunity to touch peace and healing in the very here and now.
You can find many guided sitting meditations in our Plum Village app. You can it download here.
Silence can be cold and frightening. Or silence can be warm, cozy and healing. The warm and healing silence is noble silence.
After a long day of meditation, work and activities in the monasteries we practice Noble Silence. Noble Silence is a time we reserve after the last activity of the day to not talk to each other unless it is super important. Not talking here also means letting our minds stop running and stop talking too. We turn off the computer, devices, give our mind a break and rest. Even as we prepare for bed, we do our best to maintain the energy of a quiet and loving attention. This is the time to lay down, practice total relaxation and drift off into deep sleep to be ready for the new day ahead.
Practicing noble silence turns the nighttime into a time of quietness and deep healing.