Reverence for Life is the first of the Five Mindfulness Trainings authored by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (known as “Thay” by his followers.) In the time of the Buddha it was known as the first precept and, in fact, at that time, all of the precepts were simple statements like, “Not to kill,” “Not […]
Mindfulness Trainings
December 30, 2015 by
The Five Mindfulness Trainings of the Plum Village Tradition and the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings of the Order of Interbeing are guiding wisdom for how we can be mindful in our daily lives. They were written by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) and modified over the years by Thay and the monks and nuns in […]
The Nature of Interbeing
April 16, 2015 by
These words of wisdom from Ogyen Trinley Dorje, the seventeenth Karmapa, are about the nature of interbeing. He calls it interdependence, as do most Buddhist teachers and masters. Interbeing is a term coined by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, and the nature of interbeing is one of his principle teachings. He says, “Interbeing is not […]
The Mindfulness Trainings are not Formulas for Absolute Virtue
February 12, 2015 by
In these words of wisdom from Hannah Tennant-Moore, we learn that the precepts or the Mindfulness Trainings are not formulas for absolute virtue. Every single one of them, whether we are talking about the Five Mindfulness Trainings or the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings of the Order of Interbeing, is relative and depends on what is happening […]
Sister Chan Khong Spoke for Thich Nhat Hanh
December 5, 2014 by
Pope Francis invited Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) to speak about the signing of the declaration against slavery. Since Thay is still sick in the hospital, Sister Chan Khong spoke for Thich Nhat Hanh from a prepared speech. The speech is available in its entirety on the Plum Village website. Pope Francis invited spiritual […]
Keep Our Compassion Alive
October 22, 2014 by
The People’s Climate Train, climate march and Flood Wall Street occurred while I was in Spain. My dharma brother, David Nelson, filmed the event and has made his film public. What we learn is that we need to keep our compassion alive as Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) says, May we keep our compassion […]
Deep Listening with Thich Nhat Hanh
September 26, 2014 by
Aren’t we lucky today? Yes we are! We have a video from Super Soul Sunday in which Oprah Winfrey interviews Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. In this video, we will learn about compassionate listening or, what we call in our sangha, deep listening with Thich Nhat Hanh (known as Thay by his followers) and its […]
The Road is Made by Walking
August 14, 2014 by
Walker, your footsteps are the road, and nothing more. Walker, there is no road, the road is made by walking. Walking you make the road, and turning to look behind you see the path you never again will step upon. Walker, there is no road, only foam trails on the sea. ~ Antonio Machado […]
Ethics from the Heart
July 3, 2014 by
These words of wisdom from Lin Jensen talk about the precepts of Buddhism. Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, known as Thay by his followers, likes to call these Mindfulness Trainings. In either case, they teach us to practice ethics from the heart. The Zen attitude about the precepts corresponds quite nicely with Thay’s teachings. In […]
The Chan Practices Of Buddha Gate Monastery
March 22, 2014 by
There has been a lot of discussion about the 5 Contemplations on the OI1 discussion group lately. In the previous article I reported on some issues my dharma brothers were having and compared two versions of the 5 Contemplations with each other. One of the principle areas of discussion was related to the second contemplation, […]
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