Today’s words of wisdom come from my Teacher, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, known as Thay by his followers. I have heard him say that the miracle is to walk on Earth, in many of the dharma talks, and in many of the books and magazine articles I’ve read by him. Thay quotes Linji (Lin […]
Awareness Is A Life-and-Death Matter
These words of wisdom come from my teacher, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. We call him Thay, meaning beloved teacher. This teaching is important because in everything we think, say, or do, awareness is a life-and-death matter. When I had breakfast with Thay in 2006, I witnessed the way he would grasp his bowl with […]
The Chan Practices Of Buddha Gate Monastery
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, […]
5 Contemplations
The four-fold community of monks, nuns, lay men, and lay women of Plum Village, home of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh have released a new version of the 5 Contemplations before eating. I really liked an even older version, which began, “This food is the gift of the whole universe – the earth, the sky […]
Breathing – The Video
This video is from my dharma brother Joe Reilly. Joe is a singer, songwriter, and educator. I wish him great success. He is a young member of the Order of Interbeing started by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (known as Thay by his followers) in 1966. I am truly happy to see such wonderful, mindful […]
The Three Jewels
Every Buddhist practitioner takes refuge in the Three Jewels. The Three Jewels are The Buddha, The Dharma, and The Sangha. The Buddha What does it mean to take refuge in the Buddha? When we take refuge in the Buddha, we aspire to awaken the seeds of joy, happiness, peace, and serenity in our lives and […]
Walking Meditation For Healing
These words of wisdom come form Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, known as Thay by his followers. One of the central teachings of Thay and the practices in the Plum Village tradition is walking meditation. I remember vividly the experience I had on my first retreat with Thay in 1997. After the morning dharma talk, […]
Joy All Around
I am happy to pass on Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh‘s practice phrases for the New Year. The phrases are Joy within me, Joy all around and New year, New me These words of wisdom express my wishes that we all have a Happy New Year with peace, gratitude, harmony, and compassion in our hearts. […]
What Is The Meaning Of Life?
Joseph Campbell is a man who needs no introduction. I followed The Power of Myth series on PBS in the late 1980’s. The series fascinated me to no end, especially after my experience with Father Eli and his mythical tales. When I encountered the following quote, I recalled the Dalai Lama‘s answer to the question, […]
Even Children Know This!
These words of wisdom come from Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) from his book, Being Peace. Even children know this! Children understand very well that in each woman, in each man, in each child, there is capacity of waking up, of understanding, and of loving. Many children have told me that they cannot show […]
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