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“It’s my conviction that we cannot change the world if we’re not able to change our way of thinking, our consciousness." - Thich Nhat Hanh
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Dharma for Your Day
| Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet:
A New Book of Thay's Earth Teachings |
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"One buddha is not enough. All of us have to become buddhas in order for our planet to have a chance." - Thich Nhat Hanh
Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet, the empowering new book of Thich Nhat Hanh's Earth teachings, is out now. Follow the deep meditations of the Diamond Sutra, encounter the inspiring energy of bodhisattvas, and explore Thay’s vision for applied, compassionate action and regenerative communities that can transform our world.
Featuring an afterword from Sister Chan Khong, as well as a commentary by Sister True Dedication, the book offers Thay’s most profound teachings on how we can contribute to collective awakening while also deeply caring for ourselves, our loved ones, and the Earth.
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Connecting With the Earth
| Mindful of Nature |
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How do we connect with nature? Can nature help us to be mindful or handle our suffering? Three monastics at Plum Village Monastery share their personal experiences.
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Sister Loc Uyen
“My views of what is called ‘nature' have changed.” |
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Brother Phap Ly
“What helped me was to have compassion.”
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Sister Linh Di “Every one of us is being healed by nature in every moment.” |
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Interview With Brother Phap Hai
| What Does It Mean to
Become a Great Being? |
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In celebration of his new book, The Eight Realizations of Great Beings, Brother Phap Hai shares about the core messages of his book, what insights give him the most pause, and what he hopes readers will come away with. To read the full interview, click here.
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What led to your decision to explore the Sutra on the Eight Realizations of Great Beings in a new way?
If all other Buddhist sutras and commentaries were suddenly lost, with only this one Sutra remaining as a guide, it would still be possible for each one of us to fully comprehend the core insights of the Buddha on an experiential level. This is because it is a complete expression of the path as well as a practical manual for meditation. Differing from other recorded sutras, the Sutra on the Eight Realizations of Great Beings is not a teaching that was delivered only to an |
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audience 2,600 years ago, but is directed to all students of the Buddha throughout all time. In this way it is a heart teaching offered directly to each one of us—a teaching from the heart of the Buddha directly to you.
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What are some of the core messages?
Some of the core teachings contained in the sutra are the invitation to engage with our whole life as our practice of awakening: to practice wholeheartedly and at all times, not compartmentalizing our life and our being. To bring all parts of ourselves to the table, especially the messy parts—and not leave anything out. Each moment and aspect of our life is a moment to open our heart, to go a little deeper, to wake up to our real situation. Perhaps those moments or those aspects of our life that we have overlooked might be the most powerful, healing, wise, and transformative moments of all.
Rather than being a complicated path, the practice of mindfulness and meditation is actually quite simple: keep turning towards your experience— the pleasant, the painful, the neutral—and notice the times that you turn away, and become interested in why that is. Then you will begin your path of discovery and insight will arise.
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What do you hope readers learn from the book?
I also hope that this book will be an invitation to find and honor the unexpected and overlooked teacher in our lives. A teacher here is a person or a situation that challenges us, that calls us forth to grow in some way, so it is my hope to inspire that curiosity, interest, and joy that will help readers to see that their unique path is a path that keeps growing and developing throughout their lives. |
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"We have enough—we are enough—and that the beginning point of an authentic spiritual journey is to cultivate confidence in our capacity to generate insight, compassion, transformation, and healing for ourselves and for those around." - Brother Phap Hai
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Daily Practice
| Guided Deep Relaxation |
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Please enjoy this guided deep relaxation by Sister Dang Nghiem, a monastic at Deer Park Monastery, author, and former doctor. In this deep relaxation, we recognize the wonders of our eyes, our hands, our lungs, and everything else. We also become more aware of the tension and pain in the body, and recognize they have both physical and emotional roots.
You can also enjoy this deep relaxation, as well as guided meditations and more, on the free Plum Village app.
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You Are Warmly Invited To Join Us
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We would like to share with you our heartfelt gratitude for your continued practice and for your support for our beloved monastics. As we say in the Plum Village tradition, “You are, therefore I am.” We wish you and your loved ones safety, health, and ease.
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For more practice tips, please visit our 2021 Resources.
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