Discovering Plum Village

My first visit to Plum Village and modes of exploring Thich Nhat Hanh's teachings (featuring book recommendations)

Visiting Thai Plum Village

For Songkran (Thai New Year), I experienced the beauty of this celebration from Thai Plum Village, a mindfulness practice center established by Vietnamese peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh. It was lovely to meet new friends and practice Thich Nhat Hanh’s, or Thay’s, teachings among sangha, community. Beginning our days before dawn, around 4:30 am, I sleepily sat in the hall as Buddhist chants and rising dawns washed over me. At 7 am, walking meditation around the Thai Plum Village grounds amid the sunrise finally delivered my proper awakening. From then on our days consisted of delicious and silent meals, various dharma talks, total relaxation (literally nap time with lullabies), sports, singing, and meditation. For Songkran, we had a beautiful water ceremony one dawn and an alms round, a way for laypeople to express gratitude for monastic practice by sharing food. Overall, everything was incredibly wholesome; I felt as if a kindergartener at camp. The experience was a perfect introduction to life at Plum Village.

Taking the five mindfulness trainings

On our last day, we awoke at 4 am to hold a ceremony for those who chose to accept the five mindfulness trainings, based off of the five precepts in Buddhism. The trainings serve as a foundation for compassionate, mindfulness practice. The Plum Village website describes the mindfulness trainings with the following statement:

Rather than hard and fast rules, they offer us a framework to reflect on our actions, speech and thinking so we can create more happiness for ourself and for the world around us.

Over the retreat, I observed the positive attributes of abiding by these intentions and I chose to receive the trainings in ceremony. As a recipient, I am to renew my dedication to the following trainings among other practitioners every three months. The following section shares the five mindfulness trainings [reverence for life, true happiness, true love, loving speech and deep listening, and nourishment and healing] directly from the Plum Village tradition.

The five mindfulness trainings:

Reverence for life

Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I am committed to cultivating the insight of interbeing and compassion and learning ways to protect the lives of people, animals, plants, and minerals. I am determined not to kill, not to let others kill, and not to support any act of killing in the world, in my thinking, or in my way of life. Seeing that harmful actions arise from anger, fear, greed, and intolerance, which in turn come from dualistic and discriminative thinking, I will cultivate openness, non-discrimination, and non-attachment to views in order to transform violence, fanaticism, and dogmatism in myself and in the world.

True happiness

Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation, social injustice, stealing, and oppression, I am committed to practicing generosity in my thinking, speaking, and acting. I am determined not to steal and not to possess anything that should belong to others; and I will share my time, energy, and material resources with those who are in need. I will practice looking deeply to see that the happiness and suffering of others are not separate from my own happiness and suffering; that true happiness is not possible without understanding and compassion; and that running after wealth, fame, power and sensual pleasures can bring much suffering and despair. I am aware that happiness depends on my mental attitude and not on external conditions, and that I can live happily in the present moment simply by remembering that I already have more than enough conditions to be happy. I am committed to practicing Right Livelihood so that I can help reduce the suffering of living beings on Earth and stop contributing to climate change.

True love

Aware of the suffering caused by sexual misconduct, I am committed to cultivating responsibility and learning ways to protect the safety and integrity of individuals, couples, families, and society. Knowing that sexual desire is not love, and that sexual activity motivated by craving always harms myself as well as others, I am determined not to engage in sexual relations without mutual consent, true love, and a deep, long-term commitment. I resolve to find spiritual support for the integrity of my relationship from family members, friends, and sangha with whom there is support and trust. I will do everything in my power to protect children from sexual abuse and to prevent couples and families from being broken by sexual misconduct. Seeing that body and mind are interrelated, I am committed to learn appropriate ways to take care of my sexual energy and to cultivate the four basic elements of true love – loving kindness, compassion, joy, and inclusiveness – for the greater happiness of myself and others. Recognizing the diversity of human experience, I am committed not to discriminate against any form of gender identity or sexual orientation. Practicing true love, we know that we will continue beautifully into the future.

Loving speech and deep listening

Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful speech and the inability to listen to others, I am committed to cultivating loving speech and compassionate listening in order to relieve suffering and to promote reconciliation and peace in myself and among other people, ethnic and religious groups, and nations. Knowing that words can create happiness or suffering, I am committed to speaking truthfully using words that inspire confidence, joy, and hope. When anger is manifesting in me, I am determined not to speak. I will practice mindful breathing and walking in order to recognize and to look deeply into my anger. I know that the roots of anger can be found in my wrong perceptions and lack of understanding of the suffering in myself and in the other person. I will speak and listen in a way that can help myself and the other person to transform suffering and see the way out of difficult situations. I am determined not to spread news that I do not know to be certain and not to utter words that can cause division or discord. I will practice Right Diligence to nourish my capacity for understanding, love, joy, and inclusiveness, and gradually transform anger, violence, and fear that lie deep in my consciousness.

Nourishment and healing

Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful consumption, I am committed to cultivating good health, both physical and mental, for myself, my family, and my society by practicing mindful eating, drinking, and consuming. I will practice looking deeply into how I consume the Four Kinds of Nutriments, namely edible foods, sense impressions, volition, and consciousness. I am determined not to gamble, or to use alcohol, drugs, or any other products which contain toxins, such as certain websites, electronic games, TV programs, films, magazines, books, and conversations. I will practice coming back to the present moment to be in touch with the refreshing, healing and nourishing elements in me and around me, not letting regrets and sorrow drag me back into the past nor letting anxieties, fear, or craving pull me out of the present moment. I am determined not to try to cover up loneliness, anxiety, or other suffering by losing myself in consumption. I will contemplate interbeing and consume in a way that preserves peace, joy, and well-being in my body and consciousness, and in the collective body and consciousness of my family, my society and the Earth.

For the source of these teachings and more information about them, you can visit the Plum Village website.

Book recommendations

For anyone curious about Plum Village and Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings, I have been especially touched by the following six books which I would heartily recommend:

Peace is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life

As my first introduction to Thich Nhat Hanh, it is a piece I nostalgically recommend to anyone unfamiliar with his works. As an anxious college freshman, this book brought some peace and respite. I remember calling my dear Aunt Suzy and telling her about my book discovery, only to learn that this is one of her favorites! The book inspires how to cultivate mindfulness and peace with the mundane, like walking, drinking tea, and washing the dishes.

Living Buddha Living Christ

Growing up in the Bible Belt, I appreciated this book demonstrating the harmony between Christianity and Buddhism and how a person can practice both. Rather than engaging in religious fundamentalism, Thay focuses on essential commonalities, cultivating inter-faith tolerance and understanding. No matter our own spiritual practices, religious tolerance and understanding are necessary cultivations for members of a wide world, and this book is a resource for easefully abetting this cause.

Fragrant Palm Leaves: Journals, 1962-1966

This book was a sweet gift from a friend and mentor. I took this when moving to a frigid Massachusetts and found Thay’s writing insightfully uplifting. As his journals depict his experiences living in Vietnam and New York, he shared his deep love and affinity for Vietnam’s culture and environment while still appreciative of New England’s beauties. I finished the second half of this book at Thai Plum Village, and I felt grateful to read about Thay’s love of Vietnam in a closer and akin environment.

One of the sweetest and most personally revealing of Thich Nhat Hanh’s books, it shows the planting of his seeds of remarkable wisdom.

-Jack Kornfield for Fragrant Palm Leaves

Call Me By My True Names: The Collected Poems of Thich Nhat Hanh

As someone with difficulty comprehending and enjoying poetry, I was happy to make it through this book with ease. Not only that, but I experienced heartfelt resonance with numerous poems. Therefore, I can recommend this piece to poetry and non-poetry lovers alike.

The Art of Communicating

This book is lovely for fostering understanding and compassion in our relationships and displaying these through communication and listening. Skillful communication deeply enriches our relationships, and this book is an inspiring resource to commit to this undertaking.

How to Eat

This book offers short excerpts for cultivating appreciation and happiness with our eating practices. This book is helpful for anyone wanting to slow down to enjoy their food (and beyond). This will be the May’s reading selection for Intereating book club. A free digital copy can be found here. Don’t forget to sign up for book club so I can keep you in the loop about our meetings, on the last Sunday of each month at 6pm EST.