Plum Village

What can I say? I miscalculated....

 

 

 

Today I was supposed to be in a full day of meditation at Thich Nhat Hanh's Plum Village in Southern France. Lay people are welcome on certain Thursdays & Sundays. When I looked online yesterday to see which Hamlet it would be at, it said.......nothing.......nada....nope....not going to happen on Sunday!

 

But starting on this Thursday, Thich Nhat Hanh would be leading the meditation for the next few weeks.

 

 

Thursday?

 

 

But.........I........won't.....be.....here......Thursday.......

 

I cried a little.

 

And then a little more.

 

 

Then Mr. B offered to drive me by the Upper Hamlet on Sunday just to see it.

 

 

I sniffled a little.

 

I tried to be brave and told myself that Mindfulness comes from within.

 

 

Then I had a glass of wine, a great dinner, a good nights sleep and everything looked better this morning!

 

This afternoon I was able to walk around the Hamlet while the monks were preparing for a long retreat that begins tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am so happy for being able to take this journey with Mr. B!

 

 

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Inspiration from Thich Nhat Hanh

Song - Thich Nhat Hanh: A Warm Embrace - The Great Bell Chant

This Autumn Mr. B and I will be traveling to France and celebrating our 35th Wedding Anniversary!  Just where does the time go?

For several months, we have been working on our plans and figuring out where we would like to go and what we would like to experience.  We will be traveling to some familiar places but we will also go on many new adventures.  Mr. B is so much fun to plan a trip with because he is a warehouse of knowledge and ideas.

As we were planning our trip through the Dordogne, I realized that Thich Nhat Hanh has a monastery and several hamlets in that area.  While researching it further, I discovered that on Thursdays and Sundays the monks and nuns have a day of "mindfulness" open to the lay person.

We will be in the area on a Sunday!

Thich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese Buddhist Monk who practices mindfulness and peace.  Martin Luther King nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967.  When not traveling the world teaching, he is at Plum Village, France - gardening, meditating, teaching and writing.

Mr. B has decided that he would rather research the area around Bergerac so that I will have a day of sitting meditation, teaching, Dharma talk and walking meditation.

I so wish I could spend some more time there but I am so grateful for the stars colliding so that I would arrive on a day of meditation.

Anyway, the main reason I was telling you about all of this is that via his Plum Village website, you can download several great apps.  One is the "Bell of Mindfulness" and you can set it to go off on your computer at whatever timed intervals you decide. It makes me smile and breathe every time it goes o I know some days I sit at the computer and get lost and before I know it most of my day is gone.  The "gong" reminds you to breath, center yourself and if you need, stand up and go outside to nature.

It is always nice to have a gentle reminder to breathe.....

Mr. B and his dreamy eyes...

 “Waking up this morning, I smile. Twenty-four brand new hours are before me. I vow to live fully in each moment and to look at all beings with eyes of compassion.” --Thich Nhat Hanh