"Practicing peace, especially in times of war, requires courage."
--Thich Nhat Hanh
During December, the Cape Sangha will gather on Dec. 7 and Dec. 21. This period of celebration in many cultures is an ideal time to pause for some quiet, peaceful meditation.
The Dec. 7 meeting falls within the period associated with Bodhi Day or Rohatsu, the commemoration of the Buddha's enlightenment. Bodhi Day is usually celebrated on Dec. 8 or the Sunday immediately preceding it. Japanese Zen practitioners often mark Rohatsu with periods of extended meditation.
The Dec. 21 meeting falls on the eve of the winter solstice, on the third day of Hanukkah, and shortly before Christmas.
The meetings will include readings from and discussion of Thich Nhat Hanh's newest book, Creating True Peace.
The meetings will be from 4 to 6 p.m. on the first and third Sundays of the month, as usual.Typically the meetings begin with a few minutes of tea and conversation, followed by announcements and introductions and then periods of sitting and walking meditation, plus some readings and recitation. The sitting meditations are usually two 20-minute sittings.
In January the regular meetings will be on Jan. 4 and Jan. 18.
The Boston Area Sanghas are holding a Day of Mindfulness from 1 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13, at the Cambridge Friends Meeting House 8 Longfellow Park, Cambridge. The subject of the day is the first three of the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings of the Order of Interbeing. Leaders are Ted Todd and Suzanne Hudson. Another Day of Mindfulness will be 2 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, at the Cambridge Buddhist Association, 75 Sparks Street, Cambridge. The subject is "Practice Basics," and leaders are Lydia Scher and Tom Sweetland. More information about the Boston Area events is available by calling 617-469-8160.
The Cape Cod Zen Center is sponsoring a half-day "Foundations of Zen" retreat beginning at 9 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 21 at Sasha's Yoga Studio in South Dennis. There is no fee for this retreat, but participants are asked to sign up with Jim Calvin by e-mail at
For the first time, Thich Nhat Hanh will spend his winter retreat at Deer Park Monastery in Escondido, Calif. He will be in residence at Deer Park, which is near San Diego, from Jan. 3 to April 2, 2004. Members of the public are welcome to participate in the retreat for periods of one or more weeks. Information is available by calling 760-291-1003, by e-mail at
Generous donations have expanded the Cape Sangha library. Lorraine Bernier donated two books by the eminent Buddhist scholar George M Marshall, her father-in-law. They are "Buddha: The Quest for Serenity" and a copy of "Facing Death and Grief" that is signed by the author.
Phyllis Szerejko donated a rare, hand-bound copy of "Zen Poems of Nhat Hanh" published by Unicorn Press in 1976.
And Barbara Kershner donated "Living Buddha, Living Christ," The Blooming of the Lotus, "The Miracle of Mindfulness," and "The Sun My Heart" all by Thich Nhat Hanh, and "Stages of Meditation" by the Dalai Lama.
"Impermanence is the key that helps us unlock the door of reality."
--Thich Nhat Hanh
The full moon in June is sometimes called the strawberry moon because the strawberry plants bear fruit at that time. If we practice mindfulness and meditation, our practice will bear fruit as sweet as a fresh strawberry. The next meetings of the Cape Sangha will be on June 1 and June 15, the first and third Sundays of the month, as usual.
The meetings begin with 10 minutes of tea and conversation, followed by announcements and introductions and then periods of sitting and walking meditation, plus some readings and recitation. The sitting meditations are usually two 20-minute sittings. The discussion at the June meetings will center on the Fifth Mindfulness Training. Participants are encouraged to read, consider and be prepared to comment on how the training relates to their lives.
The Fifth Mindfulness Training follows:
Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful consumption, I vow to cultivate good health, both physical and mental, for myself, my family, and my society, by practicing mindful eating, drinking, and consuming. I vow to ingest only items that preserve peace, well-being, and joy in my body, in my consciousness, and in the collective body and consciousness of my family and society. I am determined not to use alcohol or any other intoxicant or to ingest foods or other items that contain toxins, such as certain TV programs, magazines, books, films, and conversations. I am aware that to damage my body or my consciousness with these poisons is to betray my ancestors, my parents, my society, and future generations. I will work to transform violence, fear, anger, and confusion in myself and in society by practicing a diet for myself and for society. I understand that a proper diet is crucial for self-transformation and for the transformation of society.
Thich Nhat Hanh and the monks and nuns of the Order of Interbeing will offer a five-day retreat Stonehill College in Eastham Aug. 11-16. The five-day retreat will include special programs for children, teens and young adults. Everyone is welcome to attend, including beginners. The theme of the retreat is "The Heart of Happiness: Building a Century of Peace."
To register, contact the Green Mountain Dharma Center at 802-436-1103, or by e-mail at
His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be giving a public address entitled "The Global Community and the Need for Universal Responsibility" at Boston's FleetCenter on Sunday, Sept. 14. Tickets priced at $100, $60, $40, $18 and $12 (student discount), are available at the FleetCenter Box Office, Ticketmaster locations, at
"The shortest moment contains infinite time. The smallest grain of dust contains infinite space."
--Thich Nhat Hanh
Many people find that the busy holiday season is a time when we need the peace of meditation more than ever. The regular meetings of the Cape Sangha will be at 4 p.m. on Dec. 1 and Dec. 15.
The meetings, which are on the first and third Sunday of the month, will be held at the home of Jim and Barbara Kershner in Dennis.
A typical meeting includes two 20-minute periods of silent sitting meditation, a brief walking meditation, recitation of the Five Mindfulness Trainings and a period of reading and discussion. Ideas for special activities are welcome.
In January, the meetings will be held on Jan. 5 and Jan. 19.
The Sangha needs a few caring people to help with planning and organization. Anyone who wants to see the Sangha continue to flourish is encouraged to lend a hand.
The first meeting of the Cape Sangha's Sangha Care Committee will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 29. Unlike the regular meetings, this will be a business meeting to set the course for the future of the Sangha.
Volunteers are encouraged to sign up for this working committee by contacting Jim Kershner by phone at 508-385-8296 or by e-mail at jim@capesangha.org.
Jim Calvin is starting a new meditation group in the Barnstable Unitarian Church, with meetings Tuesday morning at 9 and Fridays at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Those who want instructin should arrive 20 minutes early. Calvin is a member of the Providence Zen Center, which is the head temple of the Kwan Um School of Zen, founded by Korean Zen Master Seung Sahn. Calvin will be going to Providence for the center's observance of Buddha Enlightment Day, Dec. 7. For more information, contact Jim Calvin at 508-362-2410.
A meditation group meets at the Chatham Unitarian Universalist Church from 7 to 9 p.m. each Tuesday. For more information, call the church at 508-945-2075.
The Visvhas Meditation Group has meetings in Cotuit and Sandwich. The Cotuit group meets from 7 to 8:30 each Monday; for more information call 508-428-4103. The Sandwich group meets from 7 to 8:30 p.m. every Thursday; for more information call 508-420-0777. Their Web site is www.vishvasmeditation.org.
If you know of any meditation groups holding regular sittings, please send them to Jim Kershner by mail to 39 Fieldstone Drive, Dennis, MA 02638, by phone at 508-385-8296 or by e-mail at jim@capesangha.org.
"Wellbeing is possible. Peace is possible. Happiness is possible."
--Thich Nhat Hanh
The regular meetings of the Cape Sangha will be at 4 p.m. on Nov. 3 and Nov. 17, with a special anniversary celebration Nov. 17.
The Nov. 17 meeting will mark the fifth anniversary of the Cape Sangha. The first meeting was held on Nov. 16, 1997.
To mark the anniversary, there will be a pot-luck vegetarian supper as part of the Nov. 17 meeting. The regular sitting portion of the meeting will be 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., followed by the pot-luck supper from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
"You have to nourish and look after your love for it to grow."
--Thich Nhat Hanh
Retreat at Stonehill College successful More than 800 people - including about a dozen from Cape Cod - participated in the six-day retreat with Thich Nhat Hanh and the monks and nuns of his order at Stonehill College in Eastham Aug. 12 to Aug. 17.
The retreat included witting meditation, walking meditation, vegetarian meals eaten in mindful silence and six dharma talks by Thich Nhat Hanh. The Vietnamese Zen master, who participated in the Paris Peace Talks at the end of the Vietnam War, encouraged Americans to listen deeply to America's critics and those who feel they have been the victims of discrimination and hatred from America, both inside and outside America.
Inspired by his teachings, a group of volunteers began organizing a grass-roots organization to encourage compassionate listening as an alternative to war.
One of the outgrowths of that discussion is a Web site at: www.listenforpeace.org. Another relevant Web site that was launched before this event bus is also based on the Teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh is: http://www.coopcomm.org/compassion/
"Bombs cannot remove anger and hatred; bombs can only increase anger and hatred."
--Thich Nhat Hanh
Therese Fitzgerald will lead the Day of Mindfulness. She is co-founder of Parallax Press and the Community of Mindful Living. For more than 25 years, she studied closely with Thich Nhat Hanh, who ordained her as a dharma teacher in 1994.
The day will include sitting and walking meditation with instructions and a dharma talk by Therese. Participants are asked to bring a simple brown-bag lunch to be eaten in mindful silence. You also may want to bring a pad and/or cushion for sitting on the floor. Chairs will be available for those who prefer to use them. A voluntary donation of $15 is requested.
The regular meetings of the Cape Sangha will be at 4 p.m. on Sept. 1 and Sept. 15
As usual, the regular meetings will be from 4 to 6 p.m. on the first and third Sunday of the month at the home of Jim and Barbara Kershner in Dennis. They will include two 20-minute periods of silent sitting meditation, a brief walking meditation, recitation of the Five Mindfulness Trainings and a period of reading and discussion.
The Hopping Tree Sangha of Western Massachusetts is offering a three-day retreat at the Sirus Community in Shutesbury, Mass., from Thursday, Oct. 3, to Sunday, Oct. 6.
The theme of the retreat is "Taking Refuge," and the teachers are Therese Fitzgerald and Arnie Kotler. (Therese Fitzgerald will also offer a one-day retreat on Cape Cod Sept. 28.)
Therese Fitzgerald and Arnie Kotler are co-founders of the Community of Mindful Living, Parallax Press, and Dharma Friends. They practiced for many years at the San Francisco and Tassajara Zen Centers, and with Thich Nhat Hahn, who ordained them as Dharma teachers. They are married, give retreats throughout the United States and abroad, and are working to start a residential retreat center.
"Every time I see a child, I think about the world we will leave behind for that child."
--Thich Nhat Hanh
The Cape Sangha will hold a special Cape Cod Day of Mindfulness on Saturday, Sept. 28. The one-day meditation retreat will be from 9:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Barnstable Unitarian-Universalist Church on Route 6A in Barnstable Village.
The special guest leader for the Day of Mindfulness is Therese Fitzgerald, co-founder of Parallax Press and the Community of Mindful Living. For more than 25 years, she studied closely with Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, who ordained her as a dharma teacher.
The day will include sitting and walking meditation with instructions and a dharma talk by Therese. Participants should bring a simple brown-bag lunch, which will be eaten in mindful silence.
The day is designed for both experienced practitioners and those who are interested in learning more about meditation and Buddhism. Everyone is welcome and no prior experience is necessary.
There will be only one regular meeting of the Cape Sangha in August, on Aug. 4. The Aug. 18 meeting is canceled to allow everyone to enjoy walking meditation, picnic meditation and a public lecture with Thich Nhat Hanh in Providence, R.I., that day.
In September, meeting will be held on the first and third Sunday, as usual, on Sept. 1 and Sept. 15.
As usual, the regular meetings will include two 20-minute periods of silent sitting meditation, a brief walking meditation, recitation of the Five Mindfulness Trainings and a period of reading and discussion.
"We only have to open our eyes, listen carefully to enjoy the richness of life."
--Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat Hanh will lead "An Evening of Peace" in Providence, R.I., on Aug. 18.
The evening will begin with walking meditation, led by Thich Nhat Hanh starting at 4:30 p.m. at the amphitheater in Waterplace Park. This will be followed at 5:20 by a "Picnic Meditation" in Waterplace Park. Participants are invited to bring their own packed supper.
After the picnic, Thich Nhat Hanh will offer a public lecture beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Rhode Island Convention Center, which is one block from the park.
The walking meditation and picnic meditation are free. Tickets for the lecture are available from Next Ticketing at a cost of $22, or $17 for students. They can be purchased on-line at www.nextticketing.com or by calling 617-368-9400. Thich Nhat Hanh describes the meditations this way:
"Walking Meditation - Returning to the present moment with each step, we learn to walk with freedom from our worries, anger and sorrow. We discover we can completely refresh and calm ourselves with each step, and renew our sense of joy in being alive. The peace and joy we will generate together will shine out as an offering from our hearts for the wellbeing and peace of our world."
"Eating In Awareness - After walking we will all sit together and share the evening meal in peaceful silence. We will remember how each piece of apple or bread is extremely precious, how it is a gift from the whole universe - the earth, sun and rain... The practice of eating in awareness can be a wonderful source of happiness when we know how to eat in a relaxed and mindful way."
Thich Nhat Hanh and the monks and nuns of the Order of Interbeing will lead a six-day retreat next August at Stonehill College in Easton, Aug. 12, through Aug. 17.
To register by phone, call 802- 436-1103 Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to noon or 1:30 to 5 p.m.
To register by mail, mail registration form with check, money order or credit card information to Green Mountain Dharma Center, Attn: Stonehill Retreat, P.O. Box 182, Hartland 4 Corners, VT 05049.
To register online, use the Web site at www.plumvillage.org.
"The flower. The sky. Your loved one. You can only meet in the present moment."
--Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat Hanh and the monks and nuns of the Order of Interbeing will lead a six-day retreat next August at Stonehill College in Easton, less than an hour's drive from Cape Cod.
The retreat is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 12, through Saturday, Aug. 17. The theme of the retreat is "Healing Our Hearts and Global Community: the Path of Non-fear and Compassion."
The following information is based on the description at the Plum Village Web site (www.plumvillage.org):
In the wake of last year's tragic events, this retreat will help us focus on how we can find peace within ourselves. It will give us new ways to relate to our world, and realize harmony, compassion and reconciliation. Through profound, sincere, and accessible ways of teaching the practice of mindfulness, Thich Nhat Hanh, will give us the foundation and inspiration to look deeply within ourselves and uncover our inherent capacity to be more stable, compassionate and less fearful while discovering ways to respond to the world with less fear, anger and insecurity.
Every day in this retreat we will take time to practice walking meditation outside, joining Thich Nhat Hanh in walking peacefully on the face of this earth; we will be guided by the monks and the nuns in the practice of sitting and walking meditation; we will have time to enjoy our meals in silence, taking time to contemplate the food and the presence of other practitioners around us.
We will also observe periods of "Noble Silence," and we are encouraged not to be carried away in meaningless conversation.
This retreat will follow Thich Nhat Hanh's tradition of including families to join the practice, and we welcome everyone to join this retreat, including beginners.
There will be an opportunity to receive the Five Mindfulness Trainings early morning on Saturday, August 17th.Some financial aid is available for those who cannot afford to pay. Contributions for this scholarship fund are gratefully accepted.
The cost of the retreat depends on choice of accommodations. All housing is in Stonehill College dormitories. Total fees, including tuition, room and board for the week are as follows: Single occupancy rooms, $895; double-occupancy rooms, $645; Triple-occupancy rooms for students under 26, $495; Commuter fee for those not needing rooms, $495; Young people aged 13 to 17, $425; Young people aged 6 to 12 sleeping on the floor in their parents' rooms, $295.
To register by phone, call 802- 436-1103 Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to noon or 1:30 to 5 p.m.
To register by mail, mail registration form with check, money order or credit card information to Green Mountain Dharma Center, Attn: Stonehill Retreat, P.O. Box 182, Hartland 4 Corners, VT 05049. To register online, use the Web site at www.plumvillage.org.
Text.
"All ancestors and future generations are present in us.
Liberation is not an individual matter."
--Thich Nhat Hanh
We are very grateful to everyone who has made donations to the Cape Sangha. The Sangha is just a group of friends who sit and smile. We are not incorporated, and we have no bank account.
At each meeting we leave out a donation basket. We use the donations solely to mail out the monthly newsletter. Over the last four years, it has worked out amazingly well. We always seem to just about break even. Mailing out a newsletter costs about $17 in postage and about $10 for copying.
Although more than 100 people have requested the newsletter over the years, we pare it down to about 50 people who are currently most active. This includes the newest requests, and folks who have come to meetings, made donations or otherwise contributed to the Sangha. We also exchange newsletters with a few other sanghas.
As many of you know, we also have a Web site. Although free Web sites are available, the free ones all have annoying advertising. There are other limitations as well. I decided instead to make arrangements through KISS Computing of Cape Cod, a group that offered us many features including annual registration of the domain name (www.capesangha.org), technical assistance and free e-mail (jim@capesangha.org) which is then forwarded to my personal e-mail. We have made many new friends and gained new members through this Web site. Inquiries come in from all over the world and from Cape Cod as well. The site has been visited 7,500 times in the last year. The cost of this Web site is $135 per year. So far, Barbara and I have paid this. Please visit the Web site. If you feel you want to support our presence on the Internet, please send in a contribution specifically earmarked for Cape Sangha Web site. You can leave a note in the donation basket or in the suggestion box or mail a check (payable to Jim Kershner) with a notation that it is for the Web site. Thank you. We truly appreciate any donation, whether it is money for the Web site or newsletter, tea or cookies for the meetings, books for the library or other items for our practice. We also appreciate your presence. Peace, Jim
"Real love is compassion and a kind heart. It is unconditional."
--Thich Nhat Hanh
The next meeting of the Cape Sangha, April 7, will feature a discussion of specific ways the Sangha can work to reduce injustice in our community.
At the March 17 meeting, the Sangha discussed the tenth of the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings, which says, in part that: "A spiritual community should … take a clear stand against oppression and injustice and should strive to change the situation without engaging in partisan conflicts."
After a lively discussion of ways the Cape Sangha could work collectively to help solve some of Cape Cod's social problems, it was suggested that we continue the discussion at the next meeting with members encouraged to being specific examples of opportunities for community involvement.
Community groups such as Habitat for Humanity, local food pantries, the Noah Shelter, Housing Assistance Corporation and the Harwich Ecumenical Council for the Homeless were mentioned as groups we might assist.
"We already are living in the Pure Land, in the Kingdom of God.
We already are Buddha. We only have to wake up and realize that
we are here."
--Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat Hanh and the monks and nuns from Plum Village and the Green Mountain Dharma Center will lead a Day of Mindfulness at Wellesley College 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 10.
The Dalai Lama has canceled his April 27 talk at the Worcester Centrum. The Tibetan spiritual leader canceled all speaking engagements while recuperating from an illness in January.
"Peace work is not a means. Each step
we make should be peace. ... We can
realize peace right in the present moment."
--Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat Hanh and the monks and Nuns of the Order of Interbeing will lead a six-day retreat next August at Stonehill College in Easton, less than an hour’s drive from Cape Cod.
The retreat is scheduled for Monday Aug. 12 through Saturday, Aug. 17. The retreat will conclude with a lecture that is open to the public. The theme of the retreat is "Healing Our Hearts and Global Community: the Path of Non-fear and Compassion." Registration information will be available soon.
"We need to breathe deeply, to get calm,
in order to touch the seed of wisdom."
--Thich Nhat Hanh
The Freedom of the Moon Sangha will meet at 1 p.m. on the second and fourth Sundays of each month in Providence.
For more information, contact Betsy Shea-Taylor at 401-861-0118, or by e-mail at prosewing@aol.com.
The Sunday, Dec. 23, Boston Globe Magazine features a beautiful cover story about Sister Fern and Brother Michael, monastic members of Thich Nhat Hanh’s Order of Intebeing.
"I am home. I have arrived. In the here and in the now. I am solid. I am free. In the ultimate I dwell."
--Thich Nhat Hanh
TAn excerpt from Thich Nhat Hanh’s latest book, "Anger," is featured in the November issue of the Shambhala Sun Magazine. The issue also includes an interview with His Holiness The Dalai Lama.
The winter edition of Tricycle magazine includes a statement by Thich Nhat Hanh in a section that includes the perspectives of several prominent Buddhist teachers on the tragic events of Sept. 11.
The Tricycle issue also includes an excellent article by Joseph Goldstein, co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Mass., about "One Dharma." It is adapted from his beautiful closing remarks at the Tricycle conference on Buddhist practice, held at the World Trade Center last July.
"We don't rush to the future because we know that everything is here in the present moment."
--Thich Nhat Hanh
The Cape Sangha will hold two special meetings in November. The Nov. 4 meeting will be in North Eastham, and the Nov. 18 meeting will be followed by a pot-luck supper.
Participants are asked to bring a simple vegetarian dish to share with the Sangha.
"Responding to violence with violence resolves nothing; it only escalates violence, anger and hatred."
--Thich Nhat Hanh, Sept. 18, 2001
The first meeting of the Cape Sangha was Nov. 16, 1997. To celebrate our fourth anniversary, we will have a pot-luck supper following the regular Sangha meeting on Nov. 18, 2001. Please plan on attending the regular meeting that day, and bring some food to share at a casual dinner following the meeting.
Thich Nhat Hanh invites all his followers to accept the Five Mindfulness Trainings, based on the Five Precepts taught by the Buddha.
In addition to those, people who wish to become members of the core community of the Order of Interbeing are invited to study and begin to practice the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings, which can be seen as a more advanced interpretation of the same precepts.
Copies of the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings and analytical essays by Thich Nhat Hanh are found in the book, "Interbeing" published by Parallax Press. Copies of the trainings will be available at the Cape Sangha Meetings and on the Sangha’s Web site.
The Cape Sangha will discuss each of these trainings one per meeting, starting with the first of the fourteen trainings on Oct. 21. We will ask for a volunteer to read and lead a discussion of one of the trainings at each meeting.
"We don't rush to the future because we know that everything is here in the present moment."
--Thich Nhat Hanh
The Cape Sangha will hold a Day of Mindfulness 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 16.
This special event is a one-day retreat in the tradition of the retreats led by Thich Nhat Hanh and the monks and nuns of his order. The main focus of the day will be sitting meditation, broken up with walking meditation. But there will also be special activities, including a tea ceremony, at which participants will be given the opportunity to share a song, poem, joke, story, dance, anecdote or observation. There will be a period of "Mindful Movements" and a time for total relaxation.
About a dozen people with connections to the Cape Sangha attended the six-day retreat with Thich Nhat Hanh at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst Aug. 13 to Aug. 18.
Several took the opportunity to participate in the ceremony Saturday morning in which they accepted the Five Mindfulness Trainings and received a dharma name. Those who have accepted the trainings should recite them regularly, which we do twice a month at the Cape Sangha. One particularly moving event for families participating in the retreat was a "Beginning Anew" ceremony in which teenagers and their parents expressed their love and appreciation for each other.
Part of the retreat included dharma discussion groups of people from the same region. The "golden eagle" group included people from Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The group leader was Joanne Friday of the Clear Heart Sangha in Matunuck, R.I. We discussed plans to visit each other's sanghas and organize joint events.
The retreat included mindful movements and walking meditation early in the morning, followed by breakfast and then a dharma talk by Thich Nhat Hanh each day. After munch there were a variety of special events and some free time. Following dinner there were meetings of the dharma discussion groups, which began and ended with meditation. The meals were all vegetarian and all eaten in mindful silence.
Participants described the experience as "powerful," "moving," "beautiful," and "transformative."
"When our family knows how to practive compassion, loving-kindness and non-violence,
our society will have a chance."
--Thich Nhat Hanh
The Day of Mindfulness will begin with some basic meditation instructions and will include a mix of walking and sitting meditation, a tea ceremony, mindful movements, dharma discussion, and a brown-bag vegetarian lunch eaten in silence. It will conclude with the regular Sangha meeting from 4 to 6 p.m.
"With each step, a gentle wind blows.
With each step, a flower blooms."
--Thich Nhat Hanh
"Supporting the Practice of Peace and Non-violence in Family, School, and the Work Place," a retreat with Thich Nhat Hanh and the monks and nuns from Plum Village, Maple Forest Monastery, and Deer Park Monastery, will be Aug. 13 to 18 in Amherst, Mass. For information, e-mail mfmaster@vermontel.net, telephone 802-436-1103, or fax: 802-436-1101
Thich Nhat Hanh will also give a public talk at 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 18, at the Mullins Convocation Center at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. The title of the talk is "Living Happily, Dying Peacefully." More information on both Amherst events is available at the Web site: www.iamhome.org
"Peace is the walk. Happiness is the walk.
Walk for yourself and walk for everyone."
--Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat Hanh urged people to follow the path of peace in a talk to about 4,000 people at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston May 18.
Accompanied by a group of monks and nuns from Plum Village and the Maple Forest Monastery and Green Mountain Dharma Center, Thay spoke for about two hours. He urged the audience to resolve differences nonviolently and to water the seeds of compassion and understanding, rather than watering the seeds of violence and anger.
He called upon people to adopt a diet of foods that promote well-being in what we eat as well as in what we view, read and hear.
Several members of the Cape Sangha attended the lecture, which began with songs and guided meditation led by nuns from the Order of Interbeing.
Cape Sangha has a new address on the World Wide Web.
Cape Sangha is now located on the Web at www.capesangha.org. Through an arrangement with K.I.S.S. Computing of Eastham, the new site includes e-mail capabilities, so e-mail may be sent to jim@capesangha.org. Our previous Web site was arranged through CapeInternet, which was sold to OneMain and then to Earthlink. The changes meant the site was no longer free.
Between February 2000 and May 2001, the old Web site was visited more than 3,000 times, for an average of eight "hits" per day. People logged onto the site from more than 40 countries, including Finland, Croatia, Singapore, Israel, and Trinidad and Tobago.
The new site, capesangha.org, has only been up two weeks. Between May 14 and May 30 it was visited 140 times, for an average of six "hits" per day. That average is expected to increase as the new location is recognized by more search engines. K.I.S.S. Computing is submitting the site to the top 20 search engines.
A notice at the old site redirects visitors to the new site. But the old site will be shut down when the new owners discontinue service, probably in mid-June.
The new site costs $10 per month.
"We are aware that understanding is the very foundation of love."
--Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat Hanh will give a rare public lecture in Boston at 7 p.m. Friday, May 18. The talk will be in the Veterans Memorial Auditorium of the Hynes Convention Center, 900 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02155. The title of his talk is "Peace is the Way."
"Understanding shatters old knowledge to make room for the new that accords with reality"
--Thich Nhat Hanh
"When we enter the present moment deeply, our regrets
and sorrows disappear
and we discover life with all its wonders."
--Thich Nhat Hanh
"Real strength is not in power, money, or weapons, but in
deep, inner peace."
--Thich Nhat Hanh
The Green Mountain Dharma Center and nearby Maple Forest Monastery in Hartland-Four Corners, Vt., are offering a variety of programs this summer, including a summer retreat, days of mindfulness and work programs.
The Maple Forest Monastery was founded in September 1997 by Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh as the first branch monastery of Plum Village in France. It is located just outside of South Woodstock, Vt., where 13 monks are living in temporary accommodations until the permanent monastery is built.
Green Mountain Dharma Center was founded in April 1998 and is located in Hartland-Four-Corners, Vt. Twelve nuns and two lay women are in residence there, also until the monastery is completed.
During retreats and year-round there are Mindfulness Days every Thursday (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and Sunday (9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) which include walking meditation, a videotape of Thay’s Dharma Talk from the current retreat at Plum Village (or a live talk by one of the teachers in residence) and formal lunch. On Thursday afternoon there is Dharma discussion and on Sunday afternoon there is tea meditation or touching the earth and guided relaxation.
Other programs currently under way include a Children’s Day Program on the first Saturday of each month, a Teen Day of Mindfulness on the third Saturday of each month, and a Community Work Project Program on the last Saturday of each month.
Accommodations are simple. Participants share rooms and sleep on foam mattresses on the floor. Please bring your own sleeping bag, sheets, towels, pillow and a flashlight. There is a suggested donation of $25 per day for food and overnight accommodations. Men and couples should contact the guestmaster at the Maple Forest Monastery at (802) 457-9442. Women should contact the guestmaster at the Green Mountain Dharma Center at (802) 436-1103.
According to the spring issue of “The Mindfulness Bell” (The Journal of the International Order of Interbeing), changes are unfolding within the larger Sangha.
The Community of Mindful Living merged into the Unified Buddhist Church in March. According to a Dharma talk reprinted in “The Mindfulness Bell,” Thich Nhat Hanh sees the Unified Buddhist Church as an umbrella organization that includes all the organizations related to his teachings.
This includes the Community of Mindful Living, the Green Mountain Dharma Center, the Mindfulness Bell, the Mindfulness Practice Centers, the Great Island Center, Plum Village, the Order of Interbeing, Parallax Press, the monks and nuns, and the individual Sanghas worldwide. This, of course, includes the Cape Sangha, also known as the Cape Cod Community of Mindful Living.
The bond that ties the Cape Sangha to the Unified Buddhist Church is spiritual, rather than legal, and there is nothing that makes those who practice with the Cape Sangha members of the Unified Buddhist Church. But those who wish to follow the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh may find his vision of an organizational structure interesting. And the Unified Buddhist Church has been incorporated as a nonprofit organization under the rules of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.
“What is the UBC?” Thich Nhat Hanh asks in his Dharma talk. “The UBC is all of us. The UBC is not monasteries alone, because the UBC is also for the Order of Interbeing and laypeople. The UBC is for the entire Fourfold Sangha. The UBC is for every one of us.”