plum village tradition
Nurturing Mindfulness and Compassion
About Plum Village Tradition
Plum Village Tradition is a sanctuary of mindfulness and loving-kindness, inspired by the teachings of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. Founded in 1982 in the serene countryside of Southern France, Plum Village has grown to become one of the world's most renowned mindfulness practice centers. Our community is dedicated to cultivating inner peace, harmony, and compassionate understanding in individuals and society.
At Plum Village Tradition, we treasure the timeless wisdom of Thich Nhat Hanh. His teachings, accessible and profound, offer practical tools for leading a mindful and compassionate life. Whether through his enlightening books, recorded talks, or Dharma talks during retreats, his teachings continue to inspire positive change in the lives of countless individuals worldwide.
Thich Nhat Hanh. Photo by Dana Gluckstein.
The Vibrant Global Sangha of Plum Village Tradition
At the heart of Plum Village Tradition lies the transformative power of mindfulness. Mindfulness is the art of being fully present in the moment, embracing life's joys and challenges with awareness and acceptance. Through our guided meditation sessions, walking meditations in nature, and various mindfulness practices, we offer a nurturing environment to help you connect deeply with yourself and the world around you.
Plum Village Tradition boasts a vibrant and diverse global sangha or community, transcending continents and cultures. We are a tapestry of individuals, families, and groups who come together to practice mindfulness, compassion, and understanding. In embracing diversity and inclusivity, we celebrate the unity of our shared human experience.
Plum Village Tradition follows the principles of Engaged
Buddhism
This encourages practitioners to apply mindfulness and compassion in daily life and actively address social and environmental issues. This approach emphasizes the interconnectedness of all beings and the importance of compassionate action.
Genuine Service of the Heart
I am a 73 year old, white, second generation Polish American, Queer (Transmasculine), middle class originally from Long Island, New York. I am Yankee by birth, Southern by choice. Came out as a lesbian in 1969, just before the Stonewall Uprising. My junior year of college, I was hospitalized for 5 months as a result of a broken ankle and subsequent medical complications.
Took my BS in Social Work with a minor in Psychology. Got my master’s in social work at SUNY Buffalo early 70s. Worked at a blue-collar neighborhood in Buffalo for two years. Met my wife, Judy in grad school and we were together for 44 years. She died of metastatic breast cancer Nov 12, 2020. We moved to Dallas, then Atlanta, New City NY, Sharon MA and down to Sarasota FL in 2000. Various and sundry careers & small businesses. I officially “retired” April of 2021 to live into my Dharma Name: Genuine Service of the Heart.
Diving into Plum Village Covid
Everything locally shuts down and my Zoom safety net was strong and in place months before COVID was acknowledged. Online BOOMs and my passion for technology and finding out stuff took me to a picture of Thay looking straight into the camera and smiling. Just his whole demeanor screamed YODA. I cannot claim to be a Trekkie, but who else would I want leading the charge? And I searched and found the song which let me know PV is where I need to land. The Elements Song, I Am Home. It was a terrible recording. It didn’t matter. I listened to that song over and over each night as I went to bed and cried each time the refrain, We Are Home, We Are Home. I found the Plum Village app when it was in its infancy and finally, I was no longer tied to just YouTube. At some point Magnolia Grove Monastery began offering Mindful Thursday practices and I started attending. Judy died 12 November 2020 and as a holiday gift to myself, I attended their holiday retreat online.
Spirituality
While no one in my family could sing worth a darn, we all sang lustily in the car going with my aunts and uncles vacation camping – old WW II songs, Polish songs and eventually Beatle songs. It never mattered that we were all off key. Summer holidays my friends on the block would get together and lip sync all of the popular songs of the day. Music is the one thread throughout my life which put me in touch with so many feelings and emotions.
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Raised & schooled Catholic through high school, I began asking questions in grammar school about Easter, when does eternity begin and why are there no altar girls – this was well before Vatican II. Nonetheless, I enjoyed all of the singing in Latin and then a more “modern” times of guitar strumming nuns. It wasn’t sufficient to keep me there very long.
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We moved to Atlanta in ’85 and I came across an author who opened my eyes to Christian mysticism/rituals/healers etc., Katherine Kurtz. It dovetailed with activity online (dial up bulletin boards) that brought me in touch with people who were Wiccan and/or witches. Eventually I made my way to the Gove of the Unicorn which was a teaching/healing coven. It began a very joyful period (about 20 years) of study, healing and ritual in my life. Although Judy didn’t share my spiritual direction, she participated in some of our seasonal rituals.
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After about 17 years of being together we flew down to GA for our Handfasting Ritual which elevated our connection to another level. An inadequate plan of successors to carry on the Grove, wasn’t in place when the Priestess and Priest became ill and died within a few years of each other. The coven eventually disbanded and there are still members with whom I am in contact today. And, singing was part of rituals and the feast afterwards and anytime there was a weekend get together with the wider Pagan community in GA.
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It took some time to figure out that I needed another spiritual anchor as Judy and I were getting on in years and she was getting sicker. In ’04, I finally addressed my alcohol addiction with a 12-step program which unfortunately had a much more Christian slant than I was comfortable with and an insistence that only through a higher power was I going to make it.
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Summer 2019 I Googled non-theistic recovery and Refuge Recovery came up. I began with a local “sangha” that morphed into Recovery Dharma. I found RD online in early November 2019 and Women of Recovery Dharma followed. There came the introduction to Thay through some short poems, song snippets. We discussed chanting and traded chants. I found songs, chants and Dharma talks on YouTube and in podcasts.
PV Practice
Sr. Boi Nghiem headed up my Queer Dharma Sharing group during that first retreat. Referrals from the group led me two online Queer Sanghas. It is an understatement to say that was life changing for me. I took the 5 Mindfulness Trainings and was given the Dharma name of Genuine Service of the Heart. When I “retired” in April ’21 it was with the intention to begin to live into that name. Most of 2021 was spent helping me deal with the grief of the loss of the love of my life. Online retreats and workshops. Most Plum Village. There was a six-week Grief Group Counseling led by the NYC Zen Center for Contemplative Care online. My own practice took me through Blooming of the Lotus on the PV app.
The Sanghas
UK Rainbow Sangha
I began practicing in January 2021 with them. It was the best fit for me at the time since it was mid-afternoon here. Each session began with the Closing Chant which tickled me no end. I think I spent the first several months bawling my eyes out during Dharma Sharing (DS). And I listened. More retreats online. Growing in the practice. March ’21 I was invited to participate with a small group of gender diverse folx. I think there were 5 of us and now, we are tripled that number. A bi-monthly study group began to study the 14 Mindfulness Trainings – although neither this or the larger group has an OI member. We just began the fourth go ‘round of this study group.
As I’ve grown and the Sangha continues to grow my role is now more active. I routinely do the tech hosting for the 14 MTs and am now trained to tech host the larger Sangha. When the time is right, I will be fully trained to lead the Sangha.
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I’ve formed very close relationships with some of the regulars. Our WhatsApp group is an extension of our Dharma Hall with a little bit of Queer sass thrown in. The relationship is close enough that I will be attending the UK Sangha in person retreat along with several siblings in a couple of weeks and spend another week wandering around to see the folx who can’t attend in person or online.
Chrysanthemum Sangha
My attendance at the North American based Sangha began around March of ’21. Chrysanthemum continues to grow too. My participation is as whole hearted as with the UK Sangha and I recently completed facilitator training and co-hosted our meeting a couple of weeks ago. I’ve attended Days of Mindfulness put on by the Sangha; separate Be-In meetings and of course, the Gift of Queerness retreat.
We are scattered across the US – many are in the East and while it is a younger group there are several OI members although most are newly ordained.
Chanting Sangha
This is the newest addition to my daily practice I found early this year. It is the practice which brings me the deepest joy and touches me the way no other form has. When my schedule prohibits me from attending the 8:45 ET, I get up and get my “shot of Sangha & Song” at 6:45 ET. It is the Sangha which I’ve had the most direct impact & vice versa. When Melina began her clinical work earlier this year, she asked for volunteers she would train to lead those day which she was unable. I eagerly volunteered and now regularly do the Sunday 8:45 and usually one sometimes two other slots during the week. It is a Sangha I am helping to grow and shape for the future. Stay tuned!