Pilgrimage To Koyasan

Koyasan is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the spiritual home of the Shingon sect of orthodox esoteric Buddhism founded by Kōbō-Daishi (774-835). It is a beautiful documentary in English, I hope you like it.

Walking on Daisies

The Tai Chi Walk
When doing the "Tai Chi Walk", keep your arms loosely by your side, soften the knees and keep the weight low. Breathe out as you place the foot heel first, place the foot softly and gently, as though you are walking over a lawn full of daisies and not wanting to harm a single one. You should feel centred, grounded, light and spacious. control the breath as you walk, breathing out as you place the foot and in as you take the next step. Practice the Tai Chi Walk...... done correctly it is a walking meditation in its own right.  

Leon Edwards

© The Stillness Project

An update on Thay's health 06/04/2015

An Update on Thay’s Health: 6th April 2015

Posted on April 6, 2015 by Plum Village — 94 Comments ↓

Official Announcement

Plum Village, France
April 6, 2015

To all Plum Village Practice Centers,
To all Practice Centers and Sanghas World Wide,
To our Dear Beloved Friends,

We are happy to report that Thay’s health has continued to improve at the specialist stroke rehabilitation clinic in Bordeaux, where he has been steadily recovering his strength.

In the warm spring weather in the last few weeks, Thay has been able to enjoy going outside, sitting under a tree and listening to birdsong, drinking a cup of tea and enjoying the sound of the bell.

This week the medical team have given their approval for Thay to leave the rehabilitation clinic and return to his Hermitage at Plum Village. We are deeply grateful to the entire medical team at the University Hospital in Bordeaux for their professionalism and wholehearted care to support Thay’s healing over the past four and half months.

Thay expressed his clear wish to return home, and arrived on Friday April 3, in time to enjoy the beautiful magnolia blossoms and the first spring leaves as they unfurl. We are all very glad that Thay can come back to his spiritual home, where his devoted team of monastic attendants are continuing to support him and care for him 24 hours a day, under the guidance of visiting doctors and nurses.

We hope that in the nourishing and peaceful environment of Plum Village, and with the support of on-site physical therapy and speech therapy, Thay will have favourable conditions to treat his hemiparesis and make progress in swallowing and recovering his speech.

We would like to thank our global spiritual family for your loving energy and support. Thay’s journey of recovery will be long, and we thank you for continuing to send him your prayers and energy of compassion and healing.

It has been a pleasure to welcome so many of you at our monastic practice centers in America, Europe and Asia in the past few months as we walk, hand in hand, the beautiful path of awakening that Thay has opened up for us all.

With love and trust,

The Monks and Nuns of Plum Village

Future official reports on Thay’s recovery will be posted from time to time at plumvillage.org, langmai.org, villagedespruniers.org, and www.facebook.com/thichnhathanh.

Lament to a dead fox.

Buds on Sweet Chestnut trees,

Swollen, green and about

To open as winter turns into spring.

In the woods a fox died

Where it fell. We buried

Its decomposing body in a

Shallow grave with no ceremony.

Blackthorn petals fell like

Flakes of snow on its

Sun dappled lifeless body.

Blackbirds and robins sang

A requiem at the brake of day

To a woodpeckers rhythmic drumming.

At conception a clock ticks

But the alarms secret none shall know.

Twice, (and more), have I

Seen the year of the Water Snake and

Soon I will be like the Fox.

The blackthorn petals will

Continue to fall and the buds on

The trees swell, turn green and burst open.

Then with autumns color change, fall.

Nourishing the earth in the
Never ending cycle of birth, death and rebirth.

_______________________________________________

Thich Nhat Hanh on Embracing Reality: 
The Five Remembrances

When you deny the reality of life, you appreciate it less. Meditate on the Buddha’s Five Remembrances and rediscover the magic of life just as it is.

I am of the nature to grow old.
There is no way to escape growing old.

I am of the nature to have ill health.
There is no way to escape ill health.

I am of the nature to die.
There is no way to escape death.

All that is dear to me and everyone I love
 are of the nature to change.

There is no way to escape
 being separated from them.

My actions are my only true belongings.
I cannot escape the consequences of my actions.

My actions are the ground upon which I stand.

Leon Edwards

© The Stillness Project