News & Events

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Rains Retreat + Karma Class from Sugarplum

This double invitation is from Sugarplum Sangha.

90 Day Online Rains Retreat

Sept 16 – Dec 18 Sugarplum joins the Mahasangha in this year’s 90 day rains retreat. For our second retreat of this kind, we’ve added evening practice sessions, a weekly day of mindfulness, and a study and practice series on Right Action: Karma and the Five Mindfulness Trainings to our regular schedule of morning practice session, dharma talk, and 5MT recitation. These 90 days will be an experience of being immersed in sangha to deepen your practice of mindfulness, concentration, and insight, a way of practice that has been integral to buddhist tradition since its beginning. Enter this stream with us and start your journey to the other shore.

More Info

Right Action: Karma and the Five Mindfulness Trainings

Sept 27 – Dec 18

A twelve week live and on-line course exploring and integrating early Buddhist teachings with Plum Village practices. Bundle with the 90 Day Retreat or take it separately.

The Buddha’s teachings on kamma and rebirth have received a mostly mystical treatment among practitioners and commentators resulting in much misconception and confusion about how to apply them in daily life. This course will explore the role of samma kammanto, or Right Action, on the path of liberation and will combine the Buddha’s teachings with evolutionary psychology to provide a rationale for an objective morality and ethic. Rather than being resigned to “your karma”, a close reading of the early discourses show how you can shape your life in the present and future with skillful actions.

More Info

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Heart Sutra Course with Jim Scott-Behrends

AWAKENING OF THE HEART: COURSES IN THE ESSENTIAL BUDDHIST SUTRAS

COURSE SIX

THE HEART SUTRA

WITH Dharma Teacher Jim Scott–Behrends

TEN WEDNESDAYS

May 11 to July 13, 2022

7:00 to 8:30 pm pst

ON ZOOM

We begin with a short sit followed by an exploration of the Sutra and Dharma discussion.

We will be using Thay’s translation of the Heart Sutra, The Other Shore.

COURSE SCHEDULE

  • WEEK ONE: MAY 11 The Cloud and the Cave: The Insight that Brings us to the Other Shore
  • WEEK TWO: MAY 18 Interbeing: Empty of What?
  • WEEK THREE: MAY 25 The Way of Understanding: Long Live Emptiness
  • WEEK FOUR: JUNE 1 The Mark of Emptiness: Happy Continuation
  • WEEK FIVE: JUNE 8 Can You See the Sunflowers? Roses and Garbage
  • WEEK SIX: JUNE 15 The Moon is Always the Moon: What’s in a Name?
  • WEEK SEVEN:JUNE 22 Stars Are Consciousness: Everything Is a Formation
  • WEEK EIGHT: JUNE 29 The Path of Happiness: Chasing Butterflies
  • WEEK NINE: JULY 6 Freedom: No longer Afraid
  • WEEK TEN: JULY 13 Who is Enlightened? The Mantra

Donations are appreciated.

Donations can be made through PayPal.com using Jim’s email address.

For other options to offer dana contact Jim at jsbehrends@aol.com.

For the Zoom information and links to recordings contact Logan at loganpayne@earthlink.net.

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Pho Tri Day of Mindfulness #43 – May 7

header image: Cultivating Fearlessness in Ourselves

Our Wisdom Meditation School (Pho Tri) Days of Mindfulness continue exploration of the Dharma with our next event — the 43rd in our series. 

Date: May 7, 2022 via Zoom. Please see below for details. 

Title: “Cultivating Fearlessness in Ourselves”

Theme: “Fearlessness is not only possible, it is the ultimate joy” – Thay Nhat Hanh

If you have any questions about this DOM, please contact Châu Yoder: 

PhotriDOM@gmail.com

925-708-8662 (call or text) 

Details

A Day of Mindfulness Practices

enhancing our connection with all that nourishes us.
Saturday, May 7, 2022, 9:45 am to 4:00 pm

Online via Zoom

Practices will include Sitting Meditation, Mindful Movements,
Guided Relaxation, Dharma Study, Eating Meditation,
Speaking and Listening in peaceful harmony.

Please commit to any or all of the three sessions being offered:
9:45 – 11:45 Sitting Meditation, Mindful Movements, Total Relaxation
12:15 – 1:15 Silent Meal, Casual Group Conversation
1:30 – 3:45 Dharma Talk, Discussion

Please prepare your practice space to be as serene as possible.
Smiling with knowledge that dogs will bark, phones will ring, family/friends may
interrupt. Such is the nature of online mindfulness practice

with Dharmacharyas, OI and OIA of the Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism:

Ven. Thích Từ Lực, True Silent Forest, True Bright Dwelling, True Compassionate Dwelling &
Radiant Awareness of the Heart.

Photos of the 5 people who will be offering teachings/practices at the day of mindfulness
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Invitation for the ceremonies to honor Thay Nhat Hanh at the Compassion Meditation Center

Dear Community of Mindful Living in Northern California, 
We hope you all are in good health. 

In order to continue expressing our Gratitude to Thay Nhat Hanh, Thay Tu Luc of the Compassion Meditation Center (Pho Tu Pagoda) would like to invite you to come to the Compassion Meditation Center to practice mindfulness with the hope to bring benefits to all beings. 

Location:
Pho Tu Pagoda (Compassion Meditation Center) 
17327 Meekland Ave
Hayward CA 94541 

Dates and Times:

– February 19, 2022, 10:00 am – 11:30 am; ceremony in Vietnamese. 
**This event will include a Tâm Tang (Heart Mourning) pin to give to whoever wants to wear it to remember and honor Thay Nhat Hanh. 

– March 5, 2022, 10:00 am -11:30 am; event in English. 
** (please see above comment) 
Please bring poems and songs in remembrance of Thay Nhat Hanh to share. You can also bring some small objects to temporary place at the Shrine during this morning to remember Thay Nhat Hanh.

– March 13, 2022, 2:00pm – 4:00 pm, 
**(please see above comment)
Celebration of Life Ceremony in bilingual (English and Vietnamese). 
Tentatively this event will be done in the open space behind the pagoda main building. The program could be sitting with leisure within Thay Nhat Hanh; Chanting Avalokiteshvara and Offering from the Buddhist Youth of America and all attendees. 
If you have any big decoration or exhibit to present at this Match 13 Ceremony, please give them to Thay Tu Luc by March 10. More details will be announced later. Please save the dates and attend. 

– Also FYI our dear practitioner Khoe Bach in Sacramento is making a book of memoirs to remember Thay Nhat Hanh at the 100th day after Thay’s passing; if you have some writings that you want to contribute, please send them to Thay Tu Luc at the address listed above. 

– If any sangha wants some Tâm Tang (Heart Mourning) pins for their sangha members to wear in honoring Thay Nhat Hanh, please email to Thay Tu Luc at thichtuluc@yahoo.com with your return address and the desired quantity of pins.

Thank you in advance for your love and practice. 
Hope to see you at these events. 

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Diamond Sutra Class with Jim Scott-Behrends Jan. 30 – March 27

FROM
The Heart Sangha of Santa Cruz
and Mindful Peacebuilding

AWAKENING OF THE HEART
COURSES IN THE ESSENTIAL BUDDHIST SUTRAS

WITH
Dharma Teacher Jim Scott-Behrends
and co host, OI member rev. zachiah murray

COURSE FIVE | PART TWO
THE DIAMOND SUTRA
EIGHT SUNDAYS
January 30 – March 20, 2021
6:30 – 8:00 PM PST (new time)
ON ZOOM

We begin with a short sit followed by an exploration of the Sutra and Dharma discussion. Text and commentary are in Awakening of the Heart, by Thich Nhat Hanh.

ZOOM MEETING RECURRING LINK
https://cccconfer.zoom.us/j/98162192839
Phone: 1 669 900-6833
Meeting ID: 981 6219 2839

Schedule update:

There will be no Sutra Class next Sunday, March 6. Classes will resume on March 13 and our final class will be on March 27. Please see the revised schedule, below.

COURSE SCHEDULE

  • WEEK NINE: JANUARY 30 Dwelling in Peace
  • WEEK TEN: FEBRUARY 6 The Diamond that Cuts Through Illusion
  • WEEK ELEVEN: FEBRUARY 13 Great Determination
  • WEEK TWELVE: FEBRUARY 20 The Answer is the Question
  • WEEK THIRTEEN: FEBRUARY 27 Reality is a Steadily Flowing Stream
  • WEEK FOURTEEN: MARCH 13 The Indescribable Nature of All Things
  • WEEK FIFTEEN: MARCH 20 Teaching the Dharma
  • WEEK SIXTEEN: MARCH 27 Becoming a Modern Bodhisattva

Donations are appreciated. Donations can be made through PayPal.com using Jim’s email address. For other options to offer dana contact Jim at jsbehrends@aol.com.

To be on a weekly email reminder list, or for recordings of classes, contact Logan at loganpayne@earthlink.net.

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Friday Meditations for Thay

Dear Sangha,

You are invited to a time of quiet contemplation this Friday, January 28 from 7:30 to 8:00 pm.

Let us sit in meditation together and offer our energy of peace, love, and gratitude to our beloved teacher Thich Nhat Hanh during this time of transformation.

We will continue this practice in observance of a traditional Forty-Nine Day period of transition.

The Heart Sangha
Santa Cruz, California

Every week on Friday, until March 11, 2022

  • Jan 28, 2022 07:30 PM Pacific time (US and Canada)
  • Feb 4, 2022 07:30 PM
  • Feb 11, 2022 07:30 PM
  • Feb 18, 2022 07:30 PM
  • Feb 25, 2022 07:30 PM
  • Mar 4, 2022 07:30 PM
  • Mar 11, 2022 07:30 PM    

NEW ZOOM MEETING INFORMATION
YOU WILL NEED THE PASSCODE TO ENTER THE MEETING!

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82179466850?pwd=UWprMlQ5clRuS1ZFblg5MXlPNXpBdz09
Meeting ID: 821 7946 6850
Passcode: 041866

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Peaceful Heart Sangha session on January 30, 2022 in honor of Thầy Nhat Hanh

Dear PHS (Peaceful Heart Sangha) friends, 

To continue showing our gratitude and honoring Thầy Nhất Hạnh’s Transition, we will have another special session this upcoming Sunday, January 30, 2022.We hope you stay peaceful with your compassionate heart in loving memories of Thầy. 

Please see the Zoom link at the end of this email and join us Sunday, January 30 from 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm (California time). To connect with the energy of our dear beloved Thầy. We will together listen to various videos of Plum Village Community with the ‘Coming and Going in Freedom’ theme:

  • Sr Tue Nghiem Guided Sitting Meditation
  • Thay’s letter 
  • The Great Bell Chanting of Thầy & brother Phap Niem. 

Our collective energy to practice mindfulness with these videos will be very powerful. 
We also would like to invite you to share how you first met Thầy and /or the Plum Village Community and the benefits of your mindfulness practices. 

Also as a reminder, please attend the Ceremony for Thầy at the Compassion Meditation Center, Pho Tu Pagoda in Hayward (17327 Meekland AveHayward CA 94541) on Saturday January 29 at 10:00 am. 

At this event, you can receive this precious “Heart Mourning – Tâm Tang” pin if you want to receive it to wear and remember our beloved Thầy. 

(“Coming and Going in Freedom” in Vietnamese from Plum Village Community) 

Again here is the PHS Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81102802509?pwd=ZmZ0NlhkZEdNRVlRbWJaRU5yNVlOQT09
Meeting ID: 811 0280 2509 Password: connection 

One tap mobile +16699009128,,81102802509#,,1#,706962# US (San Jose)+13462487799,,81102802509#,,1#,706962# US (Houston) 

May you be Healthy, Happy, Peaceful, Prosperous, Safe and Free of obstructions (HHPPSF). 

“Peace in oneself, Peace in the world” and “A Cloud never dies”- Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. Tashi Delek (Tibetan greeting)

Chau Yoder

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Memorial Ceremony for Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh

Dear community, please see below for an invitation from Thich Tu Luc at the Compassion Meditation Center in Hayward.

Namo Shakyamuni Buddha
Dear Respected Hi-Venerables
Dear dharma friends and all sanghas
Dear Buddhist Youth leaders and members

In order to show our deep gratitude to Su Ong Nhat Hanh who had great love and grand merit in many years to teach meditation and translate the grand sutras, the Compassion Meditation Center, working with the Vietnamese and American Sanghas in our area, would like to offer ceremonies to remember Su Ong at the Compassion Meditation Center, 17327 Meekland Avenue, Hayward, CA 94541:

Saturday, January 29, 2022 at 10:00 am for English-speaking community.

Sunday, January 30, 2022 at 11:00 am, (right after the weekly online Google Meet program at 9:30 am of “Xa Mặt Nhưng Chẳng Cách Lòng” – “Our hearts are together even though we are apart”)

Respectfully following the teaching in the Will of Su Ong, we would like to ask sanghas to follow the three vows below:

  • Diligently practice mindful living in daily life to manifest peaceful and awakening life.
  • Earnestly nourish brotherhood and sisterhood in monasteries and sanghas to show your gratitude in following the Plum Village practice and tradition.
  • Last but not least, sincerely contribute financially to TNH foundation (with memo: Monasteries to support the three monasteries that Su Ong established in the United States; or memo: Memorial Donation to support the activities of Su Ong’s memorial services)

In addition, we will have a bilingual (Vietnamese and English) ceremony on Thursday night, January 27, 2022 at 7:00 pm “Lighting the Candle Prayer Night”

All ceremonies will be livestreamed via FaceBook of the Compassion Meditation Center (Pho Tu).

When you come to the Compassion Meditation Center, please happily be mindful to protect each other‘s health by following the guidelines of the Health Department on vaccination, wearing masks and keeping distancing.

Please see the attached PDF for the full invitation from Thay Tu Luc. 

ANNOUNCEMENT-memorial-ceremony-for-Thay-Nhat-Hanh-1Download
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Thay’s Transition – Opportunities to Practice Together

From Plum Village:

With a deep mindful breath, we announce the passing of our beloved teacher, Thay Nhat Hanh, at 00:00hrs on January 22, 2022 at Từ Hiếu Temple in Huế, Vietnam, at the age of 95.

Now is a moment to come back to our mindful breathing and walking, to generate the energy of peace, compassion, and gratitude to offer our beloved Teacher. It is a moment to take refuge in our spiritual friends, our local sanghas and community, and each other.

We invite you to join our global community online, as we commemorate Thay’s life and legacy with five days of practice and ceremonies broadcast LIVE from Hue, Vietnam and Plum Village, France, starting on Saturday January 22nd.

More information and livestream links: https://plumvillage.org/memorial/

We invite you to share your messages of gratitude or personal transformation and healing on our website: plumvillage.org/gratitude-for-thich-nhat-hanh

You may want to sign up for email updates here: https://bit.ly/3fJx7pd (this is “The Raft” newsletter from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation)

Read the full post.

Ceremonies for Thay

Ceremony for Laying Thay’s Body in the Casket

Please follow your breathing as high monks and Thay’s senior disciples accompany Thay’s body to the Full Moon Meditation Hall at Từ Hiếu Temple, in Huế. This short ceremony will be in Vietnamese.

This ceremony will begin at 8AM on January 23 in Vietnam (2AM CEST; 5PM on January 22 PST).

More information and livestream link: https://plumvillage.org/memorial/

Deer Park Monastery offered a ceremony on Friday evening. Here is a recording of it. There is currently a livestream of an altar honoring Thay at Deer Park. They may also be offering additional livestreamed events, in Pacific time zone. Check their website for more information.

Here are some local practice opportunities for the Norcal community:

Saturday

The Heart Sangha in Santa Cruz will gather Saturday morning at 9:30 for outdoor walking meditation and a sharing circle to honor Thay’s life and continuation. All are welcome.

Saturday, January 22nd
9:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Mission Plaza Park, 103 Emmett St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

You may like to bring flowers or mementos to place on the altar.

Please bring a chair, blanket, or cushion and warm layers of clothing. OI members are respectfully asked to wear their brown jackets.

Nathaniel, Liz, Bodhi, and Amias will be hosting a short gathering of walking meditation and ceremony of 108 bells to honor the passing our beloved teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, today, Saturday 1/22, in the Ragle Park Peace Garden, Sebastopol (500 Ragle rd, Sebastopol) from 3-4pm.  

Please wear shoes that are conducive to walking on dirt paths and grass.  Please also bring a mask to wear, as I am not sure how many will join on short notice.  Children are welcome, of course.  Please feel free to share with friends that may like to join.

Sunday

San Mateo Sangha will be meeting in person outdoors for sitting and walking meditation, and dharma sharing, at Central Park in San Mateo (near the flagpole), 8:30am Sunday.

Potluck Sangha is meeting via Zoom, 9:30-11:30am Sunday. For Zoom information, contact Caleb, Jcalebcushing@gmail.com.

Flowing Waters Sangha is meeting via Zoom, 9:30-noon Sunday.

Wake Up SF is meeting in person outdoors at Precita Park, San Francisco, 11am-1pm Sunday. We’d like to invite you with open arms and hearts to our beloved Wake Up SF community in-person this Sunday (1/23) at 11am – 1pm to honor and celebrate the life of our dear root teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh. We will meet at Precita Park in San Francisco for stationary meditation, walking meditation, and sharing about Thay’s impact on our lives.

There will be an altar with flowers and offerings for our teacher. Please feel welcome to bring something to add if you’d like.

After our formal practice, we will have an opportunity for lunch together. Please bring lunch or you can purchase one at a nearby cafe.

SF Sangha will host Outdoor Walking Meditation in Thay’s honor on Sunday @ 3pm.  Would love to practice together with all for whom it would be beneficial.  Meet at the Coleridge Mini Park in Mission/Bernal. Walking starts at 3:15 pm, up the stairs to the summit of Bernal Hill. Maybe walk the Labyrinth together at the top.

At 5pm, or so, we will be graced by the setting sun. What an apt way to honor Thay.

We’ll close with a standing circle of sharing our hearts and reflections on Thay and his transition, his life, and his continuation in us.

Peaceful Heart Sangha will have a Ceremony to honor Thầy’s transition, on Zoom, Sunday 3pm-4:30pm. We hope you stay peaceful with your compassionate heart in loving memories of Thầy. Please invite friends as you wish. 

Here is the PHS Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81102802509?pwd=ZmZ0NlhkZEdNRVlRbWJaRU5yNVlOQT09
Meeting ID: 811 0280 2509 Password: connection 

Family Sangha (Sally and Beem Wilder): You are  welcome to join us at our Sunday Night “Family Sangha”, starting at 7:00 pm PT on Zoom. Maybe you would like to share your own experience from reading his books, watching one of his videos, listening to his talks, or seeing him in person. This will be a time to meditate, experience the true meaning of Sangha, community, which holds us together in our grief and gratitude.
If you would like to include others to join in this memorial, please feel free to share this email and zoom link. 
Here is the link to the Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85443847704?pwd=bitNdldCR1pIUzRHNDJkUFpYVVJtQT09

Meeting ID: 854 4384 7704
Passcode: 594043

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Plum Village teachers Kaira Jewel Lingo and Sister Peace with Peggy Rowe Ward at SF Zen Center this February

Here is an announcement from SFZC that’s of interest to our community. Please share with your sanghas!

At San Francisco Zen Center, we have two online events coming up next month with teachers whose background or current teaching resides in the Plum Village tradition.

On February 12th, Kaira Jewel Lingo, a former PV monastic who received lamp transmission from Thich Nhat Hanh in 2007, will be offering a session of compassionate reflection titled Sankofa, Go Back and Get It: https://www.sfzc.org/calendar/events/online/sankofa-go-back-and-get-it-online-212

Kaira Jewel Lingo

On February 19th, Sister Peace from PV and Peggy Ward will be offering us stories and practices from the Thich Nhat Hanh tradition in an online workshop called Inside the Now: Body and Mind Drop Away: https://www.sfzc.org/calendar/events/online/inside-now-body-and-mind-fall-away-online-219

Sister Peace

You may find registration information at the links above. Feel free to let me know if you have any questions. As a lay ordained practitioner in this tradition, I’m excited to share the dharma with other sangha members online. I am grateful to have the opportunity to bring practitioners from Plum Village and Soto Zen together as the Program Manager for the San Francisco Zen Center.

Please direct any questions to Brendan at onlineprograms@sfzc.org.