Plum Village

14/11/2025

Monastic Life / Love, Transformation and Siblinghood

We’re happy to share a heartfelt conversation with Sister Boi Nghiem (True Pearl), ordained in 2005. In this article, she opens her heart about what siblinghood means on the monastic path and how we can build communities rooted in understanding, compassion, and care.

For Sister Boi Nghiem, siblinghood is simple yet deeply nourishing: a cup of tea shared with presence, a small act of kindness, a gentle look of encouragement. When our hearts feel full and peaceful in the presence of our monastic siblings, we know we are touching true siblinghood. She reminds us that connection cannot be forced and needs space to grow naturally. Even when we cannot speak with someone, we can still hold gratitude, understanding, and kindness in our thoughts. This is also a beautiful way to nourish our relationships.

She also shares openly about supporting our 2SLGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities. Understanding the deep suffering many friends carry from rejection, misunderstanding, or fear, she chooses to stand beside them with compassion and an open heart. Creating spaces where people feel seen, safe, and respected is, for her, an essential part of healing and transformation.

Through organizing BIPOC retreats, listening deeply to friends who share their struggles, and reflecting on her own experiences as a Vietnamese-American monastic, she continues to plant seeds for a Sangha where everyone feels they belong. A place where we can honor our ancestors, embrace our roots, and support one another in understanding and love.

May her insights remind us of the power of presence, inclusiveness, and true siblinghood in our daily lives. You can read the full interview, with many more heartfelt insights, on our Plum Village website 🕊️ (plumvillage.org/articles/love-transformation-and-siblinghood)

08/11/2025

2025–26 Rains Retreat Opening Ceremony

On October 23, we formally opened the Plum Village Monastery Rains Retreat with the Face to Face Ceremony (Ceremony of Refuge), with 249 practitioners — 159 monastics and 90 lay friends — committing to dwell peacefully together for 90 days.

During this Rains Retreat, we will continue to explore our beloved teacher Thich Nhat Hanh’s 2012–2013 Winter Retreat teachings, “Soulmate of the Buddha.”

In this series, Thay revisited the Buddha’s fundamental teachings: the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, the Three Dharma Seals, the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination, and key Plum Village practices. He also examined Western dualism and its influence on Buddhism.

Thay’s teachings demonstrate his affection and appreciation for the Buddha, and his deep wish to help us touch the essence of what the Buddha offered, by returning to the context of the Buddha’s time in India and making clear, fresh connections with Plum Village practices as an accessible yet undiluted expression of the Dharma.

We will revisit these seminal teachings to see whether our understanding and application of the Buddha’s teachings are truly correct, and whether they can help us touch ultimate reality and true freedom in our modern times.

✨ Renewing Thay’s “100% Practice” ✨

In the ceremony of Taking Refuge, Brother Phap Ung expressed deep gratitude to Thay, our ancestors, Mother Earth, and the Sangha for the precious continuation of this three-month tradition. He rejoiced that our elders are still with us and affirmed his confidence in the younger generation as the beautiful continuation of Thay’s vision and a refuge for many.

Acknowledging the challenges the community has faced in recent months, he lifted up a card marked “100%” — Thay’s reminder to live and practice wholeheartedly, with full presence in every step and every breath.

This “100%” spirit, he said, is the Dharma seal of Plum Village, yet it seems to have faded over time. He called on the Sangha to renew this practice together, inspired by our elders such as Sister Chan Duc, so that Thay’s love and the energy of mindfulness can be truly felt in each step we take on Mother Earth.

May this Rains Retreat be a time to renew our wholehearted practice: to walk, breathe, and live 100%, in gratitude and mindfulness, as a true continuation of our teacher.

🪷 See the full photo album on our website: plumvillage.org/articles/2025-26-rains-retreat-opening-ceremony

02/11/2025

The Fire of Aspiration (Series 1 – from How to Dream)

We all carry dreams within us — not the ones we see when we sleep, but those that rise from the deepest place in our hearts.
Dreams for peace, for understanding, for a better world.

Our beloved teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh reminds us that these dreams can become real, one mindful step at a time.

The following lines are from How to Dream, the final book in the Mindfulness Essentials series by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. May they help you nurture the fire in your own heart.

🔥 A Fire in Your Heart
What is our greatest hope and aspiration if not a dream? Each moment of our daily lives, our dreams can slowly become reality. Only faith, aspiration, awakening—only a big dream—can generate a collective energy powerful enough to bring our society to the shore of safety and hope. I know there is fire in your heart. Allow your dreams to carry you far and break free from the walls that limit you.

💫 Taking Action in Our Own Lives
We may have a great desire to live in peace and to live sustainably, but most of us don’t yet have concrete ways to act on that desire in our daily lives. We haven’t yet organized ourselves. We haven’t formed sustainable communities. We can’t only blame our governments and corporations for the chemicals that pollute our drinking water, for the violence in our neighborhoods, or for the wars that destroy so many lives. It’s time for each of us to wake up and take action in our own lives.

🪷 From How to Dream, the final book in the Mindfulness Essentials series by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. Available from Parallax Press and local bookstores. (https://plumvillage.org/articles/how-to-dream)

Photo credit: Twan Peeters

25/10/2025

Save the Date: Calming the Fearful Mind

“If you don’t have the qualities of stability, peace, and freedom inside of you, then no matter what you do, you cannot help the world." - Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh

Join the Sisters of Lower Hamlet for an inspiring 5-day online retreat — Calming the Fearful Mind: A Path Out of Uncertainty and Towards Peace.

- January 22–26, 2026
- Online Retreat (Hybrid Format)
- Hosted by Sisters of Lower Hamlet
- In English, with French and Spanish translations available

In a world filled with uncertainty, this retreat is a chance to come home to stillness, stability, and compassion. Together, we will explore how to cultivate mindfulness, concentration, and insight, learning to meet life’s challenges with peace and non-fear.

The retreat is designed especially for those balancing work or study, offering a gentle start on Thursday evening and a full schedule from Friday, January 23 to Monday, January 26.

Enjoy live teachings, guided meditations, Dharma sharing circles in three languages, and connection with a global community of practitioners.

👉 Save the date and stay tuned for more details: plumvillage.org/event/online-retreat/calming-the-fearful-mind

18/10/2025

🙏✨ Tomorrow, Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet (ZASP) online course begins in English.

We still have many scholarships available to ensure that the course is beautifully diverse and accessible.

Sign up via the links in ’s bio:
🌏 In English: plumvillage.org/zasp (registration open until 23rd October)
🌎 En español: plumvillage.org/es/zasp (registration open until 29th October)

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Llamando a todos los amantes de la Tierra, agentes de cambio y almas hermosas
Únete al curso en línea Zen y el Arte de Salvar el Planeta - un viaje hacia la ecología profunda, la compasión y la comunidad.

Todavía tenemos muchas becas disponibles para garantizar que el curso sea maravillosamente diverso y accesible.

Inscríbete a través de los enlaces que aparecen en la biografía de :
🌎En español: plumvillage.org/es/zasp (inscripciones abiertas hasta el 29 de octubre)
🌏En inglés: plumvillage.org/zasp (inscripciones abiertas hasta el 23 de octubre)

17/10/2025

From 26 September – 3 October 2025, New Hamlet came alive with our Vegan Mindful Cooking Retreat: Savor Life! A full week of mindfulness, creativity, and joyful community, where every moment was an invitation to slow down, connect, and celebrate life. 🌱✨

Throughout the retreat, we practiced Sitting & Walking Meditation, Mindful Movements, Total Relaxation, and Eating Meditation, learning to bring attention, gratitude, and presence into each moment—turning everyday actions into opportunities for joy and connection.

The highlight of our week was, of course, cooking together! Our meditation hall transformed into a lively kitchen, buzzing with the aromas and colors of wholesome food. Sisters guided us in preparing Korean bibimbap and Vietnamese hu tieu, and all our Dharma Sharing families joyfully joined in, chopping, stirring, and savoring each dish as a shared experience of mindfulness and love. 🍲💛

Through laughter, learning, and shared effort, we discovered how mindful cooking and eating can nourish not just the body, but also the heart, relationships, and our sense of connection with the world around us.

📸 Relive these vibrant moments in our photo album: plumvillage.org/articles/cooking-retreat-2025-savor-life

15/10/2025

11/10/2025

Today, on our teacher Thay Nhat Hanh ’s Continuation Day, we celebrate the continuation of our beloved teacher in all of us — monastics, Dharma teachers, and lay friends across the world. 🌿

In our latest article, “Thay’s Continuation Day: A Moment of Gratitude,” brothers and sisters such as Br. Phap Dung, Sr. Chan Duc, Sr. Quy Nghiem, and many friends share how Thay continues to guide their lives and practice.

From the gentle sound of the bell to each mindful step, their stories remind us that Thay is truly present — in our breath, in our peace, and in our loving actions.

✨ A few touching sharings:
“Thanks to his deep love for his country and his people, Thay was able to overcome the difficulties.
That is the spirit of a spiritual warrior.”
— Sr. Quy Nghiem

“Something I valued so much in Thay and I want to continue is the path of the Bodhisattva Sadaparibhuta — always finding the best in people and letting them know they have these good qualities. Thay always believed in this.” - Sister Eleni

“Sometimes as an elder sister I need to practice signlessness in looking at my younger siblings and realise that Thay is in each of them.”
— Sr. Chan Duc

Read the full article on the Plum Village website:
👉 plumvillage.org/articles/thays-continuation-day-a-moment-of-gratitude

May we carry on Thay’s legacy — with each breath, each step, each act of love.

Let’s reflect together — how are you continuing Thay in your life? Share in the comments below. 💬

07/10/2025

In Loving Memory of Dharma Teacher Tho Ha Vinh

The Plum Village Community would like to express our deep gratitude and honor the life, teachings, and legacy of our beloved Dharma Teacher Tho Ha Vinh (True Great Understanding), following his passing on September 26, 2025.

“If we awaken to the reality of interbeing and non-self, we awaken to the wisdom of non-discrimination. This is the wisdom that can break the barrier of individualism; with this wisdom, we see that we are the other person and the other person is ourselves. The happiness of the other person is our own happiness, and our own happiness is the happiness of other people, plants, animals, and even minerals. This is not only true on a personal level; it is also true for communities, countries, religions, and civilizations."— Tho Ha Vinh (True Great Understanding)

With deep gratitude and prayers that you continue in the legacy you have transmitted to us, may your wisdom and compassion keep blooming within our collective practice.

You can read the full Plum Village tribute to Dharma Teacher Tho Ha Vinh at the link below. 👉 plumvillage.org/articles/in-loving-memory-of-dharma-teacher-tho-ha-vinh

(Photo: Dr. Tho Ha Vinh with his wife, Lisi, Thay, and Sister Kinh Nghiem, taken in Lausanne, Switzerland, in the spring of 2000.)

06/10/2025

✨Dear friends, Here comes the final post of our Gatha (practice verse) series. But don’t worry—we’ll be back soon with a brand new series to keep supporting your daily practice.

Do you have any ideas or suggestions for what you’d like to see next? 💡💭
Drop them in the comments—we’d love to hear from you!

04/10/2025

“Understanding suffering always brings about the energy of compassion.” — Nhat Hanh

Climate change can bring grief, fear, and even despair. Yet through mindfulness, these emotions can be transformed into compassion, resilience, and joy.

🌍 More than 5,000 people from 90 countries have already joined the Plum Village online course Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet (ZASP) — discovering that we are the Earth, and the Earth is us.

✨ Research from Lund University shows that ZASP participants:
76% feel more connected to nature and empowered to cope with climate change
60% experience less climate anxiety
63% feel more resourced inside
42% feel ready to take meaningful action for the Earth

What touched many most deeply was the global community: practicing together with people who face the climate crisis without despair, walking the path with hope and courage.

🌱 The next ZASP course is starting soon — with hundreds of scholarships available!
English cohort: Oct 19 – Dec 7
Spanish pilot (first time ever!): Oct 24 – Dec 12

Sign up through the link in 's bio.

You can read full article here: plumvillage.org/articles/lessons-from-zen-and-the-art-of-saving-the-planet

02/10/2025

Eighty years after Hiroshima, Sister Chan Trai Nghiem reflects on walking through the city with our teacher , and on how its deep scars can awaken a collective vow to cultivate peace for generations to come. 🌿

Hiroshima is a name the whole world knows—a city forever linked to the atomic bomb and the immense suffering it brought. Each year, over two million people visit this city, pausing in solemn reflection with bowed heads before the Peace Memorial Cenotaph, inscribed with the words: “Let all the souls here rest in peace, for we shall not repeat the evil.”

Thay often shared his vision of going to Hiroshima as a sangha. He told us: "We don’t go and talk about peace. We are the peace. Each mindful step, each mindful breath, is already a true offering of peace. When we walk together as a community, we bring healing to the land and to future generations.”

For many years, conditions did not allow this vision to come true. Tours were postponed, disasters and illness intervened, and the sangha had to learn again and again to trust the practice of patience and to find joy in the journey itself. As Thay reminded us, the way we prepare is already the practice.

Finally, in March 2024, sisters and brothers from Plum Village found themselves walking in Hiroshima—joining hands with young peace activists, sharing silence and mindful steps, and offering peace not as an idea but as a lived reality.

One small but touching moment was a picnic by the river where, decades ago, people once fled for relief from unbearable heat. Sitting together in gratitude, breathing and smiling, we could feel how peace is never abstract—it is alive, simple, and available in every moment.

May we remember that peace is not only a goal for the future but a practice we can embody now. Every mindful step, every compassionate action, is a seed of peace for generations to come. 🌸

If you would like to read the full article by Sister Chan Trai Nghiem, please visit the Plum Village website.(plumvillage.org/articles/walking-with-thay-in-hiroshima)

- Photo credit: Rob Walsh