Summer 2008 A Publication of Plum Village Issue 48 $8/%8/£6 The Way to Well-Being A Dharma Talk by Sister Annabel My Responsibility for the War in Iraq Watering Fearlessness ISSUE NO. 48 - SUMMER 2008 Dharma Talk 4 Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh Talks about Tibet 6 The Way to Well-Being By Sister Annabel, True Virtue War’s Aftermath 12 A War Is Never Over Healing and Transformation By Trish Thompson 29 The First Precept 14 Question By Julie Hungiville LeMay By Paul Davis 30 The Leaves of One Tree 15 Spanning a Bridge By Le Thu Thuy By Sister Dang Nghiem 32 On Love and Being Gay 18 “First Time in Vietnam?” By Laurie Arron By Brian McNaught 34 Blue Sky Practice By Susan Hadler Heart to Heart 35 The Fifth Mindfulness Training By Evelyn van de Veen, Scott Morris, and Paul Baranowski Children’s Wisdom 37 Paint a Portrait of Me By Brooke Mitchell 38 The Helping Hand By Brother Phap Dung 40 Bell of Mindfulness By Terry Cortes-Vega 20 My Responsibility for the War in Iraq Sangha News By Bruce Campbell 41 Thay Rewrites the Five Contemplations; New Dharma Teachers Ordained at Plum Village; 20 The Light at the Q&A about Blue Cliff Tip of the Candle By Claude Anshin Thomas Book Reviews Gift of Non-Fear 44 World As Lover, World As Self By Joanna Macy 23 Getting Better, not Bitter The Dharma in Tanzania 44 Buddha Mind, Buddha Body By Thich Nhat Hanh By Karen Brody 25 Watering Fearlessness By David C. Gritz Vietnam Relief 27 Letting Go 46 How Can We Help the By Roberta Schnorr Children in Vietnam? mindfulness BELL Dear Thay, dear Sangha, It is impossible for me to read this issue without thinking of our recently deceased son, Jesse Toy. Everything I see and do is through the lens of his sudden passing on A Journal of the Art of Mindful Living February 4. We are thankful for the in the Tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh hundreds of cards and letters from Published by Plum Village you, our Sangha — from Germany, Norway, the U.K., and across the U.S. As Jesse’s father Philip and I walk the changing landscape of our grief and joy, there is one image Issue 48 Summer 2008 we will not soon forget: Jesse’s pink baby blanket spread on the fl oor in the meditation hall, covered with colorful origami paper cranes, bright Advisor and Editor Sister Annabel fl owers of peace and hope. Managing Editor Janelle Combelic This is the cream of our practice: the blanket — a symbol of birth Associate Editor Judith Toy and the ground of mindfulness; the color — pink for the new life of Jesse’s Design LuminArts continuation; and the joyful cranes — emblems of our transformation body. The origami peace crane project was launched by our friend Teijo Proofreader Elaine Hild Munnich, a Soto Zen Dharma teacher. In the two months since Jesse Subscriptions & Advertising David Percival left his physical body, we have fully celebrated his life. We were joined Website Design Lien Ho by former Sangha from Old Path Zendo in Pennsylvania at our Quaker Webmaster Brandy Sacks service. We hosted an elegant Ceremony for the Deceased in Thay’s tradition at Cloud Cottage in North Carolina. Next week our Sangha will Advisory Board Richard Brady plant a weeping willow in honor of Jesse. Yet the cranes have touched us Jerry Braza most. The care and cherishing in every fold of each colorful bird speak Barbara Casey of Buddha, Dharma, Sangha. The birds on the blanket look like they’re having a party! Thay Phap Kham Peggy Rowe-Ward This issue of the Mindfulness Bell is like that blanket — a Dharma party. These pages are the blanket: the expression of the practice of our Matt Sherman beloved teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, of our blood and spiritual ancestors, and the skill and love of our editor, Janelle Combelic. Each story, poem, Writing Submissions: Please send us the fruits of letter, and prayer is like one hopeful paper crane. Each crane is distinct, your practice. We welcome feature articles (1,500 to yet each is the same as the others. Tears fell on the origami paper as we 2,500 words), essays, and stories, as well as poetry. We especially welcome submissions from young people of folded together. And from our suffering fl y the wings of peace. any age. Paper crane-making for those who are sick, dying, or have died Art & Photo Submissions: We welcome photos, art- springs directly from the suffering of World War II after the bombing of work, and cartoons from your local sangha, family, and community. Please send digital images as TIFF or JPEG Hiroshima, Japan, and the little girl Sadako who touched hearts around fi les no larger than 1 MB. We can promptly return all origi- the world with her suffering. So, too, in the stories of this issue the wars nals sent by mail. and tribulations of life are present. Every story, poem, and image tells us Send submissions via e-mail to editor@mindfulnessbell. org or by mail to Mindfulness Bell, 745 Cagua S.E., Albu- transformation is possible — that through our precepts, concentration, querque, NM 87108, U.S.A. and insight, we can gently invite ourselves back to the present moment, Advertising Inquiries and Subscriptions: ads@ this wonderful moment. In February, our son passed away. This spring mindfulnessbell.org, [email protected]. or the forsythia shines brighter than any spring before. David Percival, 745 Cagua S.E., Albuquerque, NM 87108, U.S.A. Sister Annabel Laity wrote us a letter to help prevent us from drown- The Mindfulness Bell is published three times a year by ing in our grief after Jesse’s passing. She invited us to touch and learn to the Community of Mindful Living, Deer Park Monastery, 2499 Melru Lane, Escondido CA 92026, U.S.A. liberate the anguish of our ancestors who lost their sons in wars and other Website: Read selected articles, subscribe, and view sudden, tragic ways. She wrote, “I have confi dence you can transform the worldwide sangha directory online at www.mindful- this grief into a beautiful fl ower, and that your son lives on in the fruits nessbell.org. of transformation that you realize.” From out of our season of sorrow and wonder, Philip and I offer you crocus buds of gratitude, dear Thay, dear Sister, dear Sangha. On the cover: Lotus fl ower at Plum Village, photo by Emily Whittle Judith Toy, True Door of Peace Associate Editor 2 Summer 2008 sharing our VIEWS Letters Thank You, Thay Printing on Recycled Paper EIAB Update Dear Thay, At the New Year retreat at Blue Cliff Monas- The European Institute for Applied Buddhism I just finished a weekend retreat with Dharma tery, the little Buddhas took the vow of the Two has received so much support from readers of Teacher Larry Ward. The insight and mindful- Promises. They vow to develop understanding the Mindfulness Bell. We are very heartened and ness I learned was very helpful to my practice and compassion to people, animals, plants and grateful for this support. We have almost found a and essential for my growth. minerals. home for our first establishment. It is in Germany, You may not remember, but in 1995 I was The evening before that I made my resolu- very close to Cologne and Bonn. incarcerated at Folsom State Prison. While there tion for the New Year: “to feel the pain of the We need one more official go-ahead from your organization sent me a free subscription to earth and to act, just a small step, a promise I the government of Germany before we can buy the Mindfulness Bell. We started a meditation can keep.” This letter is the fruit of that resolu- the property. The town councillors of four dif- group and you donated many books and audio tion and the will to help the little Buddhas with ferent political parties have voted unanimously tapes. When I was paroled in 1997 our group their vow. to accept our buying the property and we are had grown to over 300 men meeting weekly to When we read the “oldest text on deep ecol- hopeful that in six weeks or so we shall be able sit in mindfulness meditation. I hear now it has ogy,” as our teacher calls the Diamond Sutra, we to make the purchase. At that time we shall be grown to at least eight prisons with over 3000 learn that we have to respect and protect other asking for any material support you can give to men meditating daily. The books and meditation beings in order for us to have a chance. We read make the purchase. help you provided are still part of the meditation this on a paper that is a tree, the air we breathe It would be wonderful if you could come library at Folsom State Prison. and the whole universe. to Germany and practice in the Institute itself, I have remained with my practice and what I My aspiration for the year 2008 is to read but if you cannot make the journey do not worry. learned from your books and teaching has helped the Diamond Sutra and the Mindfulness Bell The courses offered at the Institute will also me be successful with my freedom. For that I on post-consumer recycled paper, that we may be offered at Blue Cliff, Deer Park, and Plum must say thank you.