January 2011 Schedule

Our Sunday January 2nd Sit will be at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock 1st floor in the Veatch Hall Ballroom.

The Remaining Sits in January will be at St. Ignatius Retreat House in the Interfaith Room.

For easy parking for all and wheelchair access at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock please make an immediate right when entering the parking lot and go to the Veatch Hall courtyard and park. Go up the steps from the Veatch Parking lot to the building entrance.
For wheelchair access after taking the right toward Veatch Hall follow signs for Administration and delivery for Veatch Hall, park in courtyard, enter the building and take the elevator to first floor to the Ballroom.

There are plenty of chairs. Please bring your own cushion.
48 Shelter Rock Road, Manhasset, NY 11030
Directions can be found at their Website:
UUCSR

Our Wednesday Evening Sits in Huntington are Unchanged


SUNDAY January 2nd

UU Congregation at Shelter Rock
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Beginners Mind Gathering
Our Once a Month Pre Sit Intro Meeting for Those New to Mindfulness or New to the Tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh

10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice
5 Mindfulness Training Recitation (New Version)
Please Bring your Chanting Books with you if you have them.

1 - 3 PM
Community Caretaking Gathering and
Potluck Vegetarian/Vegan Lunch
All are welcome!

SUNDAY January 9th

St Ignatius Retreat House
10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice


WEDNESDAY January 12th

We will not be gathering due to the Snow.

UU Fellowship of Huntington
7:30 PM - 9 PM


SUNDAY January 16th

St Ignatius Retreat House
10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice

We Will Be Reading From Peace Is Every Step.
Please Bring your Books with you if you have them.


SATURDAY January 22rd

Our Local NY Metro Sanghas are hosting A Day Of Mindfulness with Dharma Teacher Cheri Maples at the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock.

Details are above.


SUNDAY January 23rd

St Ignatius Retreat House
10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice



WEDNESDAY January 26th

UU Fellowship of Huntington
7:30 PM - 9 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice

We Will Be Reading From Happiness.
Please Bring your Books with you if you have them.

Local Food Pantry Collection

SUNDAY January 30th

10:30 AM - 12:30 PM

We Will Be Offering A Ceremony For The Deceased In Addition To Our Regular Sitting Practice.
Our Location For This Day Only Is:
130 Third Avenue, Brentwood, NY 11717

All Are Welcome

Your Free Will Donation Helps to Support
Our Community & Our Hosts

Winter Retreat Talks On Line

There is a new channel on vimeo.com with the talks of Thay from this Winter Retreat: http://vimeo.com/channels/152644
Plum Village Winter Retreat 2010-11 on Vimeo vimeo.com
These are the talks from the Winter Retreat in Plum Village offered by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh from November 2010 to February 2011. The talks are recorded with the original Vietnamese on the left stereo channel and the English translation on the right stereo channel.

Talk 1 - "Enjoying the Ultimate" - Winter Retreat 2010-11 from Brother Stream on Vimeo.

December Schedule

With the Holiday Season We Will Need to Make Some Changes to Our Sunday Schedule

Our First Sunday Sit of the Month Will be at St. Ignatius Retreat House in Manhasset.

The Following Sundays will be at
the Unitarian Universalist Congregation
at Shelter Rock 1st floor Ballroom in Veatch Hall.
For easy parking for all and wheelchair access please make an immediate right when entering the parking lot and go to the Veatch Hall courtyard and park. Go up the steps from the Veatch Parking lot to the building entrance.
For wheelchair access after taking the right toward Veatch Hall follow signs for Administration and delivery for Veatch Hall,,,park in courtyard, enter the building and take the elevator to first floor to the Ballroom.

There are plenty of chairs. Please bring your own cushion.
48 Shelter Rock Road, Manhasset, NY 11030
Directions can be found at their Website:
UUCSR

Our Wednesday Evening Sits in Huntington are Unchanged


SUNDAY December 5th

St Ignatius Retreat House
10:00AM - 10:30 AM
Beginners Mind Gathering
Our Once a Month Pre Sit Intro Meeting for Those New to Mindfulness or New to the Tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh

10:30AM - 12:30 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice
5 Mindfulness Training Recitation (New Version)
Please Bring your Chanting Books with you if you have them.


WEDNESDAY December 8th

UU Fellowship of Huntington
7:30 PM - 9 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice

We Will Be Reading From Happiness.
Please Bring your Books with you if you have them.


SUNDAY December 12th

UU Congregation at Shelter Rock
10:30AM - 12:30 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice
Local Food Pantry Collection

12:30 -3:30 PM
Potluck Vegan Lunch and
Community Caretaking Gathering
All are welcome!

SUNDAY December 19th

UU Congregation at Shelter Rock
10:30AM - 12:30 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice

We Will Be Reading From Peace Is Every Step.
Please Bring your Books with you if you have them.


WEDNESDAY December 22th

UU Fellowship of Huntington
7:30 PM - 9 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice

We Will Be Reading From Happiness.
Please Bring your Books with you if you have them.

Local Food Pantry Collection

SUNDAY December 26th

UU Congregation at Shelter Rock
10:30AM - 12:30 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice


Your Free Will Donation Helps to Support
Our Community & Our Hosts

November Schedule

We Are Now Meeting in Two Locations:

• St. Ignatius Retreat House in Manhasset, NY
• UU Fellowship of Huntington in Huntington, NY
  

Addresses and Directions are below and to the right

SUNDAY November 7th

St Ignatius Retreat House
10:00AM - 10:30 AM
Beginners Mind Gathering
Our Once a Month Pre Sit Intro Meeting for Those New to Mindfulness or New to the Tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh

10:30AM - 12:30 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice
5 Mindfulness Training Recitation (New Version)
Please Bring your Chanting Books with you if you have them.


WEDNESDAY November 10th

UU Fellowship of Huntington
7:30 PM - 9 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice

We Will Be Reading From Happiness.
Please Bring your Books with you if you have them.


SUNDAY November 14th

St Ignatius Retreat House
10:30AM - 12:30 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice


SUNDAY November 21st

St Ignatius Retreat House
10:30AM - 12:30 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice

We Will Be Reading From Peace Is Every Step.
Please Bring your Books with you if you have them.


WEDNESDAY November 24th

UU Fellowship of Huntington
7:30 PM - 9 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice

We Will Be Reading From Happiness.
Please Bring your Books with you if you have them.

Local Food Pantry Collection


SUNDAY November 28th

St Ignatius Retreat House
10:30AM - 12:30 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice

Local Food Pantry Collection

Your Free Will Donation Helps to Support
Our Community & Our Hosts

New Addition! Wed. Evenings

Public Tak from Penahg 2010

Thich Nhat Hanh - Public Talk from Penang from Brother Stream on Vimeo.

Living Happily in the Present Moment!
Enjoy!

Next Gathering

SUNDAY October 24th

St Ignatius Retreat House
10:30AM - 12:30 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice

Happy Continuation Day

Continuation Day of Thich Nhat Hanh (b. 1926)

"I have arrived.
I am home.
In the here,
In the now.
I am solid.
I am free.
In the Ultimate I dwell."


One of the best known and most respected Zen masters in the world today, poet, and peace and human rights activist, Thich Nhat Hanh (called Thây by his students) has led an extraordinary life. Born in central Vietnam in 1926 he joined the monkshood at the age of sixteen. The Vietnam War confronted the monasteries with the question of whether to adhere to the contemplative life and remain meditating in the monasteries, or to help the villagers suffering under bombings and other devastation of the war. Nhat Hanh was one of those who chose to do both, helping to found the "engaged Buddhism" movement. His life has since been dedicated to the work of inner transformation for the benefit of individuals and society.

In Saigon in the early 60s, Thich Nhat Hanh founded the School of Youth Social Service, a grass-roots relief organization that rebuilt bombed villages, set up schools and medical centers, resettled homeless families, and organized agricultural cooperatives. Rallying some 10,000 student volunteers, the SYSS based its work on the Buddhist principles of non-violence and compassionate action. Despite government denunciation of his activity, Nhat Hanh also founded a Buddhist University, a publishing house, and an influential peace activist magazine in Vietnam.

After visiting the U.S. and Europe in 1966 on a peace mission, he was banned from returning to Vietnam in 1966. On subsequent travels to the U.S., he made the case for peace to federal and Pentagon officials including Robert McNamara. He may have changed the course of U.S. history when he persuaded Martin Luther King, Jr. to oppose the Vietnam War publicly, and so helped to galvanize the peace movement. The following year, King nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize. Subsequently, Nhat Hanh led the Buddhist delegation to the Paris Peace Talks.

In 1982 he founded Plum Village, a Buddhist community in exile in France, where he continues his work to alleviate suffering of refugees, boat people, political prisoners, and hungry families in Vietnam and throughout the Third World. He has also received recognition for his work with Vietnam veterans, meditation retreats, and his prolific writings on meditation, mindfulness, and peace. He has published some 85 titles of accessible poems, prose, and prayers, with more than 40 in English, including the best selling Call Me by My True Names, Peace Is Every Step, Being Peace, Touching Peace, Living Buddha Living Christ, Teachings on Love, The Path of Emancipation, and Anger. In September 2001, just a few days after the suicide terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, he addressed the issues of non-violence and forgiveness in a memorable speech at Riverside Church in New York City. In September of 2003 he addressed members of the US Congress, leading them through a two-day retreat.
Thich Nhat Hanh continues to live in Plum Village in the meditation community he founded, where he teaches, writes, and gardens; and he leads retreats worldwide on "the art of mindful living."

Teachings

Thich Nhat Hanh's key teaching is that, through mindfulness, we can learn to live in the present moment instead of in the past and in the future. Dwelling in the present moment is, according to Nhat Hanh, the only way to truly develop peace, both in one's self and in the world.

Courtesy: Parallax Press

New Wednesday Evening Sit

NEW WEDNESDAY EVENING SIT

7:30 - 9 PM
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Huntington
109 Brown's Road, Huntington, NY

October 13th and 27th
Join us for sitting and walking meditation

in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh

Please bring your cushions/mats. Chairs will be available.

see map

October Schedule

Green Island Sangha
October Schedule

Sangha Generosity Practice non perishables and canned goods for a local food pantry Collection at our October 24th sit


SUNDAY October 3rd

Lazy Monk Festival

Special Lazy Monk Festival off site
Outdoor Meditation at Cedarmere Gardens in Roslyn
Bring something to sit on
10:15 -12:30 PM
(dependent on weather)

St. Ignatius Retreat House will be closed so Green Island Sangha Will Not Be Sitting there.


SUNDAY October 10th

St. Ignatius Retreat House will be closed so Green Island Sangha Will Not Be Sitting there.

SUNDAY October 17th

10:00AM - 10:30 AM
Beginners Mind Gathering
Our Once a Month Pre Sit Intro Meeting for Those New to Mindfulness or New to the Tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh

10:30AM - 12:30 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice
5 Mindfulness Training Recitation (New Version)
Please Bring your Chanting Books with you if you have them.


SUNDAY October 24th

St Ignatius Retreat House
10:30AM - 12:30 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice


SUNDAY October 31st

St Ignatius Retreat House
10:30AM - 12:30 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice

We Will Be Reading From Peace Is Every Step.
Please Bring your Books with you if you have them.

Local Food Pantry collection

Your Free Will Donation Helps to Support Our Community

& our hosts St Ignatius Retreat House

Lazy Monk Festival

SUNDAY October 3rd

Special Lazy Monk Festival

cloud watching, poetry reading, tea drinking, breathing, sitting, walking, listening to nature

Special Off Site Event

Outdoor Meditation at Cedarmere Gardens in Roslyn

Directly on Roslyn Harbor
Bring something to sit on or lie on

10:15AM -12:30 PM

(This event is dependent on weather since there is no indoor space there, also rest rooms are down the road ...

Weather report says sunny with some clouds…perfect for cloud watching!)

The gardens are just north of Roslyn Village on the west side of
Bryant Ave just north of and below the Northern Blvd via duct
We will meet below the Main Garden by the water
under a large tree on the left

There will NOT be a sit at St Ignatius Retreat House
which will be closed on October 3rd

For directions to Cedarmere see
map

or for info contact Jeanselmo@aol.com

Nalanda Buddhist Society: 13 September 2010 - Welcoming Reception for Thich ...

So much wonderful material is being produced by the four fold sangha!
Please check out the below photos and story!



Nalanda Buddhist Society: 13 September 2010 - Welcoming Reception for Thich ...: "Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh has arrived in Kuala Lumpur at 12.45pm today.  With him was the entourage consisting of monks and nuns.  Representative..."


PLEASE SCROLL DOWN ON THE BLOG FOR SEPTEMBER SITTING SCHEDULE!

Lang Mai - Thich Nhat Hanh

(thank you to Phap Khong- Diep Nguyen for positing this on Face Book)

Bon Appetit!

Please check out the "Wake Up" site..it is full of wonderful creativity!
http://www.wkup.org/

September Schedule

Green Island Sangha
September Schedule

Please note that beginning September 12th the times have been changed for all of our gatherings. Our regular sitting practice will be from 10:30am until 12:30pm and our Beginner's Mind gathering will be from 10am until 10:30am.

Sangha Generosity Practice non perishables and canned goods for a local food pantry Collection at our September 26th sit



SUNDAY September 5th

St. Ignatius Retreat House will be closed so Green Island Sangha Will Not Be Sitting there.


SUNDAY September 12th

St Ignatius Retreat House
10:00AM - 10:30 AM
Beginners Mind Gathering
Our Once a Month Pre Sit Intro Meeting for Those New to Mindfulness or New to the Tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh

10:30AM - 12:30 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice
5 Mindfulness Training Recitation (New Version)
Please Bring your Chanting Books with you if you have them.

SUNDAY September 19th

10:30-12:30 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice
We Will Be Reading From Peace Is Every Step.
Please Bring your Books with you if you have them.


SUNDAY September 26th

St Ignatius Retreat House
10:30AM - 12:30 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice
Local Food Pantry collection

Your Free Will Donation Helps to Support Our Community

& our hosts St Ignatius Retreat House

New Videos Posted

Dear Friends,

Please scroll down to the bottom of this page to enjoy new videos from the 4 fold sangha. Additionally please take a look at the various videos from the 2010 England retreat to be found at the link on the right hand side of this blog.

Blue Cliff Day of Mindfulness

what follows are some photos taken from the Budding Flower Facebook site. If you have any photos from the day that you would like to share please email them to Grnislandsangha@aol.com and we will gladly add them here!....







The community of monk/nuns of Blue Cliff invited practitioners from around the region to a Special Day of Mindfulness on AUGUST 15th 2010 (Sunday) in Blue Cliff Monastery. This DOM was hosted by the monastics of Deer Park and Blue Cliff. During lunch, the monastics participated in an alms round, begging for food as lay practitioners offered cooked food into their bowl. The lay practitioner also followed behind the monastics serving the food provided on the serving tables. Everyone walked mindfully in two lines men & women then eating together in the big Meditation Hall. According to the monastics It happened like that every day during the Buddha's time.

The 4 fold Sangha Arrives Via The Internet

Our Brothers and Sisters in the practice have been diligently working to bring the entire world wide sangha the most up to the minute access to our dear teacher's current talks. Please see the below information to hear new talks and to find out about up coming streaming dharma talk opportunities.

Thich Nhat Hanh - Global Ethics for Our Future from Brother Stream on Vimeo.

Thich Nhat Hanh -- Live from London -- Global Ethics for Our Future
Thank you to the London Sangha for helping us to arrange with the Hammersmith Apollo to stream this talk live. Please consider making a donation to cover the cost of offering this for all. Thank you.

We are planning to stream a good part, if not all, of Thay's talks at the Nottingham England Retreat from 13-18 August. The orientation will take place at around 7:30 PM BST (UTC +1) British Summer Time, on 13 August, 2010. Stay tuned to Thay's Facebook Page for more details.
The following links bring you to a talk was offered by Thich Nhat Hanh on the 11th of August, 2010, at the Hammersmith Apollo Theatre in London. Thay teaches about the Noble Eightfold Path, and offers a session of questions and answers. This talk was streamed live at stream.pvweb.org.

http://stream.pvweb.org/ or http://vimeo.com/14088277
(cut and paste these links into your Internet browser)

The following link will bring you to the preparation for a talk by Thich Nhat Hanh given in London, U.K. on the 11th of August, 2010. This part includes singing by Sister Chau Nghiem and Brother Phap Lai as the audience enters, and a guided meditation by Sister True Virtue. The talk itself is labeled "Global Ethics for Our Future - Talk" and is also on vimeo.com.

http://vimeo.com/14072338
(cut and paste this link into your Internet browser)

August Schedule

We accept this food ...

Green Island Sangha
August Schedule

A Mindfulness Retreat led by the Monks/Nuns of Blue Cliff & Deer Park Monastery

August 4-8th, 2010 - Blue Cliff Monastery, Pine Bush, New York

Please see the Blue Cliff website for more information

http://bluecliffmonastery.org/



Sangha Generosity Practice non perishables and canned goods for a local food pantry Collection at our August 29th sit



SUNDAY August 1st

St Ignatius Retreat House
10:15-10:45 AM
Beginners Mind Gathering
Our Once a Month Pre Sit Intro Meeting for Those New to Mindfulness or New to the Tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh

10:45-12:45 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice
5 Mindfulness Training Recitation (New Version)
Please Bring your Chanting Books with you if you have them.



SUNDAY August 8th

10:45-12:45 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice

SUNDAY August 15th

St. Ignatius Retreat House will be closed so Green Island Sangha Will Not Be Sitting there Sunday August 15th.

The Brothers and Sisters of Blue Cliff Monastery and Deer Park Monastery have invited the community to come to Blue Cliff Monastery for a Special Day of Mindfulness on Sunday August 15th. They will offer a Dharma Talk, Walking Meditation, Lunch, and an afternoon activity.

Many of us from Green Island Sangha will be be going up on either Saturday or Sunday. If anyone would like to join us, or car pool, please send an email to us at

Grnislandsangha@aol.com


There is more information about the day on the Blue Cliff Monastery website:

http://bluecliffmonastery.org/



SUNDAY August 22nd

10:45-12:45 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice
We Will Be Reading From Peace Is Every Step.
Please Bring your Books with you if you have them.


SUNDAY August 29h
St Ignatius Retreat House
10:45 -12:45 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice
Local Food Pantry collection

Your Free Will Donation Helps to Support Our Community

& our hosts St Ignatius Retreat House

We Will Not Be Meeting July 4th

Green Island Sangha will not be sitting together at St. Ignatius on Independence Day, Sunday, July 4th. But we can sit together wherever we are and celebrate our Interdependence Day.

July Schedule

Green Island Sangha
July Schedule

Sangha Generosity Practice non perishables and canned goods for a local food pantry Collection at our July 25th sit



SUNDAY July 4th

We will not be sitting at St. Ignatius
on the fourth. Please celebrate Independence Day Mindfully.


SUNDAY July 11th

St Ignatius Retreat House
10:15-10:45 AM
Beginners Mind Gathering
Our Once a Month Pre Sit Intro Meeting for Those new to Mindfulness or new to the Tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh

10:45-12:45 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice
5 Mindfulness Training Recitation (New Version)
Please Bring your Chanting Books with you if you have them, if not we can share.

SUNDAY July 18th
St Ignatius Retreat House
10:45 -12:45 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice
We are reading Peace is Every Step
Please Bring your Book with you if you have them, if not we can share.

SUNDAY July 25th
St Ignatius Retreat House
10:45 -12:45 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice
Local Food Pantry collection

Your Free Will Donation Helps to Support Our Community

& our hosts St Ignatius Retreat House

Thich Nhat Hanh in Shambhala Sun

New to our blog is an interview from the current issue of Shambhala Sun. the entire issue is dedicated to our teacher! If you have not purchased this magazine before, now might be a lovely time to show them some support and buy one.

http://www.shambhalasun.com/

Love and Liberation:An interview with Thich Nhat Hanh

To read this interview from this magazine please see the side bar titled Thich Nhat Hanh interviews.

June Schedule

Green Island Sangha
June Schedule

Sangha Generosity Practice non perishables and canned goods for a local food pantry Collection at June 27th sit

SATURDAY June 5th
Blue Cliff Monastery
4PM - 7PM
Open House for everyone to come visit the Monks and Nuns at Blue Cliff Monastery.
Please see their website for more information:

Blue Cliff Monastery


SUNDAY June 6th
St Ignatius Retreat House
10:15-10:45 AM
Beginners Mind Gathering
Our Once a Month Pre Sit Intro Meeting for Those new to Mindfulness or new to the Tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh

10:45-12:45 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice
5 Mindfulness Training Recitation (New Version)
Please Bring your Chanting Books with you if you have them, if not we can share.

SUNDAY June 13th
Special Lazy Monk Festival off site
Outdoor Meditation at Cedarmere Gardens in Roslyn
Bring something to sit on
10:15 -12:45 PM
(dependent on weather)

The gardens are on Bryant Ave just north of and below the Northern Blvd via duct
(we will meet in the Main Garden and may sit below by the water)

There will NOT be a sit at St Ignatius Retreat House
which will be closed on June 13th

For directions to Cedarmere see

map
or for info contact Jeanselmo@aol.com

SUNDAY June 20th
St Ignatius Retreat House
10:45 -12:45 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice
Peace is Every Step
Please Bring your Book with you if you have them, if not we can share.

SUNDAY June 27th
St Ignatius Retreat House
10:45 -12:45 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice

Your Free Will Donation Helps to Support Our Community

& our hosts St Ignatius Retreat House

MAY SCHEDULE

Green Island Sangha
May Schedule

Sangha Generosity Practice non perishables and canned goods for a local food pantry Collection at May 2nd and May 23rd sit

SUNDAY May 2nd
St Ignatius Retreat House
NO Beginners Mind Gathering due to Community Meeting Gathering after today’s sit
10:30-12:45 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice
5 Mindfulness Training Recitation (New Version)
Please Bring your Chanting Books with you if you have them, if not we can share.

SUNDAY May 9th
Special Mother’s Day Off site
Outdoor Meditation at Cedarmere Gardens in Roslyn
Bring something to sit on
10:30 -12:45 PM
(dependant on weather)

The gardens are on Bryant Ave just north of and below the Northern Blvd via duct
(we will meet in the Main Garden and may sit below by the water)

Thay’s a Rose for Your Pocket Practices/Ceremony for all Mothers
And our Regular Sitting Practice
There will NOT be a sit at St Ignatius Retreat House
which will be closed on May 9th

For directions to Cedarmere see
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Cedarmere&sll=40.777774,-73.873189&sspn=0.028338,0.052271&ie=UTF8&filter=0&ll=40.81316,-73.641529&spn=0.026764,0.052271&z=14&iwloc=E#http%3A//maps.go
or for info contact Jeanselmo@aol.com

SUNDAY May 16th
St Ignatius Retreat House
10:45 -12:45 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice
Peace is Every Step
Please Bring your Book with you if you have them, if not we can share.

FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY May 14th, 15th and 16th
Open Center/Green Island Sangha Retreat
At Blue Cliff Monastery
All Welcome
Contact Jeanne at Jeanselmo@aol.com for info and registration

SUNDAY May 23rd
St Ignatius Retreat House
10:45 -12:45 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice
We will have a Buddha's Birthday celebration
(Vesak). Please bring your chanting books if you have them.

NO SUNDAY May 30th
St Ignatius Retreat House is closed

Your Free Will Donation Helps to Support Our Community

& our hosts St Ignatius Retreat House

Buddhist Films in NYC

We received the following announcement at our email address:

Join us for this rare event graciously offered by Asia Society to the New York Sangha in their beautiful theater. It also includes free admission to the new Pilgrimage and Buddhist Art exhibition prior to the screening beginning at 6 pm.

http://www.journeyintobuddhism.com/trilogy.html

Asia Society presents the acclaimed film trilogy:
Journey Into Buddhism

John Bush, Director

Yatra is the sanskrit word for pilgrimage or sacred journey. These visually stunning documentaries are cinematic pilgrimages to legendary places in Southeast Asia and Tibet, including the spiritual wonders of Laos, Thailand, Burma, Bali, Cambodia, Java and Central Tibet. Journey into the living traditions, and vanished civilizations of this vibrant part of the world and explore the universal ideals of wisdom, compassion and inner peace at the very heart of these ancient Buddhist cultures.

The living presence of place is the primary focus of these three lyrical films which are meditations themselves. Their deliberate pacing, unobtrusive narration, and inspired sounds are created to induce an inner journey while traveling to these legendary places.The trilogy features an expansive soundtrack of classical Asian sacred music, leading world musicians and singers and an original harmonic chant score by David Hykes.

Dharma River Journey of a Thousand Buddhas
Friday April 23 6:45 - 8:30 pm

Dharma is the Sanskrit word for universal law. Essential to Buddhist understanding, dharma is the natural order, a living truth, and a force for awakening. Dharma River is a lyrical and exquisite sensory journey through Southeast Asia’s great spiritual and cultural treasures. Visiting the legendary vanished civilizations and living wisdom traditions of Laos, Thailand, and Burma, Dharma River powerfully conveys their continuing
relevance for contemporary audiences. Ancient temples, mystical landscapes, and wondrous shrines—many of them UNESCO world heritage sites—provide a rich visual tapestry. With a score of rare classical Southeast Asian music, this visual voyage masterfully illuminates artistic and devotional traditions. From the canals of Bangkok
to the mountains of Laos, from the golden pagodas of Burma to the Mekong River, the film is a unique experience of sacred space.

Prajna Earth Journey into Sacred Nature
Friday April 30 6:45 - 8:30 pm

Filmed entirely on location in Southeast Asia, the second film of the Yatra Trilogy is a stunning cinematic journey to the legendary temples of Angkor in Cambodia, the spiritual sites of Bali, and finally the marvel of Buddhist Borobudur in Java. Prajna Earth is a pilgrimage to sacred intersections where Buddhist and Hindu wisdom traditions merge with the animist worship of nature. Monks and nuns travel on foot for days to reach a full moon gathering
near Angkor Wat, the largest temple in the world. The dance of the Devatas celebrates the rebirth of this classic art form within the cultural healing of war torn Cambodia. As the journey moves to Bali, gamelan music, Ramayana dance, and lively street processions echo through the hill town of Ubud. In Java, a night of animist trance dance and
spirit possession is followed by a golden dawn and ascent of the startling seven-level stupa of Borobudur. Narrated by Sharon Stone

Vajra Sky Over Tibet
Friday May 7 6:45 - 8:30 pm

Vajra is the thunderbolt of awakening that cuts through delusion. It is the indestructible power of truth at the heart of Vajrayana Buddhism in Tibet. Filmed in Central Tibet, Vajra Sky is a cinematic pilgrimage offering a direct experience of some of the most revered temples, monasteries, and festivals still surviving. The vastness of snow mountains, rushing rivers, and turquoise lakes leads the journey westward to the holy sites of Shigatse and Gyantse.
Returning to Lhasa, the luminous faces of pilgrims in front of the legendary Jokhang Temple glow in the flicker of butter lamp offerings. The empty windows and doors of the traditional homes of His Holiness The Dalai Lama, the Potala and Norbulinka, signal his painful absence. Yet the exuberant blossoms of the Summer Palace hold the promise of natural cycles of return. During the colorful Drepung Monastery festival, a giant scroll painting of the Buddha covers
a mountain as spiritually famished Chinese join with the multitude of Tibetan pilgrims.
“
Asia Society & Museum 725 Park Avenue at 70th St. New York NY

April Schedule

Green Island Sangha
April Schedule

SUNDAY April 11th

St Ignatius Retreat HouseBeginners Mind Gathering
10 to 10:30 AM
Our Once a Month Pre Sit Intro Meeting for Those new to Mindfulness or New to the Tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh10:30-12:45 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice will meet after Beginner's Mind Gathering
5 Mindfulness Training Recitation (New Version)
Please Bring your Chanting Books with you if you have them, if not we can share.

SUNDAY April 18th

St Ignatius Retreat House10:30 -12:45 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice

SUNDAY April 25th

NO MEETING THIS DAY

Your Free Will Donation Helps to Support Our Community
and our hosts St Ignatius Retreat House

Partial March/April Schedule

Green Island Sangha
Sangha Generosity Practice non perishables and canned goods for a local food pantry
Collection at March 28th sit

SUNDAY March 28th
St Ignatius Retreat House
10:30- 12:45 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice
A little 10 min video for us all




SUNDAY April 4th
No Sit

Enjoy a Mindful Holiday in whatever tradition you are practicing http://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/2438/The-Alchemist

View this movie at cultureunplugged.com

SUNDAY April 11th
St Ignatius Retreat House
Beginners Mind Gathering 9:40 to 10:30 AM Our Once a Month Pre Sit Intro Meeting for Those new to Mindfulness or New to the Tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh
10:30-12:45 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice will meet after Beginner's Mind Gathering
5 Mindfulness Training Recitation (New Version) Please Bring your Chanting Books with you if you have them, if not we can share.

SUNDAY April 18th
St Ignatius Retreat House
10:30 -12:45 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice


Your Free Will Donation Helps to Support Our Community and our hosts St Ignatius Retreat House

Help Relocate Bat Nha Monastics

Hello Friends,

Here is a message about our Bat Nha monastics and plans to relocate some of them.


"Dear Friends,

I am writing to report the latest situation with the Bat Nha (Prajna) monastics and to convey Plum Village's request for financial help to relocate them for temporary asylum outside of Viet Nam.

As you know, despite much effort at intervention by the international community, by the end of 2009 the nearly 400 young monks and nuns of Bat Nha were all ejected by force and totally dispersed from the monastery. Bat Nha is history. Some of the monastics have ended in small numbers at a few temples here and there which are willing, quietly, to let them stay, some trying hard to maintain the practice by themselves at home, and about 160 went to Thailand where they have been receiving a lot of support by the local community.

Despite the difficult situations, the spirits are reported to be high. The monastics are confident of their spiritual direction and of the support from Plum Village, as well as many of us around the world.

The stories they tell of their last days together, of the brutal treatment they received, and what they are having to do to maintain diligence in the practice, are both heart breaking and heart warming. The whole saga is an shining example of how the practice of love and compassion--as manifested through the non-violence on the part of the monastics towards the brutality they received--can offer not only peace but also strength in difficult times. Many of the details could be found at helpbatnha.org.

Plum Village is making plans to help over 300 of the monastics to obtain temporary asylum in Thailand, France, the US and other international locations. (We on the East Coast may see an increase in the monastic population at Blue Cliff itself.) The main costs associated with this process are for visa and passport fees, and especially for air transportation from Viet Nam. Plum Village is making a request for financial support to make the location of the monastics possible. Any amount you can give would be gratefully accepted. Donations to Plum Village are tax-deductible.

If you could help, please send check or money order made out to Unified Buddhist Church (legal name for Plum Village) to:

Sr. Dang Nghiem/Sr. Huong Nghiem
Deer Park Monastery
2499 Melru Lane
Escondido, CA 92026

with a note indicating that the donation is for the Bat Nha fund.


Thank you for helping.


With a deep bow,


Dat"

Thich Nhat Hanh on Mindful Eating Oprah.com

A Conversation with Thich Nhat Hanh About Savor
- Oprah.com

http://www.oprah.com/spirit/A-Conversation-with-Thich-Nhat-Hanh-About-Savor

"World-renowned Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh has teamed up with nutritionist Dr. Lilian Cheung to change the way we eat with their book Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Living. Get his take on the root of our weight problems, what he eats every day and how to change your own eating habits forever."

Spring Forward with Mindfulness!

Green Island Sangha
SUNDAY March 21st
at St Ignatius Retreat House
10:30 -12:30 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice
Peace is Every Step Reading
(please bring your copy with you if you have one...if not we can share!)

Please see the below email detailing other events this weekend.....

Community of Mindfulness New York Metro
Inspired by the Teachings and Practice of Thich Nhat Hanh
www.communityofmindfulnessnewyorkmetro.blogspot.com


Dear Friends,
Below are 4 events happening on the March 20-21 weekend. The first two are Sangha Days of Mindfulness. The third event is an event sponsored by the Buddhist Council of NYC, of which the CMNY is a member. The fourth event is the 'Truth Commission on Conscience in War' at Riverside Church, where Thay has spoken several times and our Riverside Sangha practices. The Buddhist Peace Fellowship is one of many supporting organizations.
Take care,
David Flint

FLOW LIKE A RIVER:
A DAY OF MINDFULNESS
in Collaboration with Mindful Peace Building*
Saturday, March 20, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Riverside Church, Room 8-T
91 Claremont Avenue, NY, NY

Water flows over these hands.
May I use them skillfully,
To preserve our precious planet.
--Thich Nhat Hanh

On this day, which coincides with World Water Day, we will practice sitting meditation and walking meditation by the river. We will share stories, poems and reminiscences about waters we have loved, share a vegetarian lunch, practice deep relaxation, touching the earth, and dharma sharing.

Please bring something vegetarian for lunch and a blanket for deep relaxation.

Facilitated by David Ostwald (True Path of Equanimity) and Birgitte Moyer-Vinding (True Path of Light). David and Birgitte practice with the Riverside Sangha , the Sunday Morning Sangha, which they founded in 2006, and with Lyn Fine in Berkeley, CA.
Please feel free to come for all or part of the day. If you have questions, please call David or Birgitte at (212) 645-0834.
* Mindful Peace Building was founded by Dharma Teacher and CMNY co-founder Lyn Fine. For more information, see www.mindfulpeacebuilding.org.
________________________________________________________________

Rock Blossom Sangha Afternoon of Practice
Sunday March 21
1012 8th Avenue, Church of Gethsemane, Basement
Dear Thây, Dear Sangha,
This coming Sunday, March 21st, on the first full day of spring, there will be an Afternoon of Practice at the Rock Blossom Sangha, in addition to our regular evening gathering. We will gather at 2:30, and spend some time in sitting meditation and looking a little further into the Sutra on Breath Mindfulness, which is one of the Buddha's explicit guides to meditation. Perhaps we will review sections one and two, and look a bit into section three, as Thây has taught it over a number of years.
Later we will have the opportunity for walking meditation, dharma sharing and a mindful (vegetarian) meal together at around 5:30. You may come for only the afternoon, or remain for our evening gathering for a longer (stronger?) practice experience.
metta,
dennis
____________________________________

Buddhist Council of New York, Annual Buddhist Forum, 2010 “What is sustainable sangha? : Buddhist perspectives on environmental and economic longevity”Date: Saturday, March 20th, 2010
Time: 10:00am – 4:00pm (note: registration with light breakfast will begin at 9:30am and lunch will be served at 11:30am)
Location: Brooklyn Zen Center – 505 Carroll St. Suite 2A, Brooklyn, New York (between 3th and 4th Avenues)
________________________________________________________________________

March 21, 4-8 pm
Public hearing of Truth Commission on Conscience in War
Location: The Riverside Church Nave, New York City
· Screening of Soldiers of Conscience
· Testimony from Veterans
· Briefings from Expert Witnesses
The Truth Commission on Conscience in War, a national gathering of community and religious leaders, advocacy groups, and artists, will receive personal testimony from veterans and briefings from expert witnesses about:
· moral and religious questions facing soldiers both before and during combat
· moral and religious criteria of just war
· international agreements governing the justification and conduct of war
· limits of military regulations on Conscientious Objection
See www.conscienceinwar.org for more information


__._,_.___

National Day of Unpluging

Join in fighting back against the tidal wave of technology taking over society and our lives. Are you sick of having conversations with people with their noses buried in an iPhone? Are you that person?

Put down the cell phone, stop the status updates on Facebook, shut down Twitter, sign out of e-mail and relax, as part of our National Day of Unplugging.

People across the nation will tune out to reclaim time to slow life down and reconnect with friends, family, the community and themselves for 24 hours, starting at sundown, Friday, March 19. The Sabbath Manifesto’s principles were created for individual styling, but for one day we are asking you to take on the challenge of Principle Number 1: AVOID TECHNOLOGY. For those of you who can’t resist the temptation we created cell phone sleeping bags.

http://www.sabbathmanifesto.org/unplug

March Schedule

Green Island Sangha March Schedule


SUNDAY March 14th
at St Ignatius Retreat House
10:30 -12:30 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice


SUNDAY March 21st
at St Ignatius Retreat House
10:30 -12:30 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice
Peace is Every Step Reading
(please bring your copy with you if you don't have one, we can share!)


SUNDAY March 28th
at St Ignatius Retreat House
10:30- 12:30 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice
Sangha Generosity Practice non perishables and canned goods for a local food pantry
Collection at March 28th sit

Your Free Will Donation Helps to Support Our Community and our hosts St Ignatius Retreat House

http://www.savorthebook.com/savor-the-book

I recieved the following email about this new book.

Dear Sangha,

I offer you a lotus flower on this day.

As some of you know, over the last year Thay and I have worked together to write Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life. The book is being released today by HarperOne. Our intention is to raise awareness of the suffering caused by unmindful consumption and to provide the tools to transform suffering into well-being.

As a complement to the book, we have built a website with resources and a space to further cultivate mindfulness practice in our daily lives. In particular, we hope the website will provide an online Sangha to share and support mindful living and eating.

We invite you to visit and share this site with your Sangha, friends and greater community:

www.savorthebook.com

The website includes:

· Savor Community: A forum for sharing our experiences with mindful eating and living. Post recipes, videos, share thoughts on practice.
· Resources: Download printable content such as Five Mindfulness and Five Contemplations.
· Links: Discover a library of over 100+ websites related to mindfulness, nutrition, and healthy living.

We hope that this is a space to connect all of us to explore our practice and plant seeds of compassionate living. Please join us in establishing a Savor community to look deeply at the benefits of mindful eating and living in ourselves and others.

Peace in oneself, peace in the world.

With a smile and great compassion,

Dr. Lilian Cheung


Editorial Reviews from Amazon
Review
“Among Buddhist leaders influential in the West, Thich Nhat Hanh ranks second only to the Dalai Lama.” (New York Times )

“Authored by an eminent spiritual leader and a renowned nutritionist, this work infuses science into wisdom and wisdom into science. It is a practical guide to eating mindfully and points the way to attain a healthier weight and a more satisfying life.” (From the foreword by Harvey V. Fineberg, M.D., Ph.D. President, Institute of Medicine )

“Hanh and Cheung explore the convergence of nutritional science with Buddhist teaching and find complementary insights. Together, they provide approaches that help to heal both the individual and societal illness that is being manifested as an epidemic of obesity. Everyone can learn from this book.” (Walter Willett, M.D., author of Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy and Chair, Department of Nutrition Harvard School of Public Health )
Product Description
Common sense tells us that to lose weight, we must eat less and exercise more. But somehow we get stalled. We start on a weight-loss program with good intentions but cannot stay on track. Neither the countless fad diets, nor the annual spending of $50 billion on weight loss helps us feel better or lose weight.

Too many of us are in a cycle of shame and guilt. We spend countless hours worrying about what we ate or if we exercised enough, blaming ourselves for actions that we can't undo. We are stuck in the past and unable to live in the present—that moment in which we do have the power to make changes in our lives.

With Savor, world-renowned Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh and Harvard nutritionist Dr. Lilian Cheung show us how to end our struggles with weight once and for all.

Offering practical tools, including personalized goal setting, a detailed nutrition guide, and a mindful living plan, the authors help us to uncover the roots of our habits and then guide us as we transform our actions. Savor teaches us how to easily adopt the practice of mindfulness and integrate it into eating, exercise, and all facets of our daily life, so that being conscious and present becomes a core part of our being.

It is the awareness of the present moment, the realization of why we do what we do, that enables us to stop feeling bad and start changing our behavior. Savor not only helps us achieve the healthy weight and well-being we seek, but it also brings to the surface the rich abundance of life available to us in every moment.

New Video

A New Video focusing on our sisters in practice in Plum Village has been posted at the bottom of this blog! Please scroll down to enjoy.

The Video comes from a project entitled The Journey TV.

http://thejourneytv.moonfruit.com/#/home/4535924484

The Journey is a non-funded and not for profit documentary project that aims to raise awareness to sustainable ideas, projects and lifestyles by documenting people who are committed to creating a sustainable future. The project concentrates on the positive action that is taking place today, and how in the heart of these actions could be real solutions to global issues.

March Schedule

Green Island Sangha March Schedule


SUNDAY March 7th
St Ignatius Retreat House
Beginners Mind Gathering 9:40 to 10:30 AM
Our Once a Month Pre Sit Intro Meeting for Those new to Mindfulness or New to the Tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh
Our Regular Sitting Practice will meet after Beginner's Mind Gathering
10:30-12:30PM
5 Mindfulness Training Recitation (New Version)
Please Bring your Chanting Books with you if you have them, if not we can share.

SUNDAY March 14th
St Ignatius Retreat House
10:30 -12:30 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice


SUNDAY March 21st
St Ignatius Retreat House
10:30 -12:30 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice
Peace is Every Step Reading (please bring your copy with you if you have ...if not we can share )


SUNDAY March 28th
St Ignatius Retreat House
10:30- 12:30 PM

Our Regular Sitting Practice
Sangha Generosity Practice non perishables and canned goods for a local food pantry Collection at today's sit


Your Free Will Donation Helps to Support Our Community and our hosts St Ignatius Retreat House

Audio of Thich Nhat Hanh with Oprah

http://www.oprah.com/oprahradio/Celebrate-Happiness-Audio


Thich Nhat Hanh Quotes from the Oprah website


~ "Freedom is not given to us by anyone; we have to cultivate it ourselves. It is a daily practice… No one can prevent you from being aware of each step you take or each breath in and breath out." ~

~ "People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar." ~

~ "Enlightenment is always there. Small enlightenment will bring great enlightenment. If you breathe in and are aware that you are alive—that you can touch the miracle of being alive—then that is a kind of enlightenment." ~

~ "Many people are alive but don't touch the miracle of being alive." ~

~ "It is possible to live happily in the here and now. So many conditions of happiness are available—more than enough for you to be happy right now. You don't have to run into the future in order to get more." ~

~ "People suffer because they are caught in their views. As soon as we release those views, we are free and we don't suffer anymore." ~

~ "Mindfulness helps you go home to the present. And every time you go there and recognize a condition of happiness that you have, happiness comes." ~

~ "Life is available only in the present. That is why we should walk in such a way that every step can bring us to the here and the now." ~

~ "When you love someone, the best thing you can offer is your presence. How can you love if you are not there?" ~

~ "To be loved means to be recognized as existing." ~

~ "Every thought you produce, anything you say, any action you do, it bears your signature." ~

~ "We have to continue to learn. We have to be open. And we have to be ready to release our knowledge in order to come to a higher understanding of reality." ~

Next Gathering

SUNDAY February 28th
St Ignatius Retreat House
10:30AM - 12:30 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice


Sangha Generosity Practice
non perishables and canned goods for a local food pantry
Collection at Feb 28th sit

Next Gathering

SUNDAY February 21st
at St Ignatius Retreat House
10:30AM-12:30 PM
Our Regular Sitting Practice
Peace is Every Step Reading
(please bring your copy with you if you have one....if not, bring yourself, we can share!)

Oprah Talks to Thich Nhat Hanh

"He's been a Buddhist monk for more than 60 years, as well as a teacher, writer, and vocal opponent of war—a stance that left him exiled from his native Vietnam for four decades. Now the man Martin Luther King Jr. called "an apostle of peace and nonviolence" reflects on the beauty of the present moment, being grateful for every breath, and the freedom and happiness to be found in a simple cup of tea.
The moment I meet Thich Nhat Hanh at the Four Seasons Hotel in Manhattan, I feel his sense of calm. A deeply tranquil presence seems to surround the Zen Buddhist master.

But beneath Nhat Hanh's serene demeanor is a courageous warrior. The 83-year-old native of Vietnam, who joined the monastery when he was 16, valiantly opposed his own government during the Vietnam War. Even as he embraced the contemplative life of a monk, the war confronted him with a choice: Should he remain hidden away in the monastery tending to matters of the spirit, or go out and help the villagers who were suffering? Nhat Hanh's decision to do both is what gave birth to "Engaged Buddhism"—a movement that involves peaceful activism for the purpose of social reform. It's also what led Martin Luther King Jr. to nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize in 1967.

As part of his denunciation of the violence inflicted on his countrymen, Nhat Hanh founded a relief organization that rebuilt bombed Vietnamese villages, set up schools and medical centers, and resettled homeless families. Nhat Hanh also created a Buddhist university, a publishing house, and a peace activist magazine—all of which led the Vietnamese government to forbid him, in 1966, to return home after he'd left the country on a peace mission. He remained in exile for 39 years.

Before his exile, Nhat Hanh had spent time in the West (studying at Princeton and teaching at Columbia University in the early 1960s), and it was to the West that he now returned. Seeing an opportunity to spread Buddhist thought and encourage peaceful activism, he led the Buddhist Peace Delegation to the Paris Peace Talks in 1969, established the Unified Buddhist Church in France, and went on to write more than 100 books, including the 1995 best-seller Living Buddha, Living Christ—a volume that never leaves my nightstand.

Nhat Hanh eventually settled in Southern France and founded Plum Village, the Buddhist meditation practice center and monastery where he still lives. Thousands of people travel there each year to join him in exploring the tenets of Buddhism—including mindfulness (intentionally tuning in to the present moment), the development of a practice (a regular activity, such as mindful walking, that redirects you toward right thinking), and enlightenment (the liberation from suffering that comes when you wake up to the true nature of reality). These principles were introduced to the world more than 2,000 years ago by Siddhartha Gautama, or the Buddha, the Indian-born prince who left a life of ease and indulgence in order to seek enlightenment—and founded a religion along the way.

Thich Nhat Hanh—or, as his students call him, Thây, the Vietnamese word for "teacher"—brings along a group of Plum Village monks and nuns to listen in on our conversation. In some spiritual traditions, there is a concept called "holding the space"—or showing up as a compassionate listener. Thây's friends are the space holders who have traveled with him from France, and as we take a photograph together just before our chat, they usher in a peaceful mood by collectively singing a Buddhist song: "We are all the leaves of one tree; we are all the waves of one sea; the time has come for all to live as one."

Read the entire interview on Oprah.Com

http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Oprah-Talks-to-Thich-Nhat-Hanh

Thich Nhat Hanh Magazine News

(picture from Shambhala Sun Magazine)

Oprah interviews Thich Nhat Hanh in O Magazine. On news stands,February 15th. Feature title, Call Me By My True Names.

Thich Nhat Hanh article in Shambhala Sun, Mindfulness Is a Source of Happiness. On news stands, February 1st (see below)

Shambhala Sun March 2010
You'll find this article on page 34 of the magazine.

MINDFUL LIVING: MINDFULNESS PRACTICE

Thich Nhat Hanh on The Practice of Mindfulness

“Breathing in, I know that I am breathing in.” It is such a simple practice, but it can transform your life. The great meditation master Thich Nhat Hanh teaches five mindfulness exercises to help you live with happiness and joy.


Our true home is not in the past. Our true home is not in the future. Our true home is in the here and the now. Life is available only in the here and the now, and it is our true home.

Mindfulness is the energy that helps us recognize the conditions of happiness that are already present in our lives. You don’t have to wait ten years to experience this happiness. It is present in every moment of your daily life. There are those of us who are alive but don’t know it. But when you breathe in, and you are aware of your in-breath, you touch the miracle of being alive. That is why mindfulness is a source of happiness and joy.

Most people are forgetful; they are not really there a lot of the time. Their mind is caught in their worries, their fears, their anger, and their regrets, and they are not mindful of being there. That state of being is called forgetfulness—you are there but you are not there. You are caught in the past or in the future. You are not there in the present moment, living your life deeply. That is forgetfulness.

Excerpted from the March 2010 issue of the Shambhala Sun.