Mindfulness Exercises

"Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don't even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the curious eyes of a child -- our own two eyes.
All is a miracle."

Thich Nhat Hanh

Click here for five ways to help bring mindfulness into our everyday lives.

Lessons From a 21-Day Retreat

Click here for some inspiring insights from a Dharma brother's retreat experience at Plum Village.

Music from Joe Reilly, 'Breathing'

Take a look at this YouTube music video from Dharma Brother Joe Reilly.

Mindfulness in the business world

A day of mindfulness training at Google with Thich Nhat Hanh is the lead for a fascinating and encouraging article in The Guardian.

Please click here to read more ...

Nourishing Mindfulness

Mindful Eating by Thich Nhat Hanh
(from an interview with Oprah on March 9, 2010)

When we can slow down and really enjoy our food, our life and our health, we can take on a much deeper quality.  I love to sit and eat quietly and enjoy each bite, aware of the presence of my community, aware of all the hard and loving work that has gone into my food.  When I eat in this way, not only am I physically nourished, I am also spiritually nourished.  The way I eat influences everything else that I do during the day.  If I can look deeply into my food and take this time as a meditation - just as important as my sitting or walking meditation time - I receive the many gifts of the cosmos that I would not otherwise profit from if my mind were elsewhere.  Because if I eat and am consumed by my worries and projects, I am eating a lot of stress and fear and this is harmful to my body and mind.

I Have Arrived, I Am Home

Wanting To Be Loved, And To Love

Thich Nhat Hanh, from a Dharma Talk on June 6, 2006

Student: I am a little embarrassed to tell you about my problem. What concerns me is the pain that I feel from wanting to share my life with someone, but not having a partner to do this with. The ache of this pain is so deep that it sometimes physically hurts. At the same time, I remind myself about how fortunate I am to have wonderful friends and family. But not having a partner makes me very sad. I don’t know what to do with this feeling of loss I have. I don’t know what to do with the heart ache.

Thich Nhat Hanh: This fear is always with us----that our desire to love and be loved will not be fulfilled. That we will be left lonely. Everyone one of us want to love and be loved. But we are afraid we will not have a chance to love and be loved. We need to recognize this need within ourself. Our practice is to look deeply into this kind of fear, this kind of need.

To love is to offer understanding and comfort. Yes, we do feel miserable if no one understand us. Because when someone does not understand us, he or she can’t love us. Understanding is the proof of love. You can’t say he loves me, but does not understand me. This does not make sense. Without understanding love is impossible.

We are looking for some one who can show us that they understand and love us. Suppose there is such a person. But first we have to ask the question: whether we are capable of generating understanding and love? Are we capable of offering them what they need and what we need? This is the real important question. If we are not capable of generating understanding and love, nothing will happen.

The teachings of the Buddha are to help us generate the energy of understanding and love. And if we can produce that energy we will first be able to help ourself. And with this capacity for understanding and love we can embrace the people who are with us now. We can make them happy while at the same time we make ourself happy. Because the energy of understanding and love is a very positive energy which has the capacity to nourish, heal and bring happiness.

So the question is not whether there is understanding and love around us, but do we have the capacity to generate the energy of understanding and love. If we can, then maybe we can make everyone our partner. This is the love of the Buddha----to want everyone to be your partner. True love is like that.

Sangha Members Deepen Their Practice

Some of the 42 people who received transmission of
the 5 Mindfulness Trainings on March 23 

The Maine sangha, the community that lives in harmony and awareness, blossoms like a lotus. We had a wonderful transmission ceremony for the Five Mindfulness Trainings at the Day of Mindfulness with Joanne Friday in Augusta on Saturday.

The day included  a dharma talk and question and answer period from Joanne, mindful eating of our lunch in noble silence with a children's table, a mindful walk outside, and dharma sharing in the closing circle.  

Radical Compassion Retreat with Joanne Friday

This residential retreat will be held at idyllic Camp Aldersgate in northern Rhode Island and is open to all  sangha members. 

Joanne Friday, a Buddhist practitioner and teacher with over 20 years experience, has a special connection to our Portland, Augusta and Orono sanghas.

Click here to view/download more information and a registration form.

Fall Retreat With Thay at Blue Cliff Monastery

Please visit  http://www.tnhtour.org for more info or to register!