it’s a long way from the instant smiles posing next to the eiffel tower, and it’s miles away from the diesel fog fumes that guarantee an all-day pounding headache. you won’t find it anywhere near bursting stores with people packed against each other in human sardine fashion to find the best soldes, nor is it even remotely near the shiny tans of the cote d’azur. in fact, if you go to this place, you may forget that you’re actually somewhere in france.

past the tensed shoulders and anguish deeply embedded in tight chests is a place, another world where “mindful living” takes priority over the superficial, the stuff that shouldn’t matter. it is where the art of living involves awareness through breathing and small, ordinary acts. under the wings and core teachings of the honorable thich nat hanh (writer, zen master, poet, peace and human rights activist) and the permanent buddhist resident monks and nuns, you are one step closer to transforming and healing your psychological state, restoring individual inner peace, which is interconnected with the quest for universal peace.

situated in france’s southwest region of dordogne amidst verdant rolling hills and the prodigious and famous vineyards near saint emilion, is a retreat center called, “plum village” where people from all over the world gather to learn or deepen their practice of mindful living in order to take it back to their daily lives.

as simplistic as the overall premise of mindful living seems, it is far from effortless and some would dare say that they may never achieve the level of mindful living as they would like, in their entire lifetimes. some core ideas for mindful living training involve: Openness, Non-attachment to Views, Freedom of Thought, Awareness of Suffering, Simple, Healthy Living, Dealing with Anger, Dwelling Happily in the Present Moment, Community and Communication, Truthful and Loving Speech, Protecting the Sangha (the practise of understanding and compassion), Right Livelihood, Reverence for Life, Generosity and Right Conduct.

i was first introduced to thich nat hahn while i was visiting a friend in rhinebeck, new york, who, at the time was working at the holistic institute, omega. i waited a while for her there at the omega campus and finally asked someone if i could volunteer to help out while i was waiting for my friend to finish up her work at the institute. i was given the task of greeting the 400 people soon to be arriving for the mindful living workshop given by thich nat hanh. everyone at the institute called him, “thay” (pronounced “tye”) which means “teacher.” the arriving students take a vow of silence for the duration of the mindful living retreat so, although i wasn’t taking the course, i joined several other “greeters” to welcome these students silently with a nod and smile. the herd of people came all at once but it was the quietest arrival of 400 people i would probably ever see in my life. i loved looking at all the different faces of all ages, wanting a more peaceful life and a more peaceful world.

Plum Village
Son Ha Temple
Fontagnane 24240
Puyguilhem, France
Tel.: +(33) 5.53.22.88.89
E-mail: sonha@plumvillage.org
Website: www.plumvillage.org

Related: Buddhist Temples in France

recommended reading of works by thich nat hanh: fragrant leaves (journals 1962-66) – journal entries from America and Vietnam in the ’60s-a portrait of the Zen master as a young man; call me by my true names – is awe-inspiring, one of the most powerful texts on interconnection; anger – we all need to know how to deal with our anger; the miracle of mindfulness – the essential teachings of mindfulness; peace is every step – “Every morning, when we wake up, we have twenty-four brandnew hours to live…”; the art of mindful living – how to bring, love, compassion and inner peace into your daily life; teachings on love – love is more than an emotion; breathe! you are alive – sutra on the full awareness of breathing; zen keys – a guide to zen practice.

[Photo Courtesy of Plum Village Practice Center, France]