Dear friends,

I’d like a gatha to hold while I lay in bed and fall asleep. I’ve actually had trouble finding one. Any suggestions? Thank you!

I tripped over myself 7 years ago — sabotaged in a moment of heightened anxiety, like a dog biting its own leg. It was too much for me to bear at that time and I got caught in an infinite loop of anxiety that still debilitates me and makes me unable to sleep. The prevailing feelings are self-accusation, regret, and grief.

The words of Thay have been a salve and a source of guidance but I still find myself caught the infinite loop so many nights.

The loop gets tighter and more painful whenever I trip over myself and repeat the original trauma.

I am looking for encouragement. Has anyone here ever overcome an infinite loop?

https://youtu.be/QJCdkNXYOa0?si=yy17XSeno1ruwOFi

Hello dear sangha siblings,

I was listening to the Heart Sutra today on the Plum Village website, and when following allowing with the transcript it appears to me that the transcript does not start until approximately 3:10 into the chant.

There is chanting that begins at appoximately 1:20 on the recording that does appear to be part of the transcript.

Does anyone know what is being chatted in the first few minutes of the recording and happen to have a transcript so I may better understand and following allowing with that part as well?

https://plumvillage.org/about/thich-nhat-hanh/letters/thich-nhat-hanh-new-heart-sutra-translation

Bows

dear Sangha, a lotus to you all. i have found myself feeling very unsafe and unsettled and alone. i was assaulted physically by my own brother. he broke my nose. i dont feel safe to tell any friends about this. its a lot to tell the girl i have been seeing about this more as she clearly draws a boundary around me sharing depressing stuff which is very understandable. he has been getting into my head and making me feel unsafe. i am in a new city with no friends or community yet. i cant shake off some of these feelings i named. i haven’t been able to find solidity and grounding within myself and i am not in a position to slack off given long employment hours. i would really love advice or guidance. please 🙏

I received the Five Mindfulness Trainings at Magnolia Grove Monastery. When I returned to my city, I found the closest in-person sangha practicing in the Plum Village tradition is about an hour away by car. I have been attending a non-Plum Village-affiliated sangha made up of practitioners from all different schools in my area, but I'm not feeling quite at home. What is the best way to find other local practitioners to build sangha in my city? I attend the Magnolia Grove sangha online weekly and also tried the online meeting of the plum village-affiliated sangha about an hour away. It's ok, but not ideal. I really feel the need to practice in our tradition in person and build community right now. I wonder if I should focus on supporting the sangha of many traditions that already exists in my city. I prefer to limit the use of the car for solo transportation. Any light you may shine on this is appreciated. 🪷

I am new to the Plum Village Tradition and have been looking for one of Thich Nhat Hanh’s works to start delving deeper. As an American, I was curious if there was a work anyone would recommend to bring comfort and inspiration today. Thank you and I appreciate your time.

🙏🏼 Please forgive my ignorance and know that if I misspeak, it is not with intention.

In brief: I can't even call myself a beginner. I'm an island, with books and videos & no practice.

I live semi-rural. There are a few lay sanghas about an hour away. Physical issues make driving very hard. I'm willing, but i guess the disconnect for me is... I grew up in a largely Catholic major US city. Priests & nuns. I suppose a layperson in that situation is a parishioner. I guess I'm unclear on the "value" (for lack of a better term) of a lay sangha or teacher. I don't have anything to liken it to in my limited experience.

Can someone please provide some clarity for me?

Thank you 🙏🏼

Hello dear friends, It is my hope that you can assist me in writing a letter to a friend of mine. Today, I was upset with the way she reacted to a miscommunication we had. I felt angry and practiced mindful breathing until I could calm down. It is my wish to communicate in such a way that will not provoke any more misunderstanding or anger, but allow her to understand how she hurt me. Here is some background: we speak different languages, Haitian Creole and English. I plan on translating the letter through another subreddit. My friend and I live in a shelter. Today she asked if I could get her extra biscuits for dinner. She specifically asked that I don't bring her the chicken pot pie as well. I complied but brought her the chicken pot pie anyway as the plates were already made and I thought it wasn't too big a deal. She expressed her anger by telling me to sit down and eat it. I was taken aback, as our friendship has lasted a week and I've rarely seen her unhappy. I felt condescended and angry but did my best to maintain a smile. I walked away and practiced breathing. This is what I have written so far:

My dear friend, I want to understand why you were angry with me today. I suffered a lot because of it. Please help me understand where this anger came from so I can better support you.

Thank you all.

I was trying to read on the website if there are special days when this takes place, but haven’t been able to find any information.

Does this take place during special retreats or regular individual season retreats?