Plum Village (France) | The Way Out, Is In - 28 Jun, 2023

The Dining and Main Hall at Son Ha. This is where I spent most of my time during my retreat. (Photo courtesy of German Micheal)

Apart from the weather, the retreat has been fantastic thus far. Two days into the retreat, it started raining. It has been raining extensively for four days. The deluge that fell from the sky was, at times, spectacular. As I watched the rain fall, I noticed it was not only washing away the dirt, but it was also nourishing the earth. I often felt as though this paralleled my experience here. 

This morning all the Hamlets are gathering at Upper Hamlet. After putting on my rain gear, I walk up to Upper Hamlet with the others from Son Ha. However, today is a special celebration instead of the usual Dharma Talk. Today, Plum Village is celebrating the birth of the Buddha. The Village is also open to all Laypeople that wish to attend the ceremony. Close to 400 people are gathered here today. This is way more than those here on an official retreat. 

The Pagoda near the Meditation Hall at Upper Hamlet has been transformed for the celebration. Monks at Upper Hamlet spent all week building a fountain from bamboo and plastic. At the bottom of the fountain are 5 tiny Buddhas that sit on pedestals. Near each little statue is a wooden ladle. Red, pink, yellow, purple, and white rose petals float in the fountain. (Photo courtesy of German Micheal).

The rain gives way to cloudy sunshine before the ceremony starts. I decide to wander through Upper Hamlet while enjoying the sun before the ceremony begins. "Good morning Martin," says a friendly voice with a Spanish accent. Buenas dias Maria! I was looking forward to seeing you again this morning, I say. "It's lovely here at Upper Hamlet," she says. If we have time later and the weather is good, I can show you Son Ha if you are interested. But right now, we should make our way to the Meditation Hall. 

As we gather in the Meditation Hall, I notice all the Brothers and Sisters at Plum Village are wearing their formal golden Saṃghāti robes, which are worn on top of their everyday brown Kasaya robes. Seeing all of them in gold and brown in the Meditation Hall this morning is quite spectacular. I feel honored to be here for this special ceremony.  

The ceremony begins. It isn't just the Monastics' attire that is different. I sense that this ceremony will be unlike the others I have witnessed thus far. What is said in English is then repeated in French before moving on to the next step. The Monastics begin singing. It is more like chanting, really. However, the Sisters fill the air this time with a beautiful melodic sound that compliments the deep baritone voices of the Brothers.

When the chanting is done, Brother Hy Ma speaks, "Is the Order of Interbeing present?" A voice responds, "Yes. We request that the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings of the Order of Interbeing be read today." "Very well," says Brother Hy Ma. The two of them alternate reading the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings. After reading each Mindfulness Training and before reading the next, they ask, "Have you in the last 30 days attempted to live in a manner that is consistent with this Mindfulness Training?"

When the readings conclude, the Brothers and Sisters rise, begin chanting, and file out of the room towards the Pagoda in Walking Meditation. The chant repeats an infinite number of times and continues until everyone, including Laypeople, has had a turn bathing the Buddha at the Pagoda. There is a mellow, seductive sound to chant that lures me to follow like I am following the Pied Piper.  😂

In the photo below, all the Brothers (not pictured) and Sisters (background) have completed the ceremony and continue to chant. At the front of the line are members of the Order of Interbeing (Brown Jackets), followed by Monastics Aspirants (Blue Robe) and then Laypeople. (Photo courtesy of German Micheal).

Bathing the Buddha with fragrant water is done only once per year. The Buddha is believed to have been born, reached enlightenment, and died all on the same day, although many years apart. Bathing the baby Buddha symbolizes cleansing our body, speech, and thoughts to eradicate anger, greed, and ignorance to purify our minds and cultivate merits and wisdom. The process of birth, transformation, and death are cyclical. There is no beginning or end. It is why the ceremony repeats annually, and all three phases of life are celebrated together. (Photo courtesy of German Micheal).

Like I did at the Well of Doon in Ireland, I partake in the bathing ceremony and ancient tradition. As I step up to the fountain, there are people to my right, the Monastics are still chanting, and I notice I am nervous. I sense that my nervousness rises due to my unfamiliarity with this ceremony. I also feel as though I am holding things up because I am near the end of the procession. I pause and resist the temptation to react and rush through this experience. Then realize, it is not me that is holding things up. And like that, I feel a deep sense of reverence for being able to partake in the ceremony. I kneel, grab the wooden handle, and gently fill the ladle. The constant agitation of the water from the bathing has released a sweet, powerful, intoxicating fragrance. I tip the ladle and watch the water and petals softly cascade over the head of the tiny statue. 

After the ceremony, we break for lunch. As I finish eating, I turn to Maria and say. Looking at the clouds and the amount of time you have left, I don't think it would be wise to go to Son Ha, I say. "Yes. I don't want to miss the bus. I only have 35 minutes," she says. Would you like to see Thich Nhat Hahn's cabin? We cannot visit it as it is in a Monastic area that is closed to Laypeople. However, the cabin is visible from a path that parallels the Monastic Area. "Yes. That would be fantastic!" she says. Five minutes later, we are standing adjacent to Ty's cabin. Then the deluge starts. Fortunately, I have my raincoat, and Maria has an umbrella. So we decide to make our way back towards the Meditation Hall, Maria and I exchange contact information. "I live 40 km from Buenos Aires. If you visit Argentina, you always have a place to stay," she says. "I am working on my Spanish and hope to visit it in the near future. When I was in graduate school, my labmate Emiliano was from Argentina. He always had lovely things to say about Argentina, I say. 

I now finally understand what needs to be added to my practice. The glass ceiling I have felt could not be traversed on my own. I knew I wanted to take my meditation practice to another plane. However, aside from BE-ing here, I did not know how I would accomplish this. Plum Village helped me discover the Sangha's importance (i.e., Community). Today's experience, as well as those I have shared this week, have helped me understand what I was lacking. I needed to connect deeply with the Sangha to break through this glass ceiling. This week I found many ways to do this. I am humbled by my experiences and grateful for these opportunities.

One of Ty's goals was to bring the teachings of the Buddha to the Western World because he believed they applied to our modern world. During Covid, Plum Village launched a podcast to help people connect during that difficult time. The Way Out, Is In is hosted by Jo Cofino, a Layperson, and Brother Phàp Huu, who was Ty's personal assistant for 17 years. The podcast aims to help people transcend their fears to develop love and compassion. The last part of each episode includes simple guided meditations led by Brother Phàp Huu. This is a great podcast to listen to for those who are curious about developing a Mindfulness practice.

The Way Out, Is In is a simple reminder for me to look deeply within myself for answers to what I am feeling in the moment. It is also a reminder to be present with the discomfort. The stronger the sensation, the deeper I need to go to transcend it. There was a time I wasn't sure I could transcend my pain and suffering. I learned that there is always a way to transcend it, so long as I am willing to go inside of it.