From Happy Teachers Sangha (welcoming all teachers!)
We are happy to have our regularly scheduled Happy Teachers Sangha meetings on January 17th & January 21st, with the theme of ‘Setting Intentions for the New Year.’ Details below
This month's theme: Setting Intentions for the New Year
Join Us online, Saturday, January 17th, 3-4:30pm CET.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89691387123
Join Us online, Wednesday, January 21st, 7-8:30pm ET.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81838585509?pwd=1ZKLGyz1Sl0tJmoGg209BMfxguqdjk.1
Good News! The Thich Nhat Hanh School of Interbeing, a spiritually rooted K-8 independent school devoted to nurturing mindfulness, compassion, presence and a deep sense of belonging in the next generation is opening its doors in August 2026. The school will be at the foothills of Deer Park Monastery in Escondido, California.
We are honored to help share this news and to invite our community to take part in what is unfolding. There are several ways to support this endeavor; we invite you to share the news of the school, take part in the upcoming virtual event with Jon Kabat-Zinn and Kaira Jewel, and for our seasoned educators, consider applying for a teaching position, or the Head of School position. Please see below for details.
Thank you for being part of this community and for helping new possibilities take root. May this year be guided by care, curiosity, and collective intention.
With a smile and our deep gratitude,
The Wake Up Schools Team
Thich Nhat Hanh School of Interbeing
Share the News!
As this new school takes shape, we invite members of the Wake Up Schools community to help spread the word. If you know educators, school leaders, families, or organizations who may be interested in a school opening in Fall 2026, we’d be grateful if you shared this within your networks
New schools grow through relationship and shared care. Your voice helps this one reach those who may be ready for it.
Click HERE for ways to share.
As part of this early stage of growth, applications are now open for a Head of School position.
We warmly encourage members of the Wake Up Schools community, and those you trust and admire, to consider applying or sharing this opportunity. This is a chance to help steward a school from its very beginning, shaping both its culture and its future.
Click HERE for Position details and application information.
Special Event with Jon Kabat-Zinn, Kaira Jewel & Br. Phap Luu
Educating for Interbeing
To mark this moment of beginning, a special virtual event will be held on February 6, Join Jon Kabat-Zinn, Kaira Jewel, and Brother Phap Luu in dialogue, moderated by Meena Srinivasan, for a timely conversation exploring a bold educational vision: Educating for Interbeing.
This gathering offers a chance to explore the vision guiding the new school and the wider possibilities for education rooted in presence, care, and interconnection.
Click HERE to learn more and register.
Happy Teachers Sangha
This month's theme: Setting Intentions for the New Year
Join Us online, Saturday, January 17th, 3-4:30pm CET.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89691387123
Join Us online, Wednesday, January 21st, 7-8:30pm ET.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81838585509?pwd=1ZKLGyz1Sl0tJmoGg209BMfxguqdjk.1
The Anapanasati Sutra : The Path of Breathing
January 15 - Transformation at the Base; Concentrating & Liberating the Mind
Dear Sutra Study friends,
We invite you to join Sangha members from across the continent on Thursday, January 15, at 7 p.m. EST, as we gather to continue our monthly exploration of the Anapanasati Sutra, The Sutra on the Full Awareness of Breathing.
This year our study is based on Thay’s book, The Path of Emancipation, which transcribes his Dharma talks from a 21-day retreat on this foundational sutra.
Here are the study materials you can use if you would like to prepare for this month’s meeting:
The Path of Emancipation, pages to read for January: 115 - 130, 149-59. Optional: 131-147
2. If you would like the Zoom link, please contact info@deepriversangha.org.
Our Joyfully Together Sutra Study & Practice meets on the 3rd Thursday of each month (September 2025 - June 2026). All are welcome; there is no requirement to have attended prior sessions.
We look forward to seeing you soon, dear Buddhas to be!
The JTSSP Organizing Team
Questions?
joyfulsutrastudy@gmail.com
Our Joyful Sutra Study Mission
We are an online Sangha that meets monthly to explore the essential Buddhist teachings at the heart of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh’s Plum Village Tradition. All are welcome for an evening of practice that includes meditation, Dharma reflections by Order of Interbeing members, and small group sharing. We aspire to create a supportive space for deepening our understanding of these core teachings and learning ways to apply them in everyday life.
North Carolina Sangha (and friends) Retreat at Blue Cliff Monastery
January 14-18 2026
Deep River Sangha has accepted the invitation from the Blue Cliff Monastics for a NC Sangha retreat
Registration for the retreat at Blue Cliff Monastery for North Carolina Sangha members and friends closes on Sunday, January 11. This is our third year that the monastics from Blue Cliff are hosting us. Here is the link: NC Sangha Retreat @ Blue Cliff Monastery, Jan 14 - 18, 2026. Please register by January 1, 2026.
It will be Thay's Memorial Ceremony weekend as well, so it will be a meaningful time to spend together. Even though it will be cold, the energy at the monastery should be very deep and wonderful as all of the monastics as well as the winter retreatants will have been practicing here with much concentration during the Winter Retreat. Even if you couldn’t come for the whole time, or wish to come early or stay late, these are possible options.
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Joyfully Together Sutra Study & Practice Program
The Anapanasati Sutra : The Path of Emancipation
Dwelling in the Here and Now
We hope you will join Sangha members from Deep River Sangha and from across the continent on Thursday, September 18, at 7 p.m. ET for the first in our series of 10 programs, as we gather to begin our monthly exploration of the Anapanasati Sutra on the Sixteen Exercises of Mindful Breathing, which are at the heart of the teachings offered by Thich Nhat Hanh and the Plum Village community. By studying, practicing, and observing these exercises together with the Sangha, we can discover healing, transformation and insight for ourselves, our ancestors, families, communities, and the world.
New Dharma Teachers Susan Poulos from Deep River Sangha, and Denys Candy from the River Valley Sangha in Northampton, Mass. will offer their reflections this month. Our Core Sutra Study Sangha meets on the 3rd Thursday of each month (September 2025 - June 2026). We are encouraged by Chan Huy to study and practice as a Sangha to amplify and strengthen the application and embodiment of these teachings for ourselves, our families, our communities, and for the world.
This year participants are invited to use The Path of Emancipation. You can purchase this new at Parallax Press, using Discount Code: sangha20. You may also be able to find it used at many fine Re-Use Book Stores
We have developed a new Website that has all the information you need as we study and practice together for the next 10 months (the third Thursday of each month through June 2026).
September Readings: The Path of Emancipation Pages 1 - 35: optional : 261 - 276
Please write to info@deepriversangha.org for the Zoom link.
To support our deepening of our practice this month, we are invited to incorporate one or more of the following practices / reflections below:
Download the Mindfulness Bell from the Plum Village App onto your phone, or set a timer to go off periodically. When you hear the bell or the timer, stop and breathe in and out mindfully 3 times. Notice what you experience during this practice.
When you go to bed at night, practice breathing in and out with complete attention 5-10 times. (You may like to start with 5 breaths and work up to 10.) Notice what you experience during this practice.
Thich Nhat Hanh studies the “Discourse on the Full Awareness of Breathing” in the book.
Consider these points:
How does paying close attention to the breath impact the experience of the present moment?
What are the challenges in sustaining mindfulness of breath?
How can mindful breathing be integrated into daily activities?
Questions?
joyfulsutrastudy@gmail.com
If you need help downloading the Plum Village App to your mobile device, tablet, laptop or desktop, please see below, or write to info@deepriversangha.org.
Looking forward to taking this journey together!
Plum Village App is also on mobile, offering extras like the Bell of Mindfulness and Meditation Timer.
Our Joyful Sutra Study Mission
We are an online Sangha that meets monthly to explore the essential Buddhist teachings at the heart of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh’s Plum Village tradition. All are welcome for an evening of practice that includes meditation, Dharma reflections by Dharma Teachers and Order of Interbeing members, and small group sharing. We aspire to create a supportive space for deepening our understanding of these core teachings and learning ways to apply them in everyday life.
Sangha Core Sutra Study
Sangha Core Sutra Study Practice
Thu, June 20, 2024 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
The Sangha Core Sutra Study Practice is an online Sangha that started more than 15 years ago to deepen our understanding and practice of the core sutras. We meet monthly for 10 months each year to explore the essential Buddhist teachings at the heart of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh’s Plum Village tradition. All are welcome for an evening of practice that includes meditation, Dharma reflections by Order of Interbeing members, and small group sharing. We aspire to create a supportive space for deepening our understanding of these core teachings and learning ways to apply them in everyday life.This year we are studying the Diamond Sutra, which Thay tells us is one of the most beloved scriptures in the Zen tradition and the earliest text to explore deep ecology.
In this profound teaching the Buddha invites us to let go of four deeply held notions in order to understand our own true nature and the true nature of reality so we may transcend our ignorance and wrong views. We will also be looking at related teachings from Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet. We are inspired to be exploring these deep teachings with you this year!
Remaining date:
June 20, 2024: How to Practice the Buddha's Teachings
Zoom link for 7pm (Eastern Time):
https://zoom.us/j/780647439?pwd=bCt3N2EyOSs1NXVObVhaVXphMXl4Zz09
Meeting ID: 780 647 439 - Password: 031129
Half day of Mindfulness
We are happy to announce that registration is now open for our upcoming Half Day of Mindfulness on Saturday, 4/13, at Timberlake Earth Sanctuary from 1-4:30.
REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT IS NOW FULL. WATCH FOR INFORMATION ABOUT OUR NEXT DAY OF MINDFULNESS.
Due to causes and conditions, the original full Day of Mindfulness scheduled for Sunday, 4/14 will not happen.
Here is a link to register for this beautiful opportunity to practice sitting, walking, deep relaxation, and a Dharma Discussion led by Dharma Teacher Scott Schang in community.
When: Saturday, April 13, 1-4:00 p.m. (Check in 12:45 p.m.)
Where: Timberlake Earth Sanctuary
Cost: Sliding scale of $10 - $40 based on your ability to pay. Please bring a bag lunch.
Space is limited so we will cap registration at 33. Registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Once you register, you will receive confirmation with more information.
Schedule:
1/2 Day of Mindfulness 1:00 - 4:30 (Registrants are welcome to come at 12:00 to enjoy a brown-bag lunch)
1:00 – Welcome, short orientation, introductions
1:30 – Outdoor walking meditation
2:15 – Deep relaxation (bring a yoga mat / blanket) followed by short Mindful Movements
3:00 – Break
3:10 – Dharma Discussion led by Scott Schang
4:10 – Closing
4:30 - Depart
The Sisters of Lower Hamlet warmly invite you to a lyrical meditation—a gentle celebration of our togetherness and an opportunity to pause and reflect on this beloved place of pilgrimage and practice.
Activity: Joined by special guests, the Lower Hamlet Sisters will share stories, music, and prose that express their lived experiences and deep love for the Plum Village community.
The Sisters will also share their vision for Lower Hamlet’s future and offer gratitude for all who are helping to build this spiritual home. Together with you, we’re building a refuge for peace and healing that will serve practitioners for generations to come.
Date & Time: Monday January 26th, 2026 at 10:30am PST / 13:30pm EST / 7:30pm CET
Registration: All donations for this event will go towards the construction of the new monastic quarters and monastic training facilities. You can choose a donation amount most suited to your means, starting at €20.
Registration will close on January 25th, 2026
“I promise myself that I will enjoy every minute of the day that is given me to live.”
― Thích Nhất Hạnh, Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames
The Sisters of Lower Hamlet are offering a wonderful online retreat, Calming the Fearful Mind, January 22-26.
No need for a passport or airline ticket to go to this retreat at Plum Village. The retreat will be in English (with options for those who speak French or Spanish), and is a fundraiser for the Lower Hamlet Sisters' new building. The retreat will include Dharma talks from a number of the Lower Hamlet Sisters, including Sisters Chan Duc (Annabel), Hien Nghiem (True Dedication), Boi Nghiem (True Pearl), and Tam Muoi (Samadhi).
What a beautiful way to start 2026…going deeply into practices to strengthen our stability, peace, freshness, and also taking care and transforming our fear, anxiety, worry, regrets.
Let’s go together as a Sangha (and if you are not yet part of our Sangha, come along too!) Local Dharma Teacher Susan Poulos will be facilitating one of the Dharma Sharing groups.
Please register here
Deep River Sangha offers partial scholarships to Sangha members for Plum Village grounded retreats and courses. Contact info@deepriversangha.org for more information.
Join friends from Deep River Sangha and other regional sanghas for
Tuesday and Thursday Mornings, 7:00-7:40 a.m. Online Meditation:
Tuesdays: Guided meditation, reading, sharing. Thursdays: Morning Chant, silent sitting meditation, reading, sharing. All are welcome — no experience necessary. For more information, send a message through our Contact tab.
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82703691204?pwd=YmNEVFNQWXNxQTlPQk44cnliRzRTZz09
Meeting ID: 82703691204
Password: 010101
We are currently reading from the book,The Sun My Heart, by Thich Nhat Hanh.
The Winston-Salem Community of Mindful Living meets weekly in person on Thursday evenings for sitting practice. Please visit https://mindfulwinston.org/ for details.
Discourse on True Contentment
By Sister Dang Nghiem (Sister D)
I heard these words of Thay one time when he was living in the vicinity of Escondido at the Deer Park Monastery in the Oak Grove. Late at night, a group of coyotes appeared, whose passionate howls made the whole Oak Grove tremble joyfully. After paying respects to Thay with the right front paw pointing in the direction of the moon, the elder coyote asked him a question in the form of a verse:
“People, animals, plants, and minerals are eager to know
what are the conditions which bring about true contentment.
Please, Thay, will you teach us?”
(This is Thay’s answer:)
“To live in a Sangha,
to have brothers and sisters working in harmony, to serve peoples of all nations—
this is the true contentment.
“To have a chance to practice and transform,
to see yourself becoming more accepting and more solid, to recognize that others also blossom—this is the true contentment.
“To be able to recognize and forgive,
to nurture gratitude to your blood family and spiritual family, to express love through loving speech and deep listening—this is the true contentment.
“To have time to sit peacefully for your ancestors,
to touch the Earth tenderly with each step, to eat in union with the whole cosmos—
this is the true contentment.
“To create practice centers and hold regular retreats,
to turn gymnasiums and theatres into Dharma halls, to bring the Dharma rain into ghettos and prisons—this is the true contentment.
“To witness police officers, business people, legislators,
scientists, and war veterans enjoying the Pure Land
with their mindful breaths and mindful steps—this is the true contentment.
“To provide a joyful environment for young people,
to help them reconnect with their families and society,
to show them that there is a beautiful path—this is the true contentment.
“To practice, work, study, and play together,
to realize the beauties and hardships of your brothers and sisters,
to cherish and protect them as your own marrow—this is the true contentment.
“To live a life simple and uncompetitive,
to come back to your breath as your soul food,
to rejoice in the music of the bell, wind songs, and laughter—this is the true contentment.
“To avoid speaking and reacting in anger,
not caught by your ideas and judgments,
and to be diligent in doing beginning anew—this is the true contentment.
“To savor the freedom in non-waiting,
to transform the grasping mind into that of true love,
to be a kind continuation of your spiritual ancestors—that is the true contentment.
“To see all life forms as your brothers and sisters,
to enjoy simply being together,
to actively build a beautiful past with your true presence—this is the true contentment.
“To rise in the morning with a smile,
to retire each night with peace, content to let go of all,
to know that you have loved and have been loved deeply—that is the true contentment.
“To live in the world
with your heart open to impermanence and change,
to progress stably on your true path, free of fear and worry—this is the true contentment.
“For he or she who accomplishes this,
arriving and at home wherever she goes,
always he is peaceful and happy—true contentment is in the moment one lives.”
Thay had finished the teaching. The coyotes were extremely delighted at what they had heard. At once, they stood up with posture erect and gave rise to another harmonious and joyful howl. The moon smiled contentedly from above, as she floated freely in the immense space.
Practice Resources
Beautiful music video from Plum Village to honor Thay’s Continuation Day, October 11
Dharma talks, video, songs for the practice, and chants from Thich Nhat Hanh and Plum Village community members and friends
Dharma Talks (video) by Thich Nhat Hanh
https://plumvillage.org/thich-nhat-hanh-dharma-talks/
Thich Nhat Hanh Dharma Talks (audio)
http://tnhaudio.org/
Plum Village on Vimeo
http://vimeo.com/user745118
Dharma talks & video from Magnolia Grove Monastery
Weekly Online Sangha practice sessions (6-7 pm Eastern): Please register to receive the Zoom link
Dharma talks, video, and songs from Deer Park Monastery
Deer Park Dharmacast
http://deerpark.libsyn.com/
Deer Park Recordings on SoundCloud
http://soundcloud.com/deer-park-monastery
Meet the Monastics from Deer Park Monastery As monastics, the most common question asked of us is, you guessed it, why did you become a monastic? I'm Brother Minh-An, a Buddhist monk in the Plum Village tradition of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. And this podcast is for anyone who's ever wanted to ask that question. Each week, we'll bring you my conversations with other fully ordained monks and nuns about their journey to monastic life and what inspires them now. We hope they inspire you to live a happier, kinder, and more meaningful life. And who knows, maybe some of you will even consider monastic life yourself.
You can listen to the weekly episodes wherever you get your podcasts (simply search for Meet the Monastics) or on the Deer Park Monastery YouTube channel. Meet the Monastics: A New Podcast
Video and audio from Blue Cliff Monastery
Videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaX_vxbhs8fgmshMksFpVsUeMfUpv8FsW
Audio: https://soundcloud.com/blue-cliff-monastery
Dharma talks, video, and songs from the Wake Up Movement
Americas | Wake Up International
https://wkup.org/category/america/
Peace Sounds: Wake Up London & Friends
http://peacesounds.bandcamp.com/
Julian + Chad singing "The Island Within" and "Call Me By My True Names"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDr46vMTmdg
Julian + Chad singing "Rainbow Connection"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=851QUg75NAs
"Brother Thây: A Radio Pilgrimage with Thich Nhat Hanh," a profile and interview with Thich Nhat Hanh by Krista Tippett
https://plumvillage.org/thich-nhat-hanh-interviews/thich-nhat-hanh-on-mindfulness-suffering-and-engaged-buddhism/
The Great Bell Chant (The End of Suffering) from Rens Smittenaar
https://vimeo.com/6518109
Sister Dang Nghiem (Adornment with Non-discrimination) on inviting the bell
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6aYE3irqFQ
Thich Nhat Hanh on inviting the bell
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7fzUBz_PWA
YouTube videos
Sister The Nghiem singing "Discourse on Love" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdtnOo7XZts
Sister The Nghiem singing "Watering the Seeds of Joy" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdoE2EU_UyI&feature=channel&list=UL
New Year, New Beginnings
Dear Wake Up Schools community,
We are delighted to share some joyful news as we begin a new year together.
The Thich Nhat Hanh School of Interbeing, a spiritually rooted K-8 independent school devoted to nurturing mindfulness, compassion, presence and a deep sense of belonging in the next generation is opening its doors in August 2026. The school will be at the foothills of Deer Park Monastery in Escondido, California.
We are honored to help share this news and to invite our community to take part in what is unfolding. There are several ways to support this endeavor; we invite you to share the news of the school, take part in the upcoming virtual event with Jon Kabat-Zinn and Kaira Jewel, and for our seasoned educators, consider applying for a teaching position, or the Head of School position. Please see below for details.
We are happy to have our regularly scheduled Happy Teachers Sangha meetings on January 17th & January 21st, with the theme of ‘Setting Intentions for the New Year.’ Details below.
Thank you for being part of this community and for helping new possibilities take root. May this year be guided by care, curiosity, and collective intention.
With a smile and our deep gratitude,
The Wake Up Schools Team
Thich Nhat Hanh School of Interbeing
Share the News!
As this new school takes shape, we invite members of the Wake Up Schools community to help spread the word. If you know educators, school leaders, families, or organizations who may be interested in a school opening in Fall 2026, we’d be grateful if you shared this within your networks
New schools grow through relationship and shared care. Your voice helps this one reach those who may be ready for it.
Click HERE for ways to share.
As part of this early stage of growth, applications are now open for a Head of School position.
We warmly encourage members of the Wake Up Schools community, and those you trust and admire, to consider applying or sharing this opportunity. This is a chance to help steward a school from its very beginning, shaping both its culture and its future.
Click HERE for Position details and application information.
Special Event with Jon Kabat-Zinn, Kaira Jewel & Br. Phap Luu
Educating for Interbeing
To mark this moment of beginning, a special virtual event will be held on February 6, Join Jon Kabat-Zinn, Kaira Jewel, and Brother Phap Luu in dialogue, moderated by Meena Srinivasan, for a timely conversation exploring a bold educational vision: Educating for Interbeing.
This gathering offers a chance to explore the vision guiding the new school and the wider possibilities for education rooted in presence, care, and interconnection.
Click HERE to learn more and register.
Happy Teachers Sangha
This month's theme: Setting Intentions for the New Year
Join Us online, Saturday, January 17th, 3-4:30pm CET.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89691387123
Join Us online, Wednesday, January 21st, 7-8:30pm ET.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81838585509?pwd=1ZKLGyz1Sl0tJmoGg209BMfxguqdjk.1