Mark Your Calendar!

Car Free Days (No, that's not a typo!)
During my retreat, the Buddhist brothers and sisters were promoting "car free days".... no, not carefree days, but car free days, where we shun the use of automobiles and instead, utilize more environmentally friendly modes of transportation, such as walking or biking. September 22, 2007 is World Car Free Day.



Every mile you drive your car releases one pound of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere increasing global warming. North America, with almost one car per driving age citizen, releases the most greenhouse gas of any nation. The good news is that you can do something about it. By stopping driving or driving less, you reduce the amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. And a change in your driving habits influences others. You lead by example.

For those of us living in urban areas with public transportation and destinations in walking or biking distance, this is relatively easy. For those in remote areas, it can be more challenging. But by car pooling, combining errands and activities into one car ride vs. spread out into several car rides over several days, we can really make a difference!

A message from Thich Nhat Hanh regarding Car Free Days:

"Everyone wants to have their own private car; but with the damage to the atmosphere caused by fuel emissions, our lakes and forests are drying up and the deserts are growing. Every one of us can do something to protect and care for our planet. We have to live in such a way that a future will be possible for our children and our grandchildren and our own life has to be our message."

For more information, go to http://www.car-free-days.org/index.html and to make a pledge, go to http://www.car-free-days.org/pledge.php

The Earth will thank you!

DAY OF REMEMBRANCE BLOOD DRIVE


Next Tuesday is the 6th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. Please consider giving a "gift of life" by donating blood at one of the many Red Cross blood drives being held throughout the country. In Boston, you may donate blood at Fenway Park between 6:00 am - 12:00 pm or at Boston City Hall from 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm. All donors will receive a FREE Red Sox T-shirt and gift bag. Please mark your calendar and commit to donating blood. It is urgently needed. For more information, go to http://newenglandblood.org/ or call 1-800-GIVE-BLOOD.

Thank You!

Mindfulness Retreat: Part III

During our retreat, we were up by 5:30 AM each day and began with a walking meditation. Walking meditation is walking together, very slowly, very thoughtfully, in silence. Focusing on your breath with each deliberate step. Again, this puts you in the present moment; the "here and now". So often we really don't appreciate the present. Our minds are caught up with experiences of the past or worries about the future. It is rare for us to relish the here and now and be truly present and aware of now. When you get up in the morning, you most likely quickly begin your routine on auto-pilot. Right? Next time you awake, try emptying your mind and say:

Waking up this morning, I smile

24 brand new hours are before me

I vow to live fully in each moment

And to look at beings with eyes of compassion

Another practice we experienced during the retreat (which is a wonderful practice to start at home) is the "mindfulness bell". When the bell is rung or when we "invite the bell", we stop what we are doing, take a few mindful breaths and put ourselves into the focus of the current moment. After about 45 seconds, we can resume our activities and thoughts.

About a year and a half ago, I purchases the CDs "Meditation in a New York Minute" and I highly recommend it. One of the suggestions given is to change your cell phone greeting (that is, the message that appears when you turn your phone on). This is a feature that most cell phones have. The greeting should be "BREATHE". Now, whenever I turn my cell phone on, I see the word BREATHE across the screen, before it disappears to make way for the wallpaper. It is a great reminder. I see it, stop my hurry and worry, breathe and focus on the present moment. How can you incorporate a mindfulness bell into your life? Well, whatever works for you, really. Every time you hear the alarm of a fire truck or ambulance, you can use that as a signal to stop and breathe and to bring your mind into the present moment (and be thankful, truly grateful, that it is not you who needs the emergency services of the fire department or EMTs). Or everytime you hear the honk of a car horn, or everytime you hear a baby cry. Anything, really. Use a sound to trigger your mindfulness. It's a very wonderful practice.

During the last day of the retreat, we had a Q & A session with Thich Nhat Hanh. Children were able to pose questions before the adults had their turn and the first question a child asked was "Why is the bell so important?". Without missing a beat and being very serious, this is how Thich Nhat Hanh answered: "Why not?" .... pause ..... "Sometimes you have to answer a question with a question. It's a Zen thing."

Enough said!

Mindfulness Retreat: Part I

The day I left for my retreat, I was sure to wear my Sacred Lotus Necklace and would continue to wear it for the duration of my retreat. My Sacred Lotus Necklace was a gift I received from my dear friend in June. The lotus on my necklace is hand-carved from a Tagua nut, which is an eco-friendly nut from South America, which doesn't harm the rainforest when it is harvested. Above the lotus flower is the perfect counterpart; a piece of amber stone, which has been used for millenia as a talisman of good luck and protection and to absorb and transmute negative energy and to attract joy. As a wearer of this elegant necklace, I am reminded of humanity's rise (as well as my own) out of murky waters (in the same way a beautiful lotus blooms amid the mud) and into a place of strength and beauty. For those of you who aren't familiar, the Buddha is typically depicted sitting atop a lotus. And more than once during the retreat, Thich Nhat Hahn reminded us that we cannot get the lotus without the mud, which can be compared to saying without the rain there is no rainbow. So, of course, it was important to me to wear my prized necklace during my week with Thich Nhat Hanh.

After checking in and unpacking in my dorm room at Stonehill, the first "event" of the retreat was dinner. In keeping with Buddhist principles, all meals were vegetarian. Additionally, all meals were to be experienced with Noble Silence. This allows us to be mindful of the act of eating, to be present in the moment and to appreciate how we're nourishing our bodies. Extended periods of chewing, looking at your plate and putting down your utensils and eating more slowly are encouraged.

Cards on each of the many dining tables offered us these insights and suggestions:

We are invited to eat in mindfulness, establishing ourselved in the present moment, so that we can be aware of the food in front of us and the community surrounding us.

We eat in such a way that makes brotherhood and sisterhood, peace and joy, possible during the whole time of eating.

Brothers and Sisters, please practice the FIVE CONTEMPLATIONS while eating:

This food is a gift of the earth, the sky, numerous living beings and much hard work.

May we eat with mindfulness and gratitude so as to be worthy to receive it.

May we recognize and transform our unwholesome mental formations, especially our greed and learn to eat with moderation.

May we take in only food that nourishes us and prevents illness.

We accept this food so that we may nuture our sisterhood and brotherhood, strengthen our sangha and nourish our ideal of serving living beings.

How to practice Mindful Eating:

Looking at the plate of food before eating: Beings all over the earth are struggling to live. May we practive so that all may have enough to eat.

Beginning to eat: With the first mouthful, offer joy. With the second mouthful, offer compassion. With the third mouthful, see others' joy as your own. With the fourth, offer inclusiveness.

After the meal: The meal is finished and you feel satisfied. Give thanks to your parents, teachers, friends and all beings. Vow to live for the benefit of all beings.

Wow, eating within these guidelines would surely shrink a lot of waist lines and prevent a lot of disease and illness. I found this to be an extremely easy and enjoyable way to eat my meals each day. Honestly, it made some food taste a whole lot better too, when I really put a lot of thought as to how that piece of zucchini made its way to my plate.... the seeds, the soil, the wind, the sun, the water, the farmer, the harvesting, how the zucchini travelled to the chef who prepared it in a kitchen and how it finally ended up on my plate and then into my mouth, digested within my body moments later. It was amazing!

Meals are a great time for families to communicate and for friends to come together and talking, laughing and sharing is wonderful. But maybe once a week, a meal in silence with friends or family could prove to be very powerful experience for you, so I urge you to give it some thought.
This week I will continue to share with you different aspects of my retreat. For those who are interested in experiencing a Thich Nhat Hanh retreat yourself, there is still room left at the October 2007 retreat taking place in Pine Bush, NY (in the Catskills). For more information, you can go to http://www.bluecliffmonastery.org/October%20Retreat.htm

Please check back soon for more updates!

"There is no way to peace. Peace is the way. There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way."
- Thich Nhat Hanh

MINDFULNESS, FEARLESSNESS, TOGETHERNESS

This afternoon I just returned home from a retreat led by Thich Nhat Hanh, which took place over the last 5 days on the campus of Stonehill College, just about 25 miles south of Boston. It was a beautiful experience and I wish to share it with all of you over the course of several postings over the next few days.

For those of you who may not be familiar, Thich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk who is a leader, teacher, scholar, poet and peace activist who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. back in the 1960s. He has written over 75 books (many of them best sellers) and teaches and practices mindfulness and urges us to live in the present moment, "the here and now". His wisdom and words inspire millions. I was so touched by his Dharma talks during my retreat this week. He will be 82 years old this fall and has lived an amazing life that truly inspires and amazes me. For more information regarding his life and his work, visit http://www.plumvillage.org/ or look him up on Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thich_Nhat_Hanh

I will leave you with a gatha I learned this week. Meanwhile, check back to my blog over the next week for more details about my experience with the Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh during my retreat "Mindfulness, Fearlessness, Togetherness".

ALSO: He is appearing at the Boston Opera House in a rare public speaking engagement in the US. Tickets are still available for $38 for the one-time speech, which takes place tomorrow, Saturday, August 18th. You may go to the Boston Opera House box office or secure tickets online via Ticketmaster.

in, out

deep, slow

calm, ease

smile, release

present moment

wonderful moment