Taking refuge in the Zen Monastry of Plum Village

Deep within my genetic makeup lies the legacy of my Jewish ancestors, a nomadic spirit that persists, regardless of my awareness or choice to embrace it. Amidst the turmoil and unrest in the Middle East, I chose to find neutral ground in the Fall of 2024, both in spirit and in body in the rain retreat in Zen monastery Plum Village in France, a monastery founded by zen master Thich Nhat Hanh.

My teacher, Phap Hu, the abbot of Upper Hamlet in Plum Village, has taught in our orientation that the Buddha was not only a profound teacher but also a master of community building. In his time, he and his students traveled from community to community offering spiritual teachings and in return received sustenance.

During the monsoon season in Asia, one of Buddha’s students suggested that they remain in one location to avoid harming the earth and its creatures with their wandering. The Buddha welcomed this feedback, and for the past 2,500 years, this practice has evolved into what is known today to be the rain retreat—a time for reflection and spiritual nourishment.

Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh has expanded this retreat season to engage lay community in zen transmissions fostering an environment of openness which allows the zen monks and students ( like me ) to grow from and alongside one another.

One of his profound statements, “I have arrived, I am home,” resonates deeply with me. In these challenging times for the Jewish people, I often ponder whether I have truly found my home.

What elements make up a home? Is it the sense of community, the beauty of nature, the fulfillment of work, or the richness of the present moment?

Am I able to discover refuge within myself, adapting my life to the ever-flowing river of time and space?

Thay (Thich Nhat Hanh) teaches that healing from our wounds and habit energy occurs even without our conscious awareness. In the words of a Chinese zen scripture, “meditation is the nourishment of Joy”

How do I/ you recognize when I am/you are joyful?

As Heschel describes so beautifully: “Feeling becomes prayer in the moment in which we forget ourselves and become aware of God… This instant is prayer.” The meditation and soul-nourishment time I had in Plum Village enabled me to find true peace within, which Jewish Mussar would state comes from aligning desires with divine will, releasing the turmoil of unchecked wants.

Perhaps joy emerges unexpectedly, in moments of beauty like the freshness of the air after the rain.  What can I / you do to cultivate the conditions that allow me/ you to be present, alive, and joyful in this very moment?

How do you cultivate internal peace, and what are the conditions that would allow you that? May the journey of finding peace in all of our pieces be for a blessing.