It is with a deep, heavy heart full of gratitude and reverence that we bless Thich Nhat Hanh, as he moves through his transition into the Spirit Realm. plumvillage.org/news/our-beloved-teacher-in-hospital/ May we remember his poignant words on death: Our greatest fear is that when we die we will become nothing. Many of us believe that our entire existence is only a life span beginning the moment we are born or conceived and ending the moment we die. We believe that we are born from nothing and when we die we become nothing. And so we are filled with fear of annihilation. The Buddha has a very different understanding of our existence. It is the understanding that birth and death are notions. They are not real. The fact that we think they are true makes a powerful illusion that causes our suffering. The Buddha taught that there is no birth; there is no death; there is no coming; there is no going; there is no same; there is no different; there is no permanent self; there is no annihilation. We only think there is. When we understand that we cannot be destroyed, we are liberated from fear. It is a great relief. We can enjoy life and appreciate it in a new way. And more of #ThichNhatHanhs words of wisdom compiled by my colleague #ElishaGoldstein: Elisha Goldstein Because you are alive, anything is possible. He reminded us of the sacred ground we live on and how to walk on it: Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet. He reminded us of #wisdom and #compassion, even with the difficult people in our lives: When another person makes you suffer, it is because he suffers deeply within himself, and his suffering is spilling over. He does not need punishment; he needs help. Thats the message he is sending. He shared with us the simple yet powerful connection of our bodies to our #joy and #sorrow: Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy. He conveyed to reality of our authentic beauty and of radical self-acceptance: To be beautiful means to be yourself. You dont need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself. And the miracle of being alive... People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we dont even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child -- our own two eyes. All is a miracle. And he gives us the simple wisdom to go forward: Smile, breathe and go slowly. As Thay leaves us in this physical form, the reality is he and no one can never leave us. Take a moment to pause and if youve been touched by him, express your love and gratitude. If you feel so moved please express it in the comments below.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Nov 2014 17:41:25 +0000
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