View full issue in PDF - The Mindfulness Bell

To Our Readers
A Journal of the Art of Mindful Living
in the Tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh
Issue 36 Summer, 2004
Advisor and Editor
Managing Editors
Design
Design Associate
Young People’s Editor
Subscription Manager
Submissions
Proofreading
Transcribing
Website Design
Sangha Directory
Advisory Board
Sister Annabel
Barbara Casey
Sister Steadiness
LuminArts
Emily Whittle
Terry Masters
David Percival
Mushim Ikeda-Nash
Greg Sever
Brandy Sacks
Leslie Rawls
Thay Phap Kham
Jerry Braza
Richard Brady
Peggy Rowe Ward
Writing: Please send us the fruits of your practice. We
welcome longer feature articles (2,000–3,000 words);
essays and stories; and poetry. We also welcome
submissions from young people of any age. Please send
writing to: Barbara Casey, e-mail: mindbell@internetcds.
com, address: 645 Sterling Street, Jacksonville, OR
97530.
Images: We welcome photos, artwork, and cartoons from
your local Sangha, family, and community. Please send
original image or if sent by computer please send as TIFF
or JPEG file no larger than 5MB. We can promptly return
all original photos and artwork. Please send images
to: Barbara Casey, e-mail: mindbell@interetcds.com,
address: 645 Sterling Street, Jacksonville, OR 97530.
Advertising Inquiries: mindbell@internetcds.com
On the Covers:
Front: Opening ceremony procession of the winter retreat.
Photo by Suzanne Anderson
Inside Front: Design and photos by Emily Whittle
Back: Photo by Tamara Buchanan
The Invitation ceremony
has concluded the threemonth
winter retreat in Deer
Park Monastery. Members
of the Fourfold Sangha are
sitting on the beach with
nowhere to go, nothing to do; enough to make us very
happy. During the three months of the retreat, the
Fourfold Sangha has practiced the happiness of arriving
in the present moment, with nothing else to attain.
This is the cream of the teachings of Patriarch
Linji, who lived in the ninth century in China. The
Patriarch’s teachings were brought to Vietnam in
two waves; one in the thirteenth century and one
in the eighteenth century. From Vietnam they have
been brought to Europe and North America by Thich
Nhat Hanh, who is a descendant of the forty-second
generation of the Linji line. The spirit of these teachings
lives on in the Dharma Doors of Plum Village. You will
be able to read in this issue a transcript of a Dharma
talk given by Thay on the essence of the teachings of
Patriarch Linji.
The Wednesday morning teachings offered by
Thay during the retreat were on the Records of Master
Linji. Thay gave additional teachings on Wednesday and
Sunday mornings to the Fourfold Sangha. In addition,
there was the uninterrupted practice of mindful walking
and breathing, when we are sitting, standing, lying,
working, and eating. The teachings have always been
very practical and the Sangha has been able to put them
into practice without delay. Thanks to this, everyone who
has participated in the retreat has realized some healing
and transformation. In this issue you will be able to read
about some of the practical fruits of the practice of the
Winter Retreat.
We know that Buddhism is a living reality and not
an artifact to be preserved in a museum. The teachings
that have come from Asia need to be integrated into
the Western way of life. It is encouraging, therefore, to
see how local Sanghas in North America have been
adapting traditional Buddhist ceremonies to fit the needs
of the practitioners in their Sanghas. Two examples can
be read about in this issue: the Father’s Day Ceremony
and the ceremony for introducing to the Sangha and
naming newborn children.
Sister True Virtue