peaceful HEARTIn the case <strong>of</strong> your family, when you have to listen to all <strong>of</strong>these military stories, that may not be what they really wanted totalk about. <strong>The</strong>y may not know how to talk about anyth<strong>in</strong>g else.Yesterday <strong>in</strong> our dharma discussions we were talk<strong>in</strong>g about them<strong>in</strong>dfulness tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>gs and a sister shared how she used alcohol asan ice-breaker, a tool to let go and to be able to talk from the heartand connect with people. This touched me very deeply, becausethe reason I’m a monk and the reason I practice is because I seeso much <strong>of</strong> the suffer<strong>in</strong>g that comes from our disconnection.You can’t say enough aboutwhat look<strong>in</strong>g at a few goodmounta<strong>in</strong>s can do for you.I was struck <strong>in</strong> my first year com<strong>in</strong>g to Plum Village as anovice monk how I was able to connect with people at the heartlevel. Ord<strong>in</strong>arily we connect with people because we have th<strong>in</strong>gs<strong>in</strong> common. We talk about work, the kids, or movies, music, art,whatever. With the practice we don’t have to have the same background,the same taste <strong>in</strong> music or sports or philosophy. BecauseI am practic<strong>in</strong>g to open my heart, and you are practic<strong>in</strong>g to openyour heart, I can connect with you. If I didn’t have the practicethere’d be no chance I would connect with all these different types<strong>of</strong> people. In the case <strong>of</strong> our family, with the practice, we f<strong>in</strong>d ourown creative way to do that.With my father, I was f<strong>in</strong>ally able to say, “Father, how are you?How do you feel?” I was able to make a connection. It’s differentfor each one <strong>of</strong> us. We have our own style, our own way, and wef<strong>in</strong>d that with our rootedness, with our stability.Sister Susan — Mounta<strong>in</strong> LoveYou just can’t say enough about how important it is to getnourishment. You can’t say enough about what look<strong>in</strong>g at a fewgood mounta<strong>in</strong>s can do for you.I look at these mounta<strong>in</strong>s around here and what they say tome is, I’ve been around here for a billion years, and I can tell you ath<strong>in</strong>g or two — not just about stability and rocks, but about beauty.<strong>The</strong>re’s a lot <strong>of</strong> beauty <strong>in</strong> a billion years, and it touches my heartover and over aga<strong>in</strong>. It fills my heart to the brim, and that does a lotto pour a balm over what I hear about Lebanon and Israel, and toknow that suffer<strong>in</strong>g there. I helps me to know that there is beauty<strong>in</strong> the world, that th<strong>in</strong>gs are all right somewhere.It’s so crucial to look daily and to let yourself be free. For meit helps me let go <strong>of</strong> the complexities. People get <strong>in</strong> knots withgovernment leaders, they can’t solve their problems, there areconflict<strong>in</strong>g ideas and conflict<strong>in</strong>g pa<strong>in</strong>s. People don’t know howto figure them out.I can’t criticize without look<strong>in</strong>g deeply. I need all the calm Ican muster, all the m<strong>in</strong>dfulness, look<strong>in</strong>g carefully at both sides,stay<strong>in</strong>g calm, and know<strong>in</strong>g how it feels to be <strong>in</strong> those shoes — whatwould it be like to suffer.Everyone has an amount <strong>of</strong> media that they can take. I take asmuch as I can, and then I know I can’t take any more. I look at alot <strong>of</strong> mounta<strong>in</strong>s! <strong>The</strong>n I need to see the suffer<strong>in</strong>g, and there is somuch suffer<strong>in</strong>g I don’t see, obviously. When I f<strong>in</strong>d myself feel<strong>in</strong>gdespair, I know I need to be outside.We don’t look at our earth nearly enough. We have so littleclue <strong>of</strong> our connection to the outside world, to our physical world.We get stuck <strong>in</strong> four walls and <strong>in</strong> personalities. <strong>The</strong> more we canconnect with the world we live <strong>in</strong>, the more we can see the biggerpicture and grow our calm. Our government leaders need all <strong>of</strong>our wisdom and calm, and the more that our views change, as ourbrother said, it will become so obvious. But we need to have allthat calm and clarity and happ<strong>in</strong>ess. Our happ<strong>in</strong>ess comes from ournourishment level and our compassion level; they go together.We need to make our families our <strong>in</strong>timacy. Bond<strong>in</strong>g needsto be really strong. We need to let go <strong>of</strong> th<strong>in</strong>gs like military, whichpolitical side our families are on. Families need to be <strong>in</strong>timate.I remember this wonderful story <strong>of</strong> Thay giv<strong>in</strong>g questions andanswers; this lady was go<strong>in</strong>g on and on about how her daughterwas <strong>in</strong>to computers too much and it just drove her crazy. Shewas say<strong>in</strong>g over and over how destructive it was and f<strong>in</strong>ally Thay<strong>in</strong>terrupted her, say<strong>in</strong>g, “You really need to learn how to play thecomputer with your daughter.” [laughter]I get <strong>in</strong>to this with my son. Sometimes we get on oppositesides, but that bond with our loved ones is so important. You needlove so much. N<strong>in</strong>ety percent <strong>of</strong> the time it is about love anyway.We need it so much.Transcribed by Greg Sever; edited by Janelle Combelic.20 Summer 2007
peaceful HEARTYMCADharma SongSung to the tune “YMCA”Young monk, lace up your hik<strong>in</strong>g shoesI said, young monk, weighed down by the bluesGo there, you will breathe <strong>in</strong> clean airWith those moun-ta<strong>in</strong>s all a-round youBreathe <strong>in</strong>, Sangha, you’re on your wayI said, breathe out, toss your dark thoughts awayBlossom like a well-watered seed, you canWalk the path m<strong>in</strong>d-ful-lyChorus: It’s fun to hike at the YMCAIt’s fun to hike at the YMCAYou can hike with the crowdBut please don’t be loudBrother Stream, is that a storm cloud?Young nun, you’re at the end <strong>of</strong> the l<strong>in</strong>eI said, young nun, don’t let yourself lag beh<strong>in</strong>dWalk fast, or you may f<strong>in</strong>d yourselfAlone with moun-ta<strong>in</strong> li-onsIt’s fun to hike at the YMCAIt’s fun to hike at the YMCAYou can hike with the crowdBut please don’t be loudBrother Stream, is that a storm cloud?the M<strong>in</strong>dfulness Bell 21
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