Thich Nhat Hanh Healing in Vietnam The Wonderful World of Gathas

support the MONASTERIESThe Birth of Blue Cliff MonasteryAn Opportunity to Support the New Retreat Center in New YorkDear Friends,It is with great joy that we, the brothers and sisters of PlumVillage with the support of Thay, announce to you that we havefinally found a property for establishing our monastery near oneof the biggest and most turbulent cities of the USA, New YorkCity! Seventy miles from New York City and one hour’s drivefrom Newark, New Jersey, it is located in Walker Valley, SullivanCounty, close enough for our lay sangha members on the EastCoast to come practice regularly. We have been doing that successfullyon the West Coast in Deer Park Monastery.The deepest wish of Thay, our 81-year-old teacher, is to beable to offer effective Dharma doors to bring about the collectiveawakening that will produce much more peace and happiness andless violence in the world, and save our planet earth from destruction.We already have a center on the West Coast, we wish to beable to have a center on the East Coast. We can only do this withthe cooperation of you, our lay friends.During our summer family retreat and our Christmas holidayretreat on the East Coast, the monks and nuns of Green MountainDharma Center and Maple Forest Monastery are nourished by thepresence of many hundreds of lay friends, among them many youngadults, teens, and children. We can share and learn more about thepractices of deep listening, loving speech, and reconciliation inorder to bring them into the world. Our two above-mentioned EastCoast centers are, as you may know, not allowed to offer retreats.When we have to rent a venue it makes a much greater expensethan when we organize in our own practice center. Often there arelay friends who cannot afford this. This is why with the support ofThay, the Plum Village monastic sangha has decided to purchasea new property on the East Coast.The property is 80 acres, 65 of which are forest. It is a formerconference and retreat center (where we can receive guests) withforest, a creek, and two small ponds. It includes thirteen buildingswith thirty-five rooms. Each room can accommodate four to sixpeople, and has a private bathroom. The dining room holds about200 people. The owner is selling it to us at the sum of $2,650,000.This new practice center is certainly much less rustic than GreenMountain Center! We have borrowed $1,442,000. Part of this ismoney with which the Upper Hamlet of Plum Village was planningto build its large meditation hall, part is from Deer Park, and partfrom kind friends. We need to raise the rest in cash and welcomeyour donation in any amount.Thay has named this center Blue Cliff Monastery. On top ofa hill, it has magnificent views of the surrounding mountains. Weknow that with our love, peace, and joy this place will becomea Pure Land for the fourfold sangha. Thay and the Plum VillageSangha are calling on you to help this Pure Land manifest. Wevery much need your spiritual and financial support. We are goingto organize our OI retreat and summer family retreat there in June— we hope to see you there!Respectfully,The Sangha of MFM & GMDCFor more information, please contact:Green Mountain Dharma Center, P.O.Box 182, Hartland-Four CornersVT 05049(802) 457-9442 (for Br. Phap Dang, Br. Vo Ngai)(802) 436-1103 (for Sr. Annabel, Sr. Thieu Nghiem, Sr. Gioi Nghiem)Please help to support our monasteries in VietnamThere are now about 400 monks, nuns, and lay practitioners at Tu Hieu and Dieu Nghiem in Hue and Prajna near Bao Loc.At Prajna Temple, every two or three days there are one or two or three young persons just dropping in and requesting to beaccepted for training in the tradition of Plum Village. The abbot Ven. Duc Nghi and the Sangha anticipate that there may be1000 monks and nuns by 2010 or even sooner. We try to be realistic, because it is impossible to have enough room andfacilities for such a big number of trainees right away; but with your help, we can make it happen over time. After 40 yearsof exile, Thây finally can offer to his country this fruit of his practice.We are in great need of your help to continue this work. Please send your donation to one of the addresses below. We dependon you to continue this beautiful and noble service.United StatesMake a check to “UBC Deer Park”and mail to:Deer Park Monastery2499 Melru LaneEscondido CA 92026USAOr transfer funds directly to account of DeerPark Monastery, 029-1314078, Wells FargoBank, 145 Escondido Blvd., Escondido CA92025; routing transit number 121-04-28-82.FranceMake a check to “EBU Village desPruniers” and mail to:Loving Kindness Temple13 Martineau33580 DieulivolFranceAttn: Sister Chan KhongEurope and AsiaTransfer funds to UBS Bank,Aeschenvorstadt 1, CH Basel, Switzerland;account of Sister CAO N.P.F. Chan Khong forthe Unified Buddhist Church; attn: Mr. GuyForster; 0233-405 317 60 D in USD, 405 31701 N in Swiss Francs, and405 317 61 F in Euros; Swift Code:UBS WCH ZH 40A.46 Summer 2007