Thich Nhat Hanh Jewish Roots The Better Way to Live Alone in the ...

wonderful MOMENTWalking meditation at Deer ParkHealing AllMomentsA Retreat with Thich Nhat HanhBy Jill Silerphoto by Paul DavisThe Vietnamese monk seemed to float onto the stage. He put hispalms together and bowed his head. Then smiling, he folded hislegs, effortlessly sank to the floor, and settled on a small roundcushion.“Dear friends,” said Thich Nhat Hanh, “this moment healsall moments.” I didn’t understand that at all, but I loved listeningto the gentle, earnest way in which he spoke. The dharma talks,or teachings, were being given in a huge tent where hundreds ofpeople sat on the floor in front of him; some sat on little cushionscalled zafus, some sat wrapped in blankets, and some sat on chairsfurther towards the back. We’d gathered here for a five-day, silentretreat to study with this world-renowned Zen teacher.“The Buddha often taught about the importance of slowingdown,” he continued in his beautifully accented voice, “of stoppingall thoughts so that we might enjoy present moment awareness.”Whatever. I have things to do and places to go. I have a staggeringlist of things that must get accomplished for me to evenkeep afloat, let alone make progress.“This wonderful present moment,” he said again, smiling likehe was really happy about it.Present moment, my foot. That’s not going to solve myproblems.My husband was pouring our retirement savings into his boatand in denial about it. I was taking radioactive medication and myhair was falling out. I felt like throwing up all the time, my kneeshurt, and my teenage daughters were careening through the hellrealmyears of their adolescence. These were the elements creatingmy present moment.But then he said that by practicing this simple idea, this sutra—anda sutra is a sacred teaching—suffering could be relievedand we could experience a greater capacity for joy. Well, I’m allfor less suffering and greater joy, so my interest was sparked. Hesaid that it takes practice to bring ourselves into the here and now,but that we should try it when we find that anguish or discomforthas risen in us. He said if we become mindful of our thinking andlook deeply at the nature of what caused our personal sorrow wecan begin to heal or unravel it.Whatever. I could not unravel ill health or my husband’sboat.Thich Nhat Hanh put his palms together and closed his eyes.He took a breath: slow, slow, in and out, and the room got quiet asa night sky. He asked us again to remember this simple teaching,from the “Discourse on Knowing the Better Way to Live Alone”:Do not pursue the past, for the past no longer is. Do not chase thefuture, for the future is yet to come. By looking deeply at life asit is in the here and now, happiness is attainable.Well that was it. I had personally hoped for something witha little more kick to it.At the end of his two-hour talk, he asked us to take our cushionsand blankets back to our rooms because it might rain and thetent leaked. I really liked where my zafu was placed. I was veryclose to Thay and knew chances were slim that I’d get this closetomorrow. The retreat was being held on the side of a mountain inVermont and it seemed senseless to drag my cushion back downthe mountain and haul it up again in the morning. I peeked outat the cloudless evening sky and decided to just push my cushionagainst the tent pole behind me and leave it there. When almosteveryone was gone, I furtively arranged my cushion and slippedout of the tent.People were scattered over the mountain, moving with mindfulattention; walking with slow deliberate steps. The whole scenewas so reminiscent of Night of the Living Dead that it struck meas ridiculous. I felt no reverence for any of it and I thought I mightleave early.16 Summer 2006