January’s Learning Resources

Honoring of the life of Thich Nhat Hanh

Zen Master, Thich Nhat Hanh, is a global spiritual leader, poet and peace activist, revered around the world for his pioneering teachings on mindfulness, global ethics and peace. He passed last week on January 22, 2022. In honor of his life and the abundant dharma teachings, offerings, and Bodhisattva work he has given to our world, we will weave his teachings into our agenda tonight.

 

Share poem from Thich Nhat Hanh:

This body is not me.

I am not limited by this body.

I am life without boundaries.

I have never been born,

and I have never died.

Look at the ocean and the sky filled with stars,

manifestations from my wondrous true mind.

Since before time, I have been free.

Birth and death are only doors through which we pass,

sacred thresholds on our journey.

Birth and death are a game of hide-and-seek.

So laugh with me,

hold my hand,

let us say good-bye,

say good-bye, to meet again soon.

We meet today.

We will meet again tomorrow.

We will meet at the source every moment.

We meet each other in all forms of life.

 

Framing for Tonight’s Theme (5 min):

In community, we have the opportunity to put our meditation practice into action with people who are on both similar and different paths. We can gain awareness of our reactions and learn to respond in more skillful ways WITH others. Alone, this can seem like a daunting task. Together, we have the honor of accompanying and witnessing one another as we learn, grow, and face life’s inevitable challenges.

 

There’s a reason why Sangha is one of the Three Jewels of Buddhism. Because it’s conflict-free and always full of light? Nope. Because it’s a necessary part of the path to waking up. Like a living, breathing ecosystem, we need one another to complete the journey.

 

Tonight, I am inviting us to lean into this part of sangha that can sometimes feel daunting or uncomfortable. As I just shared, sangha is not always conflict-free. Many times our deepest fears, wounds, and triggers can come out in our sangha gatherings, our interactions with family members, loved ones, friends, neighbors, co-workers.

 

Read Excerpt from Article Together (5 min): 

Read excerpt of “The Sangha Isn’t Perfect” from “What is Sangha?” – an article by Thich Nhat Hanh published in Lions Roar and Reprinted from Friends on the Path: Living Spiritual Communities (2002) by Thich Nhat Hanh.

Journal Reflection (5 min): 

• Where do you find yourself getting polarized and divided in your life, and what are the results?
• How do you tend to handle conflicts, disagreements or differing opinions and viewpoints within your relationships and communities?
• Where (if at all) in this handling, do you feel you get stuck or lose access to the compassionate, centered, and wise part of yourself?

Watch Video (17 min):

• Given the conditions of the world today with all the conflict and polarizing ideologies we are surrounded and influenced by, in tonight’s gathering, we will explore the gift of community that is present when we can understand how we handle and are impacted by conflict and polarizing beliefs in both the individual and collective psyches. We will explore how to find our shared values, use our practices of mindfulness and compassion, and tap into the wisdom of interconnectedness to bridge the gaps instead of contributing to a greater divide.
• We will now watch a video entitled “Overcoming Polarization” by Doha Debates with Nelufar Hedayat who will explore how polarization comes to be, and how we might be able to overcome these divides. You are invited to take any notes throughout this video on any points that stand out to you, aha moments, insights, questions, or curiosities.

Journaling (5 min):

• Take a few minutes to journal further by answering any or all of the following questions.
  • What were your greatest takeaways from this video? Did you have any insights, questions or curiosities around what was shared?
  • How does this video deepen your understanding of polarization and how it may be playing out in your life, relationships and communities?
  • What are some solutions to polarization that you resonate with from this video? Do you have any ideas for other solutions?
  • How can our meditation practices and understanding of interconnectedness be helpful tools when dealing with conflict and polarization?
  • What personal commitments would you like to make to help bridge the gaps in the places where you feel most divided in your life?

Breakout Rooms (10 min):

Break out into partners or groups of three and share what you have just journaled about in response to the questions presented and anything that stood out to you from the reading, the video, or this gathering so far.

 

Group Share (5 min):

Come back as a large group and find a non-verbal way to thank you partner over this screen. Feel free to add a couple words or a phrase in the chat that sums up and/or reflects a theme from your sharing with your partner.

Meditation and Reflection (10 min):

• Now we will practice a very fitting meditation for tonight’s theme – Tonglen for Troublemakers with Lama Tsomo. (8 min)
• After the mediation is over, invite sharing about how that experience was for Learning Circle members.

Closing and Dedication of the Merit (1 min): 

By the power of this compassionate practice, my suffering be transformed into peace. May the hearts of all beings be open and their wisdom radiate from within.