“Life is both dreadful and wonderful. To practice meditation is to be in touch with both aspects.” -Thich Nhat Hanh

I can really identify with these words from my esteemed teacher and venerable Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. So much of what we see in the world, and for many in our personal lives as well, is truly dreadful. Sometimes we don’t know how we can bear it. And much of the time life is truly wonderful too. So much joy, so much potential!

The wisdom of the Vedic and Buddhist teachers is that it is better not to attach to either view, neither wallowing in the pain nor seeking more of the pleasure. Why? Because both actions result in suffering. It’s pretty clear why rehashing the pain creates suffering, but the suffering that comes from pleasure is not always as evident. We all know that good times never last and that too much of a good thing (chocolate!) is painful. So it’s not the pleasure itself that causes suffering, but the need to hold onto pleasure as if it is the only possible experience we could have.

“Life is dreadful and wonderful.” We are destined to have both types of experience. We can hold them both in our awareness by accepting all that life brings our way without exception. This may seem like an impossible task, but the spiritual traditions do give us a way to do it—meditation.

Here is a meditation practice I learned from my ayurvedic teacher Dr. Vasant Lad. It’s called the empty bowl. It combines visualization with simple breathing to bring us into a state of present moment awareness. Through this practice we become capable of accepting all that flows toward us in the course of our day. I hope you will give it a try.

Sit comfortably in a cross-legged position or in a chair with feet on the floor and back upright. Open your palms and place the backs of the hands on the legs. Gently curl the fingers as if your hands are empty bowls. Watch the movement of your breath for a minute or two while letting all thoughts pass by. Once your attention is established, begin to breathe in this way: As you inhale, draw the breath into the body and imagine it can reach a point in your body just behind your navel. As you exhale, release the breath into the space about 9 inches in front of you. Repeat this breathing practice for 5 minutes, gradually increasing to 20 minutes. The empty bowls remind us of the baggage we carry in the form of regrets of the past and fear/worry about the future. Release attachment to these sources of suffering and live confidently in the present moment.

This week we celebrate the birthday of my dear teacher, Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh. We know that he was “born” in 1926 and “died” in 2022. But did he, really?

One of the most powerful teachings he shares is about Continuation. Rooted deep in Buddhist philosophy he affirms that everything continues. Flowers grow out of the earth, are beautiful for a time, then fade and die. But they do not really die, he says. They are simply going into hiding for a time. As they decay they become compost to create rich soil so that more beautiful flowers can grow. In this way, the flower are not “born” and they do not “die”; they simply continue.

Another way he speaks of this is the relationship between the waves and the water. He explains that we tend to live our lives as if we are waves, always riding the highs and lows of life, always feeling pushed around by the flow of life. As a result, we suffer greatly from fear and uncertainty. What we forget is that we are also water—constant, steady, always present. Knowing this we experience Continuation.

As he neared the end of his life, he often spoke of Continuation. He explained there is no need for us to be sad when we cannot see him anymore. He may not be among us physically, but he will always be with us in our sitting meditation, walking meditation, and every moment of mindfulness. All things continue and so shall he.

What a blessing to have had this incredible teacher as part of our lives at this time on the planet. Let us on October 11 celebrate the Continuation Day of Thich Nhat Hanh. He writes: “All the work of meditation is aimed at awakening us in order to know one thing: that birth and death can never touch us in any way whatsoever.” What a beautiful thought!

Earth is one of the five elements in the Vedic tradition—earth, water, fire, air and space. Each element has its own unique qualities and has its own special role to play in our life. Could you imagine having to live without just one of the elements in your life?!

Our body is also made up of the five elements, but earth element is so special because it centers us in the physical aspect of being alive. In our bodies we experience pleasure and pain, the warmth of the sun and the cold of snow and wind, we taste delicious food, smell flowers of all kinds and colors, and touch the skin or fur of our loved one.

Earth is also our planet, our home while we live in these bodies. As we celebrate Earth Day this week I was re-reading Thich Nhat Hanh’s “love letter to the Earth” and am delighted to share some of it with you today:

“Dear Mother Earth,
You are the mother of all beings. I call you by the human name Mother and yet I know your mothering nature is more vast and ancient than humankind. We are just one young species of your many children. All the millions of other species who live—or have lived—on Earth are also your children. You aren’t a person, but I know you are not less than a person either. You are a living breathing being in the form of a planet. Each species has its own language, yet as our Mother you can understand us all. That is why you can hear me today as I open my heart to you and offer you my prayer.”

Join me today in writing your own “love letter to the Earth” as a reminder that Earth is our home, earth is an element which makes up our body, and Mother Earth is here for all of us. May we always be here for her.

“People say that walking on water is a miracle, but to me, walking peacefully on the earth is the real miracle. The Earth is a miracle, each step is a miracle. Taking steps on our beautiful planet can bring real happiness.”
-Thich Nhat Hanh, The Long Road Turns to Joy

The warmer, dryer weather has brought me a greater appreciation of walking barefoot. As yoga practitioners, there are many good reasons to do so:

Better balance and posture When we practice yoga we always have bare feet. We take off the “sensory deprivation chambers” known as “shoes” so that all of the sensors (nerves) in our feet can feel the floor. The information gathered by the feet travels up the whole body contributing to better balance and an aligned posture.

Strong ankles and less foot pain Being barefoot increases the strength of the muscles in the feet, ankles and calves; wearing shoes actually decreases the strength of these muscles because the shoe is doing the work for the muscles. It’s common for muscles that are getting a workout to be a bit painful at first, but this will ease as the muscles get stronger.

Restoration of nerve impulses For those people who experience neuropathy, here is a reason to rejoice. Studies confirm that walking barefoot on the earth—with skin to grass contact—for just 10 minutes a day, restores nerve impulses in the feet due to the powerful electromagnetic pulse of the Earth.

Walking on the earth is a spiritual practice which reminds us that we are earth creatures made up of the very same elements. What we do to the earth affects us all, so let us all take greater care in loving and preserving our beautiful earthly home.

Many years ago Thich Nhat Hanh invented this new word interbeing. He wanted to express the profound interdependence that binds everything and everyone together. In his book At Home in the World he tells the story of meeting The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1966, a perfect example of interbeing.

Could the contrast be any stronger? A Buddhist monk from Vietnam meets an African American Christian minister. The suffering of Thich Nhat Hanh’s people came about in large part by the warring actions of the United States government. And yet, Nhat Hanh was inspired by the nonviolent action King was organizing in the American south. He writes:

“From the first moment I knew I was in the presence of holy person. Not just his good work but his very being was a source of great inspiration for me. . . . That was the day we combined our efforts to work for peace in Vietnam and to fight for civil rights in the U.S. We agreed that the true enemy of man is not man. Our true enemy is not outside of us. Our true enemy is the anger, hatred, and discrimination that is found in the hearts and minds of man.”

They continued to correspond and support each other’s work. A year later they met again. Nhat Hanh told him, “’Martin, do you know something? In Vietnam they say you are a bodhisattva, an enlightened being trying to awaken other living beings and help them move toward more compassion and understanding.’ . . .

Just a few months later King was assassinated. “I was in New York when I heard the news of his assassination; I was devastated. I could not eat; I could not sleep. I made a deep vow to continue building what he called ‘the beloved community,’ not only for myself but for him also.”

Interbeing helps us recognize that the way of love, peace, justice and understanding is best walked by all of us, not just a chosen few. It enables us to see the good and supportive work that is being carried out all over the world, even in areas that don’t seem to affect us directly. In reality, what others do shore us up even as what we offer sends ripples of support back to them.

How and where do you experience interbeing?

In honor of Thich Nhat Hanh’s birthday month I am sharing aspects of his teachings that will make you think and may just change the way you live. Today I am thinking about present moment awareness, or what the Buddhists call “mindfulness.” Here are Thay’s own words about an action we all take in the Fall—raking the leaves.

“In autumn I like to rake the leaves at my hermitage at Plum Village [France]. I do it every three days or so, using a rake. . . . Raking the leaves is not simply to have a clean path to jog or walk along: raking the leaves is just to enjoy raking the leaves. So I hold the rake in such a way that makes me feel happy, peaceful, and solid during the whole time of raking. I want to ensure every movement is an act of enlightenment, an act of joy, and an act of peace. So I am not in a hurry because I see that the very act of raking is at least as wonderful as having a clean path. I would not be satisfied with anything less than that. . . . If you make one stroke in such a way that you are fully invested in the act of raking leaves, then you will be rewarded right away.” -Thich Nhat Hanh, At Home in the World

I get the idea from reading this that Thay was struggling with something that we all encounter—making meaning out of those tasks that we must do in order to get to the activities we want to do. When we carry out a task with this mindset—that we must it get done quickly so we can do something else we value more—then both actions, the thing we have to do and the thing we want to do, are diminished somehow. Certainly the first task is diminished because we don’t like it or appreciate it. But the second activity is also diminished because it is not long before we are looking forward to what is coming next. Will it be even better than what we have now?

Here is the secret to living so that “every movement is an act of enlightenment, an act of joy, and an act of peace”:

Assume the attitude that every action is important and bring complete awareness to each one

What are those tasks that are difficult for you? Mine are the household routines of doing laundry, cleaning the cat boxes and loading the dishwasher. Today I will “hold the rake in such a way that makes me feel happy, peaceful, and solid during the whole time of raking.” Will you join me?

Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh turns 95 years old today! He lives peacefully at his root monastery where he was ordained a monk as a teenager. He uses the phrase “continuation day” instead of “birthday” for a very special reason: He want us all to realize that nothing is ever born and nothing ever dies except in our own perception of it. Every flower becomes compost so more flowers can bloom. Every person brings her/his energy into the world in order to transform it before moving on. Everything is part of the grand cycle of life.

Here are two ways you can celebrate Continuation Day this week:

Spend time in nature, and no, walking between the house and the car does not count. Walk in a park or traverse the neighborhood where you live. Smell, see, touch and hear all that nature is offering you. Consider the truth of impermanence—everything you encounter will seem to pass away, but just because you cannot see it doesn’t mean it is gone. It will come back in some other form. Continuation is just another way of affirming impermanence.

Practice being in the present moment. Too much of our time and energy is spent pining away for of feeling regretful about the past. Even more is spent working toward and worrying about the future. The only moment we ever truly have is the present moment, the precious gift that sits before us right now. Thich Nhat Hanh teaches many ways to connect with the present moment through mindfulness, such as doing our ordinary activities with awareness and insight. Think of all the things you are engaged in throughout the day. What could unfold if you drank your coffee or tea without distraction truly appreciating what you were drinking or emptying the dishwasher or dryer with deep gratitude for these time-saving devices?

Enjoy your explorations this week and you just might decide to make every day “continuation day.”

I have been a student of Thich Nhat Hanh for decades. The Zen Buddhist monk from Vietnam is now in his 90s and is well-known for his teachings on mindfulness. He offers many different sayings called gathas that can be used at varying times throughout the day. I love this one for the morning. Perhaps you would enjoy memorizing it and saying it to yourself upon rising:
 
“Waking up this morning, I smile. Twenty-four brand new hours are before me. I vow to live fully in each moment and to look at all beings with eyes of compassion.”
 
“Waking up”: You are alive! This is a wonderful and glorious thing. Because you are alive, everything is possible.
 
“I smile”: How amazing to greet the day with joy rather than dread, fear, sadness, hopelessness or disgust. Be a person who spreads joy in the world.
 
“Twenty-four brand new hours are before me”: YOU are the creator of your own life. YOU are the crafter of your own destiny. What will you make with this one beautiful life you have been given?
 
“I vow to live fully in each moment”: Yesterday is a memory and tomorrow is a dream. The only moment we can do anything about is this one now. Live in the present.
 
“I vow to look at all beings with eyes of compassion”: This is known as the bodhisattva vow—to bring compassion to every interaction, every thought, word and deed. This simple act will transform your life and the world around you.
 
May all beings be happy and free. May all beings know joy. May all beings live in peace.