Reading Archives (Author)
Kernel Of Corn
There was a patient in the mental hospital [in Vietnam] who seemed to be normal. He ate and talked like other people. But he believed...
From Me To We: True Love Is A Process Of Humility
A community of people walking together on a spiritual path has a great deal of strength; its members are able to protect each other, to...
Interbeing
Emptiness does not mean nothingness. Saying that we are empty does not mean that we do not exist. No matter if something is full or...
You've Been Nirvanized Since The Nonbeginning
Who can say that your mother has passed away? You cannot describe her as being or nonbeing, alive or dead, because these notions belong...
See The Universe In A Sunflower
I live in Plum Village, in the Dordogne region of southwest France, an area known for its sunflowers. But people who come to Plum Village...
When Light Shines, Darkness Becomes The Light
From time to time you may become restless, and the restlessness will not go away. At such times, just sit quietly, follow your breathing,...
Five Prayers
In gratitude, I bow to all generations of ancestors in my blood family. I see my mother and father, whose blood, flesh, and vitality are...
Call Me by My True Names
Do not say that I'll depart tomorrow because even today I still arrive. Look deeply: I arrive in every second to be a bud on a...
Fearlessness
Most of us experience a life full of wonderful moments and difficult moments. But for many of us, even when we are most joyful, there is...
Renaissance
This morning, at sunrise, a new bud appeared on the tree. It was born around midnight. The bark, the skin of the tree, split...
Nature and Nonviolence
You don’t discriminate between the seed and the plant. You see that they ‘inter-are’ with each other, that they are...
Bridging Practice and Non-Practice
We have many compartments in our lives. When we practice sitting meditation and when we do not practice sitting, these two periods of...
The Blooming of the Offering Within You
A poem is a flower you offer to people. A compassionate look, a smile, an act filled with loving-kindness is also a flower that blooms on...
Clear and Present Compassion
Understanding and compassion are very powerful sources of energy. They are the opposite of stupidity and passivity. If you think that...
Do You Have Time To Love?
To love is, above all, to be there. But being there is not an easy thing. Some training is necessary, some practice. If you are not...
Dandelion Has My Smile
If in our daily lives we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. If we really know...
Still Arriving
Don't say that I will depart tomorrow--even today I am still arriving. Look deeply: every second I am arriving to be a bud on a Spring...
Clouds In Each Paper
If you are a poet, you will see clearly that there is a cloud floating in this sheet of paper. Without a cloud, there will be no rain;...
Smile a Lot
Life is filled with suffering, but it is also filled with many wonders, like the blue sky, the sunshine, the eyes of a baby. To suffer...
On Meditation
"During meditation, various feelings and thoughts may arise. If you don't practice mindfulness of breath, these thoughts will soon...