Last night I was given the opportunity to present the following thoughts to my Sangha on how the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh might provide guidance for the holidays.
What does our teacher Thay have to say about how we might approach the holidays?
-For me, it has been a year during which I have read many pages of Thay’s writings, absorbing, reflecting.
-As I have approached the holidays, what is different this year?
I checked the Plum Village website last evening, and Thay has nothing specific to say.
I’ve been reading “Old Path White Clouds”, a dear and lovely telling of the life of the Buddha in the words of Thay, written some 25 years ago.
-That may be about as close as I can get to receiving Thay’s advice.
At a time filled with so many traditional celebrations, I am not aware of any specific Buddhist celebrations at this time of year.
-There must be, just because this seems to be a navel of the solar year when every culture seems to have something to celebrate.
-I’m not so sure that is important anyhow.
I think Thay’s advice for the holidays is “be mindful” Be attentive. Be authentic, Be present.
-Not so much about what we do as how we do it.
-Core teaching of the Buddha, as channeled thru Thay, is to walk mindfully, move mindfully, eat mindfully.
-BECOME AWAKENED
-Do what helps you become more awakened.
For me, becoming awakened is not an abstract goal or concept.
-It is how Thay says to go through every day of my life.
-The holidays are not an exception.
-Even if they are a special challenge.
The holidays are especially a dangerous time because of the heavy reliance on tradition.
-The holidays are a time where we scrupuously and avidly repeat what has been done in the past.
-The Second Noble Truth tells us that clinging is a cause of suffering.
– I think Thay would ask: ‘Does Traditiion help us be mindful”
I think we give meaning to what we do by listening to three voices.
-The voice of the past, our ancestors, tradition.
-The voice of the present, our teachers, the world around us, our experience.
-The voice of our awakened heart.
For me Thay’s advice would be to put the emphasis on present experience and our awakened hearts.
-What doesn’t promote deep awareness, awakening, should be abandoned.
-Traditions that promote mindful awareness should be celebrated.
-Traditions that do not promote mindful awareness should be abandoned.
-Practices, celebrations that affirm and encourage awareness of our world should be promoted.
-Those that do not should be abandoned.
I’ve taken this to heart this year and I am making an effort to do only what feels authentic for me.
-I am trying to do what increases, promotes mindfulness.
-Abandoning what does not.
-I am not just going through the motions just because it has been my past practice.
I am celebrating solstice, the tilting of the earth back to light by burning lots of lights, including candles.
-As I have done in past years with my boys, I am decorating a tree in my back yard with fruit slices and peanut butter pine cones,
-inviting the critters to celebrate the shift from the cold days of winter toward a future spring.
-I have turned away from rabid, frantic holiday shopping; it supports consumerism and does little to promote my mindfulness.
– When I walk into Target I can feel the intensity and tension around me.
-I am scheduling time with my own sangha of friends, spending time with them individually and mindfully during my holiday time.
-It is a time for affirming what we mean to one another.
I think that is what Thay would say: whatever you do, do mindfully.
-Don’t do things that don’t encourage mindfulness.
On the surface, our celebrations could look very very different;
-Some will look like a baby Jesus celebraion;
– some like Hannucha,
-some like solstice,
-some like a loving frenzy of gift giving and cookie baking.
I think that for those of us who listen to Thay, they will have the common feature of mindfulness;
-they will be authentic,
-they will be what we really want to do.