Monks and Me: How 40 Days at Thich Nhat Hanh's French Monastery Guided Me Home

《Monks and Me》摘要

1. 1

   Discovering Inner Peace in a Buddhist Sanctuary

   

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   Imagine losing both parents and feeling completely unmoored from your sense of self. This profound loss drove me to embark on a forty-day pilgrimage to Plum Village, the renowned Buddhist monastery in France founded by Thich Nhat Hanh. The number forty carries deep spiritual significance across traditions-Christ, Muhammad, and Moses all underwent forty-day transformative periods. In yogic science, forty days marks the interval needed for deep truth recognition. Being forty years old when my father died added meaningful synchronicity to my journey. Under the cold November sky, I crossed an ocean to live essentially as a nun, hoping this immersion would bring healing and guidance through life's turbulent waters. The monastery revealed itself as a world apart from ordinary life. Sister An Nghiem, with her shaved head and muddy brown robes, greeted me at the train station with a serenity that immediately began dissolving my anxiety. As we drove through the stunning French countryside, rolling hills dotted with ancient stone buildings stretched to the horizon. Inside the refurbished farmhouse, shaved heads and brown robes moved with unexpected gaiety, defying stereotypes of somber monastics. My tiny room marked "EAGLE" became my cozy sanctuary, with its narrow bed, wooden desk, and meditation cushion overlooking monastery gardens. Life followed a simple yet profound rhythm-rising at 5:00 a.m. to the resonant sound of a brass gong, gathering in meditation before a magnificent white Buddha statue, sharing silent meals, and practicing walking meditation through the grounds. What struck me most was how the nuns moved with complete presence in every activity, whether sweeping floors with methodical care or serving tea with graceful attention.

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   Taking Refuge and Cultivating Beginner's Mind

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   During my first shower, the water stopped while I was covered in soap. Recalling Thay's teaching to "Take refuge in your self," I focused on my breath and observed a spider's web, finding acceptance in my discomfort. This experience illustrated the Buddha's Four Noble Truths: suffering (being cold and wet), its cause (aversion), the way out (mindfulness), and the path (breathing). Throughout my stay, I practiced taking refuge during noisy meditations, homesickness, and physical discomfort. Each breath strengthened my inner sanctuary, with the monastery's challenges becoming teachers of steadiness. Dining with a Vietnamese nun, I reflected on past relationships abandoned when novelty faded. I realized that losing our "beginner's mind" prevents us from seeing the uniqueness in people and experiences. I learned to immerse fully in simple activities like brushing teeth or eating. The nuns demonstrated this through their focused cleaning - each movement purposeful. One morning, pomegranate seeds in my breakfast revealed stunning clarity. Through mindful breathing, I'd gone "Home to myself" as Thay teaches, uniting body and mind in the present.

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   The Ethical Mind and Our Interconnected Existence

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   A chef-in-training's story about killing lobsters recalled seeing them in grocery tanks. Though lobsters can't scream when boiled, they suffer for 35-45 seconds until death. Similarly, witnessing sharks being finned highlighted their vital role in marine ecosystems. These experiences show how an ethical mind grasps life's interconnectedness. As Thich Nhat Hanh teaches, "Right Mindfulness is at the heart of the Buddha's teachings" - true awareness leads to moral behavior. Our unethical actions often stem from unawareness. When distraction pulls us from the present moment, we lose ethical clarity. Meditation brings us to the here and now, where we can fully understand our actions and feel our natural connection with others.

4. 第 4 章

   The Path to Insight: Mindfulness, Concentration, Wisdom

   On my fourth day, Thich Nhat Hanh held a yellow rose, teaching: "If you are mindful of the rose, you also have concentration on it. When you are mindful and concentrated on the rose, you have insight." In this simple phrase, he distilled Buddhist teachings of mindfulness, concentration, and insight. The 84-year-old Zen master entered the Buddha Hall with remarkable youthfulness. When he lifted the rose and said, "A rose is not a rose; that is why it is a real rose," a warm sensation filled my spine. Everything made sense. Thay illustrated these practices by writing: "mindfulness -> concentration -> insight." Looking deeply at the rose revealed its "non-flower" elements: sunshine, clouds, earth, minerals, air-without which it cannot exist. This understanding of "non-self" frees us from despair. Whether one is a biologist, musician, or carpenter, depth of concentration matters most. As Einstein noted, "the journey of exploration and discovery is reason enough to pursue answers." Through focused attention comes transformative insight.

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   Embracing Suffering: Transformation Through Difficulty

   When I was twenty, three street children held us at gunpoint on a Brazilian beach. This experience echoed Thich Nhat Hanh's story of an American soldier spitting on a novice monk during the Vietnam War. Thay consoled the monk by saying, "You were not born to hold a gun. The American soldier considered you his enemy-that was a wrong perception." During a Q&A, Thay responded to an Australian's question about becoming a monk with a lesson about perception, comparing it to viewing a fish from different angles-we see only one perspective but must remain open to others. This wisdom resonated during my own transformation through suffering. In Paris, severe food poisoning prompted me to reach out to loved ones with messages of care. The Brazilian incident gained new meaning through this lens of perception. A true spiritual practitioner doesn't renounce the world but experiences it fully, developing resilience "as powerful as granite stone."

   第 6 章

   Finding Home: The Journey's Completion

   On my final day at Plum Village, I practiced the Sister's "Beginning Anew" ritual, leaving a purple wildflower for a pilgrim I'd had conflicts with. This Buddhist gesture of blessing "enemies" showed me how genuine kindness brings peace, regardless of response. During a mindfulness walk with Thay around a lotus pond, he waved at me, his face transforming into that of a five-year-old child. As I waved back, I too felt that childlike innocence-two souls connecting beyond time. The pilgrimage revealed my true Home-that wise inner dwelling place transcending pain. Departing, I recalled Thich Nhat Hanh's words: "In the stormy ocean of life, take refuge in your wise self." I had never left my Home.

   第 7 章

   Carrying the Practice Into Everyday Life

   What I discovered at Plum Village transformed not just my grief, but my entire understanding of presence. The monastery's teachings showed that mindfulness isn't reserved for retreats-it's a way of being that provides stability in our chaotic modern world. The seeds of mindfulness planted during those forty days continued growing. Truly seeing a pomegranate seed revealed how much we miss when rushing through life. Understanding interconnection-how all beings depend on each other-offers what our divided world needs most. The practices became essential tools: taking refuge in breath during difficulties, approaching tasks with beginner's mind, and expanding our perceptions. Most importantly, I learned that authentic presence-being fully available to each moment-is the greatest gift we can offer. As Thay said, "The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it." This truth continues unfolding, proving that the most valuable souvenir from any spiritual journey is how we live differently afterward.

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