Discourse on True Contentment
By Sister Dang Nghiem (Sister D)
This poem was written together with Thich Nhat Hanh, who graciously added to and edited it.
I heard these words of Thay one time when he was living in the vicinity of Escondido at the Deer Park Monastery in the Oak Grove. Late at night, a group of coyotes appeared, whose passionate howls made the whole Oak Grove tremble joyfully. After paying respects to Thay with the right front paw pointing in the direction of the moon, the elder coyote asked him a question in the form of a verse:
“People, animals, plants, and minerals are eager to know
what are the conditions
which bring about true contentment.
Please, Thay, will you teach us?”
(This is Thay’s answer:)
“To live in a Sangha,
to have brothers and sisters working in harmony,
to serve peoples of all nations—
this is the true contentment.
“To have a chance to practice and transform,
to see yourself becoming more accepting and more solid,
to recognize that others also blossom—
this is the true contentment.
“To be able to recognize and forgive,
to nurture gratitude to your blood family and spiritual family,
to express love through loving speech and deep listening—
this is the true contentment.
“To have time to sit peacefully for your ancestors,
to touch the Earth tenderly with each step,
to eat in union with the whole cosmos—
this is the true contentment.
“To create practice centers and hold regular retreats,
to turn gymnasiums and theatres into Dharma halls,
to bring the Dharma rain into ghettos and prisons—
this is the true contentment.
“To witness police officers, business people, legislators,
scientists, and war veterans enjoying the Pure Land
with their mindful breaths and mindful steps—
this is the true contentment.
“To provide a joyful environment for young people,
to help them reconnect with their families and society,
to show them that there is a beautiful path—
this is the true contentment.
“To practice, work, study, and play together,
to realize the beauties and hardships of your brothers and sisters,
to cherish and protect them as your own marrow—
this is the true contentment.
“To live a life simple and uncompetitive,
to come back to your breath as your soul food,
to rejoice in the music of the bell, wind songs, and laughter—
this is the true contentment.
“To avoid speaking and reacting in anger,
not caught by your ideas and judgments,
and to be diligent in doing beginning anew—
this is the true contentment.
“To savor the freedom in non-waiting,
to transform the grasping mind into that of true love,
to be a kind continuation of your spiritual ancestors—
that is the true contentment.
“To see all life forms as your brothers and sisters,
to enjoy simply being together,
to actively build a beautiful past with your true presence—
this is the true contentment.
“To rise in the morning with a smile,
to retire each night with peace, content to let go of all,
to know that you have loved and have been loved deeply—
that is the true contentment.
“To live in the world
with your heart open to impermanence and change,
to progress stably on your true path, free of fear and worry—
this is the true contentment.
“For he or she who accomplishes this,
arriving and at home wherever she goes,
always he is peaceful and happy—
true contentment is in the moment one lives.”
Thay had finished the teaching. The coyotes were extremely delighted at what they had heard. At once, they stood up with posture erect and gave rise to another harmonious and joyful howl. The moon smiled contentedly from above, as she floated freely in the immense space.
Here are some resources to support your practice:
The Plum Village App (free) which has resources, including Songs, Chanting, Deep Relaxations, Practice Tutorials; Talks and Short Teachings; Meditations; Extras, including a Meditation Timer, and more.
You can visit any of the monasteries' websites -- there are online practice sessions with the monastic communities that you can sign up for, as well as retreats, wonderful readings, teachings, and short videos about practice:
Plum Village (France)
Blue Cliff Monastery (New York)
Magnolia Grove Monastery (Mississippi)
Deer Park Monastery (California)
Order of Interbeing, or Tiep Hien in Vietnamese, is a community of monastics and lay people who have committed to living their lives in accord with the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings, a distillation of the Bodhisattva (Enlightened Being) teachings of Mahayana Buddhism. Several of our Sangha members are Order members or aspirants.
The Earth Holder Community is a branch of the Plum Village tree that applies Thay’s core teachings on engaged Buddhism, mindful living, social and racial justice, and inter-being with Mother Earth at this time of ecological crisis.
ARISE Sangha (Awakening through Race, Intersectionality, and Social Equity) is a community of mindfulness practitioners and monastics who come together to heal the wounds of racial injustice and social inequity, beginning with looking deeply within ourselves and using the energy of compassion, understanding, and love in action.
Wake Up Sanghas are for young adults wishing to practice mindfulness together. Some local friends are talking about starting a Wake Up Greensboro!
We are one of many hundreds of Sanghas / Mindfulness Practice Communities all over the world who pratice in the Plum Village tradition. You can look at this worldwide map of Sanghas
