No Mud, No Lotus

Its been a bit since the passing of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay); one of the brightest lights and greatest teachers of joy. He lived a full life, but it stills feels like he has left too soon.

Thích Nhất Hạnh was a Vietnamese Thiền Buddhist monk, peace activist, prolific author, poet, teacher, and is historically recognized as the main inspiration for engaged Buddhism. Known as the "father of mindfulness", Nhất Hạnh was a major influence on Western practices of Buddhism

Because of his teaching, Valarie shared that she often catches herself saying , “No Mud, No Lotus.” The meaning behind this is that if a lotus is to grow, it needs to be rooted in the mud. Compassion is born from understanding suffering. The lotus is the flower of happiness. The secret to happiness is to acknowledge and transform suffering, not to run away from it. He helped us recognize the wonders inside us and around us that we tend to take for granted and taught us the art of happiness.

After his transition, Plum Village shared the following message:

“We invite our global spiritual family to take a few moments to be still, to come back to our mindful breathing, as we together hold Thay in our hearts in peace and loving gratitude for all he has offered the world.” 

In honor of this global spiritual leader, Valarie has created meditation that is inspired by this Zen Master. In this meditation She will guide listeners to rest their attention on their breath. During this session, she will also share some words shared by Thich Nhat Hanh, that will help to both deepen the connection to both the breath and to the present moment.  Go here to listen and enjoy.

If you’d like to learn more about Thich Nhat Hanh, his teachings, and how the world community is remembering him, please check the show notes or visit his official website.

Wewant to thank you for your practice today. Go forth and be Marvelous, Travel Gently and we’ll see you next time.