Plum Village

09/01/2026

Plum Village, A Living Community of Practice
Past, Present, and Future

As we step into a new year, we naturally touch the past, the present, and the future, all held within this very moment. Plum Village was born from a simple wish to offer refuge and healing, and it continues today as a living community of practice. Here is a short reflection on where we come from, where we are now, and where we are going.

Past, the roots of Plum Village
When Thay bought Lower Hamlet in 1982, his wish was to create a place of healing for Vietnamese boat people. Over time, Plum Village became a refuge for peace activists, families, and young people inspired by his teachings of understanding, love, and compassion. It was here that the international monastic sangha was founded, and the vision of a multifold community practicing together took root.

Present, a living community
Today, Plum Village continues as a place of pilgrimage and training, offering peace, healing, and reconciliation. It is a main training center for monastics and lay practitioners in Europe and the US, while also reaching the world through online retreats, courses, podcasts, and global initiatives, including the Wake Up movement and retreats for climate leaders.

Future, building a global spiritual refuge
In Lower Hamlet, we are preparing to build new nuns’ quarters where all sisters can live and practice together under one roof. An ecological design is ready, with construction planned for Spring 2026. After the loss of the Purple Cloud building in last winter’s fire, this project has become even more essential. We continue to fundraise to support future generations and keep Plum Village accessible to all.

This month, you are warmly invited to practice with us online.
- Special Fundraising Online Retreat, “Calming the Fearful Mind" 22–26 January 2026
- Special Fundraising Online Event, Lyrical Meditation 26 January 2026

👉 Read the full article and find details about both online events via the link in our bio. plumvillage.org/articles/practicing-with-plum-village-at-home

We look forward to practicing together, wherever you are, and beginning this new year with clarity, joy, and connection.

07/01/2026

“Every part of the earth is sacred to our people.
We are part of the earth, and she is part of us.
All things share the same breath.
This we know, the earth does not belong to us…
We belong to the earth.”

Last week, we completed both the Christmas Retreat and the Welcoming the New Year Retreat in Plum Village France.

During a joyful Be-in session, Wake Up families, young practitioners aged 18–35, came together to sing this song with monastics and lay friends from Upper Hamlet, Lower Hamlet, and New Hamlet.

As we welcomed the New Year, we took time to touch the meaning of these words together, remembering our deep connection with the Earth and with one another.

Practicing together with joy is also part of the path.
We hope this video brings a smile to you today. 🌱

01/01/2026

Welcoming 2026: Our Aspiration as a Spiritual Family

Last night, on New Year’s Eve, our community gathered for the Welcoming the New Year Ceremony. We sat together in mindfulness and presented our aspiration before our ancestors as a spiritual family.

As we step into the first day of 2026, we carry a shared intention, to come home to ourselves in each breath and step, to transform fear, violence, and separation through nonviolence and compassion, to cultivate generosity, cooperation, and simple living, and to be a refuge for one another in times of despair and division.

🌿 Our Deep Aspiration

December 31, 2025

Dear Beloved Ancestors, both Spiritual and Genetic,

We present ourselves before you at this solemn moment of the New Year to express our gratitude and deep aspiration as a spiritual family.

Though we are a young and imperfect community, we have all come with a heart to embody the practice, to generate compassion, and to serve.

Dear Ancestors, you have taught us not to forget ourselves, no matter how noble our goals, to come home to ourselves in each mindful breath and each mindful step, taking the time to enjoy the wonders of life, the moonrise, the stars, the murmurations of starlings surging and flowing across winter skies, to get the nourishment and relaxation we need for healing to take place in our body and mind. For this we are so grateful. Now we have a path, there is nothing more to fear.

Looking back at 2025 and all that we have gone through together as a planet, we see that our unhealed traumas, our fears and deep rooted belief in our separateness continue to cause much personal and planetary harm. We vow to transform the roots of war, hatred and violence, by every day generating the energy of non-violence and non-discrimination in our thinking, speaking and acting. We shall continue to challenge the boundaries of our hearts by asking ourselves, do we have enough wisdom and courage to forgive those who have hurt us? Knowing that only by releasing the grievances of the past can we move forward as a species.

Dear Ancestors, you have taught us that no amount of wealth and power can guarantee our happiness, security and peace. True security and agency lies in our power to love and to be happy, here and now, and no one can take that away from us. We vow to actively cultivate generosity and cooperation as a way to help build a new culture of simple living, sharing and mutual trust.

In the face of despair and division, we vow to always stick together, to be a refuge for each other, and to strengthen our spiritual family as a community of nonviolence, offering each other courage to turn the tide of collective consciousness toward a more peaceful and compassionate world.

Dear Ancestors, please accept our offerings of fruits, flowers, and the incense of our hearts, as a sign of our deep aspiration, respect, and love.

Now that we have a path, there is nothing more to fear.
On this first day of the year, we continue our walk, step by step, together.
Every step is an arrival.

With love and deep respect,
Your Plum Village Community

🌿 The full Aspiration Letter from our New Year Ceremony here.
plumvillage.org/articles/new-year-prayer-to-our-ancestors-2

29/12/2025

✨A New Year’s Eve Offering from Plum Village

You are warmly invited to join us for a special live-streaming New Year’s Eve Dharma talk offered by Brother Phap Huu from Plum Village, France. (31st December, 2025, 3 PM CET)

As we close the year, we will gather as a global community to breathe, listen deeply, and welcome the new beginning with calm and clarity.

The Dharma talk will be offered in English, with French translation available through Zoom. There is no registration required. Simply click the livestream link at the scheduled time, and you can join the offering from wherever you are. Everyone is welcome to join this public offering from wherever you are.

New Year’s Eve Dharma Talk by Brother Phap Huu
Plum Village, France
31 December 2025, 3:00 PM CET
31 December 2025, 9:00 AM ET
31 December 2025, 6:00 AM PT

New Year’s Eve Dharma Talk by Sister Dang Nghiem
Deer Park Monastery
1 January 2026, 1:15 AM CET
31 December 2025, 7:15 PM ET
31 December 2025, 4:15 PM PT

New Year’s Dharma Talk by Brother Phap Trien
Magnolia Grove Monastery
1 January 2026, 4:30 PM CET
1 January 2026, 10:30 AM ET
1 January 2026, 7:30 AM PT

For the livestream link and details, please visit our Plum Village website. 🙏
plumvillage.org/live-events/new-years-eve-dharma-talk-by-brother-phap-huu-2
plumvillage.org/online

25/12/2025

🎄Finding Our True Home at Christmas

During this holiday season, we would like to offer an inspiring and timeless Christmas message given by our beloved teacher Thich Nhat Hanh in 2012 about finding our true home within.

Dear beloved community, it is a great happiness to have each other and a beautiful path to walk together. Wherever we are this holiday season, please remember we are not alone. We have a path of practice; we have a community.

From Plum Village, we wish you a peaceful and warm holiday season!

Please the read the full article👇

During this holiday season, we would like to offer an inspiring and timeless Christmas message given by our beloved teacher Thich Nhat Hanh in 2012 about finding our true home within.

24/12/2025

Dear friends, we are sorry for the sound issue during the Dharma talk. There was a technical problem, and it is now resolved.

Please enjoy the last part of the Dharma talk by Sister Chan Duc. We will also upload the full talk on YouTube soon.

Thank you for your patience and understanding 🙏🏼🎄

23/12/2025

✨ Join Us for a Special Christmas Eve Live Stream ✨

This holiday season, we invite you to join the Plum Village Monastery for a Christmas Eve Dharma Talk live-streamed from our community. (24th December, 2025, 3 PM CET, 9AM EST, 6AM PST)

At a time when many of us may feel tender, longing for connection, or simply wishing for a moment of stillness, we will gather as a global family to breathe together and touch the true spirit of Christmas — presence, compassion, and joy.

The Dharma talk will be offered in English, with French translation available through Plum Village YouTube channel and Zoom. There is no registration required. Simply click the livestream link at the scheduled time, and you can join the offering from wherever you are.

- Christmas live Dharma talk offered by Sister Chan Duc from Plum Village, France. (24th December, 3PM CET, 9AM EST, 6AM PST)
- Christmas live Dharma talk by Sister Than Nghiem , Deer Park Monastery (25th December 1:15AM CET, 24th 7:15PM EST, 4PM PST)
- Christmas live Dharma talk by Sister The Nghiem (Sr. True Vow), Blue Cliff Monastery (24th December 10PM CET, 4PM EST, 1PM PST)

For the livestream link and details, please visit our official Plum Village website.

🎄plumvillage.org/online

21/12/2025

🌍 World Meditation Day | 21 December

Last year, the United Nations proclaimed 21 December as World Meditation Day, recognizing meditation as a support for mental and physical well-being and our shared humanity.

Earlier this month, a UN conference was held in Geneva exploring how mindfulness and contemplative practices can support diplomacy, human rights, and global leadership. Sister Dinh Nghiem represented Plum Village as a panelist, sharing a simple yet deeply transformative practice from our tradition.

She spoke about her nieces and their friends who attended a Wake-Up Retreat for young people at Plum Village. At the end of the retreat, when asked what they liked most, they all answered, “the people.”

For the first time, when asked “How are you?”, they could respond honestly. “I’m overwhelmed.” “I’m tired.” “I’m struggling.” There was no fear of being judged. In just one week, they felt as though they had been together for months, because they could truly be themselves.

Sister Dinh Nghiem reflected that one of the key factors creating this safe space is the practice of listening to the sound of the bell. For more than forty years in Plum Village, the bell has been invited regularly throughout the day. Each sound is a collective pause to stop, breathe, relax, and return to ourselves. Not through intensity, but through gentle regularity. Over time, this simple practice changes how we listen, speak, and relate to one another.

During the UN panel, Sister Dinh Nghiem invited the sound of the bell again and again, allowing participants to directly experience mindfulness as a lived practice, not just an idea.

✨ Global Moment of Silent Meditation

On Sunday, 21 December, World Meditation Day, we warmly invite you to join a global moment of silent meditation at 12:00 GMT.

Just 15 minutes to stop, breathe, and offer calm and presence to the world.

👉 Read the full article about Sister Dinh Nghiem’s sharing at the UN conference via the link in our bio.
(plumvillage.org/articles/celebrating-world-meditation-day)

20/12/2025

A Warm Christmas Offering from Plum Village

You are warmly invited to join us for a special live-streaming Christmas Dharma talk offered by Sister Chan Duc from Plum Village, France. (24th December, 2025, 3 PM CET, 9AM EST, 6AM PST)

At a time when many of us may feel tender, longing for connection, or simply wishing for a moment of stillness, we will gather as a global family to breathe together and touch the true spirit of Christmas — presence, compassion, and joy.

The Dharma talk will be offered in English, with French translation available through Zoom. There is no registration required. Simply click the livestream link at the scheduled time, and you can join the offering from wherever you are.

Whether you are spending Christmas alone or surrounded by loved ones, we hope this offering can be a gentle companion — a small gift of peace and connection from our monastic community to your heart.

- Christmas live Dharma talk offered by Sister Chan Duc from Plum Village, France. (24th December, 3PM CET, 9AM EST, 6AM PST)
- Christmas live Dharma talk by Sister Than Nghiem , Deer Park Monastery (25th December 1:15AM CET, 24th Dec 7:15PM EST, 24th Dec 4:15 PM PST)
- Christmas live Dharma talk by Sister The Nghiem (Sr. True Vow), Blue Cliff Monastery (24th December 10PM CET, 4PM EST, 1PM PST)

For the livestream link and details, please visit our official Plum Village website.

https://plumvillage.org/live-events/christmas-eve-dharma-talk-by-sister-chan-duc-sr-annabel-2

14/12/2025

🎄Befriending Loneliness during the Holiday Season

The holiday season can be joyful, and it can also be tender, lonely, or complicated. Family gatherings, different views, unspoken expectations… sometimes our hearts feel tired before we even arrive.

As a special Christmas season offering, we are sharing an excerpt from a heartfelt conversation from The Way Out Is In Podcast, where Sister Jina, Brother Phap Huu, and Jo Confino reflect on how to meet loneliness and difficult family moments with mindfulness and care.

A few reflections from the conversation:

“The issue is not the other people, it’s inside of me. And that’s good, because I can do something about it.” -Sister Jina

“When you go home, learn to be a loving family member, rather than asking everyone else to adapt to you.” -Brother Phap Huu

“It feels strange that people feel lonely when we are part of this extraordinary web of life.” -Jo Confino

This conversation gently reminds us that loneliness does not mean something is wrong with us. With simple practices — coming back to the breath, walking mindfully, offering gratitude — we can soften, reconnect, and feel less alone, even in challenging moments.

Wherever you are this season, you are not alone.
May these reflections offer a little warmth, steadiness, and connection, for you and for those you love.

To read the full article, please visit the Plum Village website via the link. (plumvillage.org/articles/befriending-loneliness-during-the-holiday-season)

🌿 Looking for further support?
You are warmly invited to join the Lower Hamlet Sisters of Plum Village for an online retreat: Calming the Fearful Mind (22–26 January, 2026), a nourishing space to cultivate calm, clarity, and compassion.

09/12/2025

🕯 Sangha Fire-Building Sessions Around the World

A historic moment is approaching for our global spiritual family.
In June 2026, Plum Village will host the Biennial June Retreat to celebrate 60 years of the Order of Interbeing (OI), founded by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh in 1966.

In the months leading up to the retreat, OI members and aspirants are invited to organize fire-building sessions in their local Sanghas and communities. These gatherings offer a chance to build connection, deepen understanding, and nourish our global sangha body.

🔥 How it works
• Fire-building sessions can be hosted in person by any committed Sangha member
• Inclusive of both OI members and dedicated practitioners
• At least 2.5 hours, including walking meditation, sitting/tea meditation, and Dharma sharing
• Can be part of a Day of Mindfulness or retreat program

🌿 Dharma sharing reflection questions
• What has the OI and Plum Village Sangha offered to my life?
• How can we nourish and refresh the Order of Interbeing?
• How can we ensure our community remains a refuge for future generations?
• What are your aspirations for our global spiritual family?

📩 After your session
Please designate one person to send: firebuilding@plumvillage.org
• Place + date + number of attendees
• Group photo
• A short reflection or sharing

May these fire-building sessions spark warmth, connection, and joyful togetherness around the world. Click the link below to read the full article.

plumvillage.org/articles/sangha-fire-building-sessions-around-the-world (link in bio)

03/12/2025

Willow Family — Novice Ordination Ceremony 2025 in Plum Village

On 9 November, in the Still Water Meditation Hall of the Dharma Cloud Temple (Plum Village, France), eight young people offered their hair and entered the monastic path, surrounded by their families, friends, and the entire Plum Village community. 🌱

Coming from Australia, Sweden, France, Taiwan, China, and Germany, they have entrusted their lives to this path of healing, transformation, and service, following their deepest aspirations.

“Shedding my hair completely, I make the great vow today to transform all my afflictions and bring happiness to all beings.”

“How wondrous is the robe of freedom! It is the field of all good seeds. I bow my head to receive it today and to express my profound gratitude.”

We warmly invite you to enjoy these precious moments from the novice ordination day. 🙏 The full photo album is available on the Plum Village website. (plumvillage.org/articles/willow-family-novice-ordination-ceremony-2025)