My spiritual lineage and practice history
I practice mainly with Plum Village and MIDL communities. I also benefit greatly from teachers of other traditions such as His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Shunryu Suzuki-roshi, and Ajahn Brahm.
My home tradition is the Plum Village tradition of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (also known as “Thแบงy”, Vietnamese for “Teacher”, by his students). In 2014, I read my first book by Thแบงy and soon followed that with visits (ranging from 3 days to 3 months long) to his monastery to immerse into the practice. Just like how one learns basic manners of eating, working, and interacting with others in oneโs home, Plum Village is my home tradition because it taught me how to conduct basic actions of my life in mindfulness ๐
As my healing and transformation deepened with the help of Plum Village practices and teachers, I started to feel a need for more structure in my sitting meditation practice. In 2021, I met my first teachers in the Insight Meditation tradition, and have been discovering more teachers and practices in the coming years, each resonating with particular places I was at on the path.
I am immensely grateful for the good spiritual friends I have encountered, be it in person or books or YouTube Dharma talks. And I canโt wait to see where the practice takes me next! ๐
A disclaimer
I am NOT a certified meditation teacher or mental health professional. And I am certainly NOT claiming to be enlightened ๐ I’m sharing my experiences to connect with fellow practitioners, not to instruct anybody.
Which leads me to…
Why I write about meditation practice
First of all, I enjoy writing ๐ I find the entire process – brainstorming ideas, drafting, finding the right words to convey my experiences, editing, etc. – extremely satisfying, even though there is no lack of frustrating moments when you are in the midst of it ๐
As to why I write about this particular topic:
In the Plum Village tradition of Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, there is a practice called โDharma sharing.โ Fellow retreatants or members of a practice group โ from first-timers to Dharma teachers who have been practicing since before you and I were born โ sit in a circle and take turns to talk and listen. Instead of discussing Buddhist concepts and philosophy, we share personal experiences of applying and living the teachings, or the joys and difficulties we encounter in life.
These sharing sessions are a big part of keeping me on the Path. Each shared struggle and triumph in staying mindful amidst the wild spectrum of life experiences (moving to a new city, navigating family dynamics, starting and ending relationships, and on and on) was a ray of sunshine that nourished the seed of aspiration in my heart. I can keep going because I know there are people out there, with lives just as messy or even messier than mine, who are practicing, too. And I hope what I share on this blog can help someone to keep going.
On this path to liberation that stretches over lifetimes, perhaps we travelers have met time and time again to share meals and life stories, to help one another navigate, and to receive much-needed encouragement for the journey ahead. So, thank you for stopping a while to listen to the ponderings of this fellow traveler ๐ Grab a cup of tea, stretch out your weary legs, and enjoy!
โจโจโจ
May this be of benefit to all beings!