meet our community builders and listen to their journey of practicing mindfulness
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Thanh Dang
I first read Thầy’s book, The Miracle of Mindfulness, in its Vietnamese version when I arrived in the U.S. in 1980. I immediately found his teachings deeply inspirational. In 1982, when Thầy came to the U.S. for the first time to lead a mindfulness retreat at Kim Son Monastery, I attended the retreat, received the Five Mindfulness Trainings, and became Thầy’s disciple. That experience was profoundly transformative and truly changed my life.
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My Thanh
I first met Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) in 2002. I was introduced to the practice of mindfulness in the Plum Village tradition by my brother-in-law. I am forever grateful to Thay’s teaching and his monastic students. In 2004, I was fortunate to be ordained into the Order of Interbeing and received the Dharma title “True Mountain of Compassion.”
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Huong Le
I first encountered the practice of mindfulness about 15 years ago during a Day of Mindfulness at Deer Park Monastery. This experience introduced me a new journey into Buddhism in a way that was practical and deeply transformative. Practicing mindfulness allows me to apply Buddhist teachings in my daily life, fostering greater understanding and love for myself and others. Over time, mindfulness became a powerful tool to navigate life’s challenges, including conflicts with others, academic stress, and the pressures of my dental career.
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Michelle Duong
I have known about Plum Village for the last three years from a good friend’s reference. At the time, my heart was very sad and disappointed about certain things that affected my dharma practice. I began losing some faith in the dharma. Suddenly a friend of mine met one of the sisters from the Plum […]
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Hanh Le
I was introduced to the practice of mindfulness and meditation back in 1995 when I joined the Vietnamese Buddhist Youth Association. Our leader, Mr. Thanh Dang, taught us sitting meditation, walking meditation, and eating in mindfulness. I remember that while in college, before a midterm or final exam, instead of cramming in as much information as possible at […]
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Myhanh Vu
My journey with mindfulness rooted in my Buddhist upbringing along with my involvement with Vietnamese Buddhist Youth (GĐPT) began at a very young age. When Deer Park Monastery was first opened in 2000, my dad took me there and I fell in love with the place and its wonderful innovative Buddhist practice tradition since then. […]
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Joni Ward
I’ve been a practitioner of the Plum Village tradition for 11 years, initially drawn to the practice after reading one of Thay’s books. While I do not perceive my own transformation, my friends have noticed my increased happiness. Among the various mindfulness practices, “Touching the Earth” has been the most important one to me. Because of my teaching background, I was invited by Sister Joy, a senior monastic from Magnolia Grove Monastery, to help with the Planting Seeds Days of Mindfulness for Children. I have a mantra: “You don’t say no to Sister Joy 😎” and that was the reason…
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Ray Tran
I learned about the Plum Village practice through my volunteering work at the Vietnam Buddhist Center. About two years ago, I had the privilege of meeting Sister Chan Hy Nghiem (Sister Joy), who introduced me to this transformative practice. Through her guidance, I was able to learn and embrace the teachings and practices of the Plum Village tradition, which have since become an integral part of my spiritual journey.
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Hanh Tran
I visited Deer Park Monastery in 2015, primarily out of curiosity rather than a pursuit of spiritual growth. My brother persuaded me to attend the retreat by covering all the flight tickets and costs. He had met Thầy two years earlier during a U.S. tour and often shared the wonderful experiences he had during the retreat. After three days of practice, I felt a significant change within me, as if I had been thirsting for something I didn’t recognize, and then suddenly, I experienced refreshing clarity. Since then, we have flown together every year from Houston to California for the…