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(Half bell)

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(Bell)

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Dear Thay, dear community,

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You spoke about
if we live in a toxic environment

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where there is something we think
is bad for our soul or spirit

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we should leave.

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I live perhaps...

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I live in Israel, in the West Bank.

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In the ground, in everybody's mind,
my family's mind, my children's' mind

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there is a lot of suffering,
a lot of anger, hostility,

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a lot of racial memories
that Jewish people remember.

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Things from thousands of years.

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I have no idea how to take myself away
from a collective conscious,

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from my children and my grandchildren,


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from my home, from a place that I feel
is not good for me.

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My question is:

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How can we remove
from a toxic environment

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when in that environment we have children,
grandchildren, our friends are there,

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our work is there,
our ancestors are there.

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We can contribute to the work
of changing the environment.

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We can also come together
and create a kind of island

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that is safer and healthier

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to protect ourselves

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in the case that we cannot pull out.

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In Plum Village in the past

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we have sponsored many groups
of Palestinians and Israelis

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to come and practice with us.

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We have learned a lot from that.

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Every time two groups came,

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we noticed that they could not
look at each other,

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because each group
has a lot of anger, fear,

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and suspicion.

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And it is not pleasant
to look at the other group.

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Because you think that your suffering
has been created by the other group.

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You are the only victim

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and they are the ones
who cause your suffering.

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That is the thinking,
that is the feeling.

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A lot of anger and fear.

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And suspicion.

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So during the first week of the practice
we helped them, both groups,

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-they didn't stay together in one place-

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in the practice of mindful breathing,
mindful walking, to calm down,

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and to learn how to look at
that suffering, that anger, that fear.

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And the practice of touching
the wonders of life, the nature.

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Because there are many of us,
coming from many countries,

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and together we can create
an atmosphere of brotherhood, sisterhood,

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which is very pleasant to be in.

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During the first week both groups
profit from that kind of environment.

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We eat together, we walk together,

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we share together
our learning, our practice.

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And the second week we begin
the practice of deep listening

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and loving speech.

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One of the two groups

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is invited to speak.

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They are encouraged to tell
everything in their hearts.

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All kind of suffering
that they have gone through

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on their side.

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When the Palestinians speak,
then the Israelis just listen.

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And you who speak, you are encouraged
to use the kind of language

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that can help the other side
to understand.

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If there is too much accusation,
blame and anger,

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the other side will not be able
to listen to you.

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So try to use a kind of language

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that helps the other side
to understand the suffering on your side.

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You must tell them.

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Every kind of suffering that your children
and adults have gone through,

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tell them everything.

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But please do not accuse, do not blame,

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do not be bitter.

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And that will help them,

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because the purpose of speaking is
to help the other side to understand.

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Understand here means understand
the suffering of the other side.

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On the other side who listens,

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we recommend that
they listen with compassion.

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Listening like this,
we have only one purpose:

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to allow them a chance to speak out,
to empty their heart and suffer less.

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Because you know that they also suffer.

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That is called compassionate listening.

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You listen with only one purpose:
to help them to speak out,

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to empty their heart
so that they can suffer less.

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That is why, during the time you listen,
you should not react.

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Just listen.

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Stop your thinking.
Just listen.

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Even if they say wrong things,

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they have a lot of wrong perceptions,

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their perceptions do not
correspond with reality,

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you still continue to listen
and do not interrupt them

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and correct them.

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Because if you do, you transform
the session into a debate.

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That will ruin everything.

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You have to practice mindful breathing

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and maintain mindfulness
of compassion alive in you.

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We are listening to them
with only one purpose:

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help them to suffer less.

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That is enough for you to be protected.

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You are protected
by the energy of compassion.

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That is why what they say doesn't trigger
irritation and anger in you.

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Because you are protected by compassion.

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Mindfulness and compassion.

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Just remember one thing:

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I listen with only one purpose,

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to help him to suffer less.

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You can listen for one hour
without anger or irritation.

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That is the practice of a bodhisattva,

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Bodhisattva of Deep Listening,

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Compassionate Listening.

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Even if they have
a lot of wrong perceptions,

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I will not interrupt them.

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I allow them a chance to suffer less.

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There will be a few more weeks together.

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Three or four days later,

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we may offer them some information
for them to correct their perceptions,

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but not now.
Now is only listening.

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When you listen like that,

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for the first time you see
that on the other side

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they are human beings like you

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and they have suffered exactly

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the kind of suffering that
you have suffered on your side.

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Very much the same.

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Bombs, bullets, mortars,

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the death of children,
the death of adults,

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houses burnt and so on.

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Despair and so on.

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For the first time,
you see their suffering.

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You understand their suffering

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because you have suffered very much
the same kind of suffering.

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The first time that you see
that they are victims like you.

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You are not the only victim
of the conflict.

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Suddenly,

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you are capable of looking at them
in a different way.

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Because you have seen their suffering,

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you have understood their suffering,

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suddenly there is compassion in your eyes.

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And when you look at them with compassion,
you don't suffer anymore.

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It is a miracle.

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You don't want to punish them anymore.

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You wish that they will not have
to suffer like that in the future.

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It means that listening like that allows
compassion to be born in your heart.

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You suffer less

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when you listen,

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when you understand
the suffering on the other side.

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And you know that you have your chance
to tell them also about your suffering

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so that you can help transform them.

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They will not be angry at you

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they will not be fearful of you anymore.

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They will be able to remove
their wrong perceptions about you.

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That is the practice of deep listening,
compassionate listening and loving speech

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that they practice
beginning the second week.

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And many of us,
coming from many countries,

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we sit with them and offer
our collective energy for them.

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The healing takes place.

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People feel differently,

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look differently, listen differently.

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Slowly, they come together
and eat together.

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They can hold hands
to do walking meditation together.

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They create a new kind of energy.

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(At the end) of the retreat,

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they always come together as one group.

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They reported to the whole sangha
about the progress they had made.

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Before living Plum Village
they always promise

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that once they go back to the Middle East

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the will come together
to organize that kind of practice

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so that other people can come
and practice and suffer less.

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So it is very possible
that a number of us come together,

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create a kind of island
of peace and understanding

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and that island can grow.

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This is what many of our friends
are trying to do in the Middle East.

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Our Dharma teachers
go there from time to time

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to offer a retreat.

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If we can do it on a large scale,

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I think there will be more hope.

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If president Obama knows
how to organize a peace negotiation,

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he will give both sides enough time

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to calm down, to do sitting,
walking, breathing,

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to calm down first before they negotiate.

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You cannot negotiate peace if you are
still full of anger, fear and suspicion.

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That is what we do in Plum Village,

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helping them to calm down first,

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to see each other as human beings
who have suffered like us

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before we begin listening
to each other and talking.

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Let us not give up our hope,

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let us not allow despair to overwhelm us.
There is a way.

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Many of us in many countries

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are willing to support you

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in this attempt to create
more mutual understanding

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as the foundation of true peace.

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(Bell)

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(Bell)