The Five Mindfulness Trainings
The Five Mindfulness Trainings represent the Buddhist vision for a global spirituality and ethic. They are a concrete expression of the Buddha’s teachings on the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path, the path of right understanding and true love, leading to healing, transformation, and happiness for ourselves and for the world. To practice the Five Mindfulness Trainings is to cultivate the insight of interbeing, or Right View, which can remove all discrimination, intolerance, anger, fear, and despair. If we live according to the Five Mindfulness Trainings, we are already on the path of a bodhisattva. Knowing we are on that path, we are not lost in confusion about our life in the present or in fears about the future.
The Five Mindfulness Trainings
The Five Mindfulness Trainings represent the Buddhist vision for a global spirituality and ethic. They are a concrete expression of the Buddha’s teachings on the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path, the path of right understanding and true love, leading to healing, transformation, and happiness for ourselves and for the world. To practice the Five Mindfulness Trainings is to cultivate the insight of interbeing, or Right View, which can remove all discrimination, intolerance, anger, fear, and despair. If we live according to the Five Mindfulness Trainings, we are already on the path of a bodhisattva. Knowing we are on that path, we are not lost in confusion about our life in the present or in fears about the future.
The Five Mindfulness Trainings
The Five Mindfulness Trainings represent the Buddhist vision for a global spirituality and ethic. They are a concrete expression of the Buddha’s teachings on the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path, the path of right understanding and true love, leading to healing, transformation, and happiness for ourselves and for the world. To practice the Five Mindfulness Trainings is to cultivate the insight of interbeing, or Right View, which can remove all discrimination, intolerance, anger, fear, and despair. If we live according to the Five Mindfulness Trainings, we are already on the path of a bodhisattva. Knowing we are on that path, we are not lost in confusion about our life in the present or in fears about the future.
The Five Mindfulness Trainings
The Five Mindfulness Trainings represent the Buddhist vision for a global spirituality and ethic. They are a concrete expression of the Buddha’s teachings on the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path, the path of right understanding and true love, leading to healing, transformation, and happiness for ourselves and for the world. To practice the Five Mindfulness Trainings is to cultivate the insight of interbeing, or Right View, which can remove all discrimination, intolerance, anger, fear, and despair. If we live according to the Five Mindfulness Trainings, we are already on the path of a bodhisattva. Knowing we are on that path, we are not lost in confusion about our life in the present or in fears about the future.
The Five Mindfulness Trainings
The Five Mindfulness Trainings represent the Buddhist vision for a global spirituality and ethic. They are a concrete expression of the Buddha’s teachings on the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path, the path of right understanding and true love, leading to healing, transformation, and happiness for ourselves and for the world. To practice the Five Mindfulness Trainings is to cultivate the insight of interbeing, or Right View, which can remove all discrimination, intolerance, anger, fear, and despair. If we live according to the Five Mindfulness Trainings, we are already on the path of a bodhisattva. Knowing we are on that path, we are not lost in confusion about our life in the present or in fears about the future.
The Five Mindfulness Trainings represent the Buddhist vision for a global spirituality and ethic. They are a concrete expression of the Buddha’s teachings on the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path, the path of right understanding and true love, leading to healing, transformation, and happiness for ourselves and for the world. To practice the Five Mindfulness Trainings is to cultivate the insight of interbeing, or Right View, which can remove all discrimination, intolerance, anger, fear, and despair. If we live according to the Five Mindfulness Trainings, we are already on the path of a bodhisattva. Knowing we are on that path, we are not lost in confusion about our life in the present or in fears about the future.
"The Five Mindfulness Trainings are one of the most concrete
ways to practice mindfulness. They are nonsectarian, and their
nature is universal. They are true practices of compassion and
understanding. All spiritual traditions have their equivalent to
the Five Mindfulness Trainings.
The first training is to protect life, to decrease violence in
ones self, in the family and in society. The second training
is to practice social justice, generosity, not stealing and not
exploiting other living beings. The third is the practice of
responsible sexual behavior in order to protect individuals,
couples, families and children. The fourth is the practice of
Deep listening and Loving Speech to restore communication
and reconcile. The fifth is the practice of Mindful Consumption,
to help us not bring toxins and poisons into our body or mind.
"The Five Mindfulness Trainings are one of the most concrete
ways to practice mindfulness. They are nonsectarian, and their
nature is universal. They are true practices of compassion and
understanding. All spiritual traditions have their equivalent to
the Five Mindfulness Trainings.
The first training is to protect life, to decrease violence in
ones self, in the family and in society. The second training
is to practice social justice, generosity, not stealing and not
exploiting other living beings. The third is the practice of
responsible sexual behavior in order to protect individuals,
couples, families and children. The fourth is the practice of
Deep listening and Loving Speech to restore communication
and reconcile. The fifth is the practice of Mindful Consumption,
to help us not bring toxins and poisons into our body or mind.
Peace in oneself, peace in the world...
Join us on retreats that include mindful travel in a culture different from our own,
as we learn to see ourselves in the eyes of those we meet along the way.
Loving Work Retreat, 2023 (Viet Nam)
Begins in Hanoi – Ends in Hanoi
Participate in community building through service-oriented
work projects that support the health and wellbeing of
Vietnamese children and families.
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Friday, March 24 - April 05, 2023
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Cost of Retreat: 13 days/12 nights
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Twin Share – $1,560 USD (per person)
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Single Accommodation – $1,944 USD
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INCLUDED IN LOVING WORK RETREAT FEE:
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All Accommodations
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All Meals (Plant-Based)
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All Domestic flights
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All Ground Transportation
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All Airport Transport Services
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All Entrance Fees
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All Tips (restaurants, hotels, bus drivers)
NOT INCLUDED IN LOVING WORK RETREAT FEES:
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International Travel Costs
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Cost of Travel/Medical Insurance (Required)
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Viet Nam Visa
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Additional Nights in Hotel (pre or post retreat)
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Personal Shopping; Laundry; Mini-Bar
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Tip for Retreat Coordinator
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Dana for Practice Leader
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Joyfully Together Retreat in Viet Nam with Options to include Singapore and Malaysia
Option #1: Begins in Hanoi, Includes 13 days in Viet Nam, Ends in Kuala Lumpur;
Option #2: Begins in Hanoi, includes 10 days in Viet Nam; 02 days in Singapore; 02 days Road Trip through Malaysia; 03 day-Retreat near Kuala Lumpur; Ends in Kuala Lumpur.
Option #1: Thirteen nights in Viet Nam. On April 06, fly with Linh to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A one-hour drive will take us to the Buddhist Sasana Foundation (BSF) Retreat Center nestled high in the hills of the Hulu Langat Forest where we will check in and meet our Dharma Siblings from the Joyfully Together Mindfulness Center of Kuala Lumpur and the Joyful Garden Sangha of Singapore. Retreat ends after Lunch Sunday, 09 April, in Kuala Lumpur.
COST: Twin Share USD 1,885 person Single (Private) USD 2,289 per person
FEES INCLUDE ALL RETREAT-RELATED EXPENSES
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Dates: Friday, 24 March – Sunday, 09 April, 2023
Option #2: Nine nights in Viet Nam. On 02 April, fly with Trish and Lynne from Da Nang to Singapore. Meet Joyful Garden Sangha Siblings; Stay 02 nights in Sangha House; Lazy Day sightseeing; evening practice with the Sangha. Enjoy (90-minute) road trip to Johor Bahru, Malaysia; one overnight; visit FOLO (Feeding Our Loved Ones) award-winning organic farm; Continue ( 2 2/12 hours) to small historic city of Malacca,; one overnight; Continue by car (02 hours) to the Buddha Sasana Retreat Center, near Kuala Lumpur. Retreat Ends in Kuala Lumpur (09 April)
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COST: Twin Share in Viet Nam, Johor Bahru, and Malacca --- Dorm-style at Joyful Garden Sangha House in Singapore and at BSF Center .......... USD 2,100 per person
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COST: Single (Private) in Viet Nam, in Singapore Hotel, in Johor Bahru, in Malacca ...dorm-style at BSF Center..........USD 2,484 per person
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ADD: USD 150 to stay in a twin-shared hotel room in Singapore (two nights)
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FEES INCLUDE ALL RETREAT-RELATED EXPENSES (One flight within Viet Nam; One international flight; all meals (plant-based); Ground transportation; Entrance fees; BSF Retreat Registration fee; Airport transfers; All tips.)
JOYFULLY TOGETHER RETREAT IN THAI PLUM VILLAGE:
NOT OFFERED IN 2023
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All Accommodations
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All Meals (Plant-Based)
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All Tips
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All Ground Transportation
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International Flights Hanoi to Bangkok, Bangkok to Hanoi or Hue
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Registration fee for Plum Village
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No Visa Required for Thailand
EXCLUDED IN RETREAT FEE:
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Additional Nights in Hotel (pre or post retreat)
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Cost of Viet Nam Tourist Visa (Multiple-Entry Required)
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Cost of Travel/Medical Insurance including Covid coverage
Homeland Retreat - Viet Nam
(Not Offered in 2023)
Go as a River, Discovering the Homeland of
Our Teacher, the Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh.
Practice in active monasteries, visit historic sites
and pagodas, engage with humanitarian aid projects,
and enjoy a variety of cultural events.
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Dates: Not offered in 2023
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Cost of Retreat:
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Twin Share – USD (per person)
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Single Accommodation – USD
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INCLUDED IN HOMELAND RETREAT FEE:
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All Accommodations
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All Meals (Plant-Based)
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All Domestic flights
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All Ground Transportation
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All Airport Transport Services
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All Entrance Fees
EXCLUDED IN HOMELAND RETREAT FEES:
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International Travel Costs
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Cost of Travel/Medical Insurance, w/Covid coverage (Required)
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Viet Nam Visa
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Additional Nights in Hotel (pre or post retreat)
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Personal Shopping; Laundvid ry; Mini-Bar
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Tip for Coordinator
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Dana for Practice Leader
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The USD 400 (minimum) Required Donation, to be disbursed during your retreat.
LWF Retreat Scholarship Program
The Loving Work Foundation (LWF) seeks to welcome as many friends as possible to experience the beauty, and connect with the wonderful people of Việt Nam. Due to the generosity of friends, LWF can provide 100% of the retreat fee to one accepted applicant, a member of the Wake Up Sangha, between the ages of 18 - 35, for the 2022 Loving Work/ Giving Service Retreat.
Not Included: Cost of International transportation, visa fee, tip for the Retreat Organizer, Dana for the practice leader, Medical Insurance w/Covid coverage. .
Scholarship recipients will be asked to fulfill the same requirement asked of all who join us, to engage in "friend-raising" funds (any amount is welcomed) from family and friends, to be donated to humanitarian projects we will visit during the retreats.
The deadline for submission is 15 June 2022.
In addition to basic contact and logistic information,
you will be asked to provide the following:
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Name and location of your Wake Up Sangha;
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A brief statement about what this opportunity means to you;
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A brief statement explaining the financial circumstances that support your application.
Applications must be received by 15 June, 2022. We will make every effort to respond within three weeks.
We recommend that applicants make no flight arrangements,
until they have received a response from LWF.
To request a scholarship application, please contact the Scholarship Committee at:
LOVING WORK RETREAT 2023 (Viet Nam)
March 24 - April 05
BEGIN in Hanoi…END in Hanoi
Practice Leaders: Dharmacharya Trish Thompson, with Lynne Kaufman & Danna Zelenka, Order of Interbeing
Retreat Coordinator: Linh Khanh Phan, Order of interbeing
Registrar: Trang Vu, Full Opening of the Heart
Itinerary: 24 March.- Hanoi, 4 PM Intros & Welcome dinner; 25, 26 - Hue City; 27, 28, 29, 30 - Dong Ha, Quang Tri; 31 & April 01 - Hue City, 02, 03, 04 - Hoi An; 05 April fly to Hanoi. Retreat ends in Hanoi, 05 April, after lunch.
TOGETHERNESS RETREAT 2022 (Viet Nam)
September 22 - October 1
BEGIN in Hanoi - 4 PM Meet in Hotel Lobby; Enjoy Welcome Dinner - Sep 23 Fly to Bangkok.
END in Hanoi (for those leaving the retreats).- Sep 30 Fly Bangkok to Hanoi
ENDS in Hue (for those continuing on the Homeland Retreat). Sep. 30 Fly Bangkok to Da Nang. Bus to Hue.
Practice Leaders: Dharma Teacher Trish Thompson; Lynne Kaufman, Paul Davis, Jeff Nielsen, Linh Khanh Phan, Senior Order of Interbeing Members
Retreat Coordinator: Linh Khanh Phan
Registrar: Trang Vu
Plum Village Thailand is located three hours northeast of Bangkok, 30 minutes from the town of Pak Chong. As we have done in the past, during the Togetherness Retreat, we’ll follow the schedule of the monks and nuns which will involve early morning Sitting Meditation, Mindful Walking, Working Meditation (gardening, sorting trash for recycling, etc.), Mindful Eating, Total Relaxation, and Evening Sitting and Chanting. There will be ample time for Dharma Sharing within our group. Our retreat will include a visit on 'Lazy Day' to the nearby Khao Yai National Park.
As with all of our 2022 retreats, all ‘plans’ are tentative. The pandemic has taught us to remain flexible.
HOMELAND OF OUR TEACHER RETREAT 2022 (Viet Nam)
September 30 - October 16
BEGIN in Hanoi...END in Hanoi
Practice Leaders: Dharma Teacher Trish Thompson; Lynne Kaufman, Paul Davis, Linh Khanh Phan, Order of Interbeing
Retreat Coordinator: Linh Khanh Phan
Registrar: Trang Vu
Sep 30 - Meet 4 PM in hotel lobby, enjoy a Welcome/Farewell dinner w/the group returning from PV Thai; Oct 01 - Fly to Hue, 01, 02, 03, 04,05, 06 Oct - Hue; 07, 08, 09 Oct - Hoi An; 10 Oct - Hanoi; 11, 12 - Ninh Binh; 13, 14 Oct - Yen Tu Mt; 15 Oct - Hanoi.
Retreat ends after breakfast - 16 Oct. - Hanoi.
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(Not Offered in 2023)
We welcome everyone from any spiritual tradition, or no tradition at all.
We only ask that all who join us agree to practice in our Plum Village tradition during our retreats.
Essential Elements of a Mindfulness Retreat in the Tradition of Plum Village:
IF YOU PLAN TO JOIN US ON RETREAT, PLEASE READ CAREFULLY. . .
Asked of all Retreatants:
◦ Observe our practice traditions
◦ Raise a minimum of $400 from friends and family, to be donated during our retreats
to our various community partners in Viet Nam. Note: We ask this of each "retreatant', not for each ' retreat. THIS 'REQUIREMENT' IS WAIVED FOR 2023.
FOR COUPLES, we ask for a minimum of $400. We in no way want this requirement to prevent friends from joining us! THIS 'REQUIREMENT' IS WAIVED FOR 2023.
◦ Attend all practices and activities
◦ Respect the schedule ~ please arrive at least 5 minutes before the beginning of each activity.
All Mindfulness retreats, no matter their location, are designed to support each friend to rest and relax the mind and body, letting go of the tensions of ordinary daily life. By slowing and stopping, we have a chance to be in touch with our joy and happiness, as well as with the suffering that is also there, deep in our consciousness. Our retreats are organized in such a way that whatever is there has a chance to come up, and be recognized and acknowledged. With the support of the practice
leaders and the other friends, all of our emotions are honored.
The schedule includes opportunities for formal consultations with one of the practice leaders.
Our retreats very quickly become a family affair, and in a spiritual family, the members look out for one another. Each member
is assigned as a “Big Sister” or “Big Brother” for another member. The older sibling has the responsibility to know what is happening with the one to whom they have been assigned. For example, if Little Sister is not feeling well and misses breakfast, Big Sister knows this and communicates this to the practice leaders and retreat coordinator. This is a very useful system that ensures that everyone is remembered, and the support they need is provided.
We encourage Twin Share occupancy, though single rooms are available. The practice of being a roommate can be deep and fruitful. The simple need to remember to close the door softly requires one to be Mindful.
Mindful Eating, the first 20 minutes in silence, is a primary practice on our retreats. We enjoy a plant-based diet of the freshest veggies and fruits in the presence of our friends. Eating healthy supports both our physical and mental wellbeing, as well as our commitment to practice reverence for life.
We strive to maintain a regular schedule for sleep, meals and afternoon rest. Whatever the activity, throughout each day, in every thing we do, we practice doing it in Mindfulness, being in the present moment, aware of our breath, aware of the thoughts in the mind and feelings in the body while also aware of what is going on around us. Every moment is an opportunity to be mindful.
We begin each morning with Formal Sitting Meditation and end most days in the same way. Ample time is built into the schedule for quiet time, journaling, and solitary reflection. And, most days include ‘Dharma Sharing,’ as we practice the skill of listening deeply to one another, using the language of the heart to express whatever needs to be heard.