Plum Village

05/07/2026

Engaged Buddhism, Reflections from a Journey of Inclusion

How do we create a spiritual community where everyone feels seen, welcomed, and at home?

In this heartfelt reflection, Brother Bao Tang (Brother Treasure) shares his personal experience as an openly q***r monk in Plum Village. He reflects on the meaningful steps our community has taken to embrace LGBTQIA+ siblings, while also acknowledging that the journey of inclusion continues.

Rather than offering simple answers, this article invites us to practice deep listening, loving speech, and openness. It reminds us that a truly inclusive Sangha is something we cultivate together, through understanding, courage, and compassionate presence.

As Thay taught, understanding is love.

🌿 Read the full article through the link in our bio. (plumvillage.org/articles/reflections-from-a-journey-of-inclusion)

30/06/2026

For the past two weeks, our June Retreat has brought together active members of the Order of Interbeing and OI Aspirants from around the world as we continue celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Order of Interbeing in Plum Village, France.

Together, we looked deeply into the past, present, and future of our beloved community. Through noble silence, Dharma talks, panel sharings, Question and Response sessions, workshops, and heartfelt dialogue, we explored how the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings can guide us in responding to the realities of our world with understanding, compassion, and courage.

We celebrated the richness and diversity of our international sangha while practicing deep listening and loving speech, and renewed our aspiration to continue Thay's vision of Engaged Buddhism for generations to come.

Above all, these two weeks reminded us of the precious gift of spiritual friendship. We warmly invite you to enjoy these glimpses from the final two weeks of our unforgettable June Retreat. 🌿

Full photo album here: plumvillage.org/articles/june-retreat-2026-celebrating-60-years-of-the-order-of-interbeing

17/06/2026

We are now entering the second week of our June Retreat, celebrating 60 years of the Order of Interbeing with more than 900 friends gathered in Plum Village, France.
Today, we'd like to share some moments from Week One: The Path of Engaged Buddhism.

Together, we explored how the Five Mindfulness Trainings and the spirit of the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings can guide us in responding to a world shaped by discrimination, violence, craving, and despair. Through sitting and walking meditation, Dharma talks, deep sharing, and community living, we reflected on a simple but profound question:
How can our way of living contribute to a shift in collective consciousness?

One of the highlights of the week was the Transmission Ceremony of the Five Mindfulness Trainings, as many friends took this beautiful step on the path of practice.

Please enjoy these snapshots of our first week together. 🌿

And stay tuned! We will be sharing more photos and stories from Weeks Two and Three very soon as our celebration of the Order of Interbeing continues.

Would you like to deepen your understanding of the spirit of the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings? We warmly invite you to enjoy this article:
🔗 plumvillage.org/articles/understanding-and-love-the-spirit-of-the-fourteen-mindfulness-trainings

09/06/2026

“Keeping your body healthy is an expression of gratitude to the whole cosmos—the trees, the clouds, everything.” - Thich Nhat Hanh”

From 8 to 15 May 2026, friends from around the world gathered in New Hamlet for a week of slowing down, resting deeply, and reconnecting with body and mind during our Wellbeing Retreat.

Together, we practiced sitting and walking meditation, mindful exercises, deep relaxation, mindful eating, Dharma sharing, and hiking in nature. Nourished by the collective energy of the Sangha, we touched moments of healing, peace, and togetherness in the simplicity of daily practice.

During the retreat, we explored teachings on the Four Pillars of Health, Mindful Consumption, mindful communication through Beginning Anew, and the art of creating space and peace within ourselves.

We warmly invite you to enjoy some of these precious moments through our photo album on the Plum Village website 🌸
plumvillage.org/articles/wellbeing-retreat-2026

And for young adults wishing to practice together this summer, there are still some spaces available in New Hamlet and Lower Hamlet for the Wake Up Retreat ✨
plumvillage.org/event/retreat/wake-up-retreat-2026

31/05/2026

Celebrating Vesak in Plum Village

On the 21st of May, our beloved multifold community gathered in Upper Hamlet of Plum Village France to celebrate Vesak—commemorating the birth, enlightenment, and passing (parinirvana) of Shakyamuni Buddha.

In his Dharma talk, Brother Bao Tang shared that as we bathe the baby Buddha during this celebration, we are also watering the seed of awakening—of deep understanding, true happiness, love, and compassion—within ourselves.

“Today we bathe the Tathagata.
Deep wisdom and clarity bring great happiness.
May all living beings who are overwhelmed by suffering
see the Dharmakaya in this very world.” - Gatha for Bathing the Buddha

We were blessed with glorious weather on this gorgeous spring day, as monastics and lay friends from all over the world came together to practice and honor our ancestral spiritual lineage, as well as the seeds of awakened nature within ourselves and in each other.

We invite you to share in these exquisite moments from our Vesak celebration day.
(plumvillage.org/articles/celebrating-vesak-in-plum-village)

25/05/2026

We are happy to share a selection of Plum Village monastic retreats and teaching tours across Europe in 2026 🌿

From silent hiking in the Alps, to mindful community practice in the UK, Norway, and Greece, France, each retreat offers a unique opportunity to come home to yourself and to the Sangha.

Whether walking through mountains, practicing in nature, or gathering in a shared space of mindfulness, we are invited to cultivate peace, compassion, and togetherness in daily life.

🌿 Featured retreats include:
• Steps of Wonder ~ Hiking Retreat in Rondane | Norway
plumvillage.org/event/tour/steps-of-wonder-a-plum-village-hiking-retreat-in-rondane-norway

• Healing Begins Here: Four Immeasurable Loves | Greece
plumvillage.org/event/tour/healing-begins-here-the-four-immeasurable-loves

• Paths of Happiness: Mindful hiking on Tour du Mont Blanc | Europe
plumvillage.org/event/tour/paths-of-happiness-mindful-hiking-on-tour-du-mont-blanc-2

• Plum Village UK Retreats 2026 | United Kingdom
plumvillage.org/event/tour/plum-village-uk-retreats-2026

If you feel called to join, please visit the Plum Village website retreat page and filter by “Tours” to find more details and registration information.

We look forward to practicing together on the path ✨

20/05/2026

This Sunday, May 24, 2026 🌿

Join a global gathering to celebrate Living Gems, the world’s largest collection of Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings. Discover rare and unseen Dharma talks, hear reflections from senior monastics, and explore how this living archive can nourish and support your practice. 🙏

✨ Two time zones available:
3:00 PM CET
7:00 PM CET

🔗 Register via link in bio

We look forward to coming together as a global sangha.

14/05/2026

Go as a River, Not a Drop of Water 🌿

“Taking refuge in the sangha is a very deep practice. If you are only a drop of water, you may be afraid. But when you become a river, you know you will reach the ocean." - Thich Nhat Hanh

When we sit, walk, eat, and practice together, we generate a powerful collective energy of mindfulness. With the support of the sangha, suffering can be embraced, understood, and transformed.

“The sangha always generates the energy of mindfulness, concentration, and insight.”

Our teacher Thich Nhat Hanh, Thay reminded us that a sangha is not simply an organization, but a living organism. Like birds flying in formation or bees moving together in harmony, the strength of the sangha comes from togetherness, presence, and compassion. “The ground of to do is to be.”

"How can the Order of Interbeing become an inspiration and refuge for the world?”
Thay described this as a collective kōan, a deep question or practice inquiry held by the whole sangha together.

This article is excerpted from a Dharma talk offered by Thich Nhat Hanh during the 21-Day Retreat on 8 June 2002 in Plum Village, France.

✨ If you would like to experience the collective energy of practice and togetherness in Plum Village, we warmly invite you to join us this summer.

Some spaces are still available for the Summer Opening Retreat in July, and young adults are also welcome to join the Wake Up Retreat in early August.

🔗plumvillage.org/event/retreat/adults-summer-opening-2026
🔗plumvillage.org/event/retreat/wake-up-retreat-2026
🔗plumvillage.org/articles/go-as-a-river-not-a-drop-of-water-taking-refuge-in-the-sangha

09/05/2026

Would you like to spend your summer practicing together in Plum Village? 🌿

There are still some places available in Upper Hamlet and New Hamlet for the Summer Opening Retreat in July, as well as a few remaining spaces in the children’s program in New Hamlet. Young adults may also enjoy joining the Wake Up Retreat in August (August 10 to August 17, 2026) ✨

plumvillage.org/event/retreat/adults-summer-opening-2026
plumvillage.org/event/retreat/wake-up-retreat-2026

As we prepare to welcome friends this summer, we are happy to share some moments from our recent Francophone Retreat in New Hamlet, Plum Village France.

Last month, French-speaking practitioners from around the world gathered for a precious week of practice together. Through sitting and walking meditation, Dharma sharing, mindful eating, total relaxation, and joyful mindful service, we cultivated peace, presence, and connection as a community.

We were also joyful to celebrate Sister Chan Khong’s continuation day and Easter together during this special week 🌸

We invite you to enjoy these moments captured in photos, glimpses of peace, joy, and compassion blooming in our hearts.
plumvillage.org/articles/francophone-retreat-2026

08/05/2026

Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Parallax Press 🪷

This affectionate trip down memory lane by outgoing publisher Hisae Matsuda, who recently became a member of the Order of Interbeing, shares the backstory behind Parallax’s publications, celebrating the people who made the books possible, and the team of practitioner-publishing professionals guiding the journey of tomorrow.

This is our third offering in our monthly series in which we feature articles written by an OI member, as we lead up to our June Retreat, celebrating 60 years of the Order of Interbeing.

This post features an excerpt taken from Hisae’s article originally published in the Mindfulness Bell.

This affectionate trip down memory lane by outgoing publisher Hisae Matsuda shares the backstory behind Parallax’s publications, celebrating the people who made the books possible, and the team of…