The 2 major benefits of meditation – what to expect, and how predictable are they?

Easter is approaching and as mentioned in the last post, I have been persuaded to present a meditation retreat for Rigpa, the Tibetan Buddhist, Dzogchen group I have belonged to for decades. It has raised the question of what one might expect from meditation practice and the very real issue for many of unrealistic expectations.  So this week, more details of the retreat - click or see below - along with a revisit of meditation’s benefits, what to expect, and how to get the most from your practice, but first 

     Thought for the day

         As you continue to practice the method,

         Then meditation slowly arises. 

         Meditation is not something that you can “do”; 

         It is something that has to happen spontaneously, 

        Only when you have perfected the practice.

                    Sogyal Rinpoche

Why keep meditating daily? 

What is in it for me? What can you reasonably expect?

When it comes to meditation, it seems there are 2 big classes of benefits. There are the obvious, and the subtle. However, unrealistic expectations seem to interfere with many people’s meditation progress and satisfaction levels. Experience tells me that one big group of meditation benefits is reliably predictable – with the more you learn and practice, the more directly you benefit.

But then there is a whole other class of benefits that are far from predictable, and unrealistic expectations in this arena can lead to frustration and disappointment. 

The many obvious benefits of meditation

In our modern world, the obvious benefits are being well researched and we can say they are now reasonably well proven. Without wanting to overstate things, pretty well any area of human activity that has been studied – and there have been a lot – seems to get better when the people doing them meditate.  

You are probably familiar with these benefits – relaxation, stress management, better sleep, better
performance at work and in sport and education, better resilience and mental state generally. 

Many healing benefits – accelerated healing with evidence of many diseases including mental health issues being improved in both quality of life and outcome. 

And on and on….

Now the good news for all these obvious benefits is that they are reasonably predictable. 

Get good instruction – ideally from a teacher, but many find a book or on-line platform works – apply yourself, and results will follow. 

The more you learn and practice, generally speaking, the more the benefits. And these obvious benefits tend to build in a fairly linear fashion. As time passes, as your practice builds, things get steadily better.

The subtle benefits of meditation

Traditionally, people meditated for what we might call subtler, or more esoteric reasons. They were seeking the truth of who they really were, a direct experience of the divine, or of themselves as some traditions would express it.

Experience tells that some people started on this path and almost immediately had profound and life-changing experiences. However, I personally know quite a few who have put in years of effort, years of study with good teachers and years of diligent practice, and are still searching for some elusive and ephemeral experience.

Plenty can be said about what helps lead into these deeper experiences – my books and other blogs go into all this – but for now, it seems worthwhile pointing out this difference. 

The difference between what comes easily, and what seems more unpredictable. 

The point is, if one is seeking the essence of meditation – the profound insights and deeper experiences that are definitely there to be had, one does tend to need patience; and perseverance. 

Also, paradoxically as many will know, while with the obvious benefits it is quite reasonable and effective to have expectations of benefit, with these subtler benefits, the more we let go of expectations, the more the benefits flow. Tricky :)

So why go on a meditation retreat?

Speaking personally again, I go on at least one annual, personal retreat for a few reasons. 

Firstly the obvious reasons for meditating are highly valuable and are a function of study and practice – it is worth continuing to learn, and taking the opportunity to deepen the practice. 

Of course, I teach meditation, so for me this is also a bit like going to a summer school. There is always more to bring back to those I teach.

But then, for those more subtle benefits, creating conducive circumstances is one of the most reliable ways to experience the more profound benefits. So withdrawing from daily life for a while, having a good teacher, being in like-minded company; all that does make for increased possibilities. 

And also, there is the fact of being with those like-minded people each year. It is one of the things Ruth and I enjoy in our own retreats. As the years roll on, it seems more people form friendships and come back as groups to renew and deepen those relationships and to enjoy practicing together.

So Happy Easter. Happy meditating and may you feel the obvious and subtle benefits of your own practice.

Easter Meditation Retreat

Topic : Mind in Comfort and Ease : a Shamatha retreat. Shamatha is the basis of Dzogchen meditation and translates as calm abiding; it is a technique one can learn that reliable leads to a relaxed body and mind, leading towards a state of inner peace characterized by being able to remain undistracted

Venue: In person or online. In person in Melbourne where Ian will be teaching, and in Sydney and Newcastle where the retreat will streamed and supported by other Rigpa teachers. Online courtesy of Zoom.

Melbourne: 803 Nicholson Street, Carlton North
Sydney: 158 Australia Street, Newtown

Dates Friday 15th April from 9.00am to Monday 18th at 4pm.

Booking LINK

Mind in Comfort and Ease - Ian Gawler Easter Meditation Retreat

Join groups in Melbourne, Sydney and Newcastle; Online option as well



Easter is approaching - a natural time for introspection. This year for the first time, I will present a meditation retreat open to the public based upon the Tibetan Buddhist Dzogchen teachings I have been studying and practicing for decades. 

With so much turmoil around us at present, there may never be a better time to step back a little, relax, allow the mind to settle, and to reconnect with our own inner peace. So this week, details on the style of meditation and the retreat, but first

   Thought for the day

      Even if you have a lot of money and power and fame, 

       You can still suffer very deeply. 

        If you do not have enough peace and compassion within you, 

         There is no way you can be happy.

                    Thich Nhat Hahn

So much turmoil on the outside… The pandemic continues to affect the way we live, there is the constant threat of environmental devastation highlighted most recently by the tragic floods in NSW and Queensland, there is the horror of the Russian invasion of the Ukraine, and then our own issues – family, communities, finances. So much change and uncertainty. So many people suffering deeply.

It is so easy to become swept up in our own thoughts and emotions as one challenge is heaped upon another. It is as if our mind can become lost in all that is going on “out there”, and we lose any sense of peace and clarity.

This is where meditation has so much to offer. When we start to meditate, we learn to turn our mind inwardly, and there we can make a great discovery. Just as a great hurricane has at its centre a space of calm stillness, so too do we have in our core this place of peace and tranquillity. 

And the good news is we do not need to manufacture this inner peace or create it through some fancy technique. Real meditation is more like an unfolding. It is like bringing our mind home; bringing it back from its engagement with the chaos, to experience its own natural peace and clarity that always was, always will be there.

And if you doubt this to be so, if you are yet to experience this “inner sanctuary”, meditation provides the means whereby you can explore, experiment and find the truth for yourself. 

This Easter retreat will be based on the shamatha teachings. 

In the Tibetan tradition of Dzogchen there are 4 levels of meditation practice and we begin with shamatha. 

Shamatha translates as “calm abiding” or resting calmly. 

The practice involves following clear and simple instructions that reliably help us to let go of worry, stress and anxiety while enabling us to find this inner peace. And in doing so, we become familiar with this inner truth, the truth of our own peace and clarity. 

Then, from this base, we can extend our peace and clarity into how we live our daily lives. This can be truly transforming, and having witnessed so many people turn their lives around for the better using these techniques explains why I am so passionate about teaching them.

The retreat itself will be presented by Rigpa, the Tibetan Buddhist organisation I have been involved with for over 35 years. You will be able to join myself and Ruth in Rigpa’s Brunswick Centre (Melbourne), join other like-minded people in Rigpa’s Sydney (Newtown) and Newcastle Centres, or gather live online.

For much of the retreat we will practice together with some guidance from myself.

There will also be

. Teachings on how to practice and what to expect

. Many practice tips – the subtle points that can make a big difference

. Guidance on how to settle a restless or painful body

. How to settle a restless or agitated mind; and how to manage strong emotions from a meditator’s perspective

. Problem solving for new people and those who have been meditating a good while – good opportunities for question and answers.

Please do invite your family, friends and colleagues.

This retreat is suitable for anyone who would like to practice in the supportive company of a community of meditators; and will particularly benefit :

• Anyone who wants to develop and deepen their meditation practice - whether you are experienced or not; a Rigpa student or not.

• People who have been enjoying Rigpa’s 20 Minutes a Day Meditation program

• Those who attend Inspiring a Revolution in Your Heart and Mind - A transformative course currently in progress at Rigpa presenting the ancient wisdom of Tibetan Buddhism that can be joined at regular intervals

• Rigpa All Encompassing Path students

The event will be available online for those who are unable to get to a centre. 

DATES and SCHEDULE   -   Easter 2022

9.15am Friday 15th April to 4pm Monday 18th April 

Saturday and Sunday 9.15am to 6.00pm with good breaks throughout the days

VENUE

THIS WILL BE A HYBRID RETREAT - IN PERSON AND ONLINE

If you are able to join at a centre in your city we look forward to greeting you in person at these locations:

Melbourne: 803 Nicholson Street, Carlton North
Sydney: 158 Australia Street, Newtown
Newcastle: Unit 18/26 Oakdale Rd, Gateshead

Ian will be present in the Melbourne Centre; streamed live to Sydney and Newcastle, along with those attending online

TO REGISTER - CLICK HERE 

Is soy milk safe? Oestrogen, breast cancer and soy – the answers…

Do soy products affect breast cancer risks and does soy help or hinder recovery from breast cancer? And what of soy milk specifically? Is it safe?

Despite years of research and clinical evidence these questions still seem confusing to many. So this week, a research and experiential soy summary, then the soy milk specifics; plus a bonus - the role of oestrogen in COVID, but first

    Thought for the day

The person who asks a question

Is a fool for one minute.

The person who does not ask a question

Is a fool for life.

         Confucious

THE BASIC FACTS

The activity of most breast cancers are influenced by hormonal levels, especially the main female sex hormone oestrogen – basically more oestrogen is bad, less is better. Oestrogen is produced within the body and also can be taken in via common foods we eat; the phyto-oestrogens. 

How oestrogen influences breast cancer is by attaching onto the breast cancer cells and stimulating their activity. 

Some compounds can block this interaction; the oestrogen blockers. 

Some phyto-oestrogens stimulate breast cancer, some act as oestrogen blockers.

So the effect oestrogen has on breast cancer is a combination of the amount produced within the body plus any oestrogen-like foods consumed, minus the mitigating effect of any oestrogen blockers.

But now, consider this - most breast cancers occur after menopause when the ovaries have stopped producing oestrogen, so where does the oestrogen come from? 

Is it only from the outside? Well, no, some still comes from the body - from fatty tissue, muscle and breast cells. But also, breast cancer cells produce their own oestrogen that then can go on to stimulate more cancer growth! 

So the question is, what can be done to block the adverse effects of oestrogen? 

There are 2 possibiities

1. Blocking the adverse effects of oestrogen

In mainstream medicine a number of drugs are used as oestrogen blockers – the oldest being Tamoxifen, while more recent ones include Arimidex, Aromasin and Femara that are only suitable for women who have completed menopause.

And what about phyto-oestrogens? 

Do they act as oestrogen stimulants or as oestrogen blockers? 

In previous posts the research evidence has been made clear. 

Soy products are effectively oestrogen blockers. 

But then the question of what type of soy is OK for you to eat?

Minimally processed soy foods like cooked soybeans, tofu, tempeh are all OK. 

Highly processed soy, not so good; in fact better to minimise or avoid foods based upon Textured Soy Proteins like veggie sausages, mock meats and so on.

2. Stopping breast cancer cells from producing oestrogen

It turns out oestrogen is produced in breast cancer cells using 2 enzyme pathways. In fact, inhibiting this oestrogen production has been shown to be more effective than just trying to block the effects of the estrogen, “suggesting that the inhibition of estrogen synthesis is clinically very important for the treatment of estrogen-dependent breast cancer.”

There are drugs that do this – the common aromatase inhibitors are letrozole, anastrozole and exemestane. But how about this? The plant world is so amazing! Turns out soy phytoestrogens not only is a oestrogen blocker, it also reduces aromatase production. 

In a 2015 paper, the authors concluded “In general, phytoestrogens act as aromatase inhibitors by (a) decreasing aromatase gene expression, (b) inhibiting the aromatase enzyme itself, or (c) in some cases acting at both levels of regulation.”

Lephart ED. Modulation of Aromatase by Phytoestrogens. Enzyme Res. 2015;2015:594656. doi:10.1155/2015/594656

 

THE SPECIFICS – SOY MILK and BREAST CANCER RISKS

What does the research offer? In a randomised study, Japanese women were asked to add 400ml per day of soy milk to their diet or not for just 2 months. 400ml is quite a lot! Oestrogen levels dropped about a quarter in the soy milk supplemented group. 

Nagata C et al. Effect of soymilk consumption on serum estrogen concentrations in premenopausal Japanese women. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1998 Dec 2;90(23):1830-5. 

Japanese women live in a culture where soy is a common food, so what about in America where it is not? 

In a small study, women aged 22 – 29 consumed 350 ml soy milk and within a month halved their circulating oestrogen levels. 

Importantly, the oestrogen levels stayed down for a month or two even after the subjects stopped drinking soy milk, which suggests you may not need to consume soy daily to gain the cancer protective benefit.

The authors concluded “These results suggest that consumption of soya diets containing phytoestrogens may reduce circulating ovarian steroids and adrenal androgens and increase menstrual cycle length. 

Such effects may account at least in part for the decreased risk of breast cancer that has been associated with legume consumption.”

Lu LJ,et al. Effects of soya consumption for one month on steroid hormones in premenopausal women: implications for breast cancer risk reduction. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 1996 Jan;5(1):63-70.

Isoflavins and breast cancer risk

Still not fully confident? Isoflavones are only one of the major phyto-oetrogens, so this research is not the same as testing soy as a whole, however, in this recent meta-analysis, the authors did conclude “Taking into account the risk of bias and methodological limitations, there is little evidence that isoflavone treatment modulates risk factors of breast cancer in pre- and postmenopausal women.” 

This is a conservative finding with no positive benefit claimed, but it does state clearly the research finds no discernible risk. 

Finkeldey L, Schmitz E, Ellinger S. Effect of the Intake of Isoflavones on Risk Factors of Breast Cancer-A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Intervention Studies. Nutrients. 2021 Jul 5;13(7):2309. 

Lifetime effects of phyto-oestrogenss on hormones

Need more? Another recent major study concluded “In premenopausal and postmenopausal women, the reported impacts on hormones are inconsistent, although beneficial goitrogenic effects and improved glycemic control and cardiovascular risk markers have been described in postmenopausal individuals.” 

Good for diabetes and heart disease, but again, no mention of adverse effects from soy. 

Domínguez-López et al. Effects of Dietary Phytoestrogens on Hormones throughout a Human Lifespan: A Review. Nutrients. 2020 Aug 15;12(8):2456.

 

WHAT TO DO?


In my opinion, eat minimally processed soy foods regularly. 

Soy milk is OK. Bonsoy remains the best choice. 

Rest easy. 

Stay healthy.

Heal well when needed...

 

AND FINALLY - Oestrogen may protect from COVID-19

It has been widely observed that adult men of all ages are at higher risk of developing serious complications from COVID-19 when compared with women. This large study investigated the association of COVID-19 positivity and severity with estrogen exposure in women. 

The findings support a protective effect of estrogen exposure on COVID-19, based on positive association between predicted COVID-19 with menopausal status, and negative association with use of the combined oral contraceptive pill. 

HRT use was positively associated with COVID-19, but the results should be considered with caution due to lack of data on HRT type, route of administration, duration of treatment, and potential unaccounted for confounders and comorbidities.

Costeira R et al. Estrogen and COVID-19 symptoms: Associations in women from the COVID Symptom Study. PLoS One. 2021 Sep 10;16(9) 

RELATED BLOGS

The latest on soy and breast cancer 

Is soy safe – Part 1

Is soy safe – Part 2

 

Can you see the cloud in the water? Thich Nhat Hahn – a tribute Part 2

He gently elevated a glass of water into the air. Hundreds of eyes followed Thich Nhat Han’s hand as it rose higher. Then the gentle, assured voice : Can you see the cloud in the water? 

Well not literally, but then the point was made; without the cloud there would be no water. The cloud and the water are inter-dependent. Can you see the cloud in the water?

So this week, more stories of meeting with our sadly missed Thich Nhat Hahn at his main retreat centre in Plum Village, France, a few select teachings and recounting co-presenting a remarkable cancer retreat in Germany with one of his monks, but first

       Thought for the day

    Breathing in I calm my body

    Breathing out I smile

    Dwelling in the present moment

    I know this is a wonderful moment

                           Thich Nhat Hahn

 

Plum Village

In 1982 Thầy, as he if known to his followers, found an old farm in the Dordogne Valley of southwest France. There, amid rolling hills and vineyards, they established a mindfulness practice center which became known as Plum Village after the 1,250 plum trees they planted in the rich soil. 

The existing buildings were dilapidated, but soon barns became meditation halls and sheep-sheds became dorms, with beds made of wooden boards balanced on bricks.

Over the next 4 decades, Plum Village grew into the largest Buddhist retreat center in the west, attracting people from around the world, with over 4,000 retreatants every summer and more than 10,000 visitors every year.

Visiting Plum Village

What better notion of a holiday than spending time in the company of a spiritual adept? And Plum Village is both beautiful, and serene. Serene and actually quite slow in pace. A bit like Club Med meets spirituality! 

There is not much of a fixed program, although every 15 minutes a huge gong sounds out across the land and everyone stops for a mindful moment. Then there are group discussions for an hour after lunch and Thay alternates speaking in French with a translator or English with a translator.

Ruth and myself visited in 2010. 

Can you see the cloud in the water? 

We also joined Thai in walking meditation and felt the entreaty to “walk gently upon the land”.

In fact, the strength, diversity and vitality of Thầy’s international community may be his greatest legacy of all. 

His aspirations and hopes live on in a thriving community of all ages, nationalities, and backgrounds, continuing to evolve and develop his teachings and practices, making them ever more appropriate to our times. 

Teaching – a true pioneer of mindfulness in the West

Thầy came from a Zen background but preferred to say he was “presenting the teachings of Early Buddhism in a Mahayana spirit”. 

His teachings on ‘everyday mindfulness’ and his style of walking meditation have been taken up and popularised by the secular ‘mindfulness movement’ and brought healing to millions around the world. 

He developed the practical notion of everyday mindfulness; mindful breathing, mindful walking, mindful dish-washing, teeth-brushing, cooking, or working, and the art of completely stopping and listening whenever the temple bell (or telephone) rang.

Some Excerpts

Mindfulness brings concentration. Concentration brings insight. Insight liberates you from your ignorance, your anger, your craving. When you are free from your afflictions, happiness becomes possible. How can you be happy when you are overloaded with anger, ignorance, and craving? 

Maybe intellectually people know that they should live in the present moment, but the habit energy that has been there for a long time is always pushing them to rush around, so they have lost their capacity to be in the present moment in order to lead their life deeply. That is why the practice is important, and talking is not enough. 

We can recognize happiness only against the background of suffering. It’s like when you recognize the white against the background of the black. Only if you have been hungry can you experience the joy of having something to eat. You learn from suffering, and against that background, you can recognize happiness. It is good to experience some suffering, because when you suffer you develop compassion and understanding.

Love, in Buddhism, always begins with yourself, before the manifestation of the other person in your life. The teaching of love in Buddhism is that when you go home to yourself, you recognize the suffering in you. Then the understanding of your own suffering will help you to feel better, and to love, because you feel the completeness, the fulfillment in yourself. So you don’t need another person to begin to love. You can begin with yourself.

True love does not just choose one person. When true love is there, you shine like a lamp. You don’t just shine on one person in the room. That light you emit is for everyone in the room. If you really have love in you, everyone around you will profit—not only humans, but animals, plants, and minerals. Love, true love, is that. True love is equanimity.

Our purpose is not to convert people to Buddhism. Our purpose is to live Buddhism as a path of understanding and love. You can continue to be a Jew, a Christian, or a Muslim, and you can do exactly the same thing as we do in the tradition of Buddhism. We use the Buddhist language and practice, you use the Muslim language and practice, but we arrive at the same result. That is why it can be called a global spirituality or global ethic.

Vietnam and home

Having grown up in rural Vietnam and then joining a monastery, Thay became politically active and a major spokesperson for peace during the Vietnam War. 

At the end of the war he was forced into exile and made France his new home. 

Over the years, Thầy embraced and healed the pain of not being able to return to Vietnam. 

It was, he explained, “thanks to the practice I was able to find my true home in the here and the now. 

Your true home is not an abstract idea, it is a solid reality you can touch with your feet, with your hands, with your mind. It is available in the here and the now, and nobody can take it away. They can occupy your country, yes. They can put you in prison, yes. But they cannot take away your true home and your freedom.” 

Thay described the phrase, ‘I have arrived, I am home’ as the ‘cream’ of his practice and “the shortest teaching I can give.” He guided thousands of people who attended his retreats in Plum Village, to truly arrive and feel at home in themselves in the here and now. 

Healing Retreat in Germany            

In July 2011 Ruth and I were invited to co-present a meditation based, health and healing related retreat with monks and nuns of Thich Nhat Hahn’s tradition in their German retreat Centre out of Cologne. 

Imagine this… 

You arrive at a residential cancer retreat and the Zen monk co-leading announces everyone will water fast for the duration of the 7 days. 

News to us too! 

However, the monk had such presence and conviction (albeit based upon recent reading that fasting might be helpful in response to cancer!) it seemed to work – especially after we managed to include some very watery vegetable/rice soup in the menu. 

Anyway, it was a delight to work in the environment of dedicated monks and nuns and the participants left very happy. 

The whole week was presented very simply, very clearly, very directly. 

Mind you it did take a little getting used to the head monk nodding off while I was talking with the group and he was sitting out front with me. 

No place for egos! 

The whole thing was quite memorable to say the least. 

One new technique to come from the retreat: combining deep relaxation with a contemplation: relaxing each part of the body deeply while contemplating gratitude for all that part of the body does for you and for others.

Later that same year, I co-led a meditation training and retreat with that same monk and others from Plum Village at the Foundation’s Yarra Valley Centre. That too was a wonderful few days. 

The Recommendation

Do not put it off! 

If you can, seek out spiritual leaders and spend time in their company. 

Listen to their teachings in person when you can.

If you do not have your own main teacher as yet, it makes sense to shop around, check out possibilities, take your time and then commit. It is very hard to make serious progress on the spiritual path without sticking to one main teacher.

If you do have your own main teacher, do not become distracted by dharma shopping – feeding doubts and dissatisfactions by going around checking out other teachers – but judiciously select those aligned with your own path and benefit from their experiences, realisations and insights.

What a pleasure to have spent time with Thich Nhat Hahn – one of the genuine greats of our time!

 

Thich Nhat Hahn – Pirates, Boatpeople and a Meeting in Melbourne – A Tribute

Some rare beings embody what it is to live a life completely devoted to the spiritual path and the betterment of others. 

Thich Nhat Hahn, a humble yet extra-ordinarily influential Vietnamese monk, was once such exemplar. 

Global spiritual leader, poet, and peace activist, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh was renowned for his powerful teachings and bestselling writings on mindfulness and peace.

Having experienced a stroke in 2014 and having been unable to speak since, it is no real consolation to say we knew he might die soon. 

His death leaves a gap that will be hard to fill by any one person and a sadness that will be felt for some time. 

His direct influence, his smile, his presence, his radiant inner peace is no more in present time. 

True, he leaves a wonderful legacy, largely through his advocacy for peace and mindfulness, but there is something about the finality of the loss when death arrives. 

The International Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism has announced 

Our beloved teacher Thich Nhat Hanh has passed away peacefully at Từ Hiếu Temple in Huế, Vietnam on 22nd January, 2022, at the age of 95.

We invite our global spiritual family to take a few moments to be still, to come back to our mindful breathing, as we together hold Thay (the Vietnamese word for teacher by which he is affectionately known) in our hearts in peace and loving gratitude for all he has offered the world.

In tribute to a man held in great respect by people of all traditions, the next 2 blogs will recount 2 remarkable meetings but first,

    Thought for the day

         His demeanour, light as a butterfly. 

         His steps, solid as a water buffalo. 

         His joy at being alive 

         As palpable as the awakening morning. 

         Fully present. 

         His life, a teaching.

              Gary Gach on Thich Nhat Hahn

 

A Caution

This true story does contain graphic details and may distress some people

The Context

i) The boatpeople

Following the Vietnam war around 800,000 boatpeople braved over-crowded boats, thirst and starvation, storms and pirates to flee to other countries. Many made it to Australia, yet the UN estimates 200,000 to 400,000 people died at sea. 

In 1981, 452 boats carrying Vietnamese boat people arrived in Thailand carrying 15,479 refugees; 349 of the boats had been attacked by pirates an average of three times each. 228 women had been abducted, many who survived had been raped and 881 people were dead or missing. 

ii) The teacher

While recovering from my leg amputation in 1975, I had the good fortune to come across Thich Nhat Hahn’s book The Miracle of Mindfulness, first published in that same year. Thay as he is known, writes so eloquently, so simply, so directly. 

The book informed my own practice and recovery. 

Washing the dishes has never been the same since. 

I love doing them. 

They remind me of Thay and they remind us that each moment holds within it an opportunity to work toward greater self-understanding and peacefulness – or anger and frustration if you prefer!

Then in 1987, Thich Nhat Hahn – a serious Buddhist scholar, published his seminal biography of the Buddha, Old Path, White Clouds. With its lyrical language and accessible Buddhist teachings, it became a mega-bestseller and has been published in over twenty languages.

Both books became standard recommendations when our cancer groups and meditation retreats began. 

Thay has definitely been one of my spiritual heroes.

The Meeting

Travelling as this is being written I cannot be sure of the date. My guess is it was late 80’s. But I sure do remember the meeting! One does not expect a teaching from a spiritual hero to be so explosive that physical violence seemed a real possibility.

My invitation came courtesy of someone who knew of my work with mindfulness and meditation and I was one of only a handful of non-Vietnamese in an audience of around 100, all gathered for an afternoon with Thich Nhat Hahn. I was excited! 

It turned out the audience was primarily Vietnamese refugee boatpeople. 

Thay was introduced by an incredibly beautiful and self-assured woman. 

Thay himself is a very small, very quiet person with a huge presence. 

The crowd was restless, even agitated from the beginning.

The agitation built rather quickly as Thay first spoke of the benefits of mindfulness and then moved on to address the elephant in the room – the pirates. 

At the time, the mayhem created by the pirates was well known and it transpired later Thay was travelling to countries where refugees had settled with the intention of helping relieve their suffering. 

This was the Melbourne leg of the tour!

The message was simple. Stay with the anger, the blame, the rage and continue to suffer personally, or learn to forgive and possibly move on a little and be free to live again. 

Simple message. Incendiary effect.

As the forgiveness message was developed, a corresponding agitation grew and rippled through the audience. I was sitting in the middle of the small hall in which the crowd was rapidly becoming electric. Men were rising in their seats muttering and cursing, women were calling out, and the very real threat of violence was building. Never been in a meeting like it…

The offended 

Finally, a man just in front of me exploded, jumped to his feet and hurled Vietnamese abuse at Thay. The moderator – the beautiful woman – calmly asked him to speak in English! The man switched without missing a beat and I suspect backed up a little to start again…

“How dare you suggest we forgive! 

What gives you the right to speak in such a way to those of us who lost so much.”


The man was screaming and the man beside him was holding him as if to prevent him lunging forward at Thay.

“My family was attacked by pirates. 

They bound me then went to rape one of my daughters. My wife tried to intervene. They shot her and threw her overboard. Then they raped my daughter, shot her and threw her overboard. My younger daughter they raped but let her live. 

How dare you talk to me of forgiveness!”


I had never seen a good idea – that of forgiveness – so powerfully challenged in real life. 

The force of this heart-broken man, the anguish and pain in his voice combined with a rage that was palpable physical. The force of his words; if he had hit Thay, it would not have been much different. And he was not alone; pretty well everyone in the room was at breaking point. 

I waited with some apprehension to see how Thay would respond. Was it possible to turn this around? To transform the energy that was so angry? Was he even going to get out of the hall in one piece?

The Response

I was close enough to observe. Thay was visibly moved and in my own impure observation, a little taken aback. But he was seated as he spoke and he paused. He very deliberately sat back in his chair– just a little – and consciously breathed. I could see it and it left an indelible impression. He returned to his breath; took a few almost imperceptibly deliberate, steading breaths, held his silence for just a few moments and the began to speak in the same calm and steady voice he had been using before the tirade.

These were the days before talks were routinely recorded and it was no time to be taking notes, so I am not quite sure exactly how he did it. He did begin by acknowledging the man’s pain… of course anyone in his situation would be devastated and suffering deeply. He did this with such open sincerity and for long enough that the man began to listen.

Then somehow he skilfully shifted to the pirates and speculated on what sort of life they had led to get to where they could perpetrate such horrors on others. 

As the enraged man settled a little more and the conversation could advance, Thay pointed out how these pirates started as fisherman who lived simple subsistence lives, totally dependent on the sea for food. 

When overfishing from outsiders depleted their food sources and their own families faced starvation, they turned to progressively more aggressive ways of making a living.

There was no pretence that what the pirates did was OK, just an invitation to be a little understanding. An invitation to rethink the context of the trauma they created. An invitation to compassion.

Then Thay moved on to ask the man about how it felt for him personally to suffer so much. At this point the man moved from rage to tears. Between sobs, he spoke fitfully of how much he loved his wife and daughters and of all that had been lost. The mood in the hall by now was also swinging as the audience was also caught in the feeling of collective pain.

Finally – why not forgive? Maybe it is possible? It will not change the fact of what you have been through, but maybe it will free you to live and love more fully once again???

The Aftermath

I do not know how the man’s life unfolded from there; I do hope he found some peace amidst what were extra-ordinarily difficult times.

But for myself, I had witnessed an incredible example of how to be with someone in full on rage; how staying calm and centred made it possible to engage empathetically and compassionately in the face of what seemed initially to be an overwhelming challenge.

While never having a similar confrontation, my work with people impacted by major illness and loss created many highly emotional situations. So I am pleased to be able to retell this story and to acknowledge that Thich Nhat Hahn provided a template for how to be with someone in extreme circumstances.

Thich Nhat Hahn’s list of accomplishments 

is almost unbelievable and well worth reading – LINK HERE. Staggering actually. What a man! What a pleasure to have had some small connection.

In the next blog, visiting Plum Village, listening to Thay in person, walking mindfully and presenting retreats with his monks…