Growing Your Practice
“I have translated these precepts for modern times, because mindfulness is at the foundation of each one of them. With mindfulness, we are aware of what is going on in our bodies, our feelings, our minds and the world, and we avoid doing harm to ourselves and others. Mindfulness protects us, our families and our society. When we are mindful, we can see that by refraining from doing one thing, we can prevent another thing from happening. We arrive at our own unique insight. It is not something imposed on us by an outside authority.” Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, “Happiness: Essential Mindfulness Practices”.
The Five Mindfulness Trainings
These trainings are practical guides to help us live more fully in compassion and understanding. They are Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh’s interpretation of the Buddha’s five precepts to inspire positive action, including not killing, stealing or engaging in false speech. For Buddhists and non-Buddhists, they are designed to bring mindfulness into everyday life, and Thay (an honorific for teacher in Vietnamese) called them one of the most concrete ways to practice mindfulness. The purpose is not to follow the rules -–Thay considered them a path, not a rule book– but to increase happiness and reduce suffering, both for ourselves and others.
“I have translated these precepts for modern times, because mindfulness is at the foundation of each one of them. With mindfulness, we are aware of what is going on in our bodies, our feelings, our minds and the world, and we avoid doing harm to ourselves and others. Mindfulness protects us, our families and our society. When we are mindful, we can see that by refraining from doing one thing, we can prevent another thing from happening. We arrive at our own unique insight. It is not something imposed on us by an outside authority.” Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, “Happiness: Essential Mindfulness Practices”.
Thay explains the Five Mindfulness trainings in more detail in “For a Future to be Possible: Buddhist Ethics for Everyday Life.” The Five Mindfulness Trainings are about two qualities: discernment and kindness,” Joan Halifax wrote in the foreword, adding that bringing the precepts up to date is good medicine for our wayward minds and forgetful hearts, she wrote.
Read the trainings: The Five Mindfulness Trainings
Practice: Each SnowFlower gathering recites the Five Mindfulness trainings at least once every two months. Check the Calendar for when each gathering is focusing on the Five Mindfulness Trainings.
Receive: Participants at the Annual Fall SnowFlower Retreat have the opportunity to receive the Five Mindfulness Trainings, publicly committing to practicing them.
The Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings
In these trainings, Thay (Vietnamese honorific for teacher) distills the traditional Boddhisatva precepts of Mahayana Buddhism for the modern world. They are the guiding principles for the Order of Interbeing, an international movement of monastics and lay people who are committed to living by these teachings. “(The trainings) are the torch lighting our path, the boat carrying us, the teacher guiding us,” according to the Plum Village website. “They allow us to touch the nature of interbeing in everything that is, and to see that our happiness is not separate from the happiness of others. Interbeing is not a theory; it is a reality that can be directly experienced by each of us at any moment. The Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings help us cultivate concentration and insight, which free us from fear and the illusion of a separate self.”
Several SnowFlower practitioners have become lay members of the Order of Interbeing. It is not necessary to aspire to the Order of Interbeing to practice the trainings: They provide a guide for everyone to grow their practice and live full lives.
Read the trainings: The Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings
Learn more: Order of Interbeing
For more information on support from SnowFlower to becoming a lay member of the Order of Interbeing: Email questions@snowflower.org.
Mentoring Program
The mentoring program pairs experienced SnowFlower practitioners with those who have questions or would like to deepen their practice. Mentors are trusted, knowledgeable and experienced friends on the path. They share their stories, practices, challenges and joys. They serve as a sounding board, helping mentees find their way through dialogue and inquiry. The mentorship is based in mindfulness and meditation, with an aspiration for a more fully lived, embodied practice that could be transformative. Please note: While the mentoring relationship may be insightful and supportive, it is not therapy.
How to participate: After you have practiced with SnowFlower for 6 months, you can request a mentor. Mentors meet one-on-one with mentees for up to 6 months.
To learn more: Email questions@snowflower.org
Kalyana Mitta
Kalyana Mitta (KM) means spiritual friends and is a practice opportunity for groups of 6-12 practitioners who meet monthly to offer and receive support in their practice. These groups provide a safe space to share at a deeper level than may be possible in the weekly gatherings. KM meetings generally include a short sitting meditation, time to check in and a discussion about an article or book. Each group sets its own rules and meeting times.
How to participate: You are invited to join a Kalyana Mitta group if you have a regular meditation practice and have been practicing with SnowFlower for 6 months.
To learn more: Email questions@snowflower.org