Rolling Tide Sangha Kendal

Core Principles of the Plum Village Approach

All Buddhist groups are concerned with developing calmness and insight Thich Nhat Hanh developed a unique approach to this.

Mindfulness in Daily Life: As well as meditating on the cushion you are also encouraged to treat every routine action—such as walking, eating, or washing dishes—as a mindful meditation.
The Five Mindfulness Trainings: Practicing a modernized, ethical lifestyle code covering reverence for life, true happiness, loving speech, and mindful consumption. Living ethically leads to a calmer life and encourages compassion for others.
Sangha Building: Support from other practitioners is vital in developing insight and living ethically. Plum Village has clear guidelines of how we can communicate and support each other.
Interbeing: Recognizing that nothing exists separately; every person and thing is deeply interconnected with and dependent on the rest of the universe. A deep understanding this is an essential part of developing insight.
Engaged Buddhism: Thich Nhat Hahn was from Vietnam and was active in supporting peace and victims of war. Applying Buddhist principles to actively reduce suffering in society, politics, and the environment rather than monastic life is at the heart of the order.

There is much more information at the website of Plum Village UK the residential centre at Abenhall in Gloucestershire

Typical Meeting Structure

The regular sangha meeting aims to incorporate the Plum Village core principles. Including the use of the bell to start and finish each activity and as a prompt to moments of mindfulness.

Check-in: The meeting starts with an informal welcome, brief introductions & a simple check-in. (often based on describing any recent mindful/insightful experiences)
Guided and Silent Meditation: The group practices sitting meditation for about 20 minutes. This sometimes starts with a guided meditation followed by quiet, unguided silence.
Walking Meditation: About 10 minutes of slow, mindful walking meditation helps transition the energy of the group and brings the habit of mindfulness away from sitting meditation towards an activity.
Dharma Reading or Listening: Often a short reading or a recorded Dharma talk.
Dharma Sharing: Members share their personal experiences, insights, or challenges related to the reading or meditation practice. This is practiced with "loving speech and deep listening"—meaning participants speak from the heart, while others listen fully without interrupting, commenting, or giving advice. There is a practice of "bowing in" at the start of sharing and "bowing out" when finished.
Closing: The meeting concludes with the sound of the bell, silent breathing, and bowing to acknowledge the collective energy of the practice.

There more information about sangha meetings on the Plum Village website here

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