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The Plum Village Tradition is a school of Buddhism named after the Plum Village Monastery in France, the first monastic practice center founded by Thích Nhất Hạnh and Chân Không. It is an approach to Engaged Buddhism mainly from a Mahayana perspective, that draws elements from Thiền, Zen, and Pure Land traditions. Its governing body is the Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism.

It is characterized by being engaged Buddhism focused on improving lives and reducing suffering as well as being a form of applied Buddhism being practices that are not just a religion but are also a way of acting, working, and being. The tradition includes a focus on the application of mindfulness to everyday activities (sitting, walking, eating, speaking, listening, working, etc.). These practices are integrated with lifestyle guidelines called the "five mindfulness trainings", (a version of the Five Precepts), which bring an ethical and spiritual dimension to decision-making and are an integral part of community life.

The Plum Village tradition grew out of the teachings and community building of Thích Nhất Hạnh (née Nguyễn Xuân Bảo) and Chân Không (née Cao Ngoc Phuong). The tradition is rooted in traditional Vietnamese monasticism but was also influenced by the reform movements happening in Vietnam during the 20th century.^[1] During the Vietnam War, Nhất Hanh founded the Order of Interbeing, named after the concept of interbeing and the Brahmavihara, to bring Buddhist principles into modern practice.^[1][2] This version of the Brahmavihara is grounded in what Plum Village calls the Four Spirits including "the spirit of non-attachment from views, the spirit of direct experimentation on the nature of interdependent origination through meditation, the spirit of appropriateness, and the spirit of skillful means. All four are to be found in all Buddhist traditions".^[3] He ordained six social workers into this new order and provided them with fourteen precepts of Engaged Buddhism, now known as "mindfulness trainings",^[1][2] The precepts represented a modern adaptation of the traditional bodhisattva vows and were designed to support efforts in promoting peace and rebuilding war-torn villages.^[1]

Exiled from Vietnam, Nhất Hạnh was in France as a representative of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBC) and was the leader of the Vietnamese Buddhist Peace Delegation.^[4] In the 1980s Nhất Hạnh and Chân Không established Plum Village as a practice center in Dordogne region of France and opened up the Order of Interbeing to the growing Vietnamese diaspora in France and Westerners.^[1][5] The tradition is named after this monastery which was named for the one thousand plum trees of Agen (prune d’agen) planted there.^[6] The group formalized as a tradition while emphasizing the equality of laypeople and monastics and a nondenominational approach to Buddhism.^[1] The approach includes "post-merit model" for sustaining the organization that focuses on monastics working without financial gain, in an effort to improve the world, thus not relying solely on dana from lay people.^[1]

The tradition includes an emphasis on adaptation, typical of Buddhism, as it is said that the Buddha taught 84,000 versions of the Dharma, each one adapted to the needs of a different audience.^[7][8] Scholar and member of the Order of Interbeing Adrienne Minh-Châu Lê notes it is an oversimplification to paint Thích Nhất Hạnh and the tradition as just about breathing, smiling, and living in the present moment. Scholars notes the tradition is a product of Vietnamese Buddhism and a response to experiences of war, colonialism, and violence.^[9][10][11] Minh-Châu Lê also notes that "Engaged Buddhism" in English is a translation of a concept that already existing in 20th century Vietnamese Buddhism and reforms in Asian Buddhism such as those introduced by Taixu.^[10] Scholars also note that view of collective karma written about by Nhất Hạnh contrasts with more individualistic western framings of Buddhism.^[12]

The four dharma seals of Plum Village were proposed by Thich Nhất Hanh to determine whether a teaching is in line with that of the Plum Village tradition.

"I have arrived, I am at home"

"Go as a river"

"The times* and the truths** inter-are".

"Ripening, moment-by-moment"

Noting *the three times are the past, present and future **the truths are the four Noble truths and also conventional and ultimate truth^[13]

Nhất Hanh stated "I am at home" involves finding happiness in the present moment and that mindful breathing, walking, eating, and working are practices that help us arrive fully in each moment, no matter the situation. Even in times of suffering, staying "at home" with that suffering can bring freedom. To "go as a river" emphasizes living harmoniously within the sangha. This requires learning to function as a part of the "sangha body," both nourishing and being nourished by it. The Buddha devoted life building sangha because it is through the collective strength of the sangha that their teachings can endure and thrive into the future. When challenges arise, we stay with our sangha, embrace the difficulty, and work together to transform it, continuing to flow as one unified river.^[14]

The 40 Tenets of Plum Village are an attempt by Nhất Hạnh to summarize the teachings that are maintained, taught, and transmitted in the Plum Village Tradition.^[15] In this tradition, Nirvāṇa is viewed not as a phenomenon but as the true nature of all phenomena. It is the absence of ignorance and afflictions, yet not the absence of existence, aggregates.^[15] Practices for attaining this liberation include mindfulness, concentration, and insight, which work together to recognize suffering, prevent wrong actions, and transform negative seeds. With the Four Domains of Mindfulness one can transform habit energies such as stored consciousness and fully realize the Seven Factors of Enlightenment and the Noble Eightfold Path.^[15] These practices are grounded in the core teachings of impermanence, non-self, and Nirvāṇa, which are the Three Dharma Seals.^[15]

The Buddha, as taught in this tradition, is not a single, fixed being but exists in multiple forms and dimensions, including in the sangha, as is the interconnectedness of all things.^[15] Each person has the potential to become a Buddha, and the path to awakening involves recognizing the impermanent, interconnected nature of all phenomena, including the self.^[15] Rebirth is understood not as the continuation of a permanent self but is understood within impermanence, no-self and interbeing and the Four Noble Truths are viewed as both conditioned and unconditioned.^[15]

Within the this view, the consequences of our actions (retribution) are not limited to a single individual or aspect of existence.^[15] It encompasses the interconnectedness of body, mind, and the environment, as well as the collective impact of our actions on the community and the larger world.^[15] Each Arahat is also a Bodhisattva and any real Bodhisattva is an Arahat.^[15]

Ethics within the Plum Village tradition are based on active engagement with the world to reduce suffering. The tradition states that wrong view (the inability to see impermanence, non-self, and interbeing) is the root cause of ill-being.^[16] With right mindfulness one can achieve right concentration and right view leading to right thinking based in compassion, interbeing, and understanding. Karma, being all actions, include this thinking, speaking, and bodily actions.^[17][18] Ethical choices should be make of criteria of beneficial vs. un-beneficial, happiness vs. suffering, and delusion vs. awakening.^[19] Based in interbeing, and see others as also us, violence against others or the environment becomes impossible.^[20] Views are not rigid and should be practiced with non-attachment, for example, the five mindfulness trainings may not be understandable people in the future or appropriate to the situation of the world any may need to be revised.^[21]

Ethics relate to the core teaching of mindfulness, which is deeply intertwined with the concept of Buddha-nature.^[22] Nhat Hanh emphasized that mindfulness practice is essential for transforming unwholesome seeds and nurturing wholesome ones, thereby overcoming obstacles to enlightenment.^[22] This transformation is possible because the seed of awakening, or Buddha-nature, is inherently present in all sentient beings.^[22] This aligns with the tradition's view on consciousness including stored consciousness and mind consciousness and using mindfulness and right action to improve them and their seeds.^[23] Teachings are also rooted in interbeing as the tradition states “Whether from our family or friends, from our society or education, all seeds are, by nature, both individual and collective".^[24]

The tradition has made efforts to express teachings in a way that meets the needs of various cultures and addresses contemporary issues that cause harm. The tradition, in line with many modern and historic traditions, formally accepts LGBT individuals starting an initiative called "The Rainbow Family".^{[25][26][27][28]} The tradition is working to reduce gender disparities, address climate change, and other forms of engaged Buddhism in an effort to reduce suffering and support collective awakening.^{[1][29][30][31]} While vegetarianism isn't mandated, Plum Village practice centers and retreats have always been vegetarian but, since 2007, they are now vegan in line with Mahāyāna teachings and environmental consciousness.^[32][33] Monastics make decisions based on deep listening and nonattachment of view.^[1][34]

The sangha is built around a common set of practices to be performed with mindfulness applied to sensory experiences (like listening to the sound of a bell) or activities, such as walking or eating in community. There are also formal ceremonial practices normally performed by the monastics (prostrations, recitations, chanting). Community practices are aimed at facilitating the release from suffering, increasing joy, and experiencing fully the present moment.

The mindfulness practices of the Plum Village Tradition are described on the Plum Village website^[35] and the book Happiness by Thich Nhat Hanh.^[36] These practices include:

• Breathing: focusing the attention on the breathing sensory experience.
• Waking up: a daily vow to live fully the awake cycle of consciousness after exiting the sleep cycle.
• Sitting meditation: suspension of bodily movements to focus on the inner cognitive processes through metacognition, and eventually transcend that.
• Walking meditation: focus on the experience of the body movements when walking. Steps and breathing can be synchronized, or a simple mantra recited.
• Bell of mindfulness: stopping to focus on the breathing sensory experience upon hearing a sound, normally of a bell.

• Resting: recognizing the natural needs of the body and take the necessary steps to attain rest.
• Mindful Movement: ten body movements practised with conscious breathing to unite mind and body. Based on yoga and tai chi movement.^[37]
• Deep relaxation: a practice of lying down and totally letting go, using the breath as an anchor.

• Sangha body: learning to recognize what each individual needs to feel part of a community.
• Sangha building: awareness of organic growth processes of communities.
• Dharma sharing: express experiences as they were felt and cognized.
• Service meditation: volunteering to menial maintenance tasks.
• The Kitchen: food preparation as a meditative practice.
• Eating together: focusing on the several aspects of consuming food (provenance, ethics, purpose, etc.) together with other people.
• Tea meditation: being aware of all aspects of socializing (inner and interpersonal) while drinking tea.
• Noble Silence: suspend or reduce verbal communication to focus on inner processes.
• Beginning anew: reconciliation process after a conflict.

The Five Mindfulness Trainings are Nhat Hanh's formulation of the traditional Buddhist Five Precepts, ethical guidelines developed during the time of the Buddha to be the foundation of practice for the entire lay Buddhist community.^[38]

The mindfulness trainings address:

1. Reverence for Life focused on awareness for cultivating the insight of interbeing and compassion, protecting lives of people, animals, plants, and minerals and seeing the harm from anger, fear, greed, and intolerance.^[39]
2. True Happiness focused on awareness for seeing that the happiness and suffering of others are not separate from one's own happiness and suffering, true happiness is not possible without understanding and compassion, and that wealth, fame, power and sensual pleasures can bring suffering.^[39]
3. True Love focused on awareness that sexual desire is not love, and that sexual activity motivated by craving always harms myself as well as others. Also focuses on awareness to support non-discrimination against LGBT people.^[39]
4. Loving Speech and Listening focused on awareness for cultivating loving speech and compassionate listening.^[39]
5. Nourishment and Healing focused on awareness for cultivating good mental and physical health and consuming in a way that preserves peace, joy, and well-being.^[39]

In southern schools of Buddhism these precepts are typically expressed as undertakings to refrain from harm - not to kill, not to steal, not to lie, not to manifest inappropriate sexual behaviour and not to consume intoxicants. Nhat Hanh's innovation was to express these precepts with an emphasis on the cultivation of virtues on the one hand and as a practice of mindfulness on the other. Each "Mindfulness Training" has the form "Aware of the suffering caused by ----, I am committed to cultivating ----". Each training is thus an undertaking by the practitioner both to cultivate non-harming, generosity, responsible sexual behaviour, loving speech, and mindful consumption and to be mindful of the suffering caused to self and others when these virtues are absent.

Core texts that influenced the tradition include The Anapanasati Sutra and The Satipatthana Sutra.^[40] The tradition has produced texts including the books written by Thích Nhất Hạnh and Chân Không, through the practice of providing dharma talks and dharma education.^[40][41] Thích Nhất Hạnh completed a new English translation of the Heart Sutra in addition to books on mindfulness, meditation, interbeing, the life of the Buddha, ethics, interreligious discourse, and Buddhist philosophy from the Plum Village tradition perspective.^[42][43] The tradition practices Dharma transmission through a dharma lamp transmission.^[44]

Plum Village maintains a significant online presence to spread information on the sangha and offers the possibility of participating in specific activities through an online lay sangha, online retreats, video teachings, social media presence, The Way Out is In podcast, publishing arm via ParallaxPress, a newsletter, an app called Plum Village offering mediations, dharma talks, and online mindfulness exercises.^[8] The significant communications apparatus has been noted for solidifying its place in France and its influence worldwide.^[8]

Early in his time in France, Thích Nhất Hạnh established a center in Troyes to support refugees and boat people.^[8] However, the centre soon became overwhelmed by the growing number of people it served, prompting him to seek a larger location for the community. In 1982, amidst rural depopulation, the community acquired old farm buildings in France's Dordogne and Lot-et-Garonne regions. Initially spanning 29 hectares, Plum Village has since expanded to over 80 hectares across three main hamlets: the Lower Hamlet in Loubès-Bernac (Lot-et-Garonne), the Upper Hamlet in Thénac (Dordogne), and the New Hamlet in Dieulivol (Gironde).^[8] Community members and nearby municipalities provided support for the development providing material support in an effort to support refugees however many neighborhoods were still concerned about the monastery's presence .^[8] Plum Village made efforts to integrate into French society through open houses, cooking for and dining with neighbors, providing French classes, complying with building codes, marking western holidays like Christmas, and working to support the local economies of nearby towns and villages leading to large-scale local acceptance of the monastery.^[8]

The Plum Village tradition includes more than 500 monastics across 9 monasteries and more than 1,000 lay sangha communities worldwide.^[45] An important component of this tradition is the Order of Interbeing, which is a social network of monastics and lay people who have undertaken the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings.^[46] There is also a community inspired by this tradition, aimed at young people between the ages of 18 and 35, called Wake Up.^[47] Other initiatives include Wake Up Schools^[48] and the Earth Holder Sangha.^[49]

As of November 2018, there are 11 monasteries and practice centers in the Plum Village Tradition. The tradition also operates three small farms.^[50]

Europe

• Plum Village Monastery (Le Village des Pruniers), France
• Healing Spring Monastery (Monastère de la Source Guérissante), France
• Maison de L'Inspir, France
• European Institute of Applied Buddhism, Germany

Asia

• Thai Plum Village, Thailand
• Asian Institute of Applied Buddhism, Hong Kong

Oceania

• Mountain Spring Monastery, near Sydney, Australia
• Stream Entering Meditation Center, near Melbourne, Australia

United States

• Blue Cliff Monastery, New York
• Deer Park Monastery, California
• Magnolia Grove Monastery, Mississippi

Another distinctive feature of the Plum Village Tradition is the community structure offered by the Order of Interbeing, whose aim is to apply the Bodhisattva ideal in daily life. Both monastic and lay practitioners who undertake the 14 Mindfulness trainings - an extension and modernization of Bodhisattva Precepts by Thích Nhất Hạnh - can be members of the Order. In addition both monastic and lay practitioners can receive the Dharma transmission to become Dharma Teachers in this tradition.

• Engaged Buddhism
• Thích Nhất Hạnh
• Plum Village Monastery