Spirit Guide
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In Vietnam, when I was a young monk, each village temple had a big bell, like those in Christian churches. Whenever the bell was invited to sound, all the villagers would stop and pause for a few moments to breathe in and out in mindfulness. At Plum village, the community where I live in France, we do the same. Every time we hear the bell, we stop and enjoy our breathing. When we breathe in, we say, silently, “Listen, listen,” and when we breathe out, we say, “This wonderful sound brings me back to my true home”. Our true home is in the present moment. To live in the present moment is a miracle. The miracle is not to walk on water. It is to walk on the green earth, to appreciate the peace and beauty available now. Peace is all around us—in nature and within us. Once we learn to touch this peace, we will be healed and transformed. It is not a matter of faith; it is a matter of practice.
— Thich Nhat Hanh
