Dear Still Water Friends,
On Wednesday, May 7th, I am off on another journey.
It will begin with a three-week journey across Scotland with Ann-Mari. We will be visiting Mindfulness communities and exploring historical and natural history sites. Our main stops will be Edinburgh, Stromness, Findhorn, Glasgow, Isle of Mull, and Iona.
On May 30th I will go on to Plum Village Monastery in southeastern France where I will assist at the New Hamlet during the June 1 to 22 “What Happens When We Die?” Retreat and the July 4 to August 1 Summer Opening Retreat. My return to Maryland will be on August 5th.
I would like to share the encounters and experiences with you! I have created a new blog — Smile of the Dandelion — in which I will post about the trip roughly twice a week. I will also post other writings and reflections. The blog title was inspired by a segment from the poem “The Good News” by Thich Nhat Hanh:
The dandelion is there by the sidewalk,
smiling its wondrous smile,
singing the song of eternity.
Listen! You have ears that can hear it.
Bow you head.
Listen to it.
Leave behind the world of sorrow
and preoccupation
and get free.
You can find the blog at http://smileofthedandelion.wordpress.com If you put your email in the box on the right side of the blog home page, you will receive each new post through email. Your comments and reflections on the posts are invited.
While I’m away, both regular and special Still Water events will continue as usual. A wonderful group of about twenty practitioners have agreed to write the weekly announcements, facilitate on Thursday evenings, answer Still Water phones and emails, plan and implement special events, and lovingly hold the energy of the Still Water community.
The full text of "The Good News" is below.
Warm wishes and many blessings,
Mitchell
The Good News
from Call Me by My True Names by Thich Nhat Hanh
They don’t publish
the good news.
The good news is published
by us.
We have a special edition every moment
and we need you to read it.
The good news is that you are alive,
and the linden tree is still there,
standing firm in the harsh Winter.
The good news is that you have wonderful eyes
to touch the blue sky.
The good news is that your child is there before you,
and your arms are available:
Hugging is possible.
They only print what is wrong.
Look at each of our special editions.
We always offer the things that are not wrong.
We want you to benefit from them
and help protect them.
The dandelion is there by the sidewalk,
smiling its wondrous smile,
singing the song of eternity.
Listen! You have ears that can hear it.
Bow you head.
Listen to it.
Leave behind the world of sorrow
and preoccupation
and get free.
The latest good news
is that you can do it.
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