Recollections of Plum Village

Dear friends,
It is late afternoon on Monday. The sun has made a cameo appearance on an otherwise gray and moody day. I find myself at Rembrandt’s Coffee House in the Bluff’s View art district in Chattanooga, sipping at a cup of Japanese tea, and enjoying some repose after finishing the first draft of the Cracks in the Pavement letter on technology.

Before jumping in to the next letter (on community), I wanted to share a few recollections of my five-week stay at Plum Village monastery in France earlier this year (sent via email). I also put together a short slide show you can view on YouTube. If the accompanying music sounds amateurish...it is! The first short song is called “Gliding”, and I wrote it the day before I left for Tennessee. The second song is called “A Walk By the Lake” and was inspired by my friend Helena McManemon’s poetry.

Many friends have expressed interest and curiosity about Plum Village. What’s it like? Can you talk while you’re there? What’s a typical day like? My hope is that these short pieces, along with the photos, will help give those who are interested a better idea of the place, the community, and why I love spending time there.

All the best,
Chad