Once we have embarked on the path of practice, it is likely that we will taste many benefits from Plum Village mindfulness. We will feel more at ease, stable, connected and contented, amid the ups and downs of our daily life. This can inspire us to deepen our practice further. We may feel that we would like to commit to living according to these teachings as much as we can. We may want to build further connections within the community and understand the teachings and practices more.
Deepening our commitment to the practice can be an important step for us on our journey to further peace, healing and joy.
A clear intention helps us to grow and deepen our mindfulness practice. One concrete step that will help us to deepen our practice is to commit to the 5 Mindfulness Trainings of the Plum Village tradition. These are ethical guidelines that can help us to cultivate understanding and love in ourselves and in the world, starting with ourselves. We can study these ourselves or on a course with others.
Another wonderful way to deepen our practice is to be of service within our community. For example, by volunteering our skills or training to be a sangha facilitator. We can also bring our mindfulness to service we offer elsewhere in society and deepen our practice in this way. In the longer term there is the opportunity to serve our Community as an Order member or as a Dharma Teacher.
Meeting with a sangha continues to be an essential part of our practice as we deepen our practice. It is fundamental to have a place to offer and receive inspiration and support in the practice. In addition, we can deepen our practice by considering topics in more depth through study of videos and books, using the Plum Village app and by attending courses and retreats.
“Peace in Oneself, Peace in the World”
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