Friday, March 11, 2016

Q&A on Climate Change

Watch the following video from 45:45 to 50:55.


My question to Plum Village monks and nuns, and the answer from Sister True Dedication (Sister Hien Nghiem) are followings. I was so impressed by her deep answer.

(My question):
"Do you have any action plans in Plum Village regarding Climate Change?"

(Answer from Sister True Dedication (Sister Hien Nghiem):
So, this is a good question. So, I think our first action plan is the practicing. And I think we don't say that lightly. But we need contact with ourselves and the earth through ourselves. We know it's frustrated but we can begin to take actions. And we can begin to nourish a kind of peace, acceptance and joy that then are able to set up a harmony as community. And then (???), creating harmonious, happy, simple community. We feel it's one of our great contributions and helping grow our community. So, our Wake Up Sangha out in the world, you are extensions of our community.  

And you know when we are happy, and harmony taking from Plum Village, that can help in mysterious ways, not your own happiness and harmony in which you account for sitting where you live. And at the same time, when we have challenges including harmonious and happy, so we get some learning. Some are challenges and we have some experience to share with you. So, in more practical, concrete way, there is a truth stored of the question and so on. So, we do feel that as a community, that is maybe our primary contribution

And then naturally, because we love the earth and we feel very harmonious and happy, we want to take some actions. So, as Thay Phap mentioned, you know this year is the very year of divestment from fossil fuel around the world. And our activist friends in different organizations that taking that is there focused the 2015. So, here in Plum Village, we are also looking how we can support that. The divestment movement is of talking about investments and moving away from fossil fuel.

Well, in Plum Village, we are not going to have much money if you all know. So, we don't have a bank account to move around. So, we are looking into changing our energy supply to renewable energy. Our enrolled fund is not so easy. (?), we are trying these simple things and also to explore movies, online banking. So, with a more ethical bank, speaking. So, we are taking these sets. So, that's just to do our... (mindful bells & stopping) That's just to do our small parts. 

As many of you know, we live with our vegan diet. So, that's already a huge contribution and sometimes we have fun. Sister Chan Khong, our elder sister, has calculated in how many animal life be saved every day. I follow in a vegan diet and invite (?) who come to stay with us. Otherwise we can't diet. And we share our resources. So, we don't have our personal cars. We don't have our personal house. We don't even have our personal room. So, we are practicing actively living simply but we are always open to see what more we can do. And I think (?) more things we can do that in terms of our contribution to the world. We are eager to contribute our happiness, our peace and our harmony.  

And since the Paris conference, we've been actively working both with our British group and in the last month with other faith group. And it's very funny. Because the contribution that they value the most from us, is just being together with them in the group. And everything (?) might be to hear how we can bring harmony between faith. So, you will see that Plum Village is participating in outcome statements in climate change that will be released next month. And you can know that we contribute to the mindful bells, mindful breathing and tolerance and inclusiveness that the group has been gladdening their stay over (?). And if you have any ideas, we are all open to your ideas. So, please continue to support us in this kind of occasion.

* Profile of Sister True Dedication (Sister Hien Nghiem): British, 
  Cambridge University, BBC London, Plum Village since 2008

(Cf.) http://www.wkup.org/event/wake-up-smell-the-roses/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OORBOCAzC_8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae4dgJS5BAE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnr-Lq4Ch4M

Sister True Dedication (Sister Hien Nghiem)