Meeting Myself 2 – Calligraphic meditation

ARRIVING BANGKOK

Zen Master Thich Nhat Hahn Calligraphy Exhibition at Bangkok Art and Culture Centre

I couldn’t believe my luck, just about 400 steps away from Lub.d where I stayed, my teacher was holding his calligraphy exhibition. I quickly checked in, I rushed, and I made it to see him right on time at the opening at the Bangkok Art & Cultural Ctr.

The whole gallery was filled with the energy of zen and mindfulness, everyone seemed to be happy to see each other. To me it was a gathering of familiar faces from all directions, some were strangers, some were friends, but we know we were all sharing the joy on the same path.

Thay (teacher in Vietnamese – this is how we call our teacher Thich Nhat Hahn) shared his practice – Every calligraphy is a meditation. Breathing in, he makes a stroke, breathing out, he makes another, that way, he stays in intimate relationship with himself, with the thing he is doing, and also with the entire cosmos.

“In order to be beautiful, you need to be yourself, no need to be someone else, just like the lotus, no need to be a rose.” ~ Thich Nhat Hahn

Dear teacher, you use merely the simplest tools, with that you are able to capture the hearts of countless individuals and inspire countless transformations. I salute you.

“Artistic expression will take place in one way or another, but the being is essential. So we must go back to ourselves, and when we have joy and peace in ourselves, our creations of art will be quite natural, and they will serve the world in a positive way.” ~ Thich Nhat Hahn

Would I ever live up to this? When the day comes, I will be so very happy!

PS: Gentle Buddhism practices in the Plum Village style > click here (YouTube)

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• Meeting Myself 1 – Awareness meditation
• Meeting Myself 3 – Applied Ethics Retreat
• Meeting Myself 4 – Wat Pah Nanachat
• Meeting Myself 5 – Inspired with Thay