Still Water Meditation Hall—just hearing the name brings me back to Upper Hamlet in Plum Village.
At that time, the hall was warmed by a wood stove that didn’t quite do its job. On winter mornings, the smoke would quietly fill the space. We would sit together in meditation, breathing in and out, sometimes with tears in our eyes—not only from the smoke, but also from the effort to stay present.
In 2009, the hall began to change. It was expanded to welcome more friends, as the Sangha continued to grow. During those months, many of my afternoons were spent in working meditation. I was often assigned, together with a few brothers and lay friends, to support the construction. We worked slowly, sometimes in silence, sometimes smiling, sometimes just listening to the sound of tools meeting wood.
And then one afternoon, something very simple, and yet unforgettable, happened.
Thầy appeared.
There was no announcement, no special moment prepared. He just walked in, as naturally as the wind passing through the trees. We gathered around him and took a group photo. I happened to be standing right next to him.
I still remember that quiet joy—nothing grand, just a deep happiness rising from being there, in that moment, with him and with the Sangha.
Now, in 2026, another meditation hall is beginning to take form in Thai Plum Village—the Space Beyond Space Meditation Hall. When I see this new project, those memories gently return. I feel grateful to be able to continue, in a small way, the path that Thầy and the community have opened.
If you feel called to learn more, you are welcome to visit:
https://www.thaiplumvillage.org/donation-meditation-hall
A lotus for you 🌸
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