 Charles Yuill and David Elliott April 27, 2025. Pine Bush, NY.
Two Laughing Rivers Sangha members ordain into Thich Nhat Hanh's Order of Interbeing at the Blue Cliff Monastery in Upstate NY. The Buddhist Order of Interbeing (OI) was founded by Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, in February 1966, amidst the bitterness and destruction of the American-Vietnamese War. Nhat Hanh's first six ordained members were young peacemakers in his School of Youth for Social Services (SYSS), a Peace Corps with thousands of students and young monastics. The SYSS were rebuilding bombed-out villages during the week, and returned to the monasteries on weekends to calm and heal their minds and bodies. Since 1966, more than two thousand lay men and women have joined the OI in 61 countries. Charlie Yuill, from Ligonier, and David Elliott (originally from the Pittsburgh area, now near Seattle, WA) formally received Transmission of the 14 Mindfulness Trainings, the foundational tenants of the Order once referred to as Precepts. Both had studied and practiced with OI Mentors for more than two years. These Fourteen vows of ethical and compassionate living evolved from the original five Teachings given by the Buddha in the Bodhisattva Vow, and were expanded to emphasize Openness, Non-attachment to Views, and Equanimity in the face of a war of divisiveness and hatred. Novice monks and nuns also receive these Fourteen Trainings in order to become members of the Order. OI Members commit to living with compassion - for themselves first - and to deep listening. right speech, mindfulness, concentration, simplicity, and also to taking a stand for social justice, without taking political sides. More Photos: This 3-minute video offers a look into the beauty of our Blue Cliff Monastery, and into some images of the Ordination Ceremony itself which was lead by Elders of the Plum Village Tradition who had come from the main Monastery in Southern France. The Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism has ten other Practice Center with both monastics and lay members spanning 3 continents. Thousands of Sanghas (local lay communities of mindful practice) are also active, with more than 500 in North America. For more information, see: https://laughingrivers.org/ Comments are closed.
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