contributed by Rinka Hayashi, 8 October 2024

During COVID-19, Plum Village, the largest international Buddhist practice center, succeeded in expanding teaching by organizing online retreats and launching a new app (Figure 1,2). This article shows how the online community (online Sangha) and the Plum Village app functioned as third place (Oldenburg 1989), which is separate from home (first place) and workplace (second place). The monastery itself has become portable, transferable and accessible, being a virtual temple for practitioners. Dharma sharing (singing songs and sharing circles) particularly, provided people a strong sense of belonging and unity during the pandemic, and continues to function as a third place in the post-pandemic context.

The Online Community (online Sangha) as third place

Plum Village – a dream place for all mindfulness practitioners, is located in southwest France, and is the first monastic community founded by Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. He is a Buddhist monk, poet, scholar, and activist, who played a key role in introducing mindfulness to the West. His teaching has impacted numerous politicians, teachers, teenagers, activists and business leaders.

With over 200 resident monks and nuns living together, Plum Village has become the largest Buddhist monastery in Europe. It is known as a center of engaged Buddhism where visitors can practice the art of mindful living together with monastics. Plum Village practice centers are located all over the world, such as in Hong Kong, Thailand, Australia, Germany and America

Mindfulness represents the human ability to be fully present, dwell in the present moment, and not to be overwhelmed by any kind of emotions or environmental stimuli. The practice of mindfulness is widely promoted as a way to increase one’s overall happiness.

American sociologist Ray Oldenburg (1989) defines the concept of “third place” as a space where one can relax in public, encounter familiar faces and make new acquaintances. Places like cafes, temples, and community centers functioned as third places where one could feel at ease before the pandemic. However, given the fact that a vast share of the world’s population was forced to work at home and online during the pandemic, there was almost no boundary between home (first place) and workplace (second place).

For practitioners of Plum Village, the online Sangha (community) became the third place that allowed them to relieve the stress caused by the everyday demands of home and work. It can be regarded as a “third place” because of its accessibility, equality, wholesomeness, comfort, and openness. When the Sangha gathers online, their songs and the sound of the bell seem to reminds practitioners that they are not living alone, but supported spiritually by the whole community.

According to Mahayana Buddhism, it is said that when we are fully present, we have already reached nirvana (the state of peace and happiness that a person achieves after giving up all personal desires), which is the goal of meditation. Shining light upon mindfulness, the online Sangha emerges as a relaxing third place which is different from remote work or everyday life.

Sangha literally means “community” or “assembly,” and is one of the ‘three jewels’ (along with the Buddha, and the Dharma), which comprise the essence of Buddhist teachings. The Sangha is made up of monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen, who practice and help each other along their spiritual paths.

There are dozens of lay Sanghas that meet up regularly to practice mindful living, following the Plum Village tradition. The organizer should practice and follow certain rules established by Thich Nhat Hanh and the gathering itself must be non-profit.

As part of this Plum Village community, there are various local Sangha groups all over the world, in which practitioners can gather regularly to do sitting meditation, walking meditation or other activities together. The sessions usually begin by singing songs together. In March 2020, Plum Village closed its doors to the public and canceled all in-person retreats. Since then, some practitioners started to gather online more often than before, while others applied for online retreats.

Mindful App as Third Place

One of the unique practices done in Plum Village is known as “stopping”. Whenever a bell sounds, everyone stops what they are doing and takes a few breaths in full awareness. This is a powerful moment to reconnect with the body and enjoy breathing with the whole Sangha.

During a research project, in which I interviewed 18 members of Plum Village, I was struck to discover that this bell was one of the most impressive sounds for them, as it helped residents mark time and maintain mindfulness. This indicates the sound of the bell might be an important factor which triggers people’s memories of Plum Village and helps them recall a momentary sense of union. Plum Village app, which was launched in 2020, offered a wide range of free resources including meditations, chanting from monks and nuns, mindful music and so on (Figure 3). Interestingly, a feature called “Bell of Mindfulness” replicates life in the monastery in that one can decide how often one wants to invite the sound of the bell from one’s device. There are several options to choose from, including different bell sounds, like the ones used at Plum Village. Surprisingly, many people stated they used this feature during the COVID pandemic at 30-minute intervals throughout the day, recreating the experience of being physically present in Plum Village.

It goes without saying that it is hard to use this feature in a workplace or in school, but some remote workers are still making good use of it. Others who have returned to their workplaces in-person turn this function on only during the weekend. While using the Plum Village app is not the same as being physically present in the monastery, it has some features that allow people to bring aspects of the monastery around with them remotely and virtually. The app is portable, transferable and accessible.

Power of Online Retreat

“I didn’t know that it would be so powerful since it was online,” explained a woman who experienced her first online retreat.

An online retreat usually includes songs, various meditation practices, lectures (Dharma Talks) and a sharing circle (Dharma Sharing) (Figure 4). While sharing, practitioners can talk about their feelings or exchange thoughts about the practice. The person who chooses to talk practices loving speech, while the others practice deep listening. That means the speaker has an opportunity to talk without interruption, and listeners concentrate on the speaker's talk without judging or giving any advice. In this safe environment, it is expected that people can benefit from each other’s insights and experience of the practices.

“I felt like I was able to connect with people about the practice in a different way than I've ever been able to before. And it was so interesting because I didn't know those people at all. And yet, very quickly, I felt really connected to them. I think we were sharing the same kind of intentions of wanting to bring something better to our lives than to the world that we live in. And it just felt different. I loved it.”

Moreover, since there are different online Sangha groups, such as groups for teenagers, LGBTQ+, teachers and health care workers, it is easy to find a group which people find comfortable to join. Such flexibility and the availability of multiple options have accelerated the expansion of the online Sangha.

“Because I felt that people around me and people I spoke to from other countries and even people I was practicing with in Sangha were going through very similar things. So that feeling caused me to accept what was going on during COVID and really understand the scale, the mass of how big the whole thing was,” described a young woman. The online place quickly became a precious one, where people could express themselves openly and without judgment.

Mindful Songs and Sonic Union

Thich Nhat Hanh believed that songs should have an effect of creating compassion, nourishing oneself and others. There are countless songs sung in the community, some written by Thich Nhat Hanh, others by monks, nuns, or lay people. All the songs are in simple language and melodies, remind people of the essence of Buddhist teaching, help people release tension in their mind and body, and bring peace to themselves and their society.

The songs “I have arrived” and “Happiness Is Here and Now” are the theme songs of Plum Village. People usually sing songs with simple movements, and it is said that one can become more self-aware by doing simple movements slowly and with focus. In Plum Village or in a local Sangha, a few songs are sung in a circle before the session starts or ends. Some of the songs are also translated in other languages, such as Spanish, German, French, Chinese and so on. Here are the lyrics of the two songs:

“I Have Arrived”
I have arrived, I am home
In the here and in the now (repeat 2 times)
I am solid, I am free (repeat 2 times)
In the ultimate I dwell (repeat 2 times)

“Happiness is Here and Now”
Happiness is here and now
I have dropped my worries
Nowhere to go, nothing to do
No longer in a hurry
Happiness is here and now
I have dropped my worries
Somewhere to go, something to do
But I don’t need to hurry

According to the online interviews with my 18 interlocutors, these are the characteristics about Plum Village songs which were most appealing for them: First, they are written in simple language but represent the essence of Buddhist teaching. Second, the melodies and lyrics are delightful and they are sung with simple body movement.

“It felt so soothing to do those things (sing songs) and it actually reminded me of being a very young child and learning songs in school. When we were singing the songs, I couldn't stop smiling. I felt like I was almost laughing and giggling. I just felt so much joy that I've never experienced on Zoom before,” explained a woman excitedly.

Singing online differs from sharing online in that it often involves interpersonal synchrony. As singing is an engaging activity that is emotional, physical, and social, it provides one with a strong sense of belonging, reminding participants they are part of this supportive community.

Moreover, by singing and listening to these kinds of songs, people are inclined to change the way they listen, becoming more aware of the sound around them, or even transforming their habits of music consumption. According to Buddhist teaching, things we consume are regarded as the important factors that lead to specific behavior. In short, singing these songs reminded people to live a moderate life and to look deeply into reality without reacting emotionally.

For example, a young woman, who has been practicing in this tradition since 2021, said, “I remember that even around me a lot of people were very anxious. People watched some kinds of news about coronavirus and then had a very strong reaction to it. And I felt that at that time, there was a strong lack of mindfulness, that people were extremely quick to react to a lot of things. One needs to very actively pick out what they listen to or what they watch. I would say that I've become more mindful about what kind of music I listen to after that.”

Embracing Technological Change

As a forward-thinking Buddhist teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh started to dream of an “Online Monastery” before the pandemic, to enable people to practice mindfulness wherever they want via their own devices. He once said, “We can make good use of technology in order to help people go home to themselves and take care of themselves and their families.”

His vision is reflected in “The Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings of the order of Interbeing,” which is a paragraph recited regularly in the community:

“We are committed to finding ways, including personal contact and using the telephone, electronic, audiovisual, and other means to be with those who suffer, so we can help them transform their suffering into compassion, peace, and joy.”

With an increased number of people searching resources about health online, the pandemic offered this Buddhist community a new opportunity to engage in preaching while using new technology. Today in the post-pandemic context, many people continue to use the Plum Village app, attending online Sangha and retreats. After the pandemic, doing things online and keeping social distance have become new standards. This may weaken interpersonal relationships and cause social isolation. Online Sangha and retreats function as a third place, providing a safe environment for participants to share from their hearts without evaluation and judgment. Especially for those who are not able to visit Plum Village because of physical or financial limitations, online gathering and resources are truly supportive for them.

Although not being able to physically gather was challenging for community members and using the app and online gatherings also presented a few challenges, one of the effects has been to remind people that the temple is, in fact, within oneself. When someone is having a difficult time finding a connection with themselves or others, and is unable to attend the physical temple, this mobile monastery provides an accessible way to access the online Sangha, and to be reminded of fundamental Buddhist principles, such as mindfulness and loving kindness.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the blog editorial team or the Asia Research Institute.

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