2023.11.25 Back to Education University of Hong Kong Day of Mindfulness by Chân An Hương
After four years, we came back here – the Hong Kong Education University Tai Po Campus again. This is the place where Plum Village Hong Kong started the regular Day of Mindfulness.
Hong Kong people bear lots of pressure in 2006. People didn’t know how to release nor transformtheir sufferings. The community was covered by the heavy atmosphere. Some friends wrote letter to Thẩy Zen Master Thích Nhất Hanh, inviting him to come to Hong Kong, wishing to help friends to find a new path. We thanks to Thấy Pháp An who persuaded Thấy and the Dharma Teaching Council to come to Hong Kong. In 2007 Summer, Thấy and 150 International monastic sangha visited Hong Kong. They lived in Hong Kong Institute of Education campus, which was renamed as Education University of Hong Kong later.
The Centre for Religious and Spirituality Education of HKIEd made a wooden gate with Thấy’s calligraphy “Peace is Every Step” and put it in the garden in front of the Center. Started from 2008, PVHK held monthly Day of Mindfulness on every 4th Saturday here. The DOM was changed to on-line practice in 2019 due to the epidemic.
With the sufficient conditions this year, we can have the physical practice. After four years, we came back with mixed feelings. The place was so familiar but with new feeling. The campus was the same but novated with new facilities. With every step, the memory popped up … I practiced mindful walking here; the sangha has mindful lunch here; some trees in the garden were not there; the stones had been rearranged…
The most joyful is: after the whole day mindfulness practice, friends could calm down and released the pain away from the body.
We shall co-organize the Day of Mindfulness for Educators in 2024 with EdUHK. All teachers, students and educators are welcome. As Thấy said: Happy Teachers will change the world. Let’s create a better world together.