Thursday, July 27, 2023

Moving to mindfulness with Coralee Hicks

 

HALLIE EPHRON: It’s always a lovely surprise and a pleasure to hear from one of our regular commenters (who feels like part of our family) is having a piece of their writing published. Today, it’s HATS OFF to Coralee Hicks, one of the “mindfulness practitioners” who contributed to an anthology coming on Amazon October 10, 2023: Tears Become Rain: Stories of Transformation and Healing Inspired by Thich Nhat Hanh, Zen master who passed away a year and a half ago.

The essays explore themes of coming home to ourselves, healing from grief and loss, facing fear, and building community and belonging. Coralee is one of 32 “mindfulness practitioners” who write about their encounter with the teachings of Zen master. I asked Coralee to share with us how her chapter (“Becoming alive: Finding a sensible way to live with food") came to be.

CORALEE HICKS: In 2014, I found a community of meditators nearby, and visited. I was hesitant, but did feel welcomed. When I told them of my disability, they made an effort on my behalf, providing an assisted hearing device. (In the photo below, Coralee is in the red shirt.)

It was a few months before I asked what tradition they followed. To my surprise, they told me: “We follow the teachings of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hahn”.

“Oh, not me, I thought. I could never understand Zen. Truth be told, I could never understand any Buddhist text.

This was frustrating for me. I grew up with Buddhists, and was very involved with Tibetan Buddhism when I was a teenager. However I did know of Thich Nhat Hahn. The poet, the activist, the scientist, the bodhisattva.

I began to settle down and listen.

I was amazed with the kindness, and strength of purpose I found in this group of people. One of the first things that convinced me of their sincerity, was being advised that I did not have to give up my core religion in order to become a member of this community.

I was lonely, adrift, and nothing was working. Maybe I could renew myself here. I discovered why Thich Nhat Hanh was so loved.

Often called Thay, Vietnamese for ‘teacher’, he saw that Buddhism needed to become more in touch with lay people. Monks chanting in refuge, no longer could solve problems of today. While in Viet Nam, and continuing in exile, he began to develop the principles of Socially Engaged Buddhism.

However, Thich Nhat Hahn is best known for his teachings on the practice of living in the present moment.

For me, his modification of the Bodhisattva precepts in the Mahayana tradition, which led to the development of the 14 Mindfulness Trainings was a revelation. Reading them I knew that this was the way I wanted to live.

Four years after Thay’s catastrophic stroke, a group from the Washington DC Sangha proposed to create a book as a fundraiser for Thay. Notices were sent to all monasteries and Saghas requesting submissions.

Hearing Hallie’s words of encouragement, I thought why not? I submitted a piece.

The journey from idea to book took 5 years. There were many editorial changes over this time. My chapter heading changed several times, and now is listed as “What is eating me”. My piece is found in the final section: Being Here Now: the Wonders of the Present Moment.

We came from all over the world to write and celebrate Thay. All of the proceeds from the book's purchase will go to The Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation. I am deeply honored to be included in this endeavor. I owe so much to my friends on Jungle Red Writers. Without your support I would not have my very own ISBN.

I bow to you in deep gratitude.

HALLIE: Oh, Coralee, we bow back to you!!

I am so delighted to have been one of the voices encouraging you! Yes, the book can be pre-ordered. Congratulations, Coralee! And congratulations to the other writers who contributed to the anthology who were fortunate enough to be touched by Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh.

41 comments:

  1. Congratulations Coralee on obtaining your very own ISBN! :D

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    1. thanks Jay; just for fun, I will share my ISBN with everyone. 978-1952692628

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  2. How wonderful, Coralee. So many congratulations on finding a place to share your personal journey and a community to give your life meaning. I look forward to reading your essay and the whole book!

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    1. I agree - it gives me such a thrill reading about Coralee's journey... And a good reminder of how importace it is to be mindful and present in the moment.

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    2. Thank you. Thinking 'oh why not', and expecting to never be accepted, I wrote about being fat and how reading Thay's book Savor changed my relationship with food.

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  3. this is fantastic in so many ways Coralee! Congrats on finding your people and your way and your voice!

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  4. Congratulations, Coralee . . . and what a lovely way to celebrate your friend Thay.

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    1. The request was to write about a book of Thay's that inspired change in our perspective. He wrote over 90 books, and spoke 5 languages 3 fluently. The anthology was 'book based' which prompted me to submit something.

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  5. Congratulations, Coralee! It is always remarkable to me, to hear about a personal journey that brings someone to a new understanding of her life. I am very excited for you on many levels! Thank you for sharing!

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    1. So true, Judy - and this sounds like a truly fulfilling journey.

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    2. I, too, am excited to read the book. Recently the editors hosted a zoom meeting for the authors. We are an international fellowship, I was in the group who lived on the Eastern seaboard of the United States, South America and Western Europe. There are some very remarkable voices in that group. Many are involved in environmental causes, all appear to be engaged in Socially active Buddhism. We were all very different and yet still alike in thought.

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  6. From Celia: Thank you and blessings Coralee. Living in the moment is so important and I am working on it. I think I need the book to help me forward.

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  7. Coralee, congratulations! I have been encouraged by Thay's teachings to be more present in my own life. I'm glad you found a community that welcomes you.

    Yesterday, my eight-year-old grand-nephew was having a terrible day, he said, because of something that had annoyed him earlier. I asked him what kind of day he was having right that moment--and encouraged him to enjoy his present moment. If he starts young enough, maybe Thay's lessons will serve him well as he grows.

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    1. Such a simple way to change your mindset...I'm also a big fan of hugs :-)

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  8. Congratulations to you, Coralee! I am so pleased for/with you and I am so looking forward to reading the book when it comes out.

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    1. thank you, Coach. The book will be released on October 10, 2023. A day before what would have been Thay's birthday. (or has some refer to it as his continuation day)

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  9. I bow to you, Coralee! Congratulations! Meditation/centering prayer has helped me so much over the last 20 years or so. It's always good to be in the present moment as much as we can.

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    1. I bow in return, as long as we stay away from the meme where the dog is sitting in a burning house saying "Every thing is fine".

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    2. Definitely... or the human sitting on the burning planet :)

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    3. Yes, I don't think mindfulness is supposed to mean paralysis, or ignoring the consequences of our actions.

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    4. I'm a big fan of Richard Rohr and his Center for Action and Contemplation. Both are necessary!

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  10. Congratulations, Coralee!

    DebRo

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  11. Congratulations! I look forward to reading this book. I am always striving to be more “in the moment “ , it’s not as simple as it sounds. Letting go is liberating.

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  12. Staying in the present moment has allowed my to decide each day can be a new beginning.. or each day can be filled with joy. Now sometimes I have to look very hard to find that joy. Today is joyful for me, may it be so for you as well.

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  13. Congratulations, Coralee, and happy book birthday. What a wonderful journey you have been on.

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  14. Congratulations, Coralee on your own ISBN!

    A relative, close to me in age, was a therapist before she died of cancer. She incorporated mindfulness in her therapy practice. I am working on being present in the moment.

    Beautiful photos and excellent essay!

    Diana

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  15. Coralee, I'm so pleased for you, for finding a path that brings you so much personal fulfillment, actualization, and joy, and for being able to share that result with so many others in a publication.

    I'm sharing this today with a friend who is also a devotee of Thay. Thank you on behalf of us both.

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    1. Indeed today is a good day. I just received a e copy of the pre-pub book in my in box. I had to check, still can't believe it -- but there I am inside a book.

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  16. Bowing back! Coralee, you are a treasure, and your comments are always profound and generous. This is absolutely wonderful! And I see above--a book arrived! Oh, how wonderful..tell us more!

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    1. Thank you, Hank. This community has become another Sangha (family for me). I stepped away to read the first few chapters of the book. In the section on Community and Belonging,
      an author spoke of her blindness, another recounted finding healing after being vilified as an academic who was also a person of color, a third shared how the retreat group helped him heal the after effects of a double suicide in his family, and to recognize the seeds of grief that might overwhelm him. "To take up the grief as a mother would comfort a child, to stay with it in loving compassion." good stuff this.

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  17. Coralee, what a lovely story of mindfulness and community which, I have read in several articles recently, our increasingly seen as the key to aging well. I think they're the key to living well at all ages!

    I join in the many congratulations on publishing your article. One of the things I love best about this community is the way so many people have found ways to write fiction, nonfiction, poetry, essays... And the encouragement to creativity that we all share.

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    1. This is so very true, Julia. I came here in a fairly 'cocky' mind set. "I read them now it is their turn to read me". I found here, an attentive group of women who were sharing their professional selves, but more importantly for me, you all are sharing your private lives with us too. So rare in these days of role playing celebrities. You speak and teach at the same time. I think, you might remember, but it is worth repeating. I came to Jungle Red Writers because you acknowledged this group in your series. So, thank you for Russ and Clare, and more importantly, thank you for leading me to Jungle Red Writers.

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  18. A very moving post. It seems many people are searching for a way to come back to themselves. This was a nice share, and I'm very happy for Coralee.

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  19. Coralee, I am so thrilled for you! And fascinated by your journey. I am always trying to be more "in the moment" and I can't wait to read these wonderful essays.

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  20. Coralee, I am delighted to read this post today and am pre-ordering your book. I have to tell you that two books on my nightstand that I read sections of every night before sleeping are Peace Is Every Breath and Silence both by Thich Nhat Hanh. I am a follower, too!

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  21. Coralee, I am in awe. Thanks for sharing.

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  22. Wow Coralee! Congratulations and thank you for this. Much love

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