Mindfulness must be engaged. Once there is seeing, there must be acting. Otherwise, what is the use of seeing? — Thich Nhat Hanh, Peace is Every Step

As a community of practice in the Plum Village tradition, Opening Heart Mindfulness Community aspires to be an inclusive community that embodies three core values: mindfulness, compassion, and community.

Mindfulness is the awareness and transformation of not only our own suffering, but of the suffering around us. Therefore, we will look deeply into our society and will speak out against injustice and oppression. We will offer beneficial services and spiritual support to those who are at risk or who have been harmed. We will strive to change such situations by joining others in nonviolent movements and direct actions that genuinely have as their aim justice, reconciliation, peace, and love.

In pursuing engaged practice, Opening Heart Mindfulness Community will not support political parties or causes or take sides in political disputes. We welcome into our community all people who support the three values at the core of our community regardless of their personal characteristics, such as socio-economic status, race, gender, sexual orientation, or political beliefs.

We encourage loving speech and compassionate listening at all our gatherings as we endeavor to embody Thich Nhat Hanh’s teaching that no one is our enemy, that the moment we understand and feel compassion towards our enemy, they are no longer our enemy. We will endeavor to understand deeply the views and suffering of those with whom we disagree just as we endeavor to understand our own views and suffering. We know that peace and nonviolence do not mean non-action but that we are proactive in our love and compassion, that as a community we must demonstrate that peace is the way.