Moments of Joy, Moments of Wonder: Memories with Sister Dieu Nghiem (Part 2)

Since arriving in Plum Village in 1990, Sister Dieu Nghiem (also known as Sister Jina) has inspired and touched the lives of countless young monastics through her teachings and embodied practice.  Here in part 2, a few monastics share some joyful moments with their dear elder sister. 

The Dharma rain brings ease

Sharing by Brother Trời Đạo Bi 

When I first came to Plum Village, while listening to a Dharma talk by Sister Jina, I burst into tears. I didn’t know why. It was as if her words entered the depths of my consciousness. Her Dharma rain penetrated the dry soil of my mind deeply. I met Sister Jina at a retreat with Thay in Indonesia. At that time she, Br Phap Ho (Jem), and a few other monastics came to the Day of Mindfulness in Bogor, my home city. I was in the organising team for the event, and it was my first time being in touch with Western monastics. I was deeply impressed by the depth of her practice.

Sister Jina shared with me that whenever she went to Indonesia, she felt at home. I shared with her that whenever I went to the Netherlands, I felt at home right away, and I don’t know why. She discovered that many foods that she used to eat in the Netherlands are actually from Indonesia. Her favorite Indonesian dish is gado-gado (vegetables, salad with tempeh, tofu, and peanut sauce). Since then, I like to offer her this dish. Sometimes, I invite some brothers to come and visit Sister Jina in Lower Hamlet, and we enjoy eating gado-gado together. Everytime I see Sister Jina, her sense of lightness and ease always helps me feel at ease. It helps me to learn to be more at ease with the presence of elder sisters and brothers in the community.

To just enjoy, to just be

Sharing by Sister Trăng Hiếu Khai 

Two years ago, I attended Sister Jina, the experience of which still affects my practice today very deeply. I learned not to wait anymore, which can bring unpleasant feelings, but just enjoy the present moment. I have nothing to do, nowhere to go. As an attendant, this helped me just to be, and to create restful moments for myself. Even now, every time I am queuing for a meal, I have that reminder in me.

Also after eating, Sister Jina taught me to stop and wait until the food arrives in the stomach. In Dutch, we say, “Let the food sink into the stomach.” This is what I still do today, and it helps me to be in touch with the reaction of my body to the food, as well to enjoy another moment of nothing to do, nowhere to go.

Every day we  walked together, I learned to appreciate nature even more deeply. Something I was not aware of so much was the shade of the colors, like the blue sky together with the green trees. It is so beautiful and it is something that can bring me a lot of joy. We also stopped often to listen to the bird songs. One time, we saw a beautiful mist bow, which I had never seen before. Every time that I walk around Lower Hamlet, those reminders from two years ago pop up in my mind and I feel so grateful for those experiences I had with Sister Jina. 

Life is a journey

Sharing by Sister Xuân Hạnh 

Being with Sister Jina for three months has been an exploration of wonders from nature to an Irish cup of tea. Sister Jina is like a bird, traveling from place to place: Lower Hamlet is her universe to explore everyday. From early morning sunrises, shining through the poplar trees to birds chirping in the pines in the afternoon, never missing a wonder that anything or anyone would offer. A rainy day is a tea day, cozy and warm. A sunny day is an explorer day. Moving from field to field, between trees, flowers and wildlife, the local land becomes the most exotic place to be. Life is a journey, dancing with the sun, wild, open and free. Weather does not affect her state of mind. It’s Irish, she would say, both wind and sun have something to offer. And if the meditation door is closed at 6 am, there is time for walking meditation – the moon, the stars, the frost on the trees, the night enveloping us in its warm blanket. And the two of us, walking in the moonlight. Silence. 

There is never a moment which is not a wonder of life.

Always an adventure

Sharing by Sister Đôn Hạnh 

Last winter was very, very rainy, but every day, with Su me Jina, we enjoyed a long walk in the lands surrounding Lower Hamlet. “Hmmm…, road shoes or trail shoes, em (younger sister)?”. We both already know the answer: trail shoes! Because going for a walk with Su me Jina was always an adventure. Everything was possible. Trying out new trails was much more fun than walking on the road; and if there weren’t any trails, we made them with our steps.

We used to return to Lower Hamlet with muddy robes, rosy cheeks and a big smile on our faces.  “Em, we don’t need any more mud. Our own mud is enough, isn’t it ?”, she used to say with a mischievous look.

During our walks, from time to time, Su me Jina would stop, gazing attentively with her deep blue eyes at the landscape. Then, she would take out her mobile phone and play with the camera, putting the light here or there, zooming in on this or that detail… Her photographic talent, inherited from her ancestors, gives Su me the ability to bring out the beauty of everything in front of the lens, adding a touch of humour, freshness, and poetry.

During the months that I attended Su me Jina, I could experience this very process in myself and in the people who were close to her. Through her wise gaze, love, and care, we were able to get in touch with and enhance our inner wonder.

Thank you Su me for being there for all of us, reminding us that we are true wonders.

Everyday acts of lovingkindness

Sharing by Sister Đăng Hạnh

As Sister Jina’s attendant, I had the wondrous privilege of spending many moments in close proximity to her outside of formal practice and sangha activities. Every moment was a moment of teaching with her; but in these natural moments, her transmissions on living in mindfulness had a more direct entry to my heart. 

In the colder months in Lower Hamlet, one can find stink bugs crawling around in every indoor space. They’re everywhere. Many of them perish indoors, unable to hibernate through the winter. On any given day, one can find an unmoving stink bug on its back, its legs scrunched up. Sister Jina’s room and surrounding spaces are not immune to this phenomenon. When Sister Jina found a live one, she’d gently pick it up and release it outside, no matter how many she found. When she found a dead one, she’d gently pick it up and lay it on the soil by a plant, no matter how many she found. She wanted them to be able to rest in nature, on Mother Earth. This small, everyday act touched me deeply. 

Sister Jina, simply extending lovingkindness to all beings that come her way.