Le Village des Pruniers

Yesterday afternoon I returned to Paris, having spent a week at Plum Village, Thich Nhat Hanh's Buddhist retreat in Southern France. Although I'm now rushing to get things ready for my return to the states (for medical school interviews), I have no regrets about my rather spontaneous decision to make this trip.

Le Village des Pruniers (a closer translation would be Plum Tree Village), is a peaceful Hamlet (4 peaceful Hamlets, actually) located about an hour southeast of Bordeaux, in a region known for its wine, plums, and sanglier (wild boar). The lower hamlet, where I stayed, is a group of old French farmhouses surrounded by fields of perfectly aligned plum trees, golden-leafed grape vines, and sunflowers withering in the autumn frost. It is distinguishable from neighboring farms due to the lotus pond, pagoda housing a huge bell, and the presence of several newly-constructed meditation halls.

From the beginning, it was clear to me that this is a magical place. Aside from the overwhelming sense of calm, I experienced many "Plum Village Moments"; like walking across the gravel parking lot on a cloudless day when suddenly the leaves behind me were stirred by a wind funnel - and lifted, levitated, circling fast, slow, then fast again in a dance that lasted about a minute. Or coming across two snails in the moonlight, crossing my path on my way home from evening meditation.

There were also several "...oh" moments that I am still trying to process, like when Brother Pháp Linh, the young, French-British monk with the languid brown eyes explained to me that he also, does not consider himself a "Buddhist". A monk, yes, but not a part of a religion. Or when Sister Khôi Ngyhiêm placed in my care a package to mail to her brother in the United States - a letter and some boxes of cookies, three euros to help pay for the shipping and a hopeful smile on her face. I remembered the times in high school and college that I put together similar packages for my brother, shipping them to Maine or smuggling them into Germany with that same hopeful sisterly love.

I return to Paris a little bewildered but with renewed confidence in the following facts about myself: 1) that I am a city person. 2) that I will someday be a mother and that it is a capacity in which I will thrive. 3) that I really do prefer vegetarian and even vegan food. 4) that I miss New England and may eventually return there to live and work. And 5) that I am so incredibly young. It's a long and exciting path that I have ahead of me.