A global problem with local answers

By: BRIGID BRETT - For the North County Times | Thursday, September 21, 2006 8:22 PM PDT ∞

Watching Thich Nhat Hanh drink a cup of tea is a profound experience. He sits with his eyes closed, his hands circling the cup and sips in such a way that you know that there is nothing more important to him in that moment than the fragrant aroma, the warmth of the cup, the delicious flavor of the liquid.

When I first discovered the teachings of the 80-year-old Buddhist monk about 10 years ago, I never imagined I'd be watching him drink his tea right here in North County. Last Sunday, I joined about 800 people at Deer Park Monastery high in the hills of Escondido for a Day of Mindfulness with the man who has written many books on mindful living and whom Martin Luther King nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967.

Like many deeply spiritual people, Nhat Hanh believes that words are not enough ---- that one must take positive action when faced with social injustice and environmental crises. On Sunday, with an unusually somber expression on his face and sense of urgency in his gentle Vietnamese accent, he spoke at length about global warming. He spoke about how each one of us needs to wake up and make some drastic lifestyle changes if we want our children to enjoy the earth the way we are able to now. And he told us about some of the new practices and programs that the Deer Park community in Escondido has underway.

1. Tuesday is a No Car Day ---- nobody drives on Tuesdays.

2. They have a goal to reduce car use by 50 percent. They will shop for the community only once a week.

3. They are moving toward using biodiesel and hybrid cars.

4. They are purchasing solar panels to provide for all energy needs.

5. They are digging wells to access water.

I had the feeling that all 800 of us were experiencing a similar sense of hopelessness and hope as we listened to his words. I imagined we were all asking ourselves the same question: What can I do to make things better and not worse?

When I got home from the monastery, I made myself a cup of tea and took it outside to drink. The sun was starting to set and I watched a pair of hawks flying as if they were really enjoying themselves. Some brazen rabbits came to nibble the grass near where I sat. My husband dropped a handful of just-picked figs into my lap. Inside the house I heard my teenage kids laughing and I thought about how it would feel to one day hold a grandchild in my lap and show her the hawks and rabbits and give her a taste of warm, ripe fig.

So here are some things I am going to do to make North County a little greener. I'm going to have a No Car Day once a week. I'm going to cut down as much as possible on the driving I do. And I'm going to save up to buy a hybrid car. It's the least I can do for my children ---- and yours.

For more information on Deer Park Monastery and its programs, visit www.deerparkmonastery.org or call (760) 291-1003.

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