The River in Me

Find refuge and wisdom with a student of Thich Nhat Hanh in the pages of this poignant poetry collection that speaks to the heart of overcoming life’s adversities, Zen style

This profound poetry collection, written by a disciple of Zen Master Thich Nhat Han, charts a journey from turmoil to tranquility. In this deeply personal work, Sister Dang Nghiem, known for her insightful and compassionate teachings, unveils a journey of transformation and healing that bridges two pivotal phases of her life: the years prior to her monastic ordination and the profound insights gained thereafter. This unique compilation, divided into two distinct parts, illustrates Sister Dang Nghiem''s evolution not just as a poet but as a spiritual practitioner.

<lThe first half, spanning 1989-1999, offers a glimpse into her pre-monastic life, filled with yearnings for reconciliation and liberation yet entangled in suffering and attachments.&nbsp;</l

<lThe latter half, encompassing her writings from 2000 to 2023, reflects a stark transformation, imbued with the wisdom and tranquility of her Zen practice.&nbsp;</l

Not just a display of poetic prowess, but also a testament to Sister Dang Nghiem''s resilience and spiritual growth, these poems resonate with honesty and vulnerability, providing readers with a candid testament to the life-altering power of healing through mindfulness and deep community. <The River in Me< offers a path toward inner peace and wholeness&nbsp;for those navigating the complexities of life and is an essential read for anyone seeking solace and understanding.

Auteur
Sister Dang Nghiem is a disciple of the revered Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. After losing her mother at the age of twelve, she moved to the United States with her brother at the age of seventeen, where she learned English and went on to earn a medical degree from the University of California-San Francisco. After suffering further tragedy and the loss of her partner, she quit her practice as a doctor to travel to Plum Village monastery in France, founded by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, where she ordained as a nun in 2000. Her writing draws on her unique experiences as a physician, a nun, and an individual navigating diverse worlds. She is the author of three books: a memoir, Healing: A Woman's Journey from Doctor to Nun (2010), Mindfulness as Medicine: A Story of Healing and Spirit (2015), and Flowers in the Dark: Reclaiming Your Power to Heal from Trauma with Mindfulness (2021).

Échantillon de lecture
Foreword by James R. Doty, MD

Welcome to the profound world of Sister Dang Nghiem, where every poem is a step toward healing, understanding, and unconditional love.

In this deeply moving collection of poetry, Sister Dang Nghiem offers us a window into a soul that has traversed darkness and emerged with a message of light. Her journey, marked by leaving war-torn Vietnam as a refugee speaking little English, the profound scars of childhood trauma, the healing embrace of medicine, and f inally, the serene path of Buddhism, is nothing short of remarkable. Each poem is a testament to her resilience—a delicate weave of pain, hope, compassion, and transcendence.

As you turn these pages, you will encounter the raw honesty of Sister Dang Nghiem’s early struggles as she unfolds the vivid memories of a young girl grappling with experiences no child should ever face. Yet it is not despair that defines these verses, but the incredible strength of the human spirit. Sister Dang Nghiem's journey through the medical profession and the loss of a partner is an endeavor to heal others even as she seeks healing for herself, underscored by her profound empathy and commitment to service.

The transition from physician to Buddhist nun is a poignant narrative of self-discovery and spiritual awakening. In her poetry, Sister Dang Nghiem invites us to experience not only the world of her childhood but also her world of contemplation. Her verses resonate with the peace and clarity she has found, offering solace and guidance to others on their own journeys.

This collection is more than just poetry; it is a beacon of hope and a source of comfort. It reminds us of the resilience of the human heart and the transformative power of forgiveness and compassion.

The River in Me is not merely to be read; it is to be experienced, cherished, and shared. As you immerse yourself in her words, may you find your own inner strength and peace. May her journey inspire you to navigate your own challenges with grace and to seek the healing and enlightenment that lies within us all.&#160;

James R. Doty, MD, is the founder and director of the Stanford Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) at Stanford University School of Medicine, senior editor of The Oxford Handbook of Compassion Science, and New York Times bestselling author of Mind Magic: The Neuroscience of Manifestation and How It Changes Everything

Preface

As a child in Vietnam, I often sang made-up songs to comfort myself and to express the suffering and sadness I was experiencing. Much later, after I came to the United States as a teenager, I found myself drawn to English literature and writing courses. Writing poetry offered me another pathway, a different modality to reflect upon my life and make sense of the circumstances that had driven me to make up songs in my head all those years ago. Though creating poems was cathartic and liberating in many ways, when I became a Buddhist nun in my early thirties, my life and my writing style completely changed. This volume contains two distinct collections of poems: those written in the period from 1989–1999, before my monastic ordination, and those written afterward, from 2000 until the present. Looking back at the poems I wrote before I was ordained, I see deep aspirations for reconciliation, peace, and freedom in the midst of the drama and trauma of my life’s events. I see valuable insights into my circumstances. I also recognize, however, that the way out of suffering was not yet clear to me. My thinking was still caught in romantic notions, attachment, and sorrow. Perhaps my writing before was beautiful, but it went in circles.

You can be a great writer, but this in itself won’t save your life. It is the practice of mindfulness that has helped me save my life; this practice is the reason I choose to publish this collection of poetry now, more than three decades after first beginning to write. In the Zen tradition in general, and in the Plum Village tradition founded by my teacher, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, specifically, we write poems called “insight gathas,” verses that convey our deepest aspirations and point the way toward happiness. As a nun, I have the opportunity to confront the pain and misery of my past, and the Plum Village mindfulness practices of stopping and deep looking have helped me transform, heal, and release much of my suffering. As I began to see a way out of my internal prison, the insights arising from practicing mindfulness made their way into my poems, changing the quality and purpose of my writing. Instead of simply writing about suffering as I had previously, my words began to share a way out of suffering. Although stylistic changes came with my expanding and shifting vocabulary as I devoted myself to a life of practice in the monastic community, it is the shift toward transformation and freedom that I think make these poems worth sharing. The healing that is evident in the second half of this collection is a healing that is available to you, too.

These two poetry collections, presented here as one, feel like the before and after stages of a commitment to heal. This juxtaposition, I f ind, illuminates the metamorphosis of my writing style, attitude, and insights. Writing poetry or indeed any…