The Four Seals of Plum Village

The Four Dharma Seals of Plum Village

I Have Arrived, I am at Home

Arriving in the present moment to our body and our mind helps us recognize, embrace and accept what is taking place inside and around us. This is the essence of the Buddha’s teaching. As we experience the practice first hand, we develop confidence in our own ability to arrive in the present moment and touch the wonders of life as well as the quality of freedom that is always there.

Go as a River

In its journey to reach the sea, an individual drop of water may evaporate or lose its way. But if that drop of water can become part of the river, it will reach the ocean. We may fear that by becoming one with the river we will lose our individuality and beauty. Yet when we look at the sangha around us, we see that together, we are stronger, more able to find healing and joy, to relieve the suffering around us and be of service to the world.

The Times and the Truths Inter-are

The Three Times of past, present and future are part of the same river of time. What in the historical dimension appear as distinct events or beings that are born, mature, and pass away are, in the ultimate dimension currents in that river which intermingle and continue their existence throughout time and throughout space.

The Four Noble Truths – that suffering exists, causes of suffering exist, a cessation of causing suffering exists, and that a path to the cessation of suffering exists – also exist interdependently. One aspect does not exist without the other.

Finally, the Two Truths or two “Ways of Seeing” – Conventional or Historical Truth, and the Ultimate Truth uncovered by looking deeply and mindfully – also do not exist separate from one another.

Ripening, Moment by Moment

The Dharma ripens in us and through us over many years. It is the nature of growing physically and in our practice. A juicy persimmon doesn’t suddenly appear at the end of a branch, ready to be plucked; it develops from a flower that has opened, and the pollinating insects that have visited. It develops from the pollen brought from other plants, from the water that fed the roots of the tree, and the nutrients that were transported through the tree’s body. The tree itself, from a seed that fell from another, parent plant, from a fruit that had grown and ripened and become fertile and fell to the ground. This juicy persimmon develops from the sunshine that invited all of this growth to take place since before we imagined time was time.,

In the same way, our understanding and compassion ripen moment by moment, because of so many favorable conditions and our own open hearts and diligent practice.

Ripening at every moment has four aspects

Ripening at different times
Ripening of different conditions
Ripening in different forms
Ripening in different places