Beginning Anew is a practice of the Plum Village tradition that allows us to maintain harmony in our relationships and in our community by addressing and healing difficulties and conflicts as they arise. As Thich Nhat Hanh writes in the book Happiness, “To begin anew is to look deeply and honestly at ourselves, our past actions, speech, and thoughts and to create a fresh beginning within ourselves and in our relationship with others.” It can be done between spouses, partners, parents and children, friends, work colleagues, sangha friends, or any two people who are in relationship with each other.

Beginning Anew is a three part ceremony that provides the opportunity for everyone participating to first express appreciation for the good qualities of another (water their positive seeds), then express any regrets for any hurt or suffering they may have caused the other person, and finally express any sufferings that they have experienced that they believe was caused by the other.

In this workshop, Fred will introduce to members the practice of Beginning Anew, demonstrate what a Beginning Anew ceremony actually looks like, and guide participants through a demonstration of the ceremony. Then there will be time to practice it under Fred’s guidance.

This is an opportunity for members of FCM to learn this ceremony for use in their own personal relationships and to incorporate this key practice into the fabric of our community so we can continue to be a sangha that lives in harmony and awareness. As Fred believes the practice of Beginning Anew is so beneficial and effective, he is offering this workshop to members without cost.

Registration is open for FCM members Attending In-Person in Tampa or Attending via Zoom. You are welcome to register your significant other or family members as guests.