Plumvillage, Published on the Buddhist Channel, Sept 22, 2006
"Our home is large enough for all of us. Let us go home as brothers and sisters." - Ven Thich Nhat Hanh
Thenac, France -- Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh recently wrote a handwritten letter to US President George W. Bush about a dream he had of his brother. He shared this dream of his with the President and implored Mr Bush to rethink the situation in the Middle East. Here is the letter in full.
Honorable George W. Bush
The White House
Washington DC, USA
Plum Village
Le Pey 24240
Thenac, France
Dear Mr President
Last night, I saw my brother (who died two weeks ago in the USA) coming back to me in a dream. He was with all his children. He told me, "Let's go home together." After a millisecond of hesitation, I told him joyfully, "Ok, let's go."
Waking up from that dream at 5 am this morning, I thought of the situation in the Middle East; and for the first time, I was able to cry. I cried for a long time, and I felt much better after about one hour. Then I went to the kitchen and made some tea. While making tea, I realized that what my brother had said is true: our home is large enough for all of us. Let us go home as brothers and sisters.
Mr. President, I think that if you could allow yourself to cry like I did this morning, you will also feel much better. It is our brothers that we kill over there. They are our brothers, God tells us so, and we also know it. They may not see us as brothers because of their anger, their misunderstanding, and their discrimination. But with some awakening, we can see things in a different way, and this will allow us to respond differently to the situation. I trust God in you; I trust Buddha nature in you.
Thank you for reading.
In gratitude and with brotherhood,
Thich Nhat Hanh
Plum Village
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