The Raft is a special bi-weekly series, assembled by the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation, Plum Village Monastery, Parallax Press, and the Plum Village App team to help keep you grounded and connected during these challenging times, and to inspire your mindfulness practice.
Each issue includes a Dharma talk, guided meditation, upcoming online events, and other resources for your mindfulness practice, such as toolkits for kids, reflections by monastics, poetry and visual art, and more.
The Meaning of “The Raft”
The Buddha compared his teachings to a raft that helps us cross over to the other shore - the shore of peace, freedom, and well-being. Similarly, The Raft series is a body of teachings and practices crested to uplift us as we cross this difficult moment in our collective history.
“We should use the teaching like a raft to bring us across the river. And then when we've crossed the river, we can leave the raft there for someone else to use.”
As Thich Nhat Hanh has taught, once we have benefitted from the raft of the Dharma, we should make it available to others. If you’ve enjoyed The Raft series, please share it with your fellow Sangha members, friends, and loved ones.
Past Raft Issues
The Raft
The Raft is a thrilling novel of survival from award-winning author S.A. Robie is an experienced traveler. She's taken the flight from Honolulu to the Midway Atoll, a group of Pacific islands where her parents live, many times. The Raft by Jim LaMarche Imagine passing a summer drifting up and down a slow-moving river, watching as cranes, turtles, raccoons, otters, and ducks grow accustomed to your presence. Envision days spent poling the raft through lily pads and grasses, glimpsing foxes through the trees on shore. On hot, sticky nights, picture a tent set Continue reading ». Her latest work 'THE RAFT' has all the ingredients of a landmark: classical references, naked body painted people lying still on a canvas and an accusatory monologue, written from the perspective of a drowning man in the Mediterranean sea.