Plum Village 
Transformation Hall
Transformation Hallstart or join a practice community
Transformation Hall
It is not necessary to register to enjoy the Transformation Hall. Without an account, you can learn about different communities, view their calendar of public events, and participate as a visitor.
By creating a free account, however, you are able to participate more deeply in our online communities, and contribute to them as a practitioner:
Please enter a valid email address to begin the signup process. You will receive a welcome email to validate your address, and instructions on how to set up and practice in your Transformation Hall.
Use the search fields below to look for a practice community that can nourish you and help you deepen your practice. You can look for those near to you geographically, or within a certain number of hours of your home time zone. You can also find communities near to you in interests and types or frequency of their practice.
If you haven't found a practice community near to you in time or space, or one that shares a special interest, perhaps the Sangha you are looking for is the one you are meant to start! You can fill out the form below to request a new Sangha, so that those who have similar aspirations might find you.
Throughout his many years of teaching, the Buddha said “All I teach is that suffering exists, and the Way to end suffering.” Practicing with the Buddha, our lives improve in simple and lasting ways, the lives of our partners and parents and children improve, and the communities around us as well.
Our teacher, Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh, was a master of simplicity and practicality. He taught us that we are better prepared to look deeply at the suffering in our lives, and to transform that suffering, if we first cultivate and encourage peace, joyfulness and happiness in ourselves. This is of great benefit when we face personal challenges or losses.
Thầy was also a master of community building. He taught that walking and practicing together, by “going as a river”, we are strengthened when we feel weak, and inspired by the small and great successes of our friends on the path. The Sangha, he said, is of equal importance to the Teachings, and even to the Teacher. Without the practice community we cannot make much progress. Living in this noisy, political, digital world, it is easy to lose the way.
Whether our suffering has its roots in an experience in this lifetime, or has been inherited from our parents, ancestors, nation or culture, transforming the mud into a lotus flower is not a philosophical or religious exercise, but a practical one. We water the seed of transformation by training our minds, but the fruit of transformation ripens “on the vine”: through our words and our actions. It is our community of practice that helps us use our most compassionate words and most skillful actions in difficult situations. That is the beginning of the end of suffering.
When you visit a Plum Village monastery, the Sisters or Brothers will often say: “You have found and cultivated peace here. When you return home don’t forget it! Join a practice community in your area or, if there are none, start your own!” That is correct. When we have companions who share our values and our aspiration, we are reminded every day and every week that a Path of light and beauty exists in the world.
There should be no distance or obstacle that prevents you from enjoying and sharing this solid peace. If you are part of an in-person Sangha that meets once or twice a month, you can sit together online between those meetings. If you live far from the city, or within a city but far from a meditation space, you can find groups that meet in your time zone. Or, if you have a particular history or affinity that is searching for understanding, such as gender identity or preference, cultural or racial grouping, professional direction, or social action, you can look for those who can best support you on your path.
Walking patiently and in good company, we change our lives and influence the world. There is no cost, and there is no obstacle: find a community, or found a community, and begin transforming your pains to joys, your suffering to compassion.