A Haiku Mala for Being Peace

The mindfulness bell,
adorned with orange berries,
lifts the waiting pen.

An invitation to write a nature haiku, record it, or have it voiced for you, and to send in a photo for part of a “mindfulness marathon” video premiere in the new year. Let’s create a 108 haiku mala of mindful moments in nature: a tangerine or a tea cup, houseplants or hedgerows, shifting skies and seasons, showing our reverence for Life, for the Earth and all Her beings. 

Haiku, traditional Japanese poems, usually 17 syllables in 3 lines of 5,7 and 5, don’t have to rhyme and can describe brief moments of nature’s impermanence in terms of time and place, mood and insight. This is a wonderful format for moving through our day in mindfulness and especially to accompany outdoor walking meditation. Our haiku will be set to music, each consisting of voice, text and photograph. Malas, 108 beads used for repetitions of prayer or chanting, representing spiritual wholeness in many traditions, can embody cycles, cosmic connections, grounding ourselves and overcoming obstacles, whilst also bringing us into the moment as each bead passes through the fingers. 

Sharing our Mindfulness is essential for our connection with ourselves, each other and the Earth. The Being Peace Practice Centre in the UK is Thây’s vision for us to nourish each other and all life, in community, in peace and happiness, even in the most difficult of times.

Donations are welcome towards the Centre, and togetherness, in awareness of our collective care for the world as ourselves, is most welcome of all.

Email your contact details, haiku, photos and recordings and any queries to:
beingpeace@plumvillage.uk clearly marking your submission as Haiku Mala in the subject box.

Please let us know if you would like someone else to read your haiku for you, or supply a photo.

Last date for submissions: Friday 24th November 2023