Last Sunday, October 11th, 2009 in Paris, a number of monks and nuns from Plum Village and lay practioners from France and Germany, etc… had organized a walking meditation from the UNESCO headquarters to the Human Rights Square, Trocadero, Paris – in front of the Eiffel tower to call for help to support the monks and nuns in Bảo Lộc, Việt nam whom is facing a lot of difficulties.

The walking meditation started at 14h with the sharing of the practice of walking meditation by Sr. Giác Nghiêm (French).  There were more than 500 people whom attended the event, each of which had held a flower and had walked peacefully from UNESCO headquarters, passing by some parks and major streets in front of the Eiffel tower and ended at the Human Rights Square, Trocadero.  After that, each member had placed the flower representing each monastics whom is facing difficulties in Bảo Lộc right on the Square.  The walking meditation was ended with a session of silent sitting and evoking the name of Avalokiteshvara.

The day after, Monday October 12th, representing members practicing in the tradition of Plum Village in France, number of monks and nuns and of lay practioners had brought those flowers to the Embassy of Vietnam in Paris to offer to the ambassador with the message: “We admire Vietnam very much, the land of your home because we admire the people of your country.  Those people are still able to keep the mind of loving kindness, faith and peace when facing violence and injustice; those are the 378 young monastics in Vietnam practicing in the tradition of Plum Village.  Each of these flowers represents each of them.  We would like to offer to you these flowers, which represent the government of Vietnam and the people of Vietnam in our country.”