In the month of May, we get to celebrate both Mother’s Day and Vesak, the Buddha’s birthday. This is a very special moment for us to connect to our ancestral, spiritual and lineage roots, with gratitude for all those who came before us and supported our insight, compassion and wellbeing.

As Thay teaches us, we can find our ancestors and teachers most closely by looking inward. When we breathe in, our mother breathes in. When we breathe out, our mother breathes out. We can also come into contact with the Buddha simply by inviting the Buddha to walk or breathe with us or for us.

We invite you to join us in honoring our ancestors and teachers, with family, in Sangha, or by ourselves. To help you in this practice, we thought you might enjoy this guided meditation by Thich Nhat Hanh. You can listen to the audio for the meditation here.

Breathing in, I invite the Buddha to breathe with my lungs.

Breathing out, I invite the Buddha to sit with my back.

Buddha is breathing, Buddha is sitting.

I enjoy breathing, I enjoy sitting.

I know that the quality of the breathing, in the Buddha breath, is excellent.

I know the quality of his sitting is excellent.

I enjoy breathing. I enjoy sitting.

I am aware that my father is fully present in every cell of my body.

I invite my father to breathe in with me. Breathe out with me.

I would like to invite my father in me to sit with my back – this is my back, but it is also his back.

Father and son. Father and daughter. Breathing together.

Breathing in, I feel so light. Breathing out, I feel so free.

Daddy, do you feel as light as I do? Do you feel as free as I do?

I know that my mother is fully present in every cell of my body.

I invite my mother to breathe with my lungs, to sit with my back.

This is my back, but it is also hers.

Mother and son breathing in together. Mother and daughter breathing in together.

Mother and son breathing out together. Mother and daughter breathing out together.

Breathing in, I feel so light.

Mother, do you feel as light as I do?

Breathing out, I feel so free.

Mother, do you feel as free as I do?