November/December 2005 Living Now
Peace Is Every Step: Thich Nhat Hanh Return to Vietnam

An Interview with Rev. Janey Gieber by Connie Hill

In February 2005 Rev. Janey Gieber traveled with Thich Nhat Hanh as one of ninety international delegates for his return trip home to Vietnam after nearly forty years of exile. Through slides and stories she is now sharing her journey with others. She brings alive the spiritual beauty of the land, the cultural uniqueness of the Vietnamese and the peaceful teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh. Rev. Janey Gieber is president of People of the Heart, a spiritual community and non-profit educational organization dedicated to peace, located in Battleground, WA.

Connie: What led you to take this trip?

Janey: I had breast cancer in 1992. In ‘93 I saw Peace is Every Step in a book store. I pulled it out, sat down in the middle of the aisle and read nearly the whole thing. That started me being a student of Thich Nhat Hanh’s. The Buddhist teachings were like cool water for me in a hot time in my life. In 2000 I began to go down to the Bay area for retreats. After a winter retreat I realized that this was the path for me.

That year the Vietnamese government decided to allow Thich Nhat Hanh to return to his homeland. He emailed his students and said he was negotiating with the Vietnamese government to bring what turned out to be 90 of his international students and his monks and nuns.

In 2004 I decided to become a member and become ordained in Thay’s (the name Thich Nhat Hanh is called by students, meaning “teacher”) tradition. That’s at least a year long process and you work with a mentor. My mentor told me she thought I was ready to apply to go on the trip. It would never have occurred to me otherwise. She said she felt that with what I’d been doing with my life I needed to apply. I was really surprised when I got the response back that I had been accepted.

C: Where were you in Vietnam?

J: We arrived in Hanoi. Then we went to Hue, which is the spiritual center of Vietnam. It’s also the place where Thich Nhat Hanh began as a novice monk at 16. I get goose bumps now just remembering. His return was so meaningful for the people. Two thousand people came to his dharma talks. People were coming in the torrential rain and standing to hear him speak. It was a very momentous trip.

C: What was the most important part for you?

J:It’s hard to single out just one thing. I think that I learned that I can be a peace delegate wherever I go and it has to do with making connections with the people and the land. I don’t even need an agenda, but by my presence I can help make peace.

C: What an incredible things to learn about yourself.

J: I’d always thought that I needed to have all of these things, the intention, the plan. What I learned from Thich Nhat Hanh is that his presence speaks volumes. Just sitting in his presence is amazing. He brings peace. You see it in his face, in his actions and in what he speaks.

C: I think the nonviolent part, doing that in every aspect of a person’s life is very difficult, especially in the U.S.

J: Thay says that when he tours North America it is his most difficult place to practice mindfulness. In North America everyone is in such a hurry and there is so much stimulation. So he has to make himself take time away to do his mindfulness walking and his tea meditation. But it’s doable.

C: What are some of the stories you came back with?

J: The Vietnamese people are so wonderful. They were incredibly gracious to us, especially to us Americans, which I didn’t expect. I’m not talking about the followers of Thay, but the hotel people, shop keepers and restaurant folks. They were so eager to please us and happy we were there. I went to a dinner with some diplomats and professors and the musician said something about her mother. I asked her about her father and she said he had died in the war. I said I was so sorry, but she said it is sad, and it’s in the past now. One of the professors said, "Vietnam is not a war, we are a country and a people." The Vietnamese call it the American war. They have made a decision to move on. From them I see forgiveness is a choice. We left Veitnam and said the war was horrible. Since we left they have been rebuilding. These people made a decision not to live in the past, in anger and resentment.

A story that is going to be printed in the Mindfulness Bell, is about my experience with a crone and some young village girls. My meditation sanga made some jewelry for me to take along and give away. We were at a school and were interacting with the children and I saw these young girls around the outside of the circle. They were just watching and I knew jewelry needed to go to them. So I called them over and presented each a necklace. Oh, my gosh their faces were so glorious. Their smiles were huge. I gave all of the necklaces away. Then, out of nowhere this four-foot tall, old woman walked up to me. She pointed at the girls, then at me, then at herself and then stuck out her hand. She wanted one of the necklaces, but I didn’t have any more to give. It ends up that I had a mala that my dharma teacher had given me. I had been wearing it for a month without taking it off. I put it on her wrist and she just twirled around in circles displaying her wrist with the mala on it. It was great. That’s my favorite story because it was so delightful.

C: Sounds like the trip changed you.

J: I came back knowing that anyone can practice mindfulness. It’s so simple. It’s not about whether I’m here or in Vietnam or the Gulf States. It’s really about how I choose to live my life in the presence of others. There’s not something out there that I’m going to learn or do that’s going to make me get it or be enlightened. It’s about who I decide to be each day or hour as a human being. It’s right here, right now. It doesn’t mean I don’t have more to learn. I get that there is a Buddha nature in me and in everybody else. I believe that.

C: Thank you, Janey.

Rev. Janey Gieber will be at New Renaissance on Saturday, November 12 sharing her slide show, Peace Is Every Step. Call 503-224-4929 go to www.newrenbooks.com for more info.
Connie Hill works at New Renaissance Bookshop and is a local astrologer. She can be reached at 971-244-0567 ext. 2 or gmnite@yahoo.com.