*Story and Photos by Sid Magliari*
*Edited by Jack Sloan*

During my gap semester before starting college, I decided to live in Blue Cliff Monastery for two months. Blue Cliff Monastery was founded by Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh, a highly influential Zen Vietnamese monk. I decided to go because I wanted to practice mindfulness and routine. I also wanted to disconnect from the pressures of everyday life and the chaos of the world. At Blue Cliff I lived amongst the Monastics and other practitioners. It was here that I cultivated a strong practice of mindfulness and deep reflection. I was also able to rebuild my relationship with nature, and form a deeper connection with the world around me.

I highly recommend visiting Blue Cliff! It’s only a 2 hour drive upstate from NYC, in Sullivan County. It’s normally recommended to go visit for a weekend, but if you would like to simply visit, there are Days of Mindfulness every Thursday and Sunday that are free to the public and a lovely insight into the practice! This is a song I wrote during my time there, as well as some photos of the monastery and its surroundings.

In the morning the sun shines, spraying the trees with its light

I’m happy to see you again

and when the autumn leaves turn brown, fall off the tree and hit the ground

I’m happy to see you again

and when the winter sky turns grey, and all the birds go to migrate

I’m happy to see you again

and when the spring blossoms bloom, all the deers will come out too

I’m happy to see you again

and when the warmth decides to play, spread its wings on summer days

I’m happy to see you again

and when the moon rises bright, and all the bugs will say goodnight

I’m happy to see you again

and then the buddha that’s within says hello I start to grin

I’m happy to see me again

Blue Cliff Monastery

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