The ESSERE PACE project is organised and supported by the Italian members of the Order of Interbeing, an international community founded by Thich Nhat Hanh in Vietnam in 1966 at the height of the war to plant a seed of peace in the climate of violence and hate generated by the conflict and to diffuse the practice of mindful living among laypeople.
The Charter of the Order of Interbeing has four fundamental principles: non-attachment to opinions, looking deeply, flexibility and skillful means. ‘Skillful means’ refers to those images, methods and initiatives that can indicate the path towards a mindful and awakened life.
The Order of Interbeing rejects dogmatism in thought and deed. Its spiritual search is for the true spirit of insight and compassion in life, which are more important than any institution, tradition or credo. Members of the Order aspire to transform themselves in order to transform society.
The Order of Interbeing is formed by a core community and an extended community. The former is composed of practitioners who have vowed to observe the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings and to dedicate themselves to help building and support practice groups where they live. The extended community is composed of those whose practice is inspired by these values but who have not formally received the Fourteen Trainings. Today the core community in Italy is formed by more than twenty laymen and laywomen, whereas the extended community numbers thousands of practitioners.
For years the Italian Order of Interbeing has organised activities directly and through the Associazione Essere Pace to encourage the practice of mindfulness (publications, retreats, etc.: see www.esserepace.org).
It is within this context that the Essere Pace Project falls. It has been conceived as a means of support for those who already practice mindfulness, and to offer to anybody the chance to experience its benefits in a dedicated environment.
The Essere Pace Project was presented to Thich Nhat Hanh in December 2004 and met with his full approval and intention to provide spiritual support to the future Centre.