THICH Nhat Hanh — English

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THICH Nhat Hanh

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THICH Nhat Hanh

Zen Buddhist master, author and peace activist, who co-founded the Engaged Buddhism movement, combining mindfulness practice, the art of living in peace, and social work.

Vietnamese
1926 -  2022

Biography


Thich Naht Hanh is considered one of the great sages of Buddhism, perhaps the most important spiritually after the Dalai Lama. He became a Buddhist monk in 1949 and then went to the United States to study comparative religions.
 

Working for peace from the 1960s onwards, he impressed upon Martin Luther King the urgency of stopping the war in Vietnam, to the point that King publicly expressed this position the day after their meeting.

A poet, writer and thinker, he developed a modern approach to meditation known as 'mindfulness', which is now studied by academics and also cited by UNICEF for its use in school curricula to promote the mental health of pupils 1.

He lived in France in the "Plum Village" in Dordogne which he founded in 1982 and which was one of the meditation centres that took shape around the world.

He died on 22.1.2022 in Vietnam. On the day of his death, the Dalai Lama expressed his condolences in writing, saying:

" (...) Most of all, in his dedication to sharing with others not only how mindfulness and compassion contribute to inner peace, but also how individuals cultivating peace of mind contribute to genuine world peace, the Venerable lived a truly meaningful life." 2


1. https://gdc.unicef.org/resource/mindfulness-education-approach-cultivating-self-awareness-can-bolster-kids-learning


2. Vietnam Daily News, 22nd Jan. 2022

Publications

Over 130 publications and over 5 million copies sold.

Peace, a vision, an action

Peace is not simply the absence of violence. It's about cultivating understanding, insight and compassion, combined with just action. Peace is the practice of deep vision, of constant attention to our thoughts, our actions and their consequences.

  • Quote

The disturbing person's message to interpret

When another person makes you suffer, it is because he suffers deeply within himself, and his suffering is spilling over. He does not need punishment; he needs help. That’s the message he is sending.”