Thich Nhat Hanh
“We are here to awaken from the illusion of our separateness.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
During a trip to the United States in 1966, Thich Nhat Hanh first met Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who called him “An Apostle of peace and nonviolence” and nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967. As a result of this peace mission, both North and South Vietnam exiled Thich Nhat Hanh for 39 years. Plum Village, a monastery for monks and nuns as well as a Buddhist practice center, was founded in 1982 in France. Under Thich Nhat Hanh’s spiritual leadership, Plum Village has grown to what is now the West’s largest and most active Buddhist monastery, with over 200 resident monastics. Up to 8,000 individuals from around the world visit every year to learn the art of mindful living, including walking meditation, sitting meditation, eating meditation, total relaxation, working meditation and stopping, smiling, and breathing mindfully.
Plum Village’s website states, “We practice mindfulness throughout every moment of the day and not just in the meditation hall, but also in the kitchen, the toilet, in our rooms and on the path leading from one place to another. These are all ancient Buddhist practices, the essence of which Thich Nhat Hanh has simplified and developed to be easily and powerfully applied to the challenges and difficulties of our times.”
On November 12, 2014, Thich Nhat Hanh suffered a severe brain hemorrhage. The Plum Village press release from November 30 stated that his condition remains stable and notes, “Thay continues to rest peacefully with the ticking clock on his pillow, and we sense that he is relying on his deep awareness of breathing, rooted in Store Consciousness, to guide his healing process. Even the doctors have been surprised at the consistent level of oxygen in his blood. Thay is truly the best breather in the world, inspiring us to deepen our full awareness of the breath. Thay continues to remind us that each day we are alive is a miracle, and that simply to breathe is a gift. The latest scan shows that Thay’s hemorrhage has slightly reduced in size. The edema is still present, but has not worsened.”
