Yesterday marked the first anniversary of the death of Buddhist monk, mystic, peace activist, writer, and poet, Thich Nhat Hanh. He was born in Viet Nam in 1926 so was in his twenties as the turmoil of war developed in his homeland, first under French rule, then with the Americans. He established a community in the mountains with the goal of establishing peaceful Buddhist practice in the midst of violence but he was eventually forced into exile in the United States, where he taught at universities, and wasn't permitted to return to Viet Nam for decades.
Nhat Hanh was known as the "father of mindfulness" and was a major influence on Western practices of Buddhism. I wrote last year that he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by another recipient, Martin Luther King Jr., and he explored interfaith contemplation with Thomas Merton.
I considered visiting Plum Village, the contemplative community in France which Thich Nhat Han established. This is how they describe their beginnings and purpose:
Plum Village is where Thay (Nhat Hanh) has realised his dream of building a Beloved Community: creating a healthy, nourishing environment where people can learn the art of living in harmony with one another and with the Earth.Plum Village began in 1982 as a small, rustic farmstead, and has today grown into Europe’s largest Buddhist monastery, with over 200 resident monks and nuns, living and practising in four different hamlets spread out across the French countryside. It is a continuation of the original “Sweet Potato Community” that Thay first founded near Paris in the 1970s, soon after he was exiled from Vietnam.
On the weekend someone posted the link to a half hour documentary about Thich Nhat Hanh which I found informative and challenging and inspiring. It's worth the time to watch and consider how we can be people of peace as Christians in conversation with other traditions:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRObW9noiVk&feature=youtu.be
Plum Village, France
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