About Thây

  “When we live in awareness, it is easy to see miracles everywhere”       Thich Nhat Hanh

Thich Nhat Hanh, affectionately known as Thây (pronounced ‘tie’), which is Vietnamese for Teacher, is one of the world’s best known Buddhist teachers. He is also a poet, peacemaker and human rights activist.

Engaged Buddhism

Thây has led an extraordinary life. Born in central Vietnam in 1926, he became a monk at the age of sixteen. The Vietnam War confronted the monasteries with the dilemma of whether to adhere to the contemplative life and remain meditating in the monasteries, or whether to help the villagers suffering under bombings and other devastations of the war.

Thây was one of those who chose to do both, helping to found Engaged Buddhism. His life and work has since been dedicated to creating a more peaceful society.

The Order of Interbeing

On full moon night in February 1964, he established the Tiep Hien Order or the Order of Interbeing, at a time when the war was escalating and there was a desperate need to combat the hatred, violence, and divisiveness enveloping Vietnam. At this stage the Order comprised a small number of dedicated followers who were involved in social work and were committed to the principles of Engaged Buddhism. The Order was founded on the Fourteen Precepts or, as they are now known, Mindfulness Trainings.

Working for peace in the US and Europe

Two years later in 1966, Thây left Vietnam to call for peace. He was not allowed to return. In 1967, Martin Luther King nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize, saying, “this gentle Buddhist monk from Vietnam is a scholar of immense intellectual capacity. His ideas for peace, if applied, would build a monument to ecumenism, to world brotherhood, to humanity.”

In 1969, Thây led the Buddhist Peace Delegation to the Paris Peace Talks and founded the Unified Buddhist Church in France.

Plum Village

UBC first established the Sweet Potatoes Meditation Centre in 1975. Word spread about his teachings and the community grew. In 1982 Plum Village was set up. Situated in Southern France, Plum Village is a meditation centre and home to the Order of Interbeing. Every year, Plum Village welcomes thousands of people from different faiths who come from all over the world to attend retreats. A sangha (community of practice) of about 150 monks, nuns and lay-practitioners live permanently in Plum Village.

Thich Nhat Hanh continues to live in Plum Village, where he teaches, writes and gardens. He also leads retreats worldwide on the Art of Mindful Living.

Thây’s teachings

Thich Nhat Hanh’s key teaching is that, through mindfulness, we can learn to live in the present moment instead of in the past and in the future. Dwelling in the present moment is, he reminds us, the only way to truly develop peace, both in one’s self and in the world.

His teaching is notable for its emphasis on joy, engagement in the world, and integrating the practice of mindfulness into daily life. To be mindful is to become aware of what is going on in our bodies, our minds, and the world around us. His teaching centres on conscious breathing and the mindful awareness of each breath. He reminds his students that any act is an opportunity to touch the present moment whether it is washing the dishes or driving a car. He asks us to stop the war inside ourselves, to quiet our distracted minds and to return to the present moment. This allows us to discover that ‘there is no way to happiness – happiness is the way’.

Thây’s writing

Thây is the author of more than one hundred books, including bestsellers Peace Is Every Step; The Miracle of Mindfulness; Living Buddha, Living Christ and Anger. His most recent books include The World We Have – A Buddhist Approach to Peace and Ecology and Calming the Fearful Mind – a Zen Response to Terrorism and The Art of Power See Bookshop.