Thich Nhat Hanh

One of the tasks I am working at this year is a revision of my web pages. Most of what I am doing isn’t visible to visitors. The bulk of my work has to do with the reorganization of the archives of my journal. Because of the volume of the journal, I have had some problems when periodically re-loading the web site. To streamline things, I have been taking previous years’ entries, reformatting them into .pdf documents with a month in each, and publishing these new documents in place of individual entries. It is time consuming work, but it does involve reading my old entries, which is interesting to me. Another thing I have been working on is re-doing some of the lesser-viewed areas of my site. One of those areas is the tab about books. Right now that tab is not functioning as I am designing a completely new tab. The old tab was a set of book reviews. I not only write volumes of essays, I read a lot of books. The books page revived a feeling that I had when I was an elementary student. I love reading, but I procrastinate when it comes to writing book reports. At the point where I took down the book page, I was more than a year behind in writing book reviews. I’ve decided that I am simply not going to get those reviews written, so the new page, which should be up in a couple of weeks, will be a simple list of the books I have read. I won’t go too far back, as the list would be too long to be meaningful, but I’m trying to include a decade or so of reading. The list will be like a bibliography, alphabetized by author’s last name.

Last night I was looking at the list and notices that on it are at least three are three books by the Vietnamese Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh. The Zen master died yesterday at the age of 95. The official press release from Plum Village said he “passed away peacefully.” Those words are common when speaking of a gentle death, but in this case, I believe they were very accurate. He was a man of peace who practiced his teachings in his personal life.

The three books that came to my mind when I read of his death are “The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation,” “Peace is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life,” and “True Love: A Practice for Awakening the Heart.” On one level, the books are very simple. They describe easily-followed techniques for focusing one’s attention, releasing anxieties and distractions, and being present to the people and experiences of life. I am not a Buddhist practitioner, but I have found many parallels between Buddhist meditation and Christian prayer and following some Buddhist practices has opened my mind and deepened my awareness of Christian practices.

Thich Nhat Hanh was exiled from Vietnam in the 1960’s because of his opposition to the war. He lived for decades in exile in France before being allowed to return to Vietnam near the end of his life. He traveled extensively, leading workshops and teaching practices. His contributions to peace were recognized by other Buddhist leaders such as the Dalai Lama and by many Christian leaders including Desmond Tutu. He had a close relationship with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King nominated Thich Nhat Hanh for the Nobel Peace Prize, and credited him with being among his teachers in nonviolence and peace. All of these spiritual leaders have influenced my life’s journey, primarily through the words they have written that I have been privileged to read.

One of the incredible and amazing resources of this world is the human capacity to be influenced by the writing of others. We are able to pass on learning through language. Thich Nhat Hanh didn’t write in a language that I can read. Although he was fluent in several languages, including English, his native Vietnamese and French were the languages that he spoke from childhood. His books were translated into English by others. Even with the extra process of translation, I feel as if I have been taught by him. A great deal of his calm and peaceful presence comes through the translated words. It seems as if his spirit has been shared through print on paper.

I think of Thich Nhat Hanh as being in the same generation as Desmond Tutu, who also was 95 at his death less than a month ago. They were just a bit younger than my parents. Their generation has been essential in my formation and the formation of people in my generation. We have been shaped by those of many other generations. We are able to read the words of people who lived centuries before our birth, but somehow the teachings of our parents’ peers has been very impactful on the life I have lived. I have looked up to those elders as examples of the life I aspire to live.

Thich Nhat Hanh, Desmond Tutu, and others of their generation remained engaged and productive through their aging years. They were teaching and active well beyond the age of retirement. Their productivity and engagement inspire me and remind me that even though I am moving into the age of an elder and our parents’ generation is passing away and passing on their legacy to ours, this is not the time for me to stop living fully or to cease contributing to the wellbeing of others. There is meaningful work that remains for me. Discovering and continuing that work is a perpetual task before me and one that will demand thoughtfulness and prayer. I have the good fortune to have many mentors and teachers of that kind of thoughtfulness and prayer. Thich Nhat Hanh is one of those mentors and teachers.

I don’t know if I will read more of his books. I have a long list of books that I intend to read. But I will take time, as the world celebrates his life, to re-read one of the volumes on my bookshelf. There is much that I can yet learn from this teacher.

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