1 Thich Nhat Hanh 1926- Being PeaceLeo R. Sandy
2 Thich Nhat Hanh (tick not hawn)Thich Nhat Hanh, a Zen Buddhist monk from Vietnam, has been called “one of the most tireless and effective spiritual-social activists since Mohandas Gandhi” He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. At age 9 his quest for inner peace began when he studied the statue of a peaceful Buddha. At age 16 he became a monk; and at age 30 founded his own monastery and institute The Vietnam War forced the monks to evacuate the area
3 Thich Nhat Hanh cont’d The terrible violence of the Vietnam War caused the monks to develop “engaged Buddhism” whereby they helped people affected by the war In the spirit of “engaged Buddhism, Thich Nhat Hanh founded the School of Youth for Social Service that attracted over 10,000 volunteers who built schools and clinics in the areas of the worst destruction He once noted that because flowers were still able to bloom during the devastation of war, he too could “breathe in and out and smile” in the middle of the chaos
4 Thich Nhat Hanh cont’d He once came to the U.S. to try to change its policy on the war He concluded that “the real enemy of man is not man (but)…our ignorance, discrimination,fear, craving, and violence” Thich Nhat Hanh was critical of both sides of the war: “We did not care about anyone’s victory or defeat. We just wanted the bombs to stop falling on us” He led the Vietnamese Buddhist Peace Delegation to the Paris Peace Talks and then rejoiced when the Peace Accords were signed
5 Thich Nhat Hanh cont’d He was later banished from Vietnam having made both the communist and anti-communist sides angry at him He settled in France where he worked to find homes for war orphans even at risk to his own life because of his travels to the Gulf of Siam where he and the refugees he was rescuing were “hunted and chased like animals” Later he set up spiritual communities in the U.S. and France He saw that people in the west were so goal-oriented and in great need of achieving inner peace
6 Thich Nhat Hanh cont’d He observed that westerners did not know how to really enjoy themselves leaving “a kind of vacuum inside us, and we attempt to fill it by eating, reading, talking, smoking, drinking, watching TV, going to the movies, and even overworking. We absorb so much violence and insecurity every day that we are like time bombs ready to explode” Thich Nhat Hanh believed that each person has within them both seeds of peace and seeds of violence and the one that is watered the most is the one that will grow He said that “only by establishing peace in yourself can you be helpful in contributing to peace…being peace is the basis for doing peace, making peace”
7 Thich Nhat Hanh cont’d For developing inner peace, Thich Nhat Hanh teaches breathing exercises, meditation, and mindful or conscious living. He advocates deep listening – a method of calm, intentional communication designed to restore harmony between people in conflict He believes that listening compassionately to someone can turn them into a friend, and he sees that this can improve communication at even an international level Thich Nhat Hanh has worked in prisons, with Vietnam War veterans, and students to help them come to a sense of inner peace and healing of psychological and emotional wounds
8 Thich Nhat Hanh cont’d He came to New York City after 9-11and addressed an ecumenical congregation appealing to them not to engage in violent retaliation He also spoke to the Congress and stated that “Using violence to suppress violence is not the correct way” After many years, he was invited by leaders of Vietnam to return for a visit. He made two trips bringing hundreds of his students – one in 2005 and another in 2007
9 Thich Nhat Hanh cont’d In his life, he has helped build war-torn villages, found homes for orphans, rescued refugees, met with government officials, and wrote over 100 books
10 Thich Nhat Hanh Quotes Real strength is not in power, money, or weapons, but in deep inner peace How can we love our enemy? The only way to understand him, to understand how he has come to be the way he is …we are not born to hold a gun, we are born to love To stop any suffering, no matter how small, is a great action of peace Nonviolence does not mean non-action. Nonviolence means we act with love and compassion
11 Video Oprah Winfrey Interview with Thich Nhat Hanh
12 Reference Beller, K., & Chase, H. (2008). Great peacemakers: True stories from around the world. Sedona, AZ: LTS Press