Thich Nhat Hahn is a Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk, who is best known for his efforts in the peace movement during the Vietnam war, which had resulted in him being exiled from his native country. Nhat Hahn was born in 1926 and was ordained a Buddhist monk at age 16. Then at age 24, he co-founded what is considered to be the nucleus center of Buddhist education in South Vietnam, the An Quang Buddhist Institute.

In 1966, Nhat Hahn was in the U.S for a number of speaking engagements and meetings, where he spoke in favor of benefits of ceasefire and a negotiated setlement. Thich Nhat Hahn was nominated for the 1967 Nobel Peace Prize by Martin Luther King, Jr, who was deeply moved by Nhat Hahn’s proposals for peace and was encouraged to speak out against the war for the first time at a press conference.

Today, Thich Nhat Hahn is still deeply engaged in mindful Buddha-infused social activism. He is currently in Vietnam for his second visit to the country since his exile 40 years ago, seeking to heal wounds of war, which is something the world can certainly benefit from in present reality.

“Every day we do things, we are things that have to do with peace.
If we are aware of our life…, our way of looking at things,
we will know how to make peace right in the moment, we are alive.”

plum village: home of Thich Nhat Hahn and his lineage

PBS feature of Thich Nhat Hahn

engaged-zen.org