In October 2018, Nhat Hanh stunned his disciples by informing them that he would like to return home to Vietnam to pass his final days at the Tu Hieu root temple in Hue, where he became a monk in 1942 at age 16. Though he was unable to speak after the stroke, he continued to lead the community, using his left arm and facial expressions to communicate. In 2014, Nhat Hanh, who is now 93 years old, had a stroke at Plum Village, the monastery and retreat center in southwest France he founded in 1982 that was also his home base. He’s also built a network of monasteries and retreat centers in six countries around the world, including the United States. He’s considered the father of “engaged Buddhism,” a movement linking mindfulness practice with social action. Nhat Hanh made his name doing human rights and reconciliation work during the Vietnam War, which led Martin Luther King Jr. The Vietnamese monk, who has written more than 100 books, is second only to the Dalai Lama in fame and influence. Thich Nhat Hanh has done more than perhaps any Buddhist alive today to articulate and disseminate the core Buddhist teachings of mindfulness, kindness, and compassion to a broad global audience. The interview below with one of his senior disciples was first published in March 2019. Editor’s note: The International Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism has announced that Thich Nhat Hanh died on January 22, 2022, in Huế, Vietnam.
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