Thich Nhat Hanh

[C T]

Im sorry to inform everyone here that the beloved teacher and lifelong peace activist, the Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh, is gravely ill at the moment, and to please think of him in your prayers.

 

http://plumvillage.org/news/an-update-on-thays-health-13-december/

 

Thank you all sincerely.

 

 

[Astral Monk]

His work has, is, and will be inspiring to countless beings. Everything is empty because everything is full of everything else. We are all with him.

 

8)

[Bubbles]

Thich Nhat Hanh played a significant role in my life at a time I needed it most. I received some blessings from him.

I will pray and breathe for him. I am not far from the Hospital he has been admitted to.

I will see if it is possible to visit the sangha who take care of him at the hospital.

Thanks CT for the info.

[Sebastian]

Also much respect and love for this kind master. He has a beautiful heart and I hope he will recover soon.

[doc benway]

I've been also following this since his stroke.

The Miracle of Mindfulness was my first taste of Buddhism.

What a beautiful man and beautiful life!

His words and actions have favorably affected the lives of countless people and will continue to do so even when he is no longer breathing.

[Sebastian]

I know a lot of people discount him because his stuff is so simple.

 

In particular, I notice these reactions to him.

 

Those with no spiritual experience are quick to say - Of course I know it's important to live in the present moment, it's obvious. Their intellectual mind says : " I already know that, lol", and they drop off at that point. His stuff is easy and logical, a 6 year old would understand it. Master Lin has a similar writing and teaching style.

 

Those with spiritual experience. Because he doesn't mention cultivation, meridians, or advanced topics, they are quick to discount him as well, because it's beginner level to them. There is no complexity to his writings, just profound depth. I don't think Thich Nhat Nan ever mentioned energy work, nor makes it a part of his practice.

 

At first, he was mostly in the shadow of the Dalai Lama, and far less popular. Although, in my opinion, he is a much better teacher, and makes a lot more sense as his approach is almost secular in nature..

 

He has really powerful guided meditations. The book the Blooming of Lotus is incredible. He is very honest and humble. You won't see his name associated with any scandal.

 

Yet when I came to Asia and trained with another Master here, I mentionned Thich Nhat Hanh to his students and was told - "yeah, he's a great guy maybe, but that's about it. He's not enlightened, just some monk". Certainly he wasn't like their Teacher with all his meridians open through the Doaist and Vadryana path who turned out to be a very poor teacher, and bad person.

 

Let me just say that I have a lot more respect for folks that aren't enlightened, don't have huge energy bodies, and are just nice decent people. They dance in the present moment, sing their song, and make others dance with them. They are always respectful to people. What else is there to wish for ?

Edited December 16, 2014 by Sebastian

[Aetherous]

Let me just say that I have a lot more respect for folks that aren't enlightened, don't have huge energy bodies, and are just nice decent people. They dance in the present moment, sing their song, and make others dance with them. They are always respectful to people. What else is there to wish for ?

 

Nice. What really matters.

[C T]

In my eyes, Master Thich is fully enlightened.

[doc benway]

Let me just say that I have a lot more respect for folks that aren't enlightened, don't have huge energy bodies, and are just nice decent people. They dance in the present moment, sing their song, and make others dance with them. They are always respectful to people. What else is there to wish for ?

 

More folks who think like you....

[GrandmasterP]

A truly inspiring man whose gentle wisdom, wise counsel and words of encouragement have touched many lives including my own.

[Adia]

I hope he gets well.

[Bubbles]

There was no way for me to visit Thich Nhat Hanh.

But here are the latest news.

 

Official Announcement
Plum Village, France
January 3, 2015

To all Plum Village Practice Centers,
To all Practice Centers and Sanghas World Wide,
To our Dear Beloved Friends,

Happy New Year! May you and your loved ones enjoy a truly New Year, blossoming with health, happiness and peace. We would like to thank everyone for continuing to generate the energy of healing and compassion for our Beloved Teacher.
In the last three weeks Thay has gradually emerged into wakefulness, and has his eyes open for much of the day, to the point where the doctors can now say that he is no longer in a coma.

In his current state, Thay is able to recognize familiar faces. He is very responsive to verbal stimuli and has brought everyone great joy by starting to smile in the last few days. One of Thay’s close attendants recounted some shared memories from being on Tour with Thay. There was a particularly humorous story which, to his astonishment, even made Thay smile and chuckle.

However at the present time Thay is not yet able to speak. This indicates some degree of aphasia, which is being monitored closely and may evolve favourably in response to therapy.

Thay’s physical condition remains stable, and thanks to the excellent care Thay has received from the medical staff, he is able to enjoy being comfortable and at ease. Thay is investing great effort in his physiotherapy sessions. He is making daily progress, and the attendants are learning from his mind of determination, as they witness him practising the exercises from time to time throughout the day.

There are plans for Thay to be transferred to a specialist Stroke Rehabilitation Clinic soon. In the Rehab Clinic he will get the best possible care and training in order to regain as much as he can in his speech ability and movements.

Today in Plum Village we concluded our special Christmas and New Year Retreat. Nine hundred people, including many friends from near and far, participated in our New Year’s Celebrations on the 31st. We practised walking meditation together along Upper Hamlet’s legendary paths, burned New Year Resolutions in a bonfire, listened to a nourishing Dharma Talk from a senior Dharma Teacher, and enjoyed a festive meal and lively performances, ranging from jazz to rap, kung fu and an in-house skit of “The Goodfather”. Sister Chan Khong offered a Total Relaxation and Touching of the Earth, and the whole community sat in meditation as midnight arrived, signalled by the giant temple drum and bell.

Thay has built a beautiful community for us all to take refuge in, and we know the peace and joy of our spiritual family is Thay’s peace and joy.

A real sangha always carries within itself the energy of love, the energy of brotherhood and sisterhood, hope and compassion.
Our sangha is our home. Our sangha is our hope.
TNH, December 24, 2010

With trust and love,
The Monks and Nuns of Plum Village

[DreamBliss]

Source, bless and be with Mr. Hanh, and bless and be with all those interacting with him.

 

While he would take no pride in this statement, Thich Nhat Hanh is one of the reasons I am no longer a Christian, and I am very grateful to him not only for that, but for the love that drips from every word in his books.

 

Thank you. May you be well!

[Adia]

Hopefully there is a complete recovery.

[forestofclarity]

The further I get into this stuff, I find that simpler is often better. It took me quite a long time to appreciate Thich Nhat Hanh.

[Bubbles]

breaking my promise to post only on specific threads but this is not a personal post.

 

source: http://plumvillage.org/news/an-update-on-thays-health-19-feb/

 

Official Announcement

Plum Village, France
February 19, 2015

 

To all Plum Village Practice Centers,
To all Practice Centers and Sanghas World Wide,
To our Dear Beloved Friends,

 

As we enter the Lunar New Year, and our practice centers conclude our annual 90-day Winter Retreat, we are very happy to report that our dear Teacher continues to steadily make extraordinary progress.

Thay has now moved to a specialist stroke rehabilitation clinic, where he is receiving the best possible professional care. The team of monastic attendants work closely with doctors, nurses and professional therapists, and accompany Thay twenty-four hours a day, offering massage, acupuncture and comfort care, and helping Thay with his physical training.

 

Thay is steadily recovering his strength and rebuilding his muscles day by day. We have been struck by Thay’s great determination, motivation, courage and concentration as he sets his own program to train himself to learn anew how to sit upright, stand, and move his limbs.

 

The medical team is also helping Thay learn to swallow again, and last week Thay was able to drink his first cup of tea since November. The attendants prepared Thay’s favorite tea in his cup, and Thay even signalled to invite everyone to drink a cup of tea with him. Contemplating the tea, Thay smiled, put his hand on his heart, and looked up. All could clearly see that Thay was reminding everyone to bring our mind back to our body and to look deeply into the tea, really enjoying the tea and the presence of those around us.

 

During the last full moon of the lunar year, Thay enjoyed watching the moon rise from his bed, and invited the attendants to enjoy it silently with him. In the peace and joy with which he enjoyed the moon, we can see Thay’s love for the wonders of life and his generosity in teaching us to cherish these wonders at every moment.

 

With each week that passes Thay is becoming increasingly alert and engaged. Although Thay is not yet able to speak, he has begun to vocalize, and is developing a means of communicating silently with his attendants and physicians. Thay’s path of healing is still long, yet we know that every moment can be a moment to deeply touch the wonders and miracles of life.

We are very grateful for the great compassion and support that Thay has received from his global Sangha Body, creating wonderful conditions for his recovery and healing. We are thankful for your practice of mindfulness and prayers sending positive energy to Thay, and for your letters, donations, and the many beautiful children’s drawings.

 

Here in France the cold winter is beginning to give way to beautiful blossoms, in time to decorate the hamlets for the Lunar New Year, Thay’s favorite festival. Last week the community prepared hundreds of traditional “Earth Cakes”, and stayed up all night with music and song to cook them over open fires. Each New Year Thay offers us a compact “parallel verse,” to guide our practice in the year to come. For this New Year of the Goat the Plum Village elders have chosen an excerpt of a poem written by Thay, which hangs at the altar of the Still Water Meditation Hall in Upper Hamlet:

 

Look deeply to understand clearly
Listen deeply to truly love

 

These phrases have been written in calligraphy and prepared in “diamonds” that can be printed and posted around your home or workplace, as gentle reminders to practice.

Wishing you health, happiness and many fruits of the practice,

 

 

The Monks and Nuns of Plum Village

[doc benway]

Thanks for the update Bubbles, breaking promises can be healthy