Dedication to Thây Thích Nhất Hạnh

[Small Fur]

 

 

"Breathing in, I am aware of my heart.

Breathing out, I smile to my heart and know that my heart still functions normally.

I feel grateful for my heart." -Thích Nhất Hạnh

 

 

 

Dear Tao Bums, Students and Practitioners of  Buddhism,

Please take a moment in silent light and benevolence to offer grace and blessing to thây Thích Nhất Hạnh who passed away on January 22nd, 2022  at Từ Hiếu Temple in Huế, Vietnam. Thây Hạnh was the teacher of Thiền Buddhism- a Vietnamese form of Zen Buddhism, author of 130 books and founder of  both Deer Park and Plum Village Monasteries. Among his many writings, were "The Miracle of Mindfulness", "Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames", and "Peace is Every Step".

Record of his funeral procession in Vietnam, his final parting words of merit and wish for the compassionate community to continue the cultivation of bodhicitta can be seen here:

 

 

 

 

His dedication, teachings and compassion have touched many lives.
May we offer our gratitude and blessing not only in our hearts and through prayer, but also in action through our continued living dedication in heartfelt cultivation, practice and compassion.

"The real power of the Buddha was that he had so much love.

He saw people trapped in their notions of small separate self, feeling guilty

or proud of that self, and he offered revolutionary teachings that resounded

like a lion's roar, like a great rising tide, helping people to wake up

and break free from the prison of ignorance" -Thích Nhất Hạnh

 

May we all love, love deeply, and love truly.

 

Edited January 29, 2022 by Small Fur

[Creation]

Available for free through the 31st:

 

A story of spiritual awakening:

https://www.themarginalian.org/2022/01/23/thich-nhat-hanh-fragrant-palm-leaves/

 

[TranquilTurmoil]

Thay's great aspiration, wondrous compassion, and fearless service to others... for decade after decade will not be forgotten by me, or by my friends from Blue Cliff Monastery. He gave up his own homeland following his truth, not just his home before becoming a monk, and he made himself and built a refuge so vast that distraught, insecure, existientially broken seekers like me were able to find the Dharma. And his refuge reached people who didn't even know what the Dharma was or what the word meant, people who couldn't manage their anger and knew they needed help, people burnt out from drug and alcohol addiction seeking meaning and purpose, people who realized that even strong tranquilizers weren't containing their anxiety anymore.... and he taught everyone whatever they could process.... from the simple to the profound, and pointing out when we were caught in dualistic fixations like "basic" and "profound". He embodied the bodhisattva aspiration in a way that was truly inspiring and inclusive, and he is remembered with gratitude, and deep tenderness by those whose lives he touched.