David Viafora, a former monk in the Plum Village tradition, was introduced to Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings as a poor college student, when someone gave him free tickets to a public lecture. He spent a year visiting and studying sanghas around the world — the result is his forthcoming book, Conscious Communities: The Transformative Power of Sangha, available in 2023. He now lives at MorningSun Community in New Hampshire.