“We would like to express our deep love and gratitude as we make the vow to carry your teachings, compassion, and insight far into the future,” the eulogy reads.
In a newsletter to the community on Monday, Plum Village shared a eulogy for Thich Nhat Hanh from his disciples. The beloved Vietnamese Buddhist teacher, known as Thay by his students, passed away on January 22, 2022 in Hue, Vietnam at the age of 95.
“It is the greatest fortune of our life to have been able to become your students, to receive your guidance, and to belong to your Beloved Community,” the eulogy begins.
“You are our Teacher, and you have taught and nurtured us with boundless love, patience, and care. The dewdrops of your compassionate nectar have refreshed our thirst. You have been the torch guiding us through the forest of confusion; the hand reaching out to us when we fall; the ladder rescuing us from our darkest moments. You have given us a path to walk, so that we no longer have anything to fear.”
The eulogy shares the Plum Village community’s gratitude for Nhat Hanh’s profound impact, including his “immense compassionate action in the world,” alongside his strength and mindfulness in the face of adversity throughout his life.
“At every turn you took the path less-traveled; the difficult path,” the eulogy reads. “Despite all the difficulties, you never gave up—on hope, or on this path, or on your vision of creating a practice that could truly help the world.”
Plum village also shared a four-minute video featuring images and footage of Nhat Hanh’s funeral procession and cremation ceremony on Saturday, January 29, where thousands of people joined the procession in Hue, Vietnam.
“We are grateful to bear solemn witness to such a powerful and elemental open-air cremation, so evocative of the Buddha’s time,” Plum Village writes.
Watch the video above, and read the full eulogy for Thich Nhat Hanh on the Plum Village website.
