When we practice mindfulness in our daily lives, says Thich Nhat Hanh, we open to the wonders of life and allow the world to heal and nourish us. Everyone has the seed of suffering inside. Sometimes it slumbers in the depths of our consciousness and sometimes it manifests as a very noticeable energy. When suffering manifests, it’s difficult to feel joy or happiness. The [...]
What Are the Three Marks of Existence?
The three marks of existence are Buddhism's basic description of reality. These three simple truths, which characterize all things, are surprisingly transformative. They are: Impermance (Pali: annica): This truth is the foundation of Buddhism. The Buddha said that all compounded phenomena disintegrate. All things are made of parts, and all things fall apart. Another, [...]
Don’t Always Trust Your Perceptions
Thich Nhat Hanh offers a short teaching on perception and the value of remaining calm. Breathing in, I see myself as still water. Breathing out, I reflect things as they are. Near the mountain, there is a lake with clear, still water reflecting the mountain and the sky with pristine clarity. You can do the same. If you are calm and still enough, you can reflect the [...]
Thich Nhat Hanh to spend the rest of his life at Vietnamese temple where he was ordained
On October 26, Thich Nhat Hanh traveled back to his homeland to spend the remainder of his life at the pagoda where he was ordained. According to a letter to his students, Thich Nhat Hanh has decided to spend the remainder of his life at Tu Hieu Pagoda, a Buddhist temple in Vietnam, where he was ordained at age 16. BuddhistDoor reported that Nhat Hanh traveled to Vietnam on [...]
How to Do Gatha Practice
By reciting the short verses known as gathas, says Zachiah Murray, we transform any activity into an opportunity to awaken to our true nature. Illustrations by Carole Hénaff. Gathas are short verses that call us to the present moment. Reciting gathas is a good way to meditate while engaged in any activity, be it sacred or mundane. Joining the breath, the mind, and the [...]
Buddhahood in Three Dimensions
In these teaching on chapters one and twenty of the Lotus Sutra, Thich Nhat Hanh discusses the three dimensions in which all beings and things reside – the ultimate dimension, the historical dimension, and the dimension of action, represented here by the bodhisattva Never Disparaging. Chapter 1 of the Lotus Sutra takes us to Vulture Peak, near the city of Rajagriha in the [...]
Celebrating Thich Nhat Hanh
Each Friday, we share three topical longreads in our Weekend Reader newsletter. This week, Lion's Roar magazine's deputy editor Andrea Miller reflects on her time spent with Thich Nhat Hanh in celebration of his 92nd birthday. Sign up here to receive the Weekend Reader in your inbox. The last time I saw Thich Nhat Hanh was not too long before his stroke. It was in 2013, [...]
The Life of Thich Nhat Hanh
Zen master, peace activist, teacher of mindful living — he is one of the most important spiritual leaders of our time. His teachings are clear, profound, and original. He addresses the personal and global challenges we all face. He has brought dharma to millions and helped define Buddhism for the modern world. Lindsay Kyte tells the story of what is perhaps his greatest [...]
On his 92nd birthday, a Thich Nhat Hanh post-stroke update
The monks and nuns of Thich Nhat Hanh's Plum Village community in France today issued an update on the current state of the Vietnamese teacher of Zen and mindfulness's life and health after suffering a stroke in late 2014. The piece was written in acknowledgement of Thich Nhat Hanh's 92nd birthday on October 11, and refers to him throughout as "Thay," by which he's [...]
Listening Deeply for Peace
Without deep listening and gentle loving speech it is very difficult to move towards peace. Peace will only become a reality, says Thich Nhat Hanh, when world leaders come to negotiations with the ability to hear the suffering at the root of all conflicts. A traditional Vietnamese Zen garden is very different from a Japanese Zen garden. Our Zen gardens, called hon non bo, [...]
