Thích Nhất Hạnh, 10/11/1926 - 01/22/2022
January 21, 2022 3:36 PM Subscribe
The Monks and Nuns of Plum Village, France: "Thich Nhat Hanh, 11.10.1926-22.01.2022": "This morning, the 22 of January 2022 Thay, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, has passed away peacefully at Từ Hiếu Temple in Huế, Vietnam, at 00:00hrs, at the age of 95." BBC News, "Thiền sư Thích Nhất Hạnh viên tịch tại chùa Từ Hiếu ở Huế, thọ 95 tuổi." The Life Story of Thich Nhat Hanh. A Nobel Peace Prize nomination letter written by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. An interview with bell hooks. "Awakening the Heart," a public talk given by Thích Nhất Hạnh. Eliza Barclay (Vox, 03/2019), "Thich Nhat Hanh's final mindfulness lesson: how to die peacefully."
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posted by evilDoug at 3:49 PM on January 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by evilDoug at 3:49 PM on January 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
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posted by spinifex23 at 3:53 PM on January 21, 2022
posted by spinifex23 at 3:53 PM on January 21, 2022
Dang! That's a loss.
In 2011, Plum Village announced that, as their retreats were getting flooded by Irish residents in need of mindfulness,Mohammad TNH would go to the mountain four green fields of Ireland . . . and could somebody local make that happen? That somebody materialised as a small committee of dedicated TNH fans. It was like having to organise part of the World tour of a middle ranking rock band [with fewer drums and guitars, more bells and saffron robes. . . and no drugs or alcohol]; because P.V. announced that the party would include at least 50 monastics from Plum Village. The Itinerary settled down to a) Filling the Dublin Convention Centre with 2,000 folk for an evening talk; b) Filling the Killarney Convention Centre for a three-day retreat for 800 people; c) Addressing the N.Ireland Assembly at Stormont. A succession of contingent accidents found me as the designated driver of a rented 7-seater people carrier to carry the great man and his cabinet. With my grey hair, dismal-Eeyore demeanour and dressed in my interview-wedding-funeral suit with a sober tie, I looked the part. A peaked cap would have degenerated the costume into parody, so I skipped that.
Very respectful I was too: not speaking unless addressed, not restlessly searching for soccer commentary on the radio, doing my best to go easy on the gear-changes. There was one dicey moment on the way up to Stormont when I missed a turn in suburban Belfast and did a quick-thinking U-turn neeeeooooww across two lanes of oncoming traffic. The monk sitting in the passenger seat turned a whiter shade of pale but the VIPs in the back seats were in a state of satori - they didn't yelp! anyway. The following day we headed back to Dublin. TNH elected to sit in the front seat to see a bit of the countryside; his team of attendants sat in the back singing Vietnamese pop songs and generally larking about - because the Stormont gig had gone rather well and we were all relaxing. TNH was quietly amused by a sign on the Gormanston toll-booth:
Arrive Alive
and when we finally pulled into the place they were staying in Dublin that evening, he put his hand on my arm and said "Arrive Alive" with a little nod of appreciation. Maybe he'd been more alert than I thought when I did the two-wheeled U-ee the day before.
posted by BobTheScientist at 4:01 PM on January 21, 2022 [59 favorites]
In 2011, Plum Village announced that, as their retreats were getting flooded by Irish residents in need of mindfulness,
Very respectful I was too: not speaking unless addressed, not restlessly searching for soccer commentary on the radio, doing my best to go easy on the gear-changes. There was one dicey moment on the way up to Stormont when I missed a turn in suburban Belfast and did a quick-thinking U-turn neeeeooooww across two lanes of oncoming traffic. The monk sitting in the passenger seat turned a whiter shade of pale but the VIPs in the back seats were in a state of satori - they didn't yelp! anyway. The following day we headed back to Dublin. TNH elected to sit in the front seat to see a bit of the countryside; his team of attendants sat in the back singing Vietnamese pop songs and generally larking about - because the Stormont gig had gone rather well and we were all relaxing. TNH was quietly amused by a sign on the Gormanston toll-booth:
Arrive Alive
and when we finally pulled into the place they were staying in Dublin that evening, he put his hand on my arm and said "Arrive Alive" with a little nod of appreciation. Maybe he'd been more alert than I thought when I did the two-wheeled U-ee the day before.
posted by BobTheScientist at 4:01 PM on January 21, 2022 [59 favorites]
))))).....))))....)))...))..)..
posted by Winnie the Proust at 4:04 PM on January 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Winnie the Proust at 4:04 PM on January 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
I have found myself weeping over this news.
I take refuge in the Buddha. I take refuge in the Dharma. I take refuge in the Sangha.
posted by Lexica at 4:08 PM on January 21, 2022 [22 favorites]
I take refuge in the Buddha. I take refuge in the Dharma. I take refuge in the Sangha.
posted by Lexica at 4:08 PM on January 21, 2022 [22 favorites]
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posted by MrBadExample at 4:10 PM on January 21, 2022
posted by MrBadExample at 4:10 PM on January 21, 2022
always remember his writing on art.
"A work of art can help people understand the nature of their suffering and have insight into how to transform the negative and to develop the positive in themselves. writing, making a film, creating a work of art can be an act of love. That Act of love nourishes you and nurses others. if you're happy, if you know how to live deeply every moment of your life, then deep understanding, joy, and compassion can come. Your art will reflect this understanding and will share it with others."
Thomas Merton’s words on Thich Nhat Hanh.
posted by clavdivs at 4:10 PM on January 21, 2022 [11 favorites]
"A work of art can help people understand the nature of their suffering and have insight into how to transform the negative and to develop the positive in themselves. writing, making a film, creating a work of art can be an act of love. That Act of love nourishes you and nurses others. if you're happy, if you know how to live deeply every moment of your life, then deep understanding, joy, and compassion can come. Your art will reflect this understanding and will share it with others."
Thomas Merton’s words on Thich Nhat Hanh.
posted by clavdivs at 4:10 PM on January 21, 2022 [11 favorites]
I have been a Buddhist for nearly 20 years, and in my early years on that path, his books were absolutely essential in getting me oriented to a new way of thinking. The first two parts (a little over 100 pages) of his The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching are the best introduction to Buddhism I've ever read. Here is a little excerpt that demonstrates how he frequently used references to the natural world to make a point:
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posted by /\/\/\/ at 4:14 PM on January 21, 2022 [34 favorites]
Suppose someone standing alongside a river throws a pebble into the air and it falls down into the river. The pebble allows itself to sink slowly and reach the riverbed without any effort. Once the pebble is at the bottom, it continues to rest, allowing the water to pass by. When we practice sitting meditation, we can allow ourselves to rest just like that pebble. We can allow ourselves to sink naturally into the position of sitting — resting, without effort. We have to learn the art of resting, allowing our body and mind to rest. If we have wounds in our body or our mind, we have to rest so they can heal themselves.I am so grateful for the time he spent with us, and the writings he left us as gifts, some of which changed my life.
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posted by /\/\/\/ at 4:14 PM on January 21, 2022 [34 favorites]
May his memory, and the work he leaves behind, continue to help sentient beings free themselves from suffering and find the causes of happiness.
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posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 4:14 PM on January 21, 2022 [7 favorites]
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posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 4:14 PM on January 21, 2022 [7 favorites]
His How To Fight is an important text to me, only more impressive for its brevity.
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posted by snuffleupagus at 4:14 PM on January 21, 2022 [3 favorites]
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posted by snuffleupagus at 4:14 PM on January 21, 2022 [3 favorites]
“The enemies of those struggling for freedom and democracy are not men. They are discrimination, dictatorship, greed, hatred and violence, which lie within the hearts of man. These are the real enemies of man—not man himself.”
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 4:18 PM on January 21, 2022 [8 favorites]
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 4:18 PM on January 21, 2022 [8 favorites]
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posted by zengargoyle at 4:19 PM on January 21, 2022
posted by zengargoyle at 4:19 PM on January 21, 2022
“It’s not enough just to talk about compassion; we have to do the work of compassion.”
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 4:21 PM on January 21, 2022 [11 favorites]
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 4:21 PM on January 21, 2022 [11 favorites]
“My father is there in every cell of my body… My mother also. My grandfathers, my grandmothers, my ancestors, they have not died; they are fully present in every cell of my body. When I hear the bell, I invite all of them to join me in listening. As we hear the bell, we can say silently: We listen, we listen. This wonderful sound brings us back to our true home.”
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 4:22 PM on January 21, 2022 [14 favorites]
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 4:22 PM on January 21, 2022 [14 favorites]
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posted by shesdeadimalive at 4:57 PM on January 21, 2022
posted by shesdeadimalive at 4:57 PM on January 21, 2022
Despite having taken the refuges over a decade ago, I've somehow never read anything by Thich Nhat Hanh. I don't know why.
I do know that the sangha benefited deeply from his work and teaching. Even in death, which is no end, he'll keep turning the wheel of dharma.
posted by heteronym at 4:57 PM on January 21, 2022 [3 favorites]
I do know that the sangha benefited deeply from his work and teaching. Even in death, which is no end, he'll keep turning the wheel of dharma.
posted by heteronym at 4:57 PM on January 21, 2022 [3 favorites]
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heteronym, "Old Path White Clouds: Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha" is a lovely place to start.
posted by sainttoad at 5:32 PM on January 21, 2022 [6 favorites]
heteronym, "Old Path White Clouds: Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha" is a lovely place to start.
posted by sainttoad at 5:32 PM on January 21, 2022 [6 favorites]
Whoever speaks
What is true, informative, and not harsh,
Who give offense to no one,
I call a brahmin.
- Dhammapada 408
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posted by j_curiouser at 5:38 PM on January 21, 2022 [7 favorites]
What is true, informative, and not harsh,
Who give offense to no one,
I call a brahmin.
- Dhammapada 408
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posted by j_curiouser at 5:38 PM on January 21, 2022 [7 favorites]
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posted by austinetsu at 5:58 PM on January 21, 2022
posted by austinetsu at 5:58 PM on January 21, 2022
I saw his works have the most transformative effect on a formerly Wall Street type coworker of mine. The guy just blossomed into a completely different and open and compassionate direction and it was awe-inspiring to witness that transformation. And the transformation lasted. That was the first time in my life I'd ever witnessed something like that.
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posted by treepour at 5:58 PM on January 21, 2022 [23 favorites]
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posted by treepour at 5:58 PM on January 21, 2022 [23 favorites]
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posted by Tell Me No Lies at 6:00 PM on January 21, 2022
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 6:00 PM on January 21, 2022
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posted by erattacorrige at 6:18 PM on January 21, 2022
posted by erattacorrige at 6:18 PM on January 21, 2022
He spent a lifetime spreading seeds of simple, profound, gentle truths. I cannot imagine a lifetime better lived.
I hope he found as much joy as he brought. Some of the future’s gentlest creases will be his.
posted by rorgy at 6:28 PM on January 21, 2022 [5 favorites]
I hope he found as much joy as he brought. Some of the future’s gentlest creases will be his.
posted by rorgy at 6:28 PM on January 21, 2022 [5 favorites]
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posted by socialjusticeworrier at 6:40 PM on January 21, 2022
posted by socialjusticeworrier at 6:40 PM on January 21, 2022
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posted by Going To Maine at 6:45 PM on January 21, 2022
posted by Going To Maine at 6:45 PM on January 21, 2022
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posted by lalochezia at 6:46 PM on January 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by lalochezia at 6:46 PM on January 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
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posted by 20 year lurk at 6:50 PM on January 21, 2022
posted by 20 year lurk at 6:50 PM on January 21, 2022
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posted by StrikeTheViol at 7:20 PM on January 21, 2022
posted by StrikeTheViol at 7:20 PM on January 21, 2022
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posted by pickles_have_souls at 7:21 PM on January 21, 2022
posted by pickles_have_souls at 7:21 PM on January 21, 2022
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posted by falsedmitri at 7:49 PM on January 21, 2022
posted by falsedmitri at 7:49 PM on January 21, 2022
“Please do not build a stupa for me. Please do not put my ashes in a vase, lock me inside, and limit who I am. I know this will be difficult for some of you. If you must build a stupa though, please make sure that you put a sign on it that says, ‘I am not in here.’ In addition, you can also put another sign that says, ‘I am not out there either,’ and a third sign that says, ‘If I am anywhere, it is in your mindful breathing and in your peaceful steps.’”
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posted by ead at 8:10 PM on January 21, 2022 [36 favorites]
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posted by ead at 8:10 PM on January 21, 2022 [36 favorites]
"When we look at the ocean, we see that each wave has a beginning and an end. A wave can be compared with other waves, and we can call it more or less beautiful, higher or lower, longer lasting or less long lasting. But if we look more deeply, we see that a wave is made of water. While living the life of a wave, the wave also lives the life of water. It would be sad if the wave did not know that it is water. It would think, 'Some day I will have to die. This period of time is my life span, and when I arrive at the shore, I will return to nonbeing.'
"These notions will cause the wave fear and anguish. A wave can be recognized by signs - beginning or ending, high or low, beautiful or ugly. In the world of the wave, the world of relative truth, the wave feels happy as she swells, and she feels sad as she falls. She may think, 'I am high!' or 'I am low!' and develop superiority or inferiority complexes, but in the world of the water there are no signs, and when the wave touches her true nature - which is water - all of her complexes will cease, and she will transcend birth and death."
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posted by kitkatcathy at 8:47 PM on January 21, 2022 [12 favorites]
"These notions will cause the wave fear and anguish. A wave can be recognized by signs - beginning or ending, high or low, beautiful or ugly. In the world of the wave, the world of relative truth, the wave feels happy as she swells, and she feels sad as she falls. She may think, 'I am high!' or 'I am low!' and develop superiority or inferiority complexes, but in the world of the water there are no signs, and when the wave touches her true nature - which is water - all of her complexes will cease, and she will transcend birth and death."
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posted by kitkatcathy at 8:47 PM on January 21, 2022 [12 favorites]
🪷
posted by Halloween Jack at 9:07 PM on January 21, 2022
posted by Halloween Jack at 9:07 PM on January 21, 2022
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posted by quazichimp at 9:23 PM on January 21, 2022
posted by quazichimp at 9:23 PM on January 21, 2022
“When we look deeply, we see there is no birth and death. We are like the clouds in the sky, never dying, never passing from being to nonbeing. A cloud can become snow or ice or rain, but a cloud cannot become nothing. A cloud cannot die. If we overcome the notion of birth and death, we are no longer afraid of impermanence.”
posted by MrBadExample at 9:25 PM on January 21, 2022 [7 favorites]
posted by MrBadExample at 9:25 PM on January 21, 2022 [7 favorites]
TNH was quietly amused by a sign on the Gormanston toll-booth:
Arrive Alive
Did you pass any SELF STORAGE places?
posted by thelonius at 9:37 PM on January 21, 2022 [3 favorites]
Arrive Alive
Did you pass any SELF STORAGE places?
posted by thelonius at 9:37 PM on January 21, 2022 [3 favorites]
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posted by Twain Device at 11:12 PM on January 21, 2022
posted by Twain Device at 11:12 PM on January 21, 2022
Despite practicing Buddhism sorta for 10 years, and then taking Refuge 3 years ago, I'm absolutely horrible at meditating, and embracing the stillness around me.
Today, when I went out to get bubble tea, I found myself just waiting quietly. Everyone else was glued to their phones, but I had no such urge to take mine out, despite having it in my pocket. In fact, it was the first time I found myself being still, and actually enjoying it. Even though I have read some works by him over the years? This felt like the first time that it all resonated with me. Ever have a cooncept just click? It was like that.
What a day for that dharma teaching and skill to finally sink in. Then I came home with my tea, went to Metafilter, and learned of his passing into paranirvana.
Thank you for your teachings, Thich Nhat Hanh.
posted by spinifex23 at 11:29 PM on January 21, 2022 [9 favorites]
Today, when I went out to get bubble tea, I found myself just waiting quietly. Everyone else was glued to their phones, but I had no such urge to take mine out, despite having it in my pocket. In fact, it was the first time I found myself being still, and actually enjoying it. Even though I have read some works by him over the years? This felt like the first time that it all resonated with me. Ever have a cooncept just click? It was like that.
What a day for that dharma teaching and skill to finally sink in. Then I came home with my tea, went to Metafilter, and learned of his passing into paranirvana.
Thank you for your teachings, Thich Nhat Hanh.
posted by spinifex23 at 11:29 PM on January 21, 2022 [9 favorites]
A giant who would have run from the moniker. Rest in power.
And seconding the rec for Old Path White Clouds.
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posted by Sheydem-tants at 12:58 AM on January 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
And seconding the rec for Old Path White Clouds.
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posted by Sheydem-tants at 12:58 AM on January 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
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posted by pangolin party at 2:33 AM on January 22, 2022
posted by pangolin party at 2:33 AM on January 22, 2022
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posted by Ms. Moonlight at 4:39 AM on January 22, 2022
posted by Ms. Moonlight at 4:39 AM on January 22, 2022
☸
posted by Gordion Knott at 6:20 AM on January 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Gordion Knott at 6:20 AM on January 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
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posted by nixon's meatloaf at 7:47 AM on January 22, 2022
posted by nixon's meatloaf at 7:47 AM on January 22, 2022
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posted by crocomancer at 8:30 AM on January 22, 2022
posted by crocomancer at 8:30 AM on January 22, 2022
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posted by oozy rat in a sanitary zoo at 10:02 AM on January 22, 2022
posted by oozy rat in a sanitary zoo at 10:02 AM on January 22, 2022
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posted by Fuzzypumper at 10:40 AM on January 22, 2022
posted by Fuzzypumper at 10:40 AM on January 22, 2022
It is not often enough that news like this seems better a moment to celebrate a fabulous life than to mourn a passing.
My wife, my son and I are chalk, cheese and a bottle of old vinegar when it comes to matters spiritual, different to say the least. One place we meet is Thich Nhat Hanh. We have all learnt from him how to be better people - even vinegary old me. Still learning. He is our teacher. We owe him greatly. He lives on in us and thousands like us. When we lament our fractured, impatient, off beam, online age, it is good to remember that it also gave us this man. Ours is by no means the worst of worlds thanks to his presence.
posted by dutchrick at 11:19 AM on January 22, 2022 [6 favorites]
My wife, my son and I are chalk, cheese and a bottle of old vinegar when it comes to matters spiritual, different to say the least. One place we meet is Thich Nhat Hanh. We have all learnt from him how to be better people - even vinegary old me. Still learning. He is our teacher. We owe him greatly. He lives on in us and thousands like us. When we lament our fractured, impatient, off beam, online age, it is good to remember that it also gave us this man. Ours is by no means the worst of worlds thanks to his presence.
posted by dutchrick at 11:19 AM on January 22, 2022 [6 favorites]
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posted by wicked_sassy at 2:31 PM on January 22, 2022
posted by wicked_sassy at 2:31 PM on January 22, 2022
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posted by pianoblack at 9:52 PM on January 22, 2022
posted by pianoblack at 9:52 PM on January 22, 2022
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Rest in harmony.
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posted by Silvery Fish at 3:44 PM on January 21, 2022 [7 favorites]