Howelings
Konk Life Columnist
Thich Nhat Hanh Lives!
Thich Nhat Hanh, known by his acolytes as Thay, is a personal friend of Key West developer and Buddhist Pritam Singh, has visited the Keys and made a number of friends and followers here who have attended his retreats.
On Nov. 11, the Vietnamese-born Zen Buddhist monk, teacher, author, poet and peace activist, experienced a severe brain hemorrhage and was brought to a hospital where he continues to show signs that a full recovery may be possible.
The monks and nuns of Plum Village, the Dordogne Monastery where Nhat Hanh lives in France and from where he travels internationally to give retreats and talks, have recently communicated to Keys residents that “Thay continues to surprise the doctors with his strong vital signs and steady, peaceful breathing. They are still amazed that he has been able to survive and even to show small signs of progress.”
One of the doctors shared that “Thay is an enigma,” another said they were “witnessing a miracle.”
In recent days, Howelings has heard that the ailing monk has been showing “some indications of wakefulness but continues to remain in a deep coma. There have been times when he has had his eyes open for more than two hours, and is responsive, but he is not yet showing clear signs of communication.”
The doctors say it may be weeks or months before they can understand the damage caused by the hemorrhage and discover the extent of healing that may be possible.”
Every day, nurses help him sit in a chair while acupuncture and massage attendants join physiotherapists in activating his body. The monks sing to him and share chants and the sounds of nature.
Thich Nhat Hanh has published more than 100 books, including at least 40 in English. He is a proponent of “engaged Buddhism” and has long been active in the peace movement, promoting non-violent solutions to conflict. He also refrains from animal product consumption as a means of non-violence towards non-human creatures.
It was in 1960 that Nhat Hanh came to the U.S. to study comparative religion at Princeton and was subsequently appointed lecturer in Buddhism at Columbia. He has gained fluency in French, Chinese, Sanskrit, Pali and Japanese in addition to English and his native Vietnamese. In 1963, he returned to Vietnam to aid his fellow monks in their non-violent peace efforts.
He has established two monasteries in Vietnam and several “dharma centers” in the U.S., including Magnolia Village Practice in Mississippi.
Students of Nhat Hanh include author and teacher Natalie Goldberg, Joan Halifax, founder of the Upaya Institute, and environmentalist Stephanie Kaza. Pritam Singh is editor of several of Nhat Hanh’s books.
In 2014, for the first time in history, major Anglican, Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christian leaders, as well as Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist leaders including representatives of Nhat Hanh, met to sign a shared commitment against modern-day slavery; the declaration they signed calls for the elimination of slavery and human trafficking by the year 2020.
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Quote for the Week:
“Eternity can be touched in the present moment
and the cosmos in the palm of your hand.”
—Thich Nhat Hanh
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So sorry to hear about this great teacher’s illness. He is a shining example of walking the walk and a special soul. His contemporary, Master Hsing Yun puts it this way;
Life with suffering and happiness
Is full;
Life with success and failure
Is reasonable;
Life with gain and loss
Is fair;
Life with birth and death
Is natural.
We are all better for these great people in our lives. Thank you for sharing this news. Wishing Thay nothing but love.