Thich Nhat Hanh

VIETNAM

A Zen master, peace activist, poet, and calligrapher, Thich Nhat Hanh became a monk when he was 16 years old. He is the founder of the Engaged Buddhism movement, and in the early 1960s, he established the School of Youth Social Service, a relief organization based in Saigon, Vietnam with the aim of helping to rebuild bombed villages, resettling homeless families, setting up schools and medical facilities, in addition to organizing agricultural cooperatives. In addition, he founded a Buddhist university, publishing house, and magazine to continue promoting peace. Following his travels to the USA and Europe in 1966, he was banned from returning to Vietnam, and as a result, he continued to promote peace while in the USA and became the leader of the Buddhist delegation to the Paris Peace Talks.
Thich Nhat Hanh later took up residence in France, where he established a Buddhist community, Plum Village, in 1982. He continues to work for peace and travels widely to teach Buddhism. He has a large following of students world-wide. He has written a large number of books on Buddhism including Peace Is Every Step, Being Peace, Teachings on Love, and The Path of Emancipation. In addition, he has composed many poems and prayers.
A distinguished calligrapher, Thich Nhat Hanh adapts the traditional form of scripting for a Western audience. His calligraphy is simple, yet profound, seeking to convey his message in just a few words to inspire the reader to reflect on their deeper meaning.