Thich Nhat Hanh believed that Buddhism should be a force for change
The Vietnamese monk and “father of mindfulness” died on January 22nd, aged 95
IN THE WEST’S imagination a Buddhist monk is a model of otherworldliness. He sits silently in his temple, or under a tree in a manicured garden, lost in the inner vastness of contemplation. A small bowl of water and a bowl of rice are all that sustain him. His day is marked out by gentle gongs and bells, and he causes no more disturbance to the earth than a falling leaf or passing clouds.
This article appeared in the Obituary section of the print edition under the headline “The time is now”
From the January 29th 2022 edition
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