Activist monk laid foundations of mindfulness

Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, who helped to pioneer the concept of mindfulness in the West and socially engaged Buddhism in Asia, has died. He was 95.

Possibly the second-most famous monk in the world behind the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings inspired an entirely new school of Buddhism known as the Plum Village Tradition. which is now practised throughout the world.

Thich Nhat Hanh is credited with founding the movement of Engaged Buddhism, which focuses on social activism for peace through Buddhist practices and teachings. His teachings were so popular that he spoke with presidents and parliaments worldwide.

Even after he suffered a stroke in 2014 that left him unable to speak, Thich Nhat Hanh continued teaching through his words – he was credited with writing 100 books, many of them in English.

Thich Nhat Hanh’s pleas for peace made him an enemy of North and South Vietnam alike. Both denied him the right to return to his homeland, and he spent 39 years in exile. He was finally welcomed home in 2005, and returned for good in 2018.