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Thich Nhat Hanh has died
- colordrops 5y agoThis man was my first introduction to meditation. I read his book "the miracle of mindfulness" when I was undergoing an extremely difficult, near suicidal period of my life, and it pulled me out and put me back on track. I'm indebted to him and I wish I had an opportunity to meet him.
- latchkey 5y ago@dang this deserves a black line at the top of HN. RIP Thich Nhat Hanh.
- joshSzep 5y agoIncredibly sad. TNH was a major influence on me when I was searching for the answers to big questions and dealing with heavy depression.
- mwattsun 5y agoA beautiful man who showed us a way to die with dignity and mindful awareness https://time.com/5511729/monk-mindfulness-art-of-dying/ https://time.com/5511729/monk-mindfulness-art-of-dying/
- carabiner 5y agoWow. I used to go to the mindfulness retreats at his affiliated monastery in San Diego. You left your phone in your car, and had 3-5 days (or more sometimes) of meditation, fresh cooked meals, and nature. It was really peaceful, and so different from what I had expected (something like a cult, being plied for donations etc. there was none of that). I stopped going when I left California, but it's hard to feel much more free than that these days. You're on a schedule for sleep, meals and events, basically making no decisions, and without internet pulling your attention, you feel like your mind is coming back to yourself.
- latchkey 5y agoSimilar: https://sivananda.org/ https://sivananda.org/ I spent a few months living at the one in Da Lat, Vietnam as well as a bit of time at the one in Grass Valley, California. Great group of people and their yoga program is perfect.
- henvic 5y ago> it's hard to feel much more free than that these days > You're on a schedule for sleep, meals and events, basically making no decisions, and without internet Not judging, but... Pick one?
- galoisscobi 5y agoSounds wonderful. I recently moved to San Diego and will certainly be checking out deer park monastery.
- KerryJones 5y agoDo you know of anyway to find more of those? I'm in Oakland and that sounds delightful.
- gloriana 5y agoWhy can't you just do it?
- carrolldunham 5y agoLol at the downvotes. This is a legitimate question. Edit: I guess looking at the actual description of the retreat given, people don't actually want to learn about acceptance etc., they literally want to go to a free version of a spa resort
- grp000 5y agoI don't think this is as simple as a google search. This isn't a regular business, and it would be nice to get a HN-user-vetted answer on a retreat that doesn't try to upsell you, and offers the "right" daily events.
- galoisscobi 5y agoHis books helped me through some of my toughest times, especially “No mud, no lotus” and “Work”. He’s had a big influence on me and I hoped to meet him at some point. I’m teary eyed and sad to hear this. He lived a beautiful life and was a bright light in our world.
- taurusnoises 5y agoThe first spiritual book I ever read was Being Peace at the age of 15. So, 28 years ago. And, that's what started it all for me. RIP, TNH.
- yial 5y agoA true loss. His teachings will live on. Reading his books when I was younger completely changed my world view - for the better.
- biesnecker 5y agoI randomly bought The Heart of Buddha’s Teaching two decades ago at my university bookstore and it changed me forever. I’m not a Buddhist today but I’d like to think the core principles are still there. A tremendous loss.
- cies 5y ago> The Heart of Buddha’s Teaching This book really got me into Buddhist theory. I really like how the ends with direct translations of suttras you can by then actually read and understand quite well. Transmissions of 2500 y/o teachings that stood the test of time, come within reach of someone not having any study in that direction. We lost a great teacher. Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi Svaha
- froh 5y agoThe short announcement from his Plum Village: https://plumvillage.org/about/thich-nhat-hanh/thich-nhat-hanhs-health/thich-nhat-hanh-11-11-1926-01-22-2022/ https://plumvillage.org/about/thich-nhat-hanh/thich-nhat-han...
- rglover 5y agoRest in peace (though, I suppose he's just popping up somewhere else). His book "Fear" really helped me.
- vmurthy 5y agoYour comment resonates with me. I have always been a bit of "left-brained" when it comes to things like "rebirth" and assumed these things are fiction. Just learning to not reaching any conclusions and accept that this might be possible has made me enjoy things more :)
- christophilus 5y agoRIP My wife thought “Thich Nhat Hanh” was an entrée, because his book “How to Eat” looks like it says, “How to Eat Thich Nhat Hanh”. It’s a good, practical little book. We’ve been reading a passage per night to our kids before supper.
- stickfigure 5y agoAh, the popular sequel to "How to Serve Thich Nhat Hanh".
- a4isms 5y agoIt's never wrong to quote The Twilight Zone.
- hyperpallium2 5y agoprequel? apropos: https://wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Serve_Man https://wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Serve_Man
- ycombinete 5y agoI’ve never heard of him before. When I saw the title of this post I thought it was a wordplay thing, where the letters had been switched around (maybe by a confused AI) or perhaps some Old/Middle English post.
- chrisweekly 5y agoWhat a loss. The world is such a better place for his having lived and written and taught the way he did. "You Are Here" is a great introduction to his books.
- wolverine876 5y agoWho are the Thich Nhat Hanhs of today?
- AlexCoventry 5y agoThanissaro Bhikkhu https://www.dhammatalks.org/mp3_index.html https://www.dhammatalks.org/mp3_index.html
- spicymaki 5y agoAgreed Venerable Thanissaro Bhikkhu is a serious Buddhist. He teaches a no-fluff Dharma. If you want to know what Buddha taught, listen to his talks. His translations and contributions are extensive.
- laristine 5y agoThe Dalai Lama is one of the closest.
- dkarl 5y agoThat's a really difficult question. Every aspect of Thich Nhat Hanh I think of, I think of people who are as old as him, or who predeceased him. Hopefully that is my own generational bias. For example, he was a Zen master whose writings reached a broad audience and provided a modern voice for a tradition where some of the foundational works such as the Platform Sutra are roughly a thousand years old. For other modern Zen voices, there are books such as Three Pillars of Zen, Dropping Ashes on the Buddha, Opening the Hand of Thought, and probably many others. (Albert Low is on my to-read list.) All of those are by authors who died before Thich Nhat Than, though. He also was an activist and an original proponent of "engaged Buddhism," in which compassion is seen to mandate action for social change. I'm sadly ignorant of the current landscape here; the Dalai Lama and Gary Snyder certainly count, but they are both getting on in years. He also wrote a lot of books that are light on doctrine but very direct, grounded, and gentle, that people have found comforting and supportive in a crisis. For that, many people look to the books of Pema Chödrön, Tara Brach, and Sharon Salzberg, who are at least a little bit younger, but all in their sixties or older.
- frays 5y agoThat photo with MLK is amazing. Rest in peace TNH.
- newbie789 5y agoWhat a terrible day. Meatloaf, Louie Anderson, and Thich Nhat Hanh all at once. :(
- adamc 5y agoSad news. I'd read some of his books... loved them.
- ggerules 5y agoI will miss him and his writings.
- guyzero 5y agoRIP. One of the great spiritual thinkers of our lifetimes.
- 999900000999 5y agoExtremely sad, he wrote of expressing compassion for every one. Peace is Every Step is a great book. Slowing down to enjoy my footstep, finding peace
- bckr 5y agoHis poems and lectures have been a comfort to me in times of great anger and sadness. I'm glad I was on the earth at the same time as him.
- warent 5y agoThich Nhat Hanh taught that just like a cloud seems to disappear from the sky, it's not really, it has simply changed form. The appearance of vanishing is just that: an appearance. Really nothing is created or destroyed. In this way, there is no loss here, Thầy has transitioned into another phase of life. A beauty worth celebrating
- markdown 5y agoSurely it's lost to the sky, having fallen to the earth as rain? This is like one of those things people overlay on an image of a flower or a cloudy sky and then post to facebook.
- noobhacker 5y agoBuddhism is about recognizing that everything is one, i.e. there's no sky/earth, but just sky-earth as one thing altogether. Of course you don't have to believe it or find it useful, I'm just explaining Buddhist thought in general and Thich Nhat Hanh's thoughts in particular here.
- markdown 5y ago> I'm just explaining Buddhist thought in general and Thich Nhat Hanh's thoughts in particular here. Thank you. I shouldn't have been so dismissive. Just feeling a bit cynical these days. You have a good day.
- nerbert 5y agoA retreat would seem helpful :)
- carrolldunham 5y ago>Buddhism is about Not sure you can say that. see e.g. https://tricycle.org/magazine/we-are-not-one/ https://tricycle.org/magazine/we-are-not-one/
- drzaiusapelord 5y ago
- mark_l_watson 5y agoSad, I enjoyed listening to his audio books.
- axiomdata316 5y agoIt's odd how many people died today. Meatloaf, Louis Anderson and the oldest woman in the United States Thelma Sutcliffe.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- tim333 5y agoAh well. I'll always associate him with The Great Bell Chant (The End Of Suffering) https://youtu.be/F1ZwaEzMtJw https://youtu.be/F1ZwaEzMtJw Some of the words from him: May the Sound of this Bell Penetrate deep into the Cosmos Even in the darkest spots Living Beings are able to hear it clearly So that all suffering in them cease Understanding come to their hearts And they transcend the path Of Sorrow and Death
- pasquinelli 5y agohe was such a good example.
- lprd 5y agoI haven't heard of him until today. I am very interested in learning meditation/mindfulness, but as an agnostic I tend to shy away from religious teachings. Are his methods heavily religious?
- Xevi 5y agoI'm an atheist and I am really enjoying reading "The Heart Of Buddhas Teaching" by him. I wouldn't say his teachings are heavily religious from what I've read so far. But some parts require a lot of imagination. You don't have to become a monk after reading his books. Sometimes good teachings transcends differing beliefs.
- relscholar 5y agoI think most Buddhist traditions are “non theistic.” This is different from atheism and theism, in that it essentially says “Even if God exists, God is mostly if not completely beside the point. The point is relying on yourself to save yourself.”
- kragen 5y agoMy reading of the Tipitaka is that it says: 1. There are a lot of gods, as well as demons, etc. Typically the Sanskrit or Pali terms devas and asuras are used untranslated, in part because the ontological categories of different mythologies may not correspond exactly. 2. One of them was first and lives longer than the others. He says he's eternal and created everything else in the universe, but he's mistaken about both of those things. 3. The gods are better off than humans are, and they understand more than ordinary humans, but they still suffer and die; they all die every time the universe ends, which has happened many times. 4. So even the gods need to follow the path of awakening in order to end their suffering, which can lead to awareness that encompasses even the many creations and destructions of the whole universe. Some of the gods follow the Buddha for this reason. 5. But lots of people (and gods) have been able to observe some part of this picture and think they've seen the whole thing, which leads them to beliefs like monotheism, polytheism, atheism, or nihilism. 6. Thinking and debating about the gods and the nature of the universe is just a distraction from the meditation and awakening you need to end your own suffering. The Tipitaka is much bigger than the small part I've read, so I don't know if I'm accurately representing what it says, and of course it's only one of many Buddhist canons. But I think the overall cosmology is not really a major point of disagreement between the different Buddhist traditions, especially because of point #6. Still, I don't think it's accurate to describe Buddhism as nontheistic. If you think the devas aren't real you must think that the Tipitaka is at best an extremely unreliable guide to reality, at which point you're really just following whoever your personal guru is, not the teachings of Shakyamuni. Hopefully he's a good guru and not somebody like Baker-roshi.
- markdown 5y agoWhat is it with HN and assuming everyone else knows what or who you're talking about. I mean look at all these people: https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Anews.ycombinator.com+%22has+died%22 https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Anews.ycombinator.com+... I recognise one name in that list. At least tell us who these people are when writing your titles. For anyone else clueless, I googled... a better title would be "Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese-French Buddhist monk, has died"
- colordrops 5y agoYou can't expect everyone to be familiar with the vast array of items posted here. It's assumed that everyone is understands the ease with which information can be found on the internet in this day and age, so there's no need to spend so much effort and page space on curating and adding introductions for every concept and person.
- kragen 5y agoHow wonderful that he was able to be in Hue at the end of his life; his exile to France could have lasted until his death.
- bluishgreen 5y agoReading his book helped me overcome one of the darkest period in my life. Just a few paragraphs in a random book that I picked up. My heart lifted just a little bit, enough for me to carry on living. Peace to you my friend.
- kaetemi 5y agoI was just listening to his audiobook.
- spicymaki 5y agoHis honest commitment to non-violent action is legendary. The very embodiment of Buddha teachings. His words have touched generations. He will be missed. A quote from my favorite Thich Nhat Hanh's book Old Path White Clouds: "The same clouds that Buddha had seen were in the sky. Each serene step brought to life the old path and white clouds of the Buddha. The path of Buddha was beneath his very feet."
- jcul 5y agoSuch an amazing book. There were some really awakening moments for me as I read it.
- reiichiroh 5y agoMy uncle left his wife and family to follow this guy.
- zoom6628 5y agoHuge loss for humanity. The sangha will continue and his teachings are so accessible. A master of Buddhism as well as communication.
- Sunspark 5y agoI learned today that technically he died years ago. It's not that he was healthy and then today he passed away. Apparently he had a stroke years ago and couldn't walk, use the bathroom, eat, talk, etc. on his own.. everyone had to do everything for him. Definitely a DNR would have been good to have here. For something that teaches the impermanence of things, they sure tried hard to make him permanent.
- WaxedChewbacca 5y ago
- throwawayarnty 5y agoI remember him talking about eating a small piece of bread and feeling like I was part of the grand universe. He’s got amazing perspective.
- aogaili 5y agoMay his teaching echo for generations to come. I read some of his books this year and I'm sure the world would be a much better place if more people adopted his perspective.
- sriram_malhar 5y agoI hold one of his phrases close to my heart: "Breathe in, smile out" I keep gently returning to in the course of a day and it gives an enormous sense of calm.
- LeonW 5y agoI'm feeling strangely saddened and also relieved seeing him lie completely still and peaceful at the memorial service. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bq-bD00jt0&ab_channel=PlumVillage https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bq-bD00jt0&ab_channel=PlumV... In 2011, I co-founded a software startup called Buffer, which I left in 2017 to live in multiple Thich Nhat Hanh / Plum Village monasteries for almost 2 years. I felt completely disoriented at the time, uncovering the many delusions of money, tech and fame as the final life answers, alongside broken relationships and friendships and nowhere to turn. The monks and nuns took me in in a way that I will be forever grateful for and Thich Nhat Hanh's teaching was the beginning on a long journey of self-discovery, healing, relaxation and coming to terms with reality as it is, right now. Thich Nhat Hanh taught me something very ordinary: That it is important to pause often, to reflect, to sit still or walk in silence and to observe and acknowledge what is happening around you, inside and out. And to then act from that place of stillness and quiet with calm and kindness to the people around you. And to keep practicing this over and over again, without fail or getting tired from it. I feel tremendous gratitude to him and his teaching, as well as the monks and nuns that dedicate themselves to his many practices and insights. May he rest in peace and may his intentions and practices live on for a long time!
- rolph 5y agoThich Nhat Hanh has also lived