A month with the master

Widely revered Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh today begins a five-week visit to Thailand, during which he will lead vipassana training, open an exhibition of “calligraphic meditation” and boost construction of the Nakhon Ratchasima branch of his celebrated Plum Village retreat in France.
The Vietnamese holy man and 50 followers from France will host a series of spiritual activities during his fifth visit to Thailand as part of an Asia Teaching Tour, hosted by the Thai Plum Village Foundation.
He first came in 1975 when his first book, “Miracle of Being Awake”, was published here. He returned with a Plum Village entourage in 2007 when Thailand hosted World Visakha Bucha Day and gave talks in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Nakhon Pathom. He was here again in 2010 and 2011.
Founded in 2007, the Thai Plum Village Foundation is building the 88-rai Thai Plum Village International Practice Centre in Korat’s Pak Chong district. Though still under construction, it has more than 150 monastic residents – Vietnamese, American and Hong Kong Chinese as well as Thai.
Nhat Hanh’s calligraphy depicting his philosophy of Mahayana Buddhism will be on view at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre from April 2 to 12. He’ll speak at the official opening on April 3. Among the titles are “Present Moment, Beautiful Moment” and “Peace in Oneself Peace in the World no Circle”.
From April 4 to 8 Nhat Hanh and his disciples will conduct an Applied Ethics Retreat at Maha Chulalongkorn Raja Vidyalaya University in Ayutthaya.
On April 9 from 5 to 9pm the monk will give a talk entitled “Together We Are One” in Siam Paragon’s Royal Paragon Hall. He’ll begin with sitting meditation and chanting. Local duo the G-One Band, both devout Buddhists, will sing dharma songs.
Over the Songkran holiday, Nhat Hanh will host a five-day family retreat at the Wangree Resort in Nakhon Nayok and a more intensive “wake-up retreat” at Rabiangprai Valley, Nakhon Nayok. Both sessions are subtitled “Mindfulness Practice in Daily Living”.
He believes Buddhism can and should be part of everyday life, no matter how “modern” it is. His philosophy of “engaged Buddhism” – along with his poetry, peace advocacy and focus on mindful meditation – have earned him plaudits as a Zen master and a great elder in the Mahayana Buddhist tradition.
His tour concludes on April 28 with an offering ceremony to raise money for building the main meditation hall at Thai Plum Village.
Like its namesakes in southern France, the US, Germany and Hong Kong, the practice centre has become the home of a “fourfold community” – bhikshus, bhikshunis, upasakas and upasikas, that is, monks, nuns, laymen and lay women.
Nhat Hanh’s movement claims to have more than 500 monastic followers in some 20 countries and about 1,000 other groups of people, known as sanghas, adhering to the Plum Village tradition in 31 countries.

PATHWAYS
Register in advance for any of the events at www.ThaiPlumVillage.org.
Find out more at (082) 340 9801 (Thai language) or (080) 441 7871 (English).