Buddhists come to Tu Hieu Pagoda hoping to meet Master Thich Nhat Hanh

Hearing that Master Thich Nhat Hanh had returned to Tu Hieu Pagoda (Thuy Xuan Ward, Hue City, Thua Thien Hue), where he became a monk at the age of 16, many Buddhists and devotees came to the pagoda hoping to see him. Every day, hundreds of people come to the pagoda, including many foreigners.

The retreat is the old house where the Zen master used to practice, located separately, covered with green trees. The disciples who are practicing at Tu Hieu Pagoda have planted more flowers around the place where the Zen master practices.

To give the monk a quiet place to rest, the temple posted a notice that unauthorized people were not allowed to enter the inner courtyard. Therefore, devotees stood from afar, hoping to see the monk meditating. The tree roots and grass in the Tu Hieu temple grounds were used by Buddhists as places to rest and practice meditation according to the monk's lectures.

Lan Anh (25 years old, Hanoi) has read many books written by Master Thich Nhat Hanh and has gone to Plum Village (Thailand) to practice many times. She said that reading the Zen master's books has helped her understand life and people better, and has given her more wisdom. A week ago, hearing that the Zen master had returned to Tu Hieu Pagoda for recuperation, Lan Anh went to Hue to see what the pagoda was like, and whether it was the same as in Plum Village. Every day, Lan Anh meditates in the grounds of Tu Hieu Pagoda.

"Reading the monk's books, I understood how to treat people. His meditation method helped me reflect on myself and think more positively. Luckily, I went to Tu Hieu Pagoda and met the monk while meditating," Lan Anh said.

Three days ago, Linh Nhi (27 years old, Ho Chi Minh City) also put aside her business and went to Tu Hieu Pagoda to meet with friends who follow the Plum Village Zen sect. Every day, after practicing walking meditation, Nhi chooses a corner by the crescent lake in front of the pagoda to read books and wait for the opportunity to meet her teacher.

Two years ago, Linh Nhi happened to read the Zen master's book sold at the airport while traveling in Europe. After a week of practicing in Plum Village (Thailand), she shared that she had realized many things. "If I could meet the master, that would be great, but if I couldn't, I would still be happy to see his image and thoughts through the monks," Linh Nhi said.

A monk at Tu Hieu Pagoda said that on the morning of November 2, Dr. Bui Thanh Ha, Deputy Head of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, visited the pagoda to visit Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. The meeting lasted about 10 minutes. After the stroke in 2014, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh could not speak and only used gestures to convey what he wanted to say.

According to the monk, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh is currently in good health. Every morning, he sits in a wheelchair, pushed around the temple by his disciples to enjoy the scenery. According to the plan, today the Zen Master will meet all the brothers and sisters and descendants of Tu Hieu Temple.

Previously, on October 28, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh returned to Tu Hieu Temple where he became a monk at the age of 16. In a letter to his brothers, he wanted to rest in peace at the temple and live with his brothers until his death.

Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh was born in 1926 in Thua Thien Hue, and became a monk at Tu Hieu Pagoda at the age of 16. He is now the 8th patriarch of the Tu Hieu sect and the 42nd generation of the Lam Te Zen sect. At the age of 40, he left Vietnam, founded the Tiep Hien order, and established practice centers and Zen monasteries around the world.

Although his residence is Plum Village Monastery in the Dordogne region of southern France, Thich Nhat Hanh travels the world teaching and leading meditation retreats. He coined the term "engaged Buddhism" in his book Vietnam: Lotus in a Sea of ​​Fire.

He has written more than 100 books, more than 40 of which are in English. With his tireless activities, Thich Nhat Hanh has become the second most influential Buddhist leader in the West, after the Dalai Lama, according to foreign news agencies.

In the workBuddhist World, Professor Dr. John Powers, an Australian Buddhist scholar, has selected 13 monks who have contributed to the formation and development of world Buddhism over the past 2,500 years, with Zen Master Nhat Hanh in 10th place.