Summary The Contribution Made to the Development of Buddhist Thought by the Work of Contemporary Buddhist Teachers
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Course
Unit 5 - Eastern Religions
Institution
WJEC
A discussion of the influences of Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) and the Dalai Lama on contemporary interpretations of buddhism. A look at the Order of Interbeing and the practical interpretations of Buddhist teachings in order to apply to daily life. The links between Mindfulness and Zen Buddhism are als...
The Contribution Made to the Development of Buddhist thought by the work of
contemporary Buddhist teachers
Thich Nhat Hanh
- Thich Nhat Hanh is often referred to as the most beloved Buddhist teacher in the
West. He is the founder of the Order of Interbeing and a Zen Buddhist Master.
- His dharma names are Phung Xuan which means ‘Meeting Spring’ or Naht Hanh
which means ‘one action’
- Nhat Hanh is a prominent Buddhist master and dharmakaya, he is the author of over a
hundred books, makes contributions to the Quarterly journal the ‘Mindfulness Bell’
and gained support from Martin Luther King.
- He has also had major influences in more contemporary fields; he has thousands of
followers on social media, and has given mindfulness talks to silicon valley directors.
A documentary about the life of Nhat Hanh was shown in cinemas world-wide and
was narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch.
- Nhat Hanh has been instrumental in the spread and growth of interest in Buddhism
and Mindfulness globally.
- Tich Nhat Hahn felt called to be a monk at 7, having seen the face of the Buddha on
the cover of a magazine and feeling a desire to experience the same serenity and
happiness he radiated.
- Thay was born in the city of Hue in Central Vietnam in 1926, at the age of 16 he
entered the monastery at Tu Hiey Temple.
- Thay moved to the US in 1960 where he studied comparative religion at Princeton, he
became fluent in several languages and was well versed in different religious
traditions.
- ‘If we are to change the world, we need to begin with ourselves and awaken that
eternal part of us where true peace resides, our own Buddha nature’ Thich Nhat Hanh
- He was exiled from Vietnam in 1966, having led peaceful protests, but he was not
discouraged and made it his mission to spread the Buddhist message of compassion
and peace around the world.
- His mission is socially engaged Buddhism, a movement which can be traced back to
13th Century Bamboo Forest Buddhism, but who’s name was coined in Nhat Hanh’s
‘Vietnam: Lotus in a Sea of Fire’.
- Engaged Buddhism is about putting the insights of Buddhism into practice in
situations where suffering and injustice are found, it brings practical solutions to
everyday life.
- For instance, he founded the School of Youth for Social Services, which provides
education and healthcare in rural Vietnam, restoring infrastructure which had been
damaged or destroyed during the war.
- Thay returned to Vietnam in 2007, however he is currently living in the South West of
France in the Plum village meditation centre, founded by himself and his colleague,
Chan Khong.
A Practical Interpretation of Buddhist Teachings for Life
- The Order of Interbeing (Tiep Hien) is based in Plum village in the South of France,
offering retreats throughout the year at which Thich Nhat Hanh offers teachings twice
a week.
, - These retreats focus on living mindfully, following the Fourteen Mindfulness
Trainings which are the order’s interpretation of the eightfold path.
- The fourteen precepts help guide people to peace and include the following:
- Do not avoid contact with suffering or close your eyes before suffering. Do not lose
awareness of the existence of suffering in the life of the world.
- Do not accumulate wealth while millions are hungry. Do not make the aim of your life
fame, profit, wealth or sensual pleasure. Live simply and share time, energy and
material resources with those who are in need.
- Mindfulness is practiced in each moments, Nhat Hanh tries to teach people to walk as
though they are kissing the earth with their feet.
- The aim is that the whole of life is practiced mindfully and compassionately; ‘After a
few hours of dwelling mindfully in each act and releasing most of my worries, I began
to feel renewed’ Sister Chan Khong.
- The Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings lie at the heart of Tiep Hien and are formal vows
taken by members of the Order, seen as a guide or a teacher.
- The training allows members to understand the nature of Interbeing, the reality of life
and they enable people to see the connection between their own happiness and that of
other people, since we are all interconnected and there is no separate self.
- The notion of Interbeing is grounded in the central teaching of Sunyata in the
Mahayana Hrdaya Sutra and the principle that ‘form is emptiness’ but not in the sense
where emptiness may be regarded as nothingness.
- Emptiness is interbeing, it removes all distinctions and thus everything is connected in
very much a fullness-of-form.
- Hundreds of similar Sanghas have developed following the rise of Tiep Hien, and the
teachings of Nhat Hanh have influenced other notable Buddhist teachers such as Sister
Chan Khong who teaches and leads retreats worldwide.
- Nhat Hanh’s philosophy combines Zen, Theravada and Mahayana doctrine, as well as
disciplines such as psychology.
- He does not believe that there is a God, but that Jesus was an enlightened teacher, that
he was the Buddha of the West (*Talk about skilful means; Jesus is the embodiment of
Upaya in the west)
- Nhat Hanh is an advocate of the Bodhisattva path, considering it a practical way of
practicing Socially Engaged Buddhism and himself dedicating his life to seeking
personal transformation for the sake of all sentient beings.
- The main message of Thay is about love and equality, greatly involved in the non-
violent resistance movement and many of his teachings reflect this no place for anger.
Buddhist School
- Thich Nhat Hanh’s approach has been to combine a variety of teachings of early
buddhism, mahayana buddhist traditions of Yogacara and Zen, and ideas from
Western Psychology to teach mindfulness of breathing and the four establishments of
mindfulnesss offering a modern light on meditation practice.
- The 4 foundations of mindfulness are; mindfulness of the body, of feelings, of mind
and of Dhamma.
- Thay is seen by many as a key face and voice of Buddhism, ensuring that it remains
relevant in the modern world.
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