The embodiment of activist Zen, Thich Nhat Hanh (pronounced tik nyaht hahn), died on 21 Jan 2022 at the age of 95. Thich Nhat Hanh died of natural causes at his home in the Tu Hieu Temple in Hue, Vietnam.
He suffered a severe brain hemorrhage in 2014 which left him unable to speak, but he remained undaunted by this event, communicating as normal through gestures. Hanh was a prolific author, teacher, poet, and notable peace activist who was sometimes called the embodiment of mindfulness in the far east.
Thich Nhat Hanh spread the message of mindfulness, and the application of Buddhist principles to political and social reform. Travelling widely - he was fluent in both English and French - Hanh commanded great respect in the West as a teaching activist.
Thich Nhat Hanh knew the power of reaching out to the people, whom he engaged and inspired through his many books as well as in person by means of worldwide travel. He will be remembered for leveraging the power of Zen Buddhism as an exercise in social change and activism.
All compound things are impermanent,
They are subject to birth and death;
Put an end to birth and death,
And there is blissful tranquility. — Gatha of Impermanence