Thich Nhat Hanh returns to Viet Nam after 40 years in exile

I thought I would post this story particularly since none of the major news media seems to have caught this. I checked the BBC, CNN, and google news and found only a few articles from Vietnamese websites. You would think it would have gotten more coverage since Thich Nhat Hanh was nominated for the Nobel Peace prize by Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1967.

So how did I find out about it? Well it's kind of funny. I started working for Carolina Morning Designs last month and at about the same time we started getting a lot of orders for inflatable zafus. Zafus are a type of meditation cushions. So when we asked them how they heard about us they said that they were going to Viet Nam to be with Thich Nhat Hanh during his trip and that someone suggested that our portable zafus would come in handy. Neat!

So congratulations to Thich Nhat Hanh and his Sangha!

According to the information I've read, he will be in Viet Nam till April 11th and took 100 monks and nuns and 90 lay people with him. There are unfortunately no more openings for others to join him (it was all booked up by the end of December).

The US should look at the real situation in Vietnam without prejudice: Buddhist monk
this article is reprinted from www.vov.org.vn.

Monk Thich Nhat Hanh, alias Trung Quang, who owns Lang Mai pagoda in France, is in Vietnam for a three-month visit. Accompanied by 100 Buddhist monks and nuns and 90 lay members from more than 30 countries, he is scheduled to make a fact-finding tour of various localities and give lectures at several pagodas till April 11.

After visiting Quan Su pagoda and the Government Committee on Religious Affairs, the Monk granted interviews to local and foreign reporters to express his feelings about Vietnam after 40 years. He told AFP reporters that his visit aims to share experiences with Vietnam in developing Buddhism over the past decades. He said this was a chance for him and other overseas Vietnamese Buddhist followers to see with their own eyes the growth of Buddhism and other religious activities in Vietnam and abolish prejudice and misunderstanding about the country.

According to the Monk, it is a mistake if someone jumps to conclusion without inquiring into reality.

"The US should look at the real situation in Vietnam without prejudice", he raised his voice after being asked by media workers about US conclusions on the religious situation in Vietnam.

"In France, I often follow with keen interest the situation in Vietnam by reading only well-known newspapers, but not tabloids", he told reporters. "Some people opposed my return. But thinking of fellow-countrymen and Buddhist followers in the homeland, I decided to return to Vietnam, not because of power, fame and wealth, but the call of pure hearts."

Commenting on religions and beliefs in Vietnam after staying a week in Hanoi, Monk Thich Nhat Hanh said he was impressed by the country’s openess and goodwill towards Buddhists.

"Most Vietnamese religious followers, particularly the elderly, show their faith in Buddhism, no mater where they live," he added. "Without that faith, people would be misled. Therefore, such faith should be handed down to younger generations."

In foreign countries, monk Thich Nhat Hanh organised training courses, even for prison inmates in the hope that they would soon overcome sufferings and re-integrate into society in a harmonious way.

For this reason, he said, he wished to talk more about this topic with Buddhist monks and nuns. Buddhism should be brought into life to contribute more to the country.

Hopefully the news media will give some more coverage to this. In the mean time, you might be able to get some updates from Thich Nhat Hanh's website for Plum Village.

Besides the quoted article, I also found articles on Vietnameses websites here and here.

Here is a photo gallery from the trip so far.