Thich Nhat Hanh

Thich Nhat Hanh–a global spiritual leader, poet and peace activist, known for his teachings and bestselling writings on mindfulness and peace. Hanh was ordained a Buddhist monk at the age of 16. In 1967, he was nominated by Dr. Martin Luther King Hr. for the Nobel Peace Prize, for his contributions to end the hostilities in Vietnam.

Because of his peace activism, he was exiled from Vietnam for 39 years. Hanh continued to teach, lecture and write, traveling widely to spread the message of peace and brotherhood. In 1975, he established the Sweet Potato community, which later became Plum Village, the West’s largest and most active Buddhist monastery.

More recently, Hanh founded international “Wake Up” programs to train mindful living practices, opened numerous monasteries as well as Europe’s first “Institute of Applied Buddhism” in Germany. He also led events for politicians (in the US, UK, Ireland, India, Thailand), and organizations like Google and The World Bank. Hanh suffered a stroke in 2014; he’s still practicing in Plum Village as of 2016.