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About the Form of Practice

Thich Nhat Hanh's lineage, the School of the Bamboo Forest, has been influenced by the Theravadin Buddhism prevalent in Southeast Asia, as well as by Zen and Mahayana Buddhist schools found in China and Japan. Thich Nhat Hanh's teaching combines both forms of practice. Emphasis is placed on basic Buddhist mindfulness practices found in Theravadin texts such as The Sutra on the Full Awareness of Breathing and The Sutra on the Four Establishments of Mindfulness. By bringing body, mind, and breath into oneness through the practice of sitting meditation, the practitioner is able to become concentrated, to look deeply, to understand, and to love. Drawing up Mahayana texts such as The Heart Sutra and the Diamond That Cuts Through Illusion Sutra, the practitioner comes to understand "inter-being" with all life, and acts appropriately. Throughout, emphasis is placed not only on formal sitting and walking meditation, but also upon how to incorporate basic Buddhist mindfulness practice into our daily activities.

About Thich Nhat Hanh

Nominated by the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1966, Thich Nhat Hanh is Vietnamese Buddhist monk, poet, scholar, and peace activist. He is the founder of Van Hanh Buddhist University in Saigon, and the author of a number of books, including:

• The Miracle of Mindfulness


• Being Peace


• Living Buddha, Living Christ


• Friends on the Path

At his community, Plum Village in France, he teaches, writes, and leads retreats.