《 一行禪師 》

一行禪師（Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh）於一九二六年出生在越南，十六歲
時出家，是臨濟禪師第四十二代的傳人。禪師畢生努力振興佛法及
推動和平運動。禪師壯年時期適逢越戰，他努力不懈地推動和平運動，
用一枝筆對抗戰火，提倡非暴力和平運動。禪師發展出一套入世佛教
（Engaged Buddhism），用以處理現世各種痛苦與困難。他創立了青年
社會服務社 (The School of Youth for Social Service)，為貧苦階層服務。
他創立相即共修團（The Order of Interbeing），將佛法重新詮釋，編寫
了十四項正念修習（戒律），將之應用到戰爭生活境況中，後來更將之
廣泛地應用到社會層面上，尤其是社會服務這一範疇。

一九六六年越戰日趨嚴重，禪師看到戰爭的根源在美國，毅然赴美，
在美國四處演講, 促導以和平方式解決紛爭，卻受越南政府譴責而被
流放於歐美國家達四十年之久。直至二零零五年，他才獲准返回自己
的家鄉越南，作了一次歷史性的回歸之旅。美國黑人民權運動領袖
小馬丁．路德．金深受禪師感動，稱禪師為一個「謙卑無我的聖者」，
更於一九六七年提名禪師為諾貝爾和平獎得主。一九八二年他在法國
南部建立了「梅村」禪修道場，常赴世界各地弘法, 教導正念生活的
藝術。

禪師努力將佛法振興與革新，使佛教成功地在西方社會廣為傳播，
非常被西方人所接受，對西方社會影響甚深，被譽為西方最受鐘愛
的佛法導師。

一行禪師不僅是位優秀的宗教實踐家和和平運動者，還是一位詩人、
作家。到目前為止他已用越南語、英語和法語寫過八十多本書。他用
深入淺出的優美詩意表達，來關注人類的生存狀況與心靈的苦難和
療癒，及他對佛法的深刻體驗，己經被譯成三十多個國家的文字，
在歐美暢銷書排行榜中曾兩度進入前十名。


One of the best known and most respected Zen masters in the world today, poet, and peace and human rights activist, Thich Nhat Hanh (called Thây by his students) has led an extraordinary life. Born in central Vietnam in 1926 he joined the monkshood at the age of sixteen. The Vietnam War confronted the monasteries with the question of whether to adhere to the contemplative life and remain meditating in the monasteries, or to help the villagers suffering under bombings and other devastation of the war. Nhat Hanh was one of those who chose to do both, helping to found the "engaged Buddhism" movement. His life has since been dedicated to the work of inner transformation for the benefit of individuals and society.

In Saigon in the early 60s, Thich Nhat Hanh founded the School of Youth Social Service, a grass-roots relief organization that rebuilt bombed villages, set up schools and medical centers, resettled homeless families, and organized agricultural cooperatives. Rallying some 10,000 student volunteers, the SYSS based its work on the Buddhist principles of non-violence and compassionate action. Despite government denunciation of his activity, Nhat Hanh also founded a Buddhist University, a publishing house, and an influential peace activist magazine in Vietnam.


After visiting the U.S. and Europe in 1966 on a peace mission, he was banned from returning to Vietnam in 1966. On subsequent travels to the U.S., he made the case for peace to federal and Pentagon officials including Robert McNamara. He may have changed the course of U.S. history when he persuaded Martin Luther King, Jr. to oppose the Vietnam War publicly, and so helped to galvanize the peace movement. The following year, King nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize. Subsequently, Nhat Hanh led the Buddhist delegation to the Paris Peace Talks.

In 1982 he founded Plum Village, a Buddhist community in exile in France, where he continues his work to alleviate suffering of refugees, boat people, political prisoners, and hungry families in Vietnam and throughout the Third World. He has also received recognition for his work with Vietnam veterans, meditation retreats, and his prolific writings on meditation, mindfulness, and peace. He has published some 85 titles of accessible poems, prose, and prayers, with more than 40 in English, including the best selling Call Me by My True Names, Peace Is Every Step, Being Peace, Touching Peace, Living Buddha Living Christ, Teachings on Love, The Path of Emancipation, and Anger. In September 2001, just a few days after the suicide terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, he addressed the issues of non-violence and forgiveness in a memorable speech at Riverside Church in New York City. In September of 2003 he addressed members of the US Congress, leading them through a two-day retreat.



Thich Nhat Hanh continues to live in Plum Village in the meditation community he founded, where he teaches, writes, and gardens; and he leads retreats worldwide on "the art of mindful living."

Teachings

Thich Nhat Hanh's key teaching is that, through mindfulness, we can learn to live in the present moment instead of in the past and in the future. Dwelling in the present moment is, according to Nhat Hanh, the only way to truly develop peace, both in one's self and in the world.

Writing to Thich Nhat Hanh

If you'd like to write a letter to Thich Nhat Hanh, you can mail it to one of his addresses in Plum Village or send your letter to pvlistening@plumvill.net and we will forward your letter to Thich Nhat Hanh.

How do you pronounce Thich Nhat Hanh?

The English pronunciation is: Tik · N'yat · Hawn

However since Vietnamese is a tonal language, this is only a close approximation for how one would pronounce it in Vietnamese. (His name is sometimes misspelled as Thich Nhat Hahn, Thich Nhat Han, and Thich Nat Han.)

By his students he is affectionately known as Thay (pronounced "Tay" or "Tie"), which is Vietnamese for "teacher."

Courtesy: Parallax Press

Last Updated (Friday, 21 August 2009 14:39)