Book description
'It isn't likely that this collection of journal entries will pass
the censors. If it can't be published, I hope my friends will
circulate it among themselves. I'll leave Vietnam tomorrow...' Thus
Thich Nhat Hanh begins his 11 May 1966 journal entry. Since that time,
he has been unable to return to his homeland but, now based in France,
he has become one of the world's most respected spiritual leaders.
Fragrant Palm Leaves reveals a vulnerable and questioning
young man reflecting on the many difficulties he and his fellow monks
faced in Vietnam trying to make Buddhism relevant to the people's
needs. We follow him, in 1964, as he helps establish the movement
known as 'engaged Buddhism': starting self-help villages, a new
university, a Buddhist order and many other efforts for peace.
Fragrant Palm Leaves is regarded by many Vietnamese as Thich
Nhat Hanh's most endearing and stimulating book. It offers readers a
glimpse into the mind of a great thinker and activist and shows how to
live fully, with awareness, during a time of challenge and upheaval.
Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese poet, bestselling author and peace
activist, has been a Buddhist monk for over 40 years. He was chairman of
the Vietnamese Buddhist Peace delegation during the Vietnam War and was
nominated by Dr Martin Luther King for the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1966 he
visited the US and Europe on a peace mission and was unable to return to
his native land. Today he heads Plum Village, a meditation community in
south-western France, where he teaches, writes, gardens and aids
refugees worldwide. Websites include: www. interbeing. org. uk and www.
plumvillage. org
