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Nhat Hahn

Origin: Tha Tien, Vietnam
(October 11, 1926)

Heroic Values: Achievement, Caring, Courage, Faith, Humility, Integrity, Perseverance, Selflessness, Tolerance, Vision, Wisdom

Background

Nhat Hanh entered a monastery at age sixteen where he learned Zen and the Mahayana school of Buddhism. He became a monk at twenty-three. When the Vietnam War began monks were given the choice of staying out of it and confining themselves to their monasteries or helping the people. Hanh chose to help.

Nhat Hanh believed that compassion was required to end the war - that the differences in ideology could be accepted instead of fought over. He 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. In 1966 he convinced Martin Luther King, Jr. to speak out against the war while on a visit to the United States. This was a vital event that swayed public opinion against the war which led to the strengthening of the anti-war movement.

After being exiled from Vietnam, Nhat Hanh went to France where he set up Plum Village in 1982. He continues to urge for compassion, tolerance, and living for the moment. His work has been a central part of the Westernization of Buddhism.

Sources

Wikipedia
The online encyclopedia

Time.com
60 years of Asian heroes

Plum Village
Nhat Hanh's Buddhist Centre