
- Profession: monk, activist, author
- Lived: October 11 1926 - Present (Modern Era)
- Nationality: Vietnamese
- Known for: Writer of over 100 books, established Order of Interbeing, international speaker and activist
- Fun Fact: He was nominated by Martin Luther King Jr. for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Thich Nhat Hanh was born Nguyen Xuan Bao in 1926. He entered monastic life at the age of 16 and received training in two Buddhist traditions before being ordained as a monk in 1949. He came to be recognized as the spiritual leader and dharmacharya of the Tu Hieu Pagoda and associated monestaries. He taught at Columbia University during the Vietnam War and was refused permission to return to Vietnam by the North Vietnamese when they took control of the South in 1975. He did not return to his home country for 10 years, and his visit in 2005 was highly controversial.
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