According to the obituary, the Zen Master’s funeral will be held in the form of a silent Buddhist meditation retreat following his will, and it will last for seven days.

The dead body of the world renowned monk is being kept in a casket placed inside the pagoda for Buddhists to come and pay respect to him.

A cremation ceremony will be held on January 29. His relics will not be buried in stupas as normally seen, but be distributed to Tu Hieu pagoda and Plum Village monasteries around the world.

The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha that manages Buddhism in Vietnam says it will wholeheartedly support Tu Hieu pagoda in carrying out the funeral according to the highest rites of the organisation.

Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, a global famous preacher, writer, poet, and social activist, passed away at Tu Hieu pagoda on January 22.

The Zen Master was the one who has introduced the concept of ‘engaged Buddhism’ in his book ‘Vietnam: Lotus in a Sea of Fire’. During his lifetime, he has written more than 100 books, of which more than 40 are in English.

Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh is a spiritual preacher who has spread his idea of mindfulness to Buddhist followers across the globe. He has run many retreats for educators, young people, artists, entrepreneurs, leaders, and doctors.

The Buddhist monk was born in 1926 and studied at Tu Hieu Pagoda in Hue. He later founded Lang Mai (Plum Village monastery in France and many other study centers in the United States, Germany, Hong Kong, and Thailand.

After more than 40 years living overseas, the Zen Master returned to his hometown to preach the Dharma for the first time in 2005 and other later years.

In November 2014, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh suffered a stroke, diagnosed with a cerebrovascular accident. The Zen Master was then taken to the United States for treatment, and he gradually recovered from the illness to his surprise.

In 2017, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh returned to Vietnam’s Tu Hieu pagoda from Thailand to recuperate and stay until his death.

Source: VOV