VietNamNet Bridge – Venerable monk Thich Nhat Hanh remains in stable condition nearly two weeks after suffering a severe brain hemorrhage, according to a statement released by his Plum Village monastery.

The 88-year-old monk was taken ill November 1 and moved from the Plum Village monastery to a hospital in Bordeaux, France. The stroke occurred November 11 while he was in the hospital.

According to the statement, his blood pressure and pulse are stable and he is still breathing on his own. In recent days he has been sleeping more deeply and communicating less.

Monk Nhat Hanh is considered an influential spiritual leader in the West whose work dates back to the mid-1960s when he was exiled from Vietnam during the war and settled in France where he has lived and preached since.  The Zen Buddhist monk has done much to popularize Buddhist thought in the west, traveling regularly through North America and Europe.

PV