VietNamNet Bridge - After a period of treatment in France, on July 11, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh was transferred to the UCSF (University of California, San Francisco) Medical Center for further rehabilitation after his stroke last November, said a press release from Plum Village in France, where the Zen Master resides.

Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh.

According to Plum Village, it was the Zen Master’s own choice to intensify his rehabilitation program.

While he is currently unable to speak, the report says he disembarked the plane on foot and “continues to transmit the essence of his practice.”

He was accompanied by Sister Chan Khong and a team of attendants who will be continuing their round-the-clock care for him during this new stage of recovery.

The Zen Master’s rehabilitation will be guided by a team of distinguished neurologists from a major neurorehabilitation center that specializes in stroke and cognitive rehabilitation based on the latest neurological research.

The doctors recommended that the Zen Master follows an intensive program of therapy for five to six months, including hospital visits during which he will have access to the latest innovations in robotic rehabilitation techniques, as well as physical training with specialists. He will also have therapists visit and train with him at home during the other days of the week.

In addition to passing on Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh’s latest health information, the Plum Village has established a donation page to help cover the costs.

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

He returned to the monastery on April 3 this year to continue the process of recovery after his stroke.

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.

He is a writer, poet, lecturer, researcher, social activist, and peace activist.

PV