Since someone posted on Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh (Yi Hang chan shi in Chinese, not Yi Xing), I thought of sharing what I wrote 3 years ago, jus some musings inspired by Thich Nhat Hanh, otherwise also fondly known as Thay (Vietnamese word for teacher) by his students. Thay is indeed a very great and humble monk and accomplished practitioner.
May great teachers like Thay enjoy longevity and good health, so that they could continue to turn the Dharma wheel and benefit countless sentient beings! SanghaIn the first Dharma teaching Thay Nhat Hanh gave us, he talked about allowing ourselves to BE the Sangha, to not just be individual water droplets, but to flow with the river.
“You do not need to put in much effort. Just allow yourself to be the Sangha, to be exposed to the people who are practicing mindfulness. Authorise yourself to be embraced and transformed by the Sangha. All you need is time, and you will be transformed. You may not know it, but people who know you will notice your transformation.” Thay Nhat Hanh is a simple monk, whose teachings have touched me very deeply. His teachings are very simple, he never dwells much into anything theoretical if they are not useful for practice. In the six forms of togetherness essential for a practicing Sangha, the first togetherness is
“staying together”. To have the opportunity to stay with a good master, in the accompaniment of a community of practicing people is an experience that is very different from reading from books and practicing alone. You don’t have to do much. All you have to do is to let go, and embrace every encounter with a new and open mind. Just as what Thay says, allow the river to be you, and you will flow along with the river. If certain insight arise, it is your insight and it is also the Sangha’s insight.
My friend and I have brought our Sangha back here. No matter how far away we are from Plum Village, in our breath we find the Sangha.
AuthenticationMy experience may not be an authentic experience of authentication. But it did shake me quite a bit.

I never like to form concrete opinions about anyone I donÂ’t really know. So even though IÂ’ve browsed through some of Thay Nhat HanhÂ’s books in the past and kind of liked his style, I did not know whether he was a true Dharma teacher. I wouldnÂ’t even be surprised if he turned out to be only someone whoÂ’s intelligent and even political.
My own authentication of Thay as a true teacher, surprisingly, came in an unexpected moment. One day, I happened to get a seat that was near the door. As I was busy preparing the MD recorder and the mic, suddenly everyone stood up. I didnÂ’t know what was happening, but also stood up with the rest. Then I looked up and saw Thay entering the meditation hall right in front of me. In that instant, only one thought flashed across my mind - This is a simple monk! From that moment, I knew that he was a great master. There was no need to read his books or listen to his talks to know that. Everything was communicated through his steps, his movement, him.
Every time I see Thay, I feel like prostrating to him.