Last year, on the heels of the atrocities unfolding in Mayanmar - which shocked the sensibilities of the civilized world - Los Angeles hosted a peace walk on Saturday, September 29th (2007).
Citizens concerned about World Peace within shouting, walking, or sprinting distance, attended.
The "walk" commenced at 9:30 a.m. at MacArthur Park and was led by world-renowned Zen Master - and honored Spiritual Leader - Thich Nhat Hanh.
I attended the rally for peace and it was an enlightening experience.
Shortly after the Master arrived at the podium to convey simple messages of peace, he led a contingent of young children out of the picturesque park along Wilshire Boulevard through traffic-free city streets, then back again.
The theme of the event was "peace" in every step, based on the Buddhist teaching of mindfulness.
According to Thich Nhat Hanh,
"Mindfulness is the energy of being aware and awake to the present moment. It is the continuous practice of touching life deeply in every moment of daily life. To be mindful is to be truly alive, present, and at one with those around you, and with what you are doing."
Each individual was urged to be mindful of each step planted on the earth, to breathe deeply, and focus on world peace.
As we walked for peace, there was an intense calm - and except for the occasional helicopter buzzing overhead - a profound silence which was sweet amd beckoning.
Each foot - whether clad in leather, sandal, or humble sneaker - took a mindful step in unison with the other; with great accord, we were keenly aware that a mere second of life (we often take for granted in the throes of our hectic daily lives) was so precious.
When the sun broke from behind billowing clouds, and beamed down on the peace walkers, a moment of sublime joy touched each and every one.
The mystical event brought a smile to the face!
Thich Nhat Hanh was born Nguyễn Xuân Bảo in Thừa Thiên in 1926.
A graduate of Bao Quoc Buddhist Academy in Central Vietnam, Thich Nhat Hanh received training in Zen and the Mahayana school of Buddhism.
Ordained as a monk in 1949, he is now recognized as a Dharmacharya, and as the Spiritual head of the Từ Hiếu Temple and associated monasteries.
According to biographers, he is the Elder of the Từ Hiếu branch of the 8th generation of the Liễu Quán lineage in the 42nd generation of the Lâm Tế Dhyana school (Lin Chi Chán 臨濟禪 in Chinese or Rinzai Zen in Japanese).
At Từ Hiếu Temple on May 1st (1966) - Thich Nhat Hanh received the "lamp transmission" - making him a Dharmacharya (known as a Dharma Teacher) from Master Chân Thật.
On these shores, some Buddhist precepts have baffled and confused the seeker in the modern era.
With this in mind - Thich Nhat Hanh combined his deep knowledge of a variety of traditional Zen teaching methods with methods from Theravada Buddhism and ideas from Western psychology - to form a unique approach to modern Zen practice that is popular in America today.
As a result, Thich Nhat Hanh has become an important influence in the development of Buddhism in the West.
When Thich Nhat Hanh arrived in the US in 1966, his first task was to lead a symposium in Vietnamese Buddhism at Cornell University, and to continue his work for peace.
In 1965 - Thich Nhat Hanh wrote a letter to Martin Luther King, Jr. - and titled the essay: "Searching for the Enemy of Man".
Later - during that auspicious stay in 1966 - Thich Nhat Hanh met with the Spiritual leader and urged him to publicly denounce the Vietnam War.
On the heels of this meeting, Dr. King gave his famous speech at the Riverside Church in New York City in 1967, wherein he publicly questioned the U.S. involvement in Vietnam.
Subsequently, Dr. King nominated Thich Nhat Hanh for the 1967 Nobel Peace Prize.
In his nomination Rev. King said,
"I do not personally know of anyone more worthy of [this prize] than this gentle monk from Vietnam. His ideas for peace, if applied, would build a monument to ecumenism, to world brotherhood, to humanity."
Without doubt, it is due to Thich Nhat Hanh's inspired method of teaching, and insightful interpretation of the scriptures, that the truth of the Masters is understood in remarkable simplistic ways.
One of my favorite quotes,
"Looking deeply is to remove the frontier between our notions and reality."
In the event Thich Nhat Hanh returns this fall again for the peace walk in Los Angeles, I urge all of you to join in.
Walk for peace, perfect peace.
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