Thich Nhat Hahn

[greggorious]

What exactly does Thich Nhat Hahn teach in regards to the Dharma? Some say he's a Zen master, some say he's more Theravada, some say he's neither. Does he have his own separate tradition different from all others? I like hie work but don't know where he fits. Is Vietnamese Buddhism both Theravada AND mahayana?

[lojong1]

[in a sheepish whisper from behind the wall] Theravada always was Mahayana.

[greggorious]

I don't understand

[Dan74]

Greg, I am not sure what your recent question have to do with Buddhist practice, but I will try to answer.

Like all genuine teachers Thich Nhat Hanh doesn't teacher a school or tradition but the way to liberation. His particular style has elements that are found in Zen and in Theravada. Some people love him and some don't.

Emptiness is not a concept, but a way to end all conceptual proliferations and see it as it is. So Mahayaha does not have a "concept of Emptiness", that an oxymoron. R

The victorious ones have said
That emptiness is the relinquishing of all views.
For whomever emptiness is a view,
That one has accomplished nothing.

[shaunc]

I believe that Thich Nhat Hahn trained in zen. Some people group him in with engaged buddhism because of a lot of work he's done with refugees. Grouping him in with mahayana would certainly not be unfair. While I'm not a student of his, he's certainly very hard not to admire & respect. I especially like the 14 precepts that him, his monks & nuns & the laity are all expected to keep, the only difference being that the 3rd precept for monks & nuns is of course celibacy.

[Spiny Norman]

What exactly does Thich Nhat Hahn teach in regards to the Dharma? Some say he's a Zen master, some say he's more Theravada, some say he's neither.

I believe TNH's background is Zen and Pureland, from which he has synthesized a unique approach in the Mahayana tradition. TNH's approach has a strong focus on mindfulness, which is perhaps why comparisons are made with Theravada.