Celebrating all his ancestors who are alive in this moment, Vietnamese poet, monk, and peacemaker Thich Nhat Hanh (1926–2022) devoted his life to peace, mindfulness, and compassionate understanding. In the midst of war and exile, he invited the world to breathe, to walk gently, and to touch the present moment as a place of healing.

“In each of us is a seed of understanding. The seed is God,” he taught. As a young Buddhist monk in Vietnam, he spoke out against violence and called for reconciliation, inspiring many, including Martin Luther King, Jr., who nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967.

“The true miracle is not walking on water or walking in air, but simply walking on this earth,” he believed. For Thich Nhat Hanh, every step taken in awareness, every mindful breath, was a way of saying yes to life, just as it is, right now.

His spiritual teaching of ahimsa—kindness to all life—mirrored the gentle strength of Mahatma Gandhi. Rather than letting anger spill outward, he encouraged us to hold it tenderly, to breathe with it, and to let a walking meditation calm the storm inside before we speak.

“When your mind is liberated, your heart floods with compassion,” he said. “One should rule their mind first to bring peace in their relationships with others.” His practice always returned to this: take good care of your own mind and heart, so you can help relieve the suffering around you.

In exile from his homeland for many years, Thich Nhat Hanh founded a meditation community in France and led retreats around the world, offering what he called “Engaged Buddhism”—mindfulness in action, grounded in listening, presence, and loving responsibility. His books, including The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching, shared practical ways to transform despair into hope and recognize that “The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.”

In every breath, he reminded us, we carry our ancestors. In every step, we have the chance to continue their best intentions...with more peace, more understanding, more love. To be truly alive in this moment is to honor all who walk with us, seen and unseen.