Plum Village Tradition

The Plum Village Tradition is a Buddhist school centered on the Plum Village Monastery in France's Dordogne region, founded by Thích Nhat Hanh, Chan Không, and other members of the Order of Interbeing, blending Mahayana Buddhism with elements of Vietnamese Thien, Zen and Pure Land practice. The tradition emphasizes Engaged Buddhism, applying Buddhist principles to reduce suffering through mindfulness in daily activities such as sitting, walking, eating and working, guided by the Five Mindfulness Trainings. It traces to the Vietnam War era, when Nhat Hanh and Chan Không founded the School of Youth for Social Service, mobilizing about 10,000 Buddhist peace workers to provide education, healthcare and village reconstruction, before both were exiled from Vietnam for maintaining neutrality and went on to found Plum Village. The tradition is governed today by the Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism and stresses equality between monastic and lay practitioners within a nondenominational Buddhist approach.