On a cold, rainy day, dozens of Buddhist monks and followers gathered on a busy Upper West Side street corner to witness the dedication of a historic new street marker honoring their spiritual leader on Friday.
Thich Nhat Hanh Way, located at the corner of Broadway and West 109th Street, is named for the influential Vietnamese Buddhist monk who died in 2022 at the age of 95.
“New Yorkers are not necessarily known for peace,” said New York City Councilman Sean Abreu to a crowd of robed monks and coat-clad city dwellers. “We live in the hustle and bustle and stress. But Thich Nhat Hanh has a message for people like us.
He knew that we couldn’t build a better world if we were always angry or ignored the humanity of each other. By engraving his name here, we create a moment of pause and respite.”
The Zen master, considered the father of mindfulness, lived on the same block in the early 1960s while studying comparative religion and teaching Buddhism at nearby Union Theological Seminary and Columbia University.
Nguyen was exiled for his opposition to the Vietnam War and his refusal to choose sides. Martin Luther King nominated Nguyen for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967 after meeting the peace activist. Nguyen also published books, meditations and poems for readers of all ages and backgrounds.
Followers said the street was named to honor the influence Hạnh, or Thay as they called him, had on mindfulness communities in the East and West.
The crowd, many of whom practice Nguyen Kieh Plum Village Buddhism, created a peaceful atmosphere at the event that contrasted with the early morning sounds of car alarms and sirens. They clapped in American Sign Language, calling it “showing their flowers.” Monks from several of Nguyen Kieh’s temples, including Deer Park in California and Blue Cliff in upstate New York, came to celebrate the street naming, chanting Nguyen Kieh’s poems in unison after taking a few deep breaths.
Following in Nguyen Kieh’s footsteps, the group also walked and meditated from 109th Street to the Buddhist Institute on 121st Street.
“The Master’s teachings encourage us to return to our breath, to find stillness in the chaos, and to cultivate compassion in our hearts,” said Phap Kong, a monk from the Blue Cliff Temple. “This walking meditation practice, with every step mindful and every breath in accordance with the Dharma, reminds us that peace is not an unattainable goal. He shows us that peace comes from within us.”
Brother Phap Luu is the oldest non-Vietnamese American monk in the Plum Village Buddhist order and was ordained as a novice by Master Xing in 2003. Luu said he considers himself a member of a lucky generation, and as a young seeker he traveled around the world with Master Xing.
