Buddhism: Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat Hanh, an exiled Vietnamese monk, is among the world's most respected Buddhist leaders. A monk since age 16, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967 by the Rev. Martin Luther King for his efforts to bring peace to his divided country. He also helped organize rescue missions into the 1970s for Vietnamese trying to escape political oppression. At 40, he founded Plum Village Monastery in France as a home for monks and nuns and a practice center where each year thousands of lay people, activists and refugees visit. Nhat Hanh has conducted many retreats in Europe and North America for thousands, and has written more than 75 books of prose, poetry, spiritual guidance and prayers. For at least a decade, Nhat Hanh has visited the United States every other year, drawing large multidenominational crowds. His popularity in the United States inspired the mayor of New York City to declare a Day of Reconciliation during a visit in the 1990s. Now in his 70s, Nhat Hanh is coming to America for a series of retreats, including a controversial one this month in Madison, Wisc., aimed at police and others in high-stress public service jobs called "Protecting and Serving without Stress or Fear." In September, he hopes to offer a public talk to members of Congress and a weekend retreat for the elected representatives and their families. Chat with Thich Nhat Hanh about his teachings.
Read the accompanying USA TODAY story
Comment from USATODAY.com Host: We will begin our chat with Thich Nhat Hanh momentarily.
Pawtucket, RI: Good evening: I am overwhelmed with all the sorrow that encompasses our world. What can I do that will really make a difference in the world?
Thich Nhat Hanh: The first thing we have to do is come back to ourselves. We have to recognize that we have to take care of ourselves first. It's just like on an airplane when you have to put the oxygen mask on yourself first before you put it on your child. We have to take care of ourselves before we can take care of other people.
St. Clairsville, OH: My father is quite ill right now and consequently I have been spending more time with my mother and brothers and sisters. Everyone is under a lot of stress and are emotional. I try to listen compassionately, but sometimes someone might say something negative about another family member. I do not want to get into an argument, but I do not want to continue to listen to them say unkind things about another person, either. What can you suggest as a skillful means of turning the conversation in a more positive direction? Thank you, dear Thay,for all of your wonderful teachings. Donna
Thich Nhat Hanh: The person should first be able to relax themselves, come back to their breathing and their body, become calm. Then very sincerely ask if the family can sit down together. You can tell the family that you are aware this is a stressful and difficult time, and if we can all do our best to help each other and share the difficulties in a way that is kind. Support each other as brothers and sisters.
Southgate, Michigan: How long should one meditate each day?
Thich Nhat Hanh: In our tradition, it's not a matter of sitting once or twice a day, but trying to be mindful all day long. So we try to be aware of our breathing and our footsteps all day long.
Edinburg, TX: What do I teach my children to prepare them for this world and what should I do to help this world be a better place to live?
Thich Nhat Hanh: We should teach our children how to be calm, and how to be able to be in the present moment. How to come back when they have strong emotions, how to be able to handle their strong emotions, how to be able to come back to breathing exercises or walking mindfully so they realize their emotions are not in control of them, so they can handle their emotions. (As far as the second part of your question is concerned) It comes back to knowing how to take care of yourself, be able to nourish yourself in difficult moments, be able to calm yourself, to be able to practice guidelines that help you be protected from the many difficulties in the world, from the many areas that can cause unhappiness in your life. Some sort of guideline system -- we call it mindfulness training. You need to be a model yourself for your children so they have something to learn from, something to look up to, something to be inspired by. The parents have to set themselves as examples, in the event that good or bad things happen, the parents must stop and look deeply and be calm in order to see the root and the consequence of what happened and act in a beautiful way. If the parents can do that, the children can do that. Look deeply before acting fearfully, or angrily . . . it will help the world to be better. The guideline is mindfulness. There are five guideliness: Being aware that killing causes suffering (I am determined not to kill)and I try to protect life. Second guideline: Be aware that there is a lot of social injustice, but I am determined not to take into my possession things that do not belong to me and practice generosity by sharing my time, my deep listening and material resources for those who are in need. Third guideline: Having seen so many broken families, I am determined to have only a sexual relationship with a long-term committed partner, and I also will protect children from sexual abuse. Fourth guideline: Be aware of unmindful speech which can cause suffering, be determined to speak mindfully, look deeply into the consequences of each of my words and practice listening deeply to others in order to understand them and to appropriately use my words. Fifth guideline: This concerns consumption for the mind and our body. We must be aware that unmindful consumption can cause disease and therefore we must not use intoxicants or drink alcohol, and we must eat and drink mindfully. Concerning the mind, we must be determined not to look at intoxicating books, articles, TV programs -- those that contain violence, craving and fear.
Buffalo, New York: Those of us who believe in world peace watch with dismay as daily acts of vengeance continue to rip at the flimsy fabric of peace which world leaders continue to try to drape over ancient and ongoing hatreds. It seems that every time progress is reported, it is followed by a heinous act, done by those to whom vengeance is the only option. How can we help people to turn away from ancient hatreds and fears, embrace their so-called enemies, and commit themselves to work toghether for the good of all?
Thich Nhat Hanh: People can have a process of peace education where they can learn to transform their ancient hatreds of each other by learning how to look deeply. As a world of nations we have to learn how to see each other as brother and sister nations and not to see each other as separate and something to hate. We have to want to learn about each other and support each other as a world of nations. We have had in Plum Village Isreali and Palistinian retreats. We bring them together and they practice several days of relaxing and mindful walking and breathing, and then they learn to look deeply into their situations and to use kind, gentle, careful speech. Through mindfulness and being nourished by the atmosphere they learn to be able to look deeply into each other and learn the necessity of learning to help each other instead of hating each other. There has been remarkable success with this. People in the beginning they couldn't speak to each other and in the end many, for the first time, felt there was a real hope for peace. The United Nations has the capacity to do this if we are all able to see that we can learn how to care for each other, and that as we care for each other we're really caring for ourselves. Another aspect to pay attention to is the energy of anger and vengeance, so when we get this kind of news from the media, that energy is being transferred and it can come inside of us and we can feel it toward our own administration, and that continues the hatred. We have to be careful, because the way people receive information can allow them to continue their hatred. When we're having conversations with people, with relatives and friends, on a personal level, we should not continue that energy. We can look at how we talk to family and friends about these topics. Then we can look at it on a national and international level.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Hello. I was wondering what your view on the total disrespect for our planets environment (deforestation, pollution, endangered species, etc.). It all seems too depressing and overwhelming sometimes.
Thich Nhat Hanh: We have to wake up to the fact that a lot of oil, fame and power cannot really bring happiness. This is something everyone has to wake up to. There are many people who have a lot of these things but they suffer very deeply. We have to wake up to the fact that if we have understanding and compassion it is very easy to relate to others. If we lead a very simple life, happiness is still possible. This is a basic awakening. Parents have to help young people to see this. Only with this kind of awakening will people stop exploiting the planet and using up all the resources that should belong to the next generation. That is why the media, the powerful, it is their duty to contribute to that kind of awakening. In every one of us, there are seeds that if exposed to anger and negative things will grow. We must live our lives so that only the good seeds of compassion and kindness are watered every day. The seeds of craving, anger and despair should not be watered every day. To create a safe environment is very crucial to find peace.
St. Louis Missouri: How can a simple, everyday person live a more peaceful life? What is the main thing to focus on?
Thich Nhat Hanh: He or she should offer himself or herself the kind of environment that can make it safe in light of selective waterings of the seeds. With the support of those who live around you, determine only to go in the direction of peace and brotherhood and not in the direction of cravings. When you are in a safe environment, that's when peace becomes possible. You have to protect yourself first, then your family, then the society. Then the negative energy will not manifest. When a community does this, the good seeds will be watered every day. A person must put oneself in a safe environment where peace becomes possible.
tampa, fl: please tell me if we can ever achieve an end to conflict between human beings. what must take place before this occurs? thanks, Ida
Thich Nhat Hanh: We can only reduce the number of conflicts. First, in our family. That is a big step. Without that you cannot go further. When you have peace within yourself, you can bring peace to another person; when you both have peace you can bring peace to a third person. This is the only way. We have to learn from suffering because suffering can teach us a lot. We ask the person why we suffer so much, and if we look deeply we see the roots of our suffering and then you find out that the other person is not safe or happy. To help the other person to be safe and happy you must help yourself. This is true on an international level as well: If you want your country to be safe, to be happy, you must be sure that you don't do anything to other countries that will make them lose their safety and their happiness. When you help other countries to be safe, to grow, that means you are helping yourself. Safety, peace and happiness are not individual matters. When you take care of the others, you take care of yourself -- that is what we call inter-being. It is like the right hand taking care of the left hand when the left is hurt, and the left taking care of the right when it is hurt. It is the wisdom of nondiscrimination of both hands. That is the foundation of peace and brotherhood.
West Palm Beach, Florida: How do you show a person that you love them?
Thich Nhat Hanh: Based on my experience, you can show a person that you love them if you really understand that person. Understanding means that you know what that person needs, and his or her suffering. Love cannot be possible if you do not understand well what you can do for that person and what are his or her aspirations, as well.
Jacksonville, Florida: I feel an inner need to go on a solo retreat, probably to India. While researching such places on the Internet, it seems that many options are somewhat commercialized. Do you have any advice on the direction I should take to start my journey?
Thich Nhat Hanh: Why do you have to go to India for a solo retreat? Why don't you do it at home? It's less expensive. You might want to look more closely at the idea, that you think you might find something in India or some other place, because you have to be careful with that. It could be right there in your home. To be safe, bring to your solo retreat a few books like "Peace is Every Step," "Creating True Peace," "Be Free Where You Are." I think you should know before you start you need a daily schedule. In the morning when you wake up what will you do? Then after that, what will you do? It is helpful to consult a teacher of meditation before you start your solo retreat. Sitting meditation, walking meditation, preparing your breakfast in silence, all these things you have to prepare for. How much should you eat during the solo retreat? Practice a lot of breathing, going back to the present moment -- don't think too much in the future or in the past -- transformation and healing is in the here and the now. The best place for your retreat could be Plum Village (in France), but you won't be alone there! When you are mindful and aware of your steps and your breathing, you're taking a true solo retreat. You can do that around other people, and it's very healing and transforming and nourishing.
Herndon, Virginia: For those of us who have been observing the politics in the US and countries all over the world - one can but see few examples of altruism and see mostly greed and power among most policiticians. This is really troubling especially since the government plays such an important role in our lives and most people do not realize it. How can I as an ordinary citizen help to change this in a spiritual way?
Thich Nhat Hanh: AS individuals and as a country we ahve to learn to help our elected officials and we have to look deeply to see what makes a congressman able to fulfill their deepest aspiration -- serving the public -- and what in our society pulls them away from that, just as it pulls us away. As individuals if we see what helps us a great deal, because we understand our culture, then in turn we can be of great kindness and compassion we can be of help to our congressmen to help them see and fulfill their true aspirations. To help our congressmen doesn't mean we write a protest letter. First we try to appreciate him or her, then we express the direction we think the country should go, and then we try to show him why he should move in that direction. You show him that you appreciate him, even if you did not vote for him. I will lead a retreat for congressmen on Sept. 10 on Capitol Hill in the Library of Congress at 7 p.m., and then a weekend retreat Sept. 12-13 for members of congress and their families. Please email your congressman and encourage them to attend this retreat. You may have the insight into what their country can do, so you have to share your light with other citizens. That is why seeking to bring about a collective awakening is crucial. You may lead people in the field of education, or journalism, to provoke that kind of collective awakening. Your congressmen will only listen to you when you are great in numbers. If you have the energy of faith and if you are supported by a number of friends with the same kind of insight you can move forward with this collective awakening. Only that can change out situation. Everyone is capable of contributing to that awakening, and if every day you can do something in that direction you will not be victims of despair.
portland, or: Do you think whether the war the U.S. launched against Iraq last March a legitimate one?
Thich Nhat Hanh: The United States started the war with the conviction that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, but they have not found them, so the war is not justified in the opinion of the world. Now America will have to occupy Iraq for a long time. I believed that President Bush and his administration have an awakening Buddha nature in them, and they should help watering that seed of awakening, that seed in our president. We should ask him and his administration to courageously take action in order to bring back authority and prestige to America as a great nation. And President Bush can say "We are sorry, we had a wrong perception about Iraq. There are no weapons of mass destruction. But we did remove a dictator and that is not bad. But now we want to hand the situation over to the United Nations and we will contribute our best to the UN to see that Iraq has a good government of duly elected people." That would be a very wonderful way for America to stop being caught in the situation. There are superpowers in the world, and they should be urged to redesign the UN into a real peacekeeping organization, and America can do a lot to fulfill that dream of a lot of us, so the UN becomes a real body of keeping peace. Then when the UN becomes a solid body of nations, then they can intervene very well in situations like the Middle East. In the family, every time two brothers fight each other, the other members of the family come and stop the fighting and bring about reconciliation. This should have been done in the Middle East by the community of all nations. But we have allowed this to go on for a long time. They have expected America to solve the problem by itself without the support of other nations. But America can strengthen the chance of peace in the world by allowing other nations to build the UN into a real peace organization. America is a mighty nation and can help to realize that dream for all of us -- a powerful UN could solve the problems in the Middle East in a few months.
Comment from Thich Nhat Hanh: I feel that the answer to the last question is very important. It can save the world. All the nations in the world would applaud that act. The United States can withdraw with prestige. It could save a lot of lives.
Comment from USATODAY.com Host: That's all the time we have for tonight. We had many questions we did not have time to answer, unfortunately, but perhaps we can persuade Thich Nhat Hanh to return to USATODAY.com again and try to answer more of your questions. Thank you for participating
Thich Nhat Hanh, an exiled Vietnamese monk, is among the world's most respected Buddhist leaders. A monk since age 16, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967 by the Rev. Martin Luther King for his efforts to bring peace to his divided country. He also helped organize rescue missions into the 1970s for Vietnamese trying to escape political oppression. At 40, he founded Plum Village Monastery in France as a home for monks and nuns and a practice center where each year thousands of lay people, activists and refugees visit. Nhat Hanh has conducted many retreats in Europe and North America for thousands, and has written more than 75 books of prose, poetry, spiritual guidance and prayers. For at least a decade, Nhat Hanh has visited the United States every other year, drawing large multidenominational crowds. His popularity in the United States inspired the mayor of New York City to declare a Day of Reconciliation during a visit in the 1990s. Now in his 70s, Nhat Hanh is coming to America for a series of retreats, including a controversial one this month in Madison, Wisc., aimed at police and others in high-stress public service jobs called "Protecting and Serving without Stress or Fear." In September, he hopes to offer a public talk to members of Congress and a weekend retreat for the elected representatives and their families. Chat with Thich Nhat Hanh about his teachings.
Read the accompanying USA TODAY story
Comment from USATODAY.com Host: We will begin our chat with Thich Nhat Hanh momentarily.
Pawtucket, RI: Good evening: I am overwhelmed with all the sorrow that encompasses our world. What can I do that will really make a difference in the world?
Thich Nhat Hanh: The first thing we have to do is come back to ourselves. We have to recognize that we have to take care of ourselves first. It's just like on an airplane when you have to put the oxygen mask on yourself first before you put it on your child. We have to take care of ourselves before we can take care of other people.
St. Clairsville, OH: My father is quite ill right now and consequently I have been spending more time with my mother and brothers and sisters. Everyone is under a lot of stress and are emotional. I try to listen compassionately, but sometimes someone might say something negative about another family member. I do not want to get into an argument, but I do not want to continue to listen to them say unkind things about another person, either. What can you suggest as a skillful means of turning the conversation in a more positive direction? Thank you, dear Thay,for all of your wonderful teachings. Donna
Thich Nhat Hanh: The person should first be able to relax themselves, come back to their breathing and their body, become calm. Then very sincerely ask if the family can sit down together. You can tell the family that you are aware this is a stressful and difficult time, and if we can all do our best to help each other and share the difficulties in a way that is kind. Support each other as brothers and sisters.
Southgate, Michigan: How long should one meditate each day?
Thich Nhat Hanh: In our tradition, it's not a matter of sitting once or twice a day, but trying to be mindful all day long. So we try to be aware of our breathing and our footsteps all day long.
Edinburg, TX: What do I teach my children to prepare them for this world and what should I do to help this world be a better place to live?
Thich Nhat Hanh: We should teach our children how to be calm, and how to be able to be in the present moment. How to come back when they have strong emotions, how to be able to handle their strong emotions, how to be able to come back to breathing exercises or walking mindfully so they realize their emotions are not in control of them, so they can handle their emotions. (As far as the second part of your question is concerned) It comes back to knowing how to take care of yourself, be able to nourish yourself in difficult moments, be able to calm yourself, to be able to practice guidelines that help you be protected from the many difficulties in the world, from the many areas that can cause unhappiness in your life. Some sort of guideline system -- we call it mindfulness training. You need to be a model yourself for your children so they have something to learn from, something to look up to, something to be inspired by. The parents have to set themselves as examples, in the event that good or bad things happen, the parents must stop and look deeply and be calm in order to see the root and the consequence of what happened and act in a beautiful way. If the parents can do that, the children can do that. Look deeply before acting fearfully, or angrily . . . it will help the world to be better. The guideline is mindfulness. There are five guideliness: Being aware that killing causes suffering (I am determined not to kill)and I try to protect life. Second guideline: Be aware that there is a lot of social injustice, but I am determined not to take into my possession things that do not belong to me and practice generosity by sharing my time, my deep listening and material resources for those who are in need. Third guideline: Having seen so many broken families, I am determined to have only a sexual relationship with a long-term committed partner, and I also will protect children from sexual abuse. Fourth guideline: Be aware of unmindful speech which can cause suffering, be determined to speak mindfully, look deeply into the consequences of each of my words and practice listening deeply to others in order to understand them and to appropriately use my words. Fifth guideline: This concerns consumption for the mind and our body. We must be aware that unmindful consumption can cause disease and therefore we must not use intoxicants or drink alcohol, and we must eat and drink mindfully. Concerning the mind, we must be determined not to look at intoxicating books, articles, TV programs -- those that contain violence, craving and fear.
Buffalo, New York: Those of us who believe in world peace watch with dismay as daily acts of vengeance continue to rip at the flimsy fabric of peace which world leaders continue to try to drape over ancient and ongoing hatreds. It seems that every time progress is reported, it is followed by a heinous act, done by those to whom vengeance is the only option. How can we help people to turn away from ancient hatreds and fears, embrace their so-called enemies, and commit themselves to work toghether for the good of all?
Thich Nhat Hanh: People can have a process of peace education where they can learn to transform their ancient hatreds of each other by learning how to look deeply. As a world of nations we have to learn how to see each other as brother and sister nations and not to see each other as separate and something to hate. We have to want to learn about each other and support each other as a world of nations. We have had in Plum Village Isreali and Palistinian retreats. We bring them together and they practice several days of relaxing and mindful walking and breathing, and then they learn to look deeply into their situations and to use kind, gentle, careful speech. Through mindfulness and being nourished by the atmosphere they learn to be able to look deeply into each other and learn the necessity of learning to help each other instead of hating each other. There has been remarkable success with this. People in the beginning they couldn't speak to each other and in the end many, for the first time, felt there was a real hope for peace. The United Nations has the capacity to do this if we are all able to see that we can learn how to care for each other, and that as we care for each other we're really caring for ourselves. Another aspect to pay attention to is the energy of anger and vengeance, so when we get this kind of news from the media, that energy is being transferred and it can come inside of us and we can feel it toward our own administration, and that continues the hatred. We have to be careful, because the way people receive information can allow them to continue their hatred. When we're having conversations with people, with relatives and friends, on a personal level, we should not continue that energy. We can look at how we talk to family and friends about these topics. Then we can look at it on a national and international level.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Hello. I was wondering what your view on the total disrespect for our planets environment (deforestation, pollution, endangered species, etc.). It all seems too depressing and overwhelming sometimes.
Thich Nhat Hanh: We have to wake up to the fact that a lot of oil, fame and power cannot really bring happiness. This is something everyone has to wake up to. There are many people who have a lot of these things but they suffer very deeply. We have to wake up to the fact that if we have understanding and compassion it is very easy to relate to others. If we lead a very simple life, happiness is still possible. This is a basic awakening. Parents have to help young people to see this. Only with this kind of awakening will people stop exploiting the planet and using up all the resources that should belong to the next generation. That is why the media, the powerful, it is their duty to contribute to that kind of awakening. In every one of us, there are seeds that if exposed to anger and negative things will grow. We must live our lives so that only the good seeds of compassion and kindness are watered every day. The seeds of craving, anger and despair should not be watered every day. To create a safe environment is very crucial to find peace.
St. Louis Missouri: How can a simple, everyday person live a more peaceful life? What is the main thing to focus on?
Thich Nhat Hanh: He or she should offer himself or herself the kind of environment that can make it safe in light of selective waterings of the seeds. With the support of those who live around you, determine only to go in the direction of peace and brotherhood and not in the direction of cravings. When you are in a safe environment, that's when peace becomes possible. You have to protect yourself first, then your family, then the society. Then the negative energy will not manifest. When a community does this, the good seeds will be watered every day. A person must put oneself in a safe environment where peace becomes possible.
tampa, fl: please tell me if we can ever achieve an end to conflict between human beings. what must take place before this occurs? thanks, Ida
Thich Nhat Hanh: We can only reduce the number of conflicts. First, in our family. That is a big step. Without that you cannot go further. When you have peace within yourself, you can bring peace to another person; when you both have peace you can bring peace to a third person. This is the only way. We have to learn from suffering because suffering can teach us a lot. We ask the person why we suffer so much, and if we look deeply we see the roots of our suffering and then you find out that the other person is not safe or happy. To help the other person to be safe and happy you must help yourself. This is true on an international level as well: If you want your country to be safe, to be happy, you must be sure that you don't do anything to other countries that will make them lose their safety and their happiness. When you help other countries to be safe, to grow, that means you are helping yourself. Safety, peace and happiness are not individual matters. When you take care of the others, you take care of yourself -- that is what we call inter-being. It is like the right hand taking care of the left hand when the left is hurt, and the left taking care of the right when it is hurt. It is the wisdom of nondiscrimination of both hands. That is the foundation of peace and brotherhood.
West Palm Beach, Florida: How do you show a person that you love them?
Thich Nhat Hanh: Based on my experience, you can show a person that you love them if you really understand that person. Understanding means that you know what that person needs, and his or her suffering. Love cannot be possible if you do not understand well what you can do for that person and what are his or her aspirations, as well.
Jacksonville, Florida: I feel an inner need to go on a solo retreat, probably to India. While researching such places on the Internet, it seems that many options are somewhat commercialized. Do you have any advice on the direction I should take to start my journey?
Thich Nhat Hanh: Why do you have to go to India for a solo retreat? Why don't you do it at home? It's less expensive. You might want to look more closely at the idea, that you think you might find something in India or some other place, because you have to be careful with that. It could be right there in your home. To be safe, bring to your solo retreat a few books like "Peace is Every Step," "Creating True Peace," "Be Free Where You Are." I think you should know before you start you need a daily schedule. In the morning when you wake up what will you do? Then after that, what will you do? It is helpful to consult a teacher of meditation before you start your solo retreat. Sitting meditation, walking meditation, preparing your breakfast in silence, all these things you have to prepare for. How much should you eat during the solo retreat? Practice a lot of breathing, going back to the present moment -- don't think too much in the future or in the past -- transformation and healing is in the here and the now. The best place for your retreat could be Plum Village (in France), but you won't be alone there! When you are mindful and aware of your steps and your breathing, you're taking a true solo retreat. You can do that around other people, and it's very healing and transforming and nourishing.
Herndon, Virginia: For those of us who have been observing the politics in the US and countries all over the world - one can but see few examples of altruism and see mostly greed and power among most policiticians. This is really troubling especially since the government plays such an important role in our lives and most people do not realize it. How can I as an ordinary citizen help to change this in a spiritual way?
Thich Nhat Hanh: AS individuals and as a country we ahve to learn to help our elected officials and we have to look deeply to see what makes a congressman able to fulfill their deepest aspiration -- serving the public -- and what in our society pulls them away from that, just as it pulls us away. As individuals if we see what helps us a great deal, because we understand our culture, then in turn we can be of great kindness and compassion we can be of help to our congressmen to help them see and fulfill their true aspirations. To help our congressmen doesn't mean we write a protest letter. First we try to appreciate him or her, then we express the direction we think the country should go, and then we try to show him why he should move in that direction. You show him that you appreciate him, even if you did not vote for him. I will lead a retreat for congressmen on Sept. 10 on Capitol Hill in the Library of Congress at 7 p.m., and then a weekend retreat Sept. 12-13 for members of congress and their families. Please email your congressman and encourage them to attend this retreat. You may have the insight into what their country can do, so you have to share your light with other citizens. That is why seeking to bring about a collective awakening is crucial. You may lead people in the field of education, or journalism, to provoke that kind of collective awakening. Your congressmen will only listen to you when you are great in numbers. If you have the energy of faith and if you are supported by a number of friends with the same kind of insight you can move forward with this collective awakening. Only that can change out situation. Everyone is capable of contributing to that awakening, and if every day you can do something in that direction you will not be victims of despair.
portland, or: Do you think whether the war the U.S. launched against Iraq last March a legitimate one?
Thich Nhat Hanh: The United States started the war with the conviction that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, but they have not found them, so the war is not justified in the opinion of the world. Now America will have to occupy Iraq for a long time. I believed that President Bush and his administration have an awakening Buddha nature in them, and they should help watering that seed of awakening, that seed in our president. We should ask him and his administration to courageously take action in order to bring back authority and prestige to America as a great nation. And President Bush can say "We are sorry, we had a wrong perception about Iraq. There are no weapons of mass destruction. But we did remove a dictator and that is not bad. But now we want to hand the situation over to the United Nations and we will contribute our best to the UN to see that Iraq has a good government of duly elected people." That would be a very wonderful way for America to stop being caught in the situation. There are superpowers in the world, and they should be urged to redesign the UN into a real peacekeeping organization, and America can do a lot to fulfill that dream of a lot of us, so the UN becomes a real body of keeping peace. Then when the UN becomes a solid body of nations, then they can intervene very well in situations like the Middle East. In the family, every time two brothers fight each other, the other members of the family come and stop the fighting and bring about reconciliation. This should have been done in the Middle East by the community of all nations. But we have allowed this to go on for a long time. They have expected America to solve the problem by itself without the support of other nations. But America can strengthen the chance of peace in the world by allowing other nations to build the UN into a real peace organization. America is a mighty nation and can help to realize that dream for all of us -- a powerful UN could solve the problems in the Middle East in a few months.
Comment from Thich Nhat Hanh: I feel that the answer to the last question is very important. It can save the world. All the nations in the world would applaud that act. The United States can withdraw with prestige. It could save a lot of lives.
Comment from USATODAY.com Host: That's all the time we have for tonight. We had many questions we did not have time to answer, unfortunately, but perhaps we can persuade Thich Nhat Hanh to return to USATODAY.com again and try to answer more of your questions. Thank you for participating
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