New York City has honored the renowned Vietnamese Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh by co-naming West 109th Street—from Riverdale Drive to Broadway—“Thich Nhat Hanh Way” in his honor. A ceremony was held on 11 April at the corner of 109th Street and Broadway with several Buddhist monks who had studied under Thich Nhat Hanh at Blue Cliff Monastery, in Pine Bush, New York, on hand to speak.
Remarks were also given by city council member Shaun Abreu, who noted: “New Yorkers are not necessarily known for peace. We live with a lot of noise, a lot of stress. But Thich Nhat Hanh had a message for people like us. He knew that we can’t build a better world if we’re angry all the time, or if we lose sight of each other’s humanity. By putting his name right here, we’re creating a moment of pause and of breath.” (Religion News)
Thich Nhat Hanh lived in New York City during the 1960s. He served as a professor at Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary, while also working as a peace activist and taking part in various social justice movements.
Stephen Pradarelli, communications director of the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation, said: “This ceremony marks a moment of profound gratitude for Thich Nhat Hanh’s contributions to mindfulness, peace, and social justice.” He noted the timing of the ceremony, just days before the 50th anniversary of the ending of the Vietnam War on 30 April 1975: “Given Thich Nhat Hanh’s ceaseless advocacy for peace in Vietnam, this seems a salient fact.” (West Side Rag)
Attendees undertook walking meditation after the ceremony. The procession, led by several students of Thich Nhat Hanh, went from West 109th Street and Broadway to Union Theological Seminary at Broadway and West 121st Street.
“Thay’s teaching encourages (us) to return to our breath, to find tranquility amid chaos and to cultivate compassion in our heart,” Brother Phap Khong, a monk from Blue Cliff Monastery, explained. “This practice of walking meditation, where each step is taken mindfully and each breath is the same, reminds us that peace is not a distant goal. He’s shown us that peace begins within ourselves.” (Religion News)
The process of having the street co-named in honor of Thich Nhat Hanh was long and arduous. Several local community boards had to give their approval after the requisite 100 signatures had been gathered in a petition by local residents. Petitioners who spoke in favor of the co-naming were required to present evidence that Thich Nhat Hanh had made extraordinary contributions to the area—improving the welfare of the block, community, and/or country.
The final decision was made by local council members and the mayor, with direct input from the community boards.
Thich Nhat Hanh died in 2022, age 95, due to complications from a stroke he suffered in 2014. He founded the Plum Village monastery in France where lay practitioners can attend Buddhist retreats and receive mindfulness teachings, and monastics can go to receive formal training in Zen Buddhism.
He started the monastery In 1982 after being refused entry back into his home country of Vietnam due to his protests against the US war in Vietnam. He taught a practice known as engaged Buddhism wherein the Buddhist teachings are used as a foundation for enacting positive social and political change.
Thich Nhat Hanh was also a prolific author, publishing more than 100 books on the topics of mindfulness and Buddhist training. Many of them went on to become bestsellers.
See more
New York City places street sign honoring influential Buddhist monk, Thích Nhất Hạnh (Religion News Service)
UWS Street Naming Ceremony and Meditation To Honor Buddhist Monk on April 11 (West Side Rag)
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1,000 Buddhist Monastics and Laypeople Gather in Hue to Commemorate the Passing of Thich Nhat Hanh
A Cloud Never Dies: Plum Village Releases Thich Nhat Hanh Documentary
Thousands Gather for the Funeral of Thich Nhat Hanh
Related features from BDG
Thích Nhất Hạnh’s Engaged Buddhism During Wartime Vietnam, Part 1
Thích Nhất Hạnh’s Teaching of Interbeing
Honoring the Legacy of Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh
Sulak Sivaraksa: Thich Nhat Hanh – My Friend and My Teacher
The Cloud Is Not Lost – In Honor of Thích Nhất Hạnh
