On a cold and rainy Friday, April 11, a group of Buddhist monks and lay followers gathered on the bustling Upper West Side of New York City to witness the unveiling of a street sign honoring the late Vietnamese Buddhist monk, Thích Nhất Hạnh. The street, now named Thích Nhất Hạnh Way, sits at the intersection of Broadway and West 109th Streets, marking a significant tribute to the influential Zen master who passed away in 2022 at the age of 95.
New York City Councilmember Shaun Abreu addressed the crowd, which included both robed monks and city residents, highlighting the significance of the moment. “New Yorkers are not necessarily known for peace,” he remarked. “We live with a lot of noise, a lot of stress. But Thích Nhất Hạnh 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.”
Thích Nhất Hạnh, regarded as the father of mindfulness, spent part of his early life in New York during the 1960s while studying comparative religion and teaching Buddhism at Union Theological Seminary and Columbia University. His exile from Vietnam was due to his opposition to the Vietnam War and his stance of neutrality, which led to a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967 by peace activist Martin Luther King Jr.
The street naming serves as a way to honor Hạnh’s far-reaching influence on both Eastern and Western mindfulness communities. Followers of the monk, many of whom belong to his Plum Village tradition, gathered in solemn silence, creating a contrast to the usual city sounds of car alarms and police sirens. Using American Sign Language to show their appreciation—referred to as “showing their flowers”—the group added a unique touch to the ceremony. Monastics from Hạnh’s various monasteries, including Deer Park in California and Blue Cliff in upstate New York, traveled to attend the event. They sang Hạnh’s poems, pausing to take synchronized breaths in unison.
One of the central practices shared by the group was walking meditation, a method that Hạnh himself championed. After the street naming, the group engaged in a walking meditation from 109th Street to the Buddhist seminary at 121st Street. “Thay’s teaching encourages (us) to return to our breath, to find tranquility amid chaos and to cultivate compassion in our heart,” said Brother Pháp Không, a monk from Blue Cliff Monastery. “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.”
Brother Pháp Lưu, the eldest non-Vietnamese American monk in the Plum Village tradition, reflected on the profound impact of Hạnh’s teachings. Ordained as a novice by Hạnh in 2003, Lưu shared that he considers himself part of a fortunate generation that traveled with Hạnh as an aspiring young practitioner. “You can almost say we were reborn from the teacher’s mouth,” Lưu told RNS.
Lưu recalled his first encounter with Thích Nhất Hạnh during a visit to Plum Village in 2002. “We were outside in an outdoor amphitheater, and suddenly, Thay just manifested in the middle of a crowd of monks and nuns,” he said. “I didn’t see where he came from. It seemed like he just appeared.” Lưu explained that this experience encapsulated the essence of Hạnh’s teachings. “That vision of Thay amidst the monastic sangha, that is the essence of Thay. You cannot see him as an individual, as this separate person, but rather as the body of collective mindfulness practice that he has generated out of the Buddhist community in Vietnam, and then being exiled and recreating that community here in the West.”
Lưu spent the final years of Hạnh’s life at Deer Park Monastery. Reflecting on the leader’s teachings, Lưu emphasized that Hạnh did not designate a formal successor. Instead, Hạnh’s legacy was rooted in the values of loving speech and deep listening. “He trained us how to use loving speech and deep listening to understand each other when there’s misunderstandings, to open our hearts to always be willing to reconcile, rather than hold resentment in our hearts.”
This message of reconciliation remains particularly pertinent today, according to followers. Jonathan Gold, a 24-year-old master’s student at the Manhattan School of Music, spoke of how Thích Nhất Hạnh’s teachings helped him navigate the complexities of modern life. Gold, who was raised Jewish, discovered Zen Buddhism through his studies of sacred music and Hạnh’s books. “I think the heart of everything is through every day, every conversation, every action you take, having it be rooted in radical non-violence, radical non-harm,” Gold explained. “Any time we’re having discussions with people or talking to our parents — that’s a big one — changing the language we use so that we’re approaching things with compassion and understanding rather than aggression or antagonizing.”
For 15-year-old Fiona Falco, who practices with her mother, Buddhist teachings have been a source of comfort amidst the pressures of adolescence. “It’s just calming, and it’s fun to do it with my mom,” Falco said. Her mother, Elaina Cardo, a teacher in the Green Island Sangha of Plum Village, explained that the simplicity of Hạnh’s teachings makes mindfulness accessible to all. “It’s not a certain time that you have to practice it, it’s in everything you do—whether it’s eating or walking,” Cardo said. She also works with Plum Village’s Wake Up Schools program, which integrates mindfulness practices into primary and secondary education.
Joan Arenstein, 76, a long-time Upper West Side resident, discovered Hạnh’s meditation techniques during the COVID-19 pandemic. She finds resonance between Hạnh’s mindfulness practices and her Jewish faith, particularly in the areas of spirituality, ritual, and love for all humankind. Arenstein expressed her gratitude for the new street sign, stating that it adds a meaningful element to her daily walks. “Without the mud, there is no lotus. There is suffering, but there’s beauty, and we all need to stick together, (to) take care of each other,” she shared, quoting one of Thích Nhất Hạnh’s most cherished teachings.
The street naming of Thích Nhất Hạnh Way serves as a lasting tribute to a man who reshaped the practice of mindfulness, blending Eastern and Western traditions. For those who follow his teachings, it stands as a reminder to practice peace, compassion, and mindful living in all aspects of life.