Celebrated monk implores, ‘Never give up on life’

Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hahn, the author of “No Death, No Fear,” “The Art of Power,” and “The Miracle of Mindfulness,” on Thursday encouraged sufferers of depression, anxiety and stress to never give up on life.

“Emotion is just an emotion but we are much larger than emotions. Why do we have to kill ourselves because of such feelings that come and go?” he said at a press conference held in central Seoul on the day. Korea has topped the suicide rankings among OECD countries for the past several years. 

“Through meditation we will be able to control our minds and evoke happy feelings. We hope parents and offspring will be able to share the spirit,” he said.

The monk will give a series of speeches about “healing” “co-existence,” and “happiness” from May 3-13 across the country.

At the “Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh in Korea” ― held at Woljeongsa Temple in Gangwon Province from May 3-7; Beomeosa Temple in Busan on May 10; and Jamsil Stadium on May 13 ― the monk is expected to preach under the theme of “Peace is Possible,” and “Stop and Heal.” He will also lead some meditation sessions.

The celebrated monk has been praised for interpreting complicated Buddhist concepts into plain language, allowing easier public access to Buddhism. He is famous for holding anti-war speeches during the Vietnamese War. In the early 1980s, he established Plum Village Monastery in the Dordogne region in the South of France, which became a “healing place” for all “inquirers” around the world.

By Bae Ji-sook  (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)