Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (also known as Thay) was a global spiritual leader, poet and peace activist, known around the world for his pioneering teachings on mindfulness, global ethics and peace.

Thay taught mindfulness within the context of ethics. Mindfulness is not a tool or instrument to get something else—whether that something is healing, success, wealth or winning. Rather, mindfulness is a path, an ethical way of living, and every step along that path can already bring happiness, freedom and well-being, to ourselves and others.

In 2014, Thich Nhat Hanh suffered a severe stroke and in 2018 he returned to Từ Hiếu Temple in Vietnam where he ordained with his teacher when he was sixteen years old. He expressed a wish to stay there for his remaining days which ended on January 22nd 2022.