Nhất Hạnh has spent most of his later life at the Plum Village Monastery in southwest France near Thénac, travelling internationally to give retreats and talks. He coined the term "Engaged Buddhism" in his book Vietnam: Lotus in a Sea of Fire. After a 39-year exile, he was permitted to visit Vietnam in 2005. In November 2018, he returned to Vietnam to spend his remaining days at his "root temple", Từ Hiếu Temple, near Huế.
He was nominated by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for the Nobel Peace Prize.
He is the author of many books, including Living Buddha, Living Christ, Peace is Every Step
Nhất Hạnh is active in the peace movement and deep ecology, promoting nonviolent solutions to conflict and raising awareness of the interconnectedness of all elements in nature. He is the founder of the largest monastic order in the West. He also refrains from consuming animal products, as a means of nonviolence toward animals.
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