Celebrating 60 years of the Order of Interbeing!

Dear Friends,

You might have heard, this year is a special year which marks the 60th anniversary since the Order of Interbeing manifested in Viet Nam in 1966.

What is the Order of Interbeing?

The Order of Interbeing was established by our teacher, Thầy, Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh, which is rooted in the Linji tradition of Buddhism and focuses on the 4 Spirits: Non-attachment from views, Direct experimentation on the nature of Interdependant origination through meditation, Appropriateness, and Skillful means. This group which began with Thay’s students and colleagues, had helped Thay with projects such as the School of Youth for Social Service. This group embodied ethical behavior, applied compassionate action and the 14 Mindfulness Trainings. This was a distillation of the Bodhisattva teachings of Mahayana Buddhism. 

This was also a concrete response to alleviating the suffering during the war taking place in Viet Nam. 

In Thay’s words: 

“Forged in the crucible of war and devastation, these guidelines [the 14MTs] helped the first six brothers and sisters, who were doing relief work and helping to rebuild bombed villages, cultivate serenity, understanding, and compassion even in the midst of the tragedy of war. Though they continued to stay busy helping war victims, organising demonstrations, printing books and leaflets, running social service projects, and organising an underground network to draft resisters, they renewed themselves with a Day of Mindfulness each weekend” (Interbeing).

What are the 14 Mindfulness Trainings?

What is the spirit of the 14 Mindfulness Trainings?

The first 6 members of the Order of Interbeing were known as the Cedars: (from left to right of the photo) Phạm Thúy Uyên, Cao Ngọc Phượng, Nhất Chi Mai, Nguyễn Văn Phúc, Bùi Văn Thanh, Đỗ Văn Khôn.