http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/zen-and-the-art-of-saving-the-planet-2048029.htmlZen and the art of saving the planet
He has set up an eco-friendly village and is a best-selling author. Tomorrow, this green crusader will fill the Hammersmith Apollo with fans. But Thich Nhat Hanh is no rock star – he's a Zen master. Nick Harding meets a monk on a mission
Tuesday, 10 August 2010
As a vision of the future, the community of Plum Village in the French wine region of the Dordogne doesn't conform to stereotype. It doesn't bristle with technology, scientific endeavour and cutting-edge innovation. It is austere, tranquil and basic, and it is inhabited by brown-robed monks.
Yet this co-operative of three hamlets that includes fruit orchards, vegetable gardens, dormitories, temples and meditation halls is the headquarters of a monastic order that is at the forefront of a grassroots green movement, attracting increasing numbers of inquiries from people disaffected with modern living and looking for a greener, more sustainable future.
Plum Village is the headquarters of The Order of Interbeing, a Buddhist movement that is tapping into the post-financial meltdown zeitgeist and drawing hundreds of new devotees each year. At a time when most monastic orders are suffering a crisis of faith and dying out, the Order of Interbeing is expanding across the globe, broadcasting its underpinning ideology of sustainability and mindful consumption as it grows. And while the numbers of green-living monks in its monasteries increases, the order's outreach programme is connecting with tens of thousands of young people thanks to its internet presence and regular retreats.
At the helm of this movement is revered 84-year-old Vietnamese zen master, Thich Nhat Hanh, among the world's most influential Buddhist leaders. His contemporary Western Buddhist doctrine incorporates a strong environmental strand that has made him an unlikely poster boy for the green movement. He has a CV many world leaders would be envious of. He was instrumental in mobilising the peace movement against the Vietnam War and has inspired environmentalists such as Joanna Macy and Alan Weisman. His teachings on the environment have influenced the Prince of Wales, and the Dalai Lama and Oprah Winfrey are admirers. His book on ecology, The World We Have, is a best-seller and tomorrow he is making a rare visit to the UK to give a talk at London's Hammersmith Apollo.
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For more information about Thich Nhat Hanh go to www.mindfulnessretreats.org.uk 
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