Why is this event being held at Plum Village specifically, and does that change what to expect?

Plum Village in Dordogne is Thich Nhat Hanh's established monastic community in France, where he lived and taught for decades—holding the event there means you're practicing in the actual sangha (community) and environment he built, with the monks and nuns who embody his lineage. This isn't a one-off workshop; it's teaching rooted in the place and people who carry his specific transmission forward.

Thich Nhat Hanh passed away in 2022—is this a recorded teaching, or will this be led by his students?

This event will be led by the monks and nuns of Plum Village who trained directly under Thich Nhat Hanh and continue his lineage of teaching—you'll receive his dharma and practice methodology through his established community, not a recording. The teaching remains alive through the sangha he built, which is itself central to how he taught.

What's the practical difference between attending this 'Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet' event versus a standard mindfulness retreat, in terms of what I'll actually do during the day?

Expect your schedule to weave meditation practice with intentional action—walking meditation through the grounds, group discussions on environmental crisis and nonviolence, and possibly service work or contemplative activism exercises that embody Engaged Buddhism in real time. It's not a silent retreat or a lecture series, but a lived exploration of how inner calm becomes outer compassion.

meditation-retreat

Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet

Name: Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet
Location: Plum Village

This seven-week online course draws from Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's teachings to cultivate mindfulness and compassionate action in response to ecolo

Hosted on plumvillage

Date

Oct 18 – Dec 6, 2026

Tap for start & end times

Location

Plum Village

Thénac, Dordogne, France

At a Glance

Featuring

Thich Nhat Hanh

Duration

50 days

Descripción

What if the path to healing our world began with a single breath? Join a transformative seven-week journey at Plum Village, the beloved monastery in the Dordogne, where Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's teachings guide us toward mindful action in the face of ecological crisis. This is not another course about climate solutions or environmental guilt—it is an invitation to reconnect with your deepest wisdom, ground yourself in present-moment awareness, and discover how inner peace and planetary healing are inseparable. Whether you arrive carrying climate anxiety, spiritual seeking, or both, you will find sanctuary and purpose in a contemplative community committed to transforming fear into compassionate, sustained engagement with our world.

This program weaves together guided meditations, archival dharma talks from Thich Nhat Hanh, live group sessions, and interactive learning to address both the inner and outer dimensions of environmental work. Over seven weeks, you will explore how breath and body awareness anchor us in resilience, move beyond human-centered thinking to embrace interconnection, and face existential concerns without falling into despair or denial. The course acknowledges that climate concern can become overwhelming—and offers Buddhist psychology and contemplative practice as real tools for transformation.

What to Expect

You will begin each week grounded in mindfulness practice: sitting meditation, walking meditation, and conscious breathing that reconnect you to the present moment. Thich Nhat Hanh's recorded teachings will illuminate the intersection of Zen practice and environmental responsibility, while live group sessions create space for reflection, dialogue, and mutual support. You will learn to listen deeply across difference, rest when needed, and connect with fellow practitioners who share your commitment to healing both self and world. Rather than promoting false optimism, this retreat teaches realistic hope—the kind that emerges when we stop trying to control outcomes and start showing up with clarity and compassion.

Participants leave with both practical tools (meditation techniques, contemplative exercises) and spiritual permission to engage with ecological work as a sacred practice, rather than a source of despair.

About the Artist

Thich Nhat Hanh was a Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk and mindfulness teacher whose five-decade legacy transformed how millions approach present-moment awareness. Through his writings, retreats, and tireless peace activism, he brought contemplative practice from monastery walls into mainstream spiritual consciousness, demonstrating that mindfulness and social engagement are not separate paths but one continuous journey.

Venue & Logistics

This retreat takes place at Plum Village, the renowned meditation monastery in Thénac, Dordogne, France. The seven-week program runs from Sunday, October 18, 2026. Wear comfortable, layered clothing suitable for autumn in rural France. Plum Village welcomes practitioners of all abilities; contact the venue directly for accessibility accommodations.

Featuring

The Lineup

Thich Nhat Hanh

Mindfulness Teacher

Thich Nhat Hanh, born Nguyen Xuan Bao in 1926 in central Vietnam, was a Zen Buddhist monk and mindfulness teacher whose integration of meditation practice with social engagement…

Preguntas Frecuentes

Thich Nhat Hanh's teaching style integrates silent sitting meditation, walking meditation, and dharma talks rather than lecture-only formats—expect periods of guided practice punctuated by brief teachings that anchor mindfulness to concrete action. His approach treats the meditation itself as the teaching, not merely preparation for intellectual understanding.

Engaged Buddhism, Thich Nhat Hanh's signature contribution, explicitly rejects the idea that spiritual practice means withdrawing from the world's suffering—instead, present-moment awareness becomes the ground for nonviolent action on climate, war, and injustice. This event title signals you'll explore the direct link between how you sit in meditation and how you live in response to ecological crisis, not separate them into 'inner work' and 'outer work.'

Start with *The Miracle of Mindfulness* or *Love Letter to the Earth* (his most direct teaching on environmental consciousness) rather than his longer books—these give you his core voice on presence and planetary care in digestible form. His short poetry collections and essays on interbeing (the Buddhist concept that all life is interconnected) will deepen your understanding of how he connects meditation to ecology.

Thich Nhat Hanh's teaching explicitly welcomes all levels because he teaches that mindfulness is a natural capacity, not an achievement—the event at Plum Village (his monastic community) is structured to hold both complete beginners and long-term practitioners. You won't be behind; the depth is in the quality of presence you bring, not prior experience.

Nearby Stays

Where to Stay

Hotels near Plum Village, ThénacCompare prices on Booking.com

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Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet

Descripción

What to Expect

About the Artist

Venue & Logistics

The Lineup

Preguntas Frecuentes

There's more where this came from.

Discover More Artists

Find More Events

List Your Own Event

Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet

Descripción

What to Expect

About the Artist

Venue & Logistics

The Lineup

Preguntas Frecuentes

There's more where this came from.

Discover More Artists

Find More Events

List Your Own Event