This afternoon my wife, Catherine, and I went to a public talk by Thich Nhat Hanh  (pronounced Tik N’yat Hawn) at the Orpheum in Vancouver (Open Mind, Open Heart: Touching the Wonders of Now).

The program consisted of:

  • Mindfulness Practise Songs and Guided Meditation by the Monastics of Plum Village
  • Welcoming Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh by Professor Jessica Main
  • Healing Chant of Blessing
  • Lecture by Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh
  • Vote of Thanks by Professor Jessica Main

Thich Nhat Hanh is one of my favorite Buddhist writers, and it was amazing to be able to see and hear him in person (well, with 2,700 other people…). I feel blessed by his presence; people like Thich Nhat Hanh reaffirm my optimism for the future.