About Our Teacher Thich Nhat Hanh
"With compassion in our heart, every thought, word, and deed can bring about a miracle."-Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat Hanh, or Thây, is a poet, Zen Master and was the Chairman of the Vietnamese Buddhist peace delegation during the Vietnam War. He was nominated by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for the Nobel Peace Prize.
He has authored best-selling works such as Living Buddha, Living Christ and The Miracle of Mindfulness. Thich Nhat Hanh offers meditation retreats world-wide. He lives in Plum Village, a community in Southern France.
Local Spiritual Leadership
Order of Interbeing member Bethany Klug founded the Heartland Community of Mindful Living in 1997 and is the Sangha Elder. The Elder and our Order of Interbeing members provide day-to-day spiritual leadership of our Sangha.
Our caretaking council governs the Sangha by consensus, as established in our bylaws. Currently, Maud Croibier-Muscat serves as president and Order of Interbeing member David Klug serves as secretary/treasurer. Some resources on consensus that guide us:
Consensus as a Sangha Decision Making Process a dharma talk by Dharma Teacher Eileen Kiera
Consensus: A few ingredients enable this unity building decision making process to work in many settings by Caroline Estes
Our Dharma Teacher Brother Chan Huy
The local spiritual leadership is supported by Dharma Teacher Chan Huy. He has mentored the Sangha for several years now. Bethany met him at the 1999 Santa Barbara retreat with Thich Nhat Hanh. She recalls, "I was aspiring to the Order of Interbeing at the time, but my mentor was not able to attend the retreat. Chan Huy stepped in, giving me great care and attention. I quickly realized why he was so beloved, even by the most experienced Dharma teachers." A husband and father of two now grown daughters, he is a master of lay mindfulness practice. Not a moment goes to waste. Everything is fuel for mindful living.
Chan Huy comes from a family with four generations of Thich Nhat Hanh’s students, from his grandmother to his two daughters. Born in Vietnam, Chan Huy was raised as a Vietnamese Buddhist. He now lives in Ottawa, Canada, recently retired from a career as an engineer. His clear pragmatic teaching style helps us understand and deeply touch the practice of mindfulness. Chan Huy's warm and engaging manner emanates joy for the practice. His name, translated as “True Radiance,” captures his essence. Chan Huy is among the most accomplished and articulate of Thich Nhat Hanh’s Dharma teachers.
