Kansas City churches mourn death of influential Buddhist leader
By Melody Cook
Religious congregations around the community are mourning the death of spiritual leader Thich Nhat Hanh, who died Jan. 22 at 95. Though he was a Buddhist monk, he influenced the practices of many churches. His followers affectionately referred to him as “Thay,” which means “teacher” in Vietnamese.
The Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as the “Quaker” faith, is reflecting on Thich Nhat Hanh’s life. Clerk Angelika Shafer of the Quaker community, Penn Valley Friends, in Kansas City, Missouri, said her congregation admired Thich Nhat Hanh. His teachings, she said, aligned with the religion’s most basic doctrine, the “Peace Testimony.” The policy calls on Quakers to oppose war and advocate for non-violence.
“He was a great spiritual leader,” Shafer said. “We certainly felt his loss.”
Reverend Kendyl Gibbons of All Souls Unitarian Universalist church in Kansas City, Missouri, said many of the Buddhist monk’s teachings aligned with UU’s. Some of the teachings, Gibbons said, included personal spiritual practice, interfaith cooperation, and meditation. The reverend said All Souls admired Thich Nhat Hanh’s theory that the most important spiritual insight leads the world toward peace and unity. The peace activist’s vocal opposition to the Vietnam war introduced his practice of “engaged Buddhism” to the Western world. The practice applies Buddhist values to political activism and social justice efforts.
“Before that,” Gibbons said, “Buddhism was often seen more as an exotic 'world religion' that did not have very much connection to current events from a Western perspective.”
Her congregation has felt sadness and loss surrounding Thich Nhat Hanh’s death, the reverend said, but UU shares his belief that death is part of the human experience and can be faced with serenity.
“Thay was able to integrate the personal, inner-life of spiritual maturity with a public witness for peace and justice,” she said, “while maintaining an interpersonal charm and friendliness in a way that was inspiring to many of us.”