Call Me by My True Names

by Thich Nhat Hanh

Thich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese Zen master who was born way back in 1926. He has written numerous books but I have chosen his poems because some of the poems are exceptionally hard hitting as well as beautiful. I have encouraged students to think about one particular poem in which he speaks of his inter-relatedness with all other people even with an oppressor. Some are quite horrified that Thich Nhat Hanh could have identified with someone who raped a young girl in one of his poems. But then he would say that we must show compassion both to the oppressor and the oppressed, which is a very Buddhist idea.