What Will Be Your Legacy?
Thay teaches us that we can never die. We are a continuous manifestation.
That is why the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation created the Cedar Society as a path for practitioners to offer stable and long-term support through legacy gifts.
Legacy giving - also known as planned giving - is done by leaving a gift to the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation (Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism) in your will or estate plan. A legacy gift is given after the donor’s lifetime. A legacy gift often allows people to make a larger gift than they were able to during their lifetime.
Everyone Can Make a Legacy Gift
Legacy gifts can be offered by anyone, of any means. You do not need to be wealthy, and you can change your mind at any time just by changing your will.
There are several ways to give after your continuation:
You can give an outright sum or a percentage of your estate through your will.
You can name the Plum Village Community as the beneficiary of your retirement plan or IRA.
You can name the Plum Village Community as the beneficiary of your life insurance policy.
Leaving a legacy gift is easy. We have all the information you need to leave a legacy gift and become a member of the Plum Village Cedar Society. Visit our Cedar Society FAQ page or contact us at cedars@tnhf.org or 760-291-1003 ext 104.
The information here is for general information purposes only. Please make sure to consult your own legal and financial advisors when planning a legacy gift.
Legacy Gifts Make an Enormous Impact
Your legacy gift:
Cares for Thay’s manifold Sangha of monks, nuns, and lay practitioners so they may continue teaching people the path of peace and liberation
Ensures the continuation of monastic practice centers as peaceful places where people can practice and learn about mindfulness and the Dharma
Supports worldwide humanitarian efforts
Reaches new people, especially younger generations, to share our practice’s powerful potential for transformation
History of the Cedar Society
Some of Thay's original Cedars, including Sister Chan Khong
As a young Dharma teacher in Vietnam, Thay formed a group of thirteen students whom he trained to become “like strong cedars to help support the Buddha’s teachings.” These students helped Thay revitalize Buddhism, to meet the needs of people suffering in difficult times. Thay called this core group the Thirteen Cedars.
These special students were fundamental to keeping Thay’s teachings alive and thriving during and after the war. Many of the thirteen original members still play an important role in helping Thay’s teachings take root here in the West. Without them, we may not have the teachings of Thay today.
We are here because they were there.
Now you are needed to continue the legacy of Thay. The legacy of your teacher is also your legacy. The thirteen cedars are our spiritual ancestors, and the monks and nuns of today are our spiritual family—our legacy can continue through them.
To reflect the Thirteen Cedars, our dream is for 1,300 dedicated practitioners to leave a legacy gift and ensure the continuation of our spiritual family. With this kind of support, we can all be confident that our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren will have spiritual brothers and sisters and a community to support them.
“I want to see these teachings be spread to as many people as possible, and that takes money
and resources to do. Giving the Foundation a bequest gift is one way that I can help
support it with the limited means that I have to live in.”
The Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation is a division of the Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism, Inc. (formerly known as the Unified Buddhist Church). The Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism, Inc. is a US nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization founded by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.