Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Sandy Leuthner

Conditions for Happiness: Reflecting on Thich Nhat Hanh’s beautiful life

Valle de Bravo, Mexico

Alina Montero Muller

Conditions for Happiness: Watching tall trees with falling leaves and small acorns on the path. It made me happy to hear the laugh of some children having a picnic and to contemplate the joy of my dog running. The water of a clear river flowing, made me feel safe and calm. And I was grateful to be near a loved one discovering a new and beautiful trail in the forest.

Khu Du Lịch Văn Thánh, Viet Nam

Andrew Miller and Family

Conditions for Happiness: A condition for happiness I noticed on our walk was the change from sunshine, to rain, to no rain again. We started our walk in the sun, then the rain came, and the rain cleared. We were very lucky to be there at just the right moment! Another condition I noticed was the abundance of life-- mostly in the form of tadpoles and tiny frogs. It was a wonderful, nourishing morning!

Seattle, Washington, USA

Ann Lisk

Conditions for Happiness: Connection to each other

Basel, Switzerland

Basel Switzerland Sangha

Conditions for Happiness: Practicing with others

Los Angeles, California, USA

BIPOC Order of Interbeing Aspirants

Conditions for Happiness: Supporting each other in mindfulness and social justice

La Hulpe, Belgium

Catherine Lacroix

Conditions for Happiness: Waling with my son Sébastien and my ancestors in the beautiful nature

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Christina Vani

Conditions for Happiness: Freedom to walk in safety, companionship of my dog Zoe

Aberdeen, Scotland

Claire Beaton

Conditions for Happiness: Connection to Mother Earth and Thay

Milano, Italy

Gaia Gulizia

Conditions for Happiness: Feeling the fresh air on my face like the breath of the Cosmos

Pasadena, California, USA

Jack Jourden

Conditions for Happiness: Reaching inward to a place of gratitude for family, health, and peace

Seattle, Washington, USA

Jean and Kyle Pauley

Conditions for Happiness: Rain and the song of house finches

Carlton, Minnesota, USA

Jeanne Lassard and Friends

Conditions for Happiness: Transformation and reflection

Big Sur, California, USA

John Dear

Conditions for Happiness: Peace, love, compassion, nonviolence

Saanichton, British Columbia, Canada

Kim Hilliard and Family

Conditions for Happiness: Time outdoors with family

Moccone, Italy

Like Trees Sangha

Conditions for Happiness: Love and gratitude

Long Beach, California, USA

Long Beach California Family Sangha

Conditions for Happiness: Raising children in mindful and resilient communities

Dusseldorf, Germany

Marc Lenders

Conditions for Happiness: Thay’s teachings

Kitchener, Ontario, Canada

Marilyn Koval and Larry Willms

Conditions for Happiness: The beautiful sound of the stream

Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Mauricio Bahia

Conditions for Happiness: Truth and silence

Sardinia, Italy

Michela Pes

Conditions for Happiness: Abundance of Mother Nature

Imperial Beach, California, USA

Michelle Zuniga’s Children

Conditions for Happiness: When the baby cries, because it is a bell of mindfulness to us

Sendai City, Japan

Mori-no-Sangha

Conditions for Happiness: Knowing we are one beyond time and space

Coral Springs, Florida, USA

Nancy Achorn

Conditions for Happiness: Interdependence of nature

Macau, China

Rita Choi

Conditions for happiness: Courage to speak your ideas

Oakland, California, USA

Sophy Wong and son JY Wong

Conditions for Happiness: Gratitude for air, ability to move, and peace and oneness with the Earth

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Steffani Lefevour and Her Children

Conditions for Happiness: Doing less and having more

Beetsterzwaag, Netherlands

Stephanie Veenstra, Alex Kooistra, and Bodhi Kooistra

Conditions for Happiness: A love that binds us

Singapore

Tan Chew Ling

Conditions for Happiness: Freedom to choose to be happy

Hong Kong, China

Tracy Wong Chui Chi

Conditions for Happiness: Wholeness and freeness

San Pedro, California, USA

Ulli Hoff

Conditions for Happiness: Observing how beautiful the ocean is, how lovely the sand feels in between my feet, and how cleansing the water feels when it washes the sand away.

Bristol, United Kingdom

William Wassenaar

Conditions for Happiness: Autumn colors

For Thich Nhat Hanh’s 94th continuation day (birthday), we invited our International Plum Village community to join us in practicing walking meditation, sharing an image of your meditation along with a condition for happiness that you noticed during your meditation. Knowing how challenging and restricting 2020 felt for many of us worldwide, we called this global event Walking in Freedom.

Throughout times of great challenge and suffering, Thich Nhat Hanh has taken refuge in walking meditation as spiritual medicine. During the Vietnamese-American War, he and his fellow practitioners practiced walking meditation to renew their energy and cultivate compassion as they worked for peace and rebuilt villages.

Thank you to all those who practiced walking meditation, and to those of your who shared your photos and experience. We were so happy to receive hundreds of photos. Please enjoy a sample of submitted photos in the gallery above.

We know you are there and we are very happy.

The Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation Family