Hermitage Among the Clouds: An Historical Novel of Fourteenth Century Vietnam

Fragrant Palm Leaves reveals a vulnerable and questioning young man, a student and teaching assistant at Princeton and Columbia Universities from 1962-1963, reflecting on the many difficulties he and his fellow monks faced at home trying to make Buddhism relevant to the people’s needs. We also follow Thich Nhat Hanh as he returns to Vietnam in 1964 and helps establish the movement known as “engaged Buddhism” – starting self-help villages, a new university, a Buddhist order, and many other efforts for peace. Fragrant Palm Leaves is regarded by many Vietnamese as Thich Nhat Hanh’s most endearing book. This extraordinary translation offers Western readers a glimpse into another time and into the mind of a great thinker and activist. It gives a model of how to live fully, with awareness, during a time of challenge and upheaval.

In this beautiful and lucid guide, Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh offers gentle anecdotes and practical exercise as a means of learning the skills of mindfulness–being awake and fully aware. From washing the dishes to answering the phone to peeling an orange, he reminds us that each moment holds within it an opportunity to work toward greater self-understanding and peacefulness.