M L King Jr

"The moment I met Martin Luther King, Jr., I knew I was in the presence of a holy person. Not just his good work, but his very being was a source of great inspiration for me… On the altar in my hermitage in France are images of Buddha and Jesus, and every time I light incense, I touch both of them as my spiritual ancestors… In Vietnam, we refer to Dr. King as a “Bodhisattva”, an enlightened being devoted to serving humanity…

“I remember the last time I met Dr King, we spoke about community-building. Unfortunately King was killed not long after that, and I vowed to myself, that even in exile, I would redouble my efforts, and put all my energy into the practice of building the Beloved Community we had discussed together.”

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

"...Born in Vietnam, in 1926. He was ordained a Buddhist monk at the age of 16. In 1965 he wrote a letter to Martin Luther King. Then they met in 1966 in the US. In Geneva, Martin L. King was called a "bodhisattva"…and then they shot him in the US. Thích could not eat,… that made him sick...

Some of his teachings:
(1) the “deep listening”: when you help someone else to empty his/her heart.
(2) The importance of laughing…and living (happily) in the present MOMENT….with mindfulness and concentration. Community is important, “we can’t go far without community”.
(3) About problems in relationships; he said when a partner having problem, you should tell him/her: “darling I am here for you” (that’s the 1st mantra). (…) and if you are having problems, you should tell your partner: “please, help me” (that’s the 4th mantra). That’s Buddhist psychology."

~ "Owlseyes"