by Antonia Blumberg: “What you call birth and death are only transformation.”
Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh is continuing to receive treatment at a medical center in San Francisco he was flown to in July after experiencing a severe brain hemorrhage last year.
The renowned spiritual leader and founder of meditation center Plum Village is reportedly unable to speak as a result of the stroke but is able to walk, according to his spiritual community. The community launched a tour this week to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the publication of Hanh’s first book, The Miracle of Mindfulness.
Several months after the 88-year-old’s stroke, his community posted a video online in which Hanh addresses an age-old question: Is there life after death? In the video, the Buddhist teacher argues that when individuals realize that birth and death are part of a continual cycle of life, they will be liberated from the fear of dying.
“Where there is life, there is death. And where there is death, there is life,” Hanh said, explaining how the body is constantly “dying” and being “reborn” through the regeneration of cells.
“When we know that birth and death are together always, we are no longer afraid of dying,” he continued. “What you call birth and death are only transformation.”
Watch the video above for his full answer.
