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Thich Nhat Hanh is a Zen Buddhist monk, spiritual leader, and peacemaker who is known as one of the founders of socially engaged Buddhism in the 1960’s. Besides being a pioneer in bringing Buddhism to the West and a best-selling author, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In the media, Thich Nhat Hanh has been called “The Father of Mindfulness” and “The Zen Master Who Fills Stadiums.” As a monk in his community, I had the opportunity to learn, practice, and share my experiences in the art of mindful living. I traveled all over the world with him and his community, met with an array of people from the young to old, from farmers to businessmen, from students to professors, from law enforcement officers to politicians, from doctors to lawyers, and everyone you can think of. The experiences I had were rich, profound, and life-changing.
When I was not traveling and teaching. I immersed myself in the world or photography and graphic design. The world is beautiful and to be able to look through a lens of a camera is truly precious. It is a chance for me to step back and look at life from a different angle. Observing what we have in the here and now with a fresh perspective. A perspective that can be reimagined, recreated, and rebuild using graphic design. Interpreting the world in my own understanding and expression.
This complexity mixture of applied philosophy and art fueled my curiosity when I stumbled across the study of economics. I’ve discovered that the Buddhist concept of inter-being and study of economics have quite a few similarities. Such as, both observe and try to understand human behavior and the inter-connectedness of everything. Economics suggests that individuals act and behave with rationality. Buddhist philosophy suggests that individuals act and behave as conscious beings. Both fields of study apply various theories and practices to understand how we can achieve maximum utility. Utility in the form of usefulness, well-being, satisfaction, and happiness.
I am still learning and exploring the world around me.
