Vietnam: Lotus in a Sea of Fire

About Vietnam: Lotus in a Sea of Fire

Originally published in 1967 to bring attention to the plight of the Vietnamese people during the American War in Vietnam, this rare book–one of the few written in English by a Vietnamese author giving a Vietnamese perspective on the war–is still stunningly relevant today as the United States grapples with its role as a global power and the human effects of its military policy long-term. With a new introduction by the author, peace activist and renowned Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, this book is of special interest for students of peace and conflict studies and Southeast Asian history. It also gives an insight into the thought of the young Thich Nhat Hanh, who would later go on to found–in exile–Plum Village, the largest Buddhist monastery outside Asia, and influence millions with his teachings on peace and mindfulness.

As war raged in Vietnam, Thich Nhat Hanh became a leading figure in the Buddhist peace movement. With the help of friends like Thomas Merton, Vietnam: Lotus in a Sea of Fire was published in 1967 in the US (and underground in Vietnam as Hoa Sen Trong Biển Lửa), his uncompromising and radical call for peace. It gave voice to the majority of Vietnamese people who did not take sides and who wanted the bombing to stop. The Catholic monk Thomas Merton wrote the foreword, describing it as “an explosive little book” with the power to show America that the more it continued to bomb Vietnam, the more communists it would create. This was Thich Nhat Hanh’s first book in English and made waves in the growing anti-war movement in the United States at the time.