Brother Phap Linh was ordained as a monk in Plum Village in February 2008. Before becoming a monk, he studied at Cambridge then worked as a composer, a chef and a math tutor in London. As a layperson, he frequently attended retreats in Plum Village. Meeting Thich Nhat Hanh for the first time in 1999, he began to see that mindfulness practice could present a real way out of the current situation of suffering for humanity. Becoming a monk eventually presented itself as the most powerful way to actively and positively engage with the suffering as we collectively face, including climate change, economic instability, and war. Helping to provide a place of refuge for people to come and learn about mindfulness and living in the community are now his principal sources of joy.
