Plum Village Life

Plum Village, located in the gentle countryside near Bordeaux in southwest France, is the heart of the Plum Village tradition. It is the first monastic community established in the West by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay), and has since grown into the largest international practice center of its kind.

Plum Village was born from Thay’s vision of a Beloved Community — a place where people can learn to live in harmony with one another and with the Earth. What began in 1982 as a humble farmstead has blossomed into Europe’s largest Buddhist monastery, home to more than 200 monks and nuns. Spread across four different hamlets, the community carries forward the spirit of Thay’s earlier “Sweet Potato Community,” which he founded near Paris in the 1970s after his exile from Vietnam.

At Plum Village, mindfulness is woven into the rhythm of everyday life. From meals and meditation to working in the gardens or simply sharing tea, every activity becomes an opportunity to practice presence, peace, and compassion. Visitors often describe Plum Village as a home away from home — a simple, nourishing environment where the seeds of joy and awakening can take root.

Throughout the year, Plum Village welcomes thousands of practitioners from around the world. People of all ages and backgrounds come to taste the art of mindful living in community. Each summer, the four-week Opening Retreat draws families and individuals from more than 40 countries, with dedicated programs for children and teenagers. In spring and autumn, shorter retreats offer space to reconnect, while the annual Rains Retreat provides three months of deep practice for both lay friends and monastics.

Silence, sitting meditation, walking meditation, rest, and mindful work are all part of daily life here. Whether cooking, cleaning, or tending the land, each action is embraced as a practice of mindfulness — a way to cultivate joy and freedom in the present moment.

Over time, Plum Village has also become a model for mindful living beyond the monastery walls. The Happy Farm project unites young volunteers, ecology, and mindfulness in the cultivation of organic vegetables for the community’s vegan meals. The hills, trails, and gardens surrounding the hamlets have become sacred spaces for walking meditation, guided by Thay and countless practitioners over the decades.

Before returning to Vietnam in his later years, Thay lived and taught at Plum Village, writing, gardening, and guiding his international community. Today, his vision continues to bloom. Alongside Plum Village in France, there are now ten sister practice centers across Europe, the USA, and Asia — all founded by Thich Nhat Hanh, all carrying forward the same spirit of compassion, peace, and awakening.