Non-Self and Mindfulness in Thích Nhất Hạnh’s Buddhist Prose: An Ecocritical and Yin–Yang Perspective
Abstract
Two of the core concepts in the Buddhist prose of Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh are non-self and mindfulness. These notions play a pivotal role in cultivating inner peace and fostering a harmonious world. This study focuses on two representative non-fiction prose works by Thích Nhất Hạnh: “Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life” (Thích Nhất Hạnh, 2023a) and “No Death, No Fear: Comforting Wisdom for Life” (Thích Nhất Hạnh, 2024). The article employs spiritual ecocriticism in combination with comparative Eastern philosophy – specifically the Yin–Yang framework of Taoism – while applying textual analysis and an interdisciplinary approach that integrates Buddhist studies, poetics, and ecology. It explores non-self and mindfulness in Thích Nhất Hạnh’s representative prose works. The findings reveal that non-self is a philosophical notion guiding human beings to transcend self-attachment, whereas mindfulness is a practical path that enables one to live deeply in each present moment. Together, these two elements establish a foundation of peace and harmony – not only on the personal level but also in relation to the community and the natural environment. Viewed through the lens of ecocriticism and in dialogue with the Yin–Yang philosophy of Taoism, Thích Nhất Hạnh's prose emerges as an eco-humanistic discourse, emphasising the principle of interbeing among human beings, nature, and spiritual life. The findings of this article provide reference material for the reading and study of the Buddhist prose of Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh.
Keywords: non-self; mindfulness; prose; Buddhism; Thích Nhất Hạnh
DOI: http://doi.org/10.17576/3L-2026-3201-07
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