November 2nd, 2025
Day of the Dead Prayer to All Our Ancestors — 2025
Dear Thầy, Dear beloved Ancestors,
We have gathered as a spiritual family in this solemn moment, on the Day of the Dead, to express our gratitude and our profound aspiration to begin anew. We are aware that you are present in us, and that you are always there for us to take refuge in.
Thanks to the wisdom and loving care you have passed down to us through many generations, we have had the great fortune to get in touch with the preciousness of life, to bring a spiritual dimension into our lives, and to learn how to build harmony in our community. Amidst all the wars, polarization, discrimination, and misunderstandings happening in the present moment, we continue our journey of healing ourselves and others, awakening to a deeper understanding of the needs of our Mother Earth.
This year, dear Thầy and dear Ancestors, we wish to offer you a few stories from our collective continuation—what we have been able to live and realize in 2025 through your guidance and the strength of the Sangha.
In the early months of the year, we made a pilgrimage to India, the land of the Buddha. Walking where the Buddha, our original Teacher, once walked, we touched the ancient roots of the Dharma. We also visited the East Coast of America, bringing the spirit of mindfulness and peace to Dartmouth, Harvard, and many other communities. The naming of the Thích Nhất Hạnh Way at West 109th St. where Thay lived in 1963 was a moment of deep gratitude and continuation.
In May, the energy of youth blossomed again with the Wake Up retreats, a Viet Wake Up Tour, and a special gathering of the original Wake Up generation. Many young practitioners are training to enter the Order of Interbeing, taking a firm step on the path you have opened for us. Their joy and freshness renewed the whole Sangha.
In June, July, and August, we hosted a Family Retreat, a joyful Teen Retreat, and a Vietnamese retreat that became one of the most beautiful expressions of intercultural harmony. For one week Deer Park became a beautiful village. Our Western monastic brothers and sisters shared that it was among the most nourishing retreats they had ever experienced. The songs, the language, and the collective energy of the retreat carried the fragrance of our ancestral homeland and renewed our roots of gratitude. This same energy continued into our monastic retreat in September, where we played on the mountain together in the spirit of deep brotherhood and sisterhood.
In 2025, we organized three symposia retreats on the topic of The Buddha the Scientist—in Hanover, New Hampshire, in Vancouver, Canada, and in Bogotá, Colombia. In these retreats and symposia the Dharma entered into dialogue with the discoveries of modern science, following the path that Thay set out for us. The voice of mindfulness resonated in lecture halls and research institutes, bridging the worlds of contemplation and empirical study, East and West, ancient and modern.
Our Day of Mindfulness in Los Angeles offered refuge to many who are searching for peace in the midst of urban life. We are now preparing for a Family Day of Mindfulness in connection with the new Thích Nhất Hạnh School of Interbeing community, where children, parents, and teachers will learn to breathe, smile, and be present together.
At times, however, amidst all these wonderful offerings, we have also allowed seeds of anxiety, restlessness, and fear to be watered in our hearts. Today, we wish to renew our practice of mindful breathing and walking; to take refuge in our Beloved Community; and to cultivate patience, a deeper understanding of interbeing, and compassion so that we may be worthy to be your true continuation.
We humbly make these offerings to express our profound gratitude to you. We remember your solidity, your love, and your confidence in us. You have given us a path of practice and a spiritual family to take refuge in. We know that together, we can face any challenge and realize our deepest aspirations. We trust that within us there is the wisdom of non-discrimination, inclusiveness, great compassion, right action, and non-fear, transmitted to us by you.
In this solemn moment, we make the vow to practice wholeheartedly, to continue your work of building mindful communities everywhere, and to strengthen the well-being and spiritual courage of our Sangha so that understanding and love may shine ever brighter for generations to come.
Dear Thầy, dear Ancestors, please accept our offerings of prayer, flowers, and food, as a sign of our deepest trust, respect, and love.
