In early March, Thich Nhat Hanh and thirty monks and nuns from the Buddhist community of Vietnam, France and Vermont were in Sherborn for a three day stay at The Peace Abbey.

Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, peace activist, author and teacher was in the area speaking at Harvard University and Welleseley College. He is the Master of one of the most prominent temples in Vietnam, although he has been exiled from this country for thirty years. His spiritual direction through meditation and the understanding of mindful living has been recognized by people in this country and throughout the world. Thich Nhat Hanh's spiritual lineage is traceable to the Buddha himself and he has been a monk since the age of sixteen.

During the Vietnam War, Thich Nhat Hanh led the Buddhist delegation to the Paris Peace Talks and following the war played an important role in helping to heal and restore his country by founding social service organizations, supporting schools and universities, and working with the rescue mission of the boat people.

While at The Peace Abbey Thich Nhat Hanh walked the walls of The Pacifist Memorial and prayed at the Memorial Stone for Unknown Civilians Killed in War. The memorial stone on the grounds is one of two stones that are being pulled throughout the world on a global pilgrimage honoring the memory innocent civilians who have suffered and died as a result of war.

The retreat was a significant event in the life of The Peace Abbey, as the Abbey and its Life Experience School for children with disabilities were founded as the alternative service of the organization's founder, Lewis Randa, who was discharged from the military as a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War, the same year Thich Nhat Hanh was exiled from his homeland.

Prior to his visit, Thich Nhat Hanh blessed the National Registry for Conscience Objection which was created at the Peace Abbey where it continues to be placed.