Interbeing and Compassion in the Thought of Thích Nhất Hạnh: A Textual and Ethical Analysis

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between interbeing and compassion in the thought of Thích Nhất Hạnh. It places his teachings within the wider framework of Buddhist philoso-phy by considering selected writings of Thích Nhất Hạnh alongside relevant classical Buddhist sources. Interbeing is understood as a relational view of existence in which all phenomena are interconnected and the self cannot be un-derstood as completely separate or independent. This under-standing can be related to the classical Buddhist doctrines of dependent origination (pratītyasamutpāda), non-self (anāt-man), and emptiness (śūnyatā). In the teachings of Thích Nhất Hạnh, interbeing provides a basis for understanding compassion not simply as a moral virtue, but as an ethical re-sponse arising from an understanding of the nature of reality. The paper examines how these classical Buddhist teachings are interpreted within the framework of Engaged Buddhism. It also considers the role of mindfulness in developing the insight through which compassion is expressed in personal, social, and ecological life. From this perspective, interbeing extends compassion beyond individual moral conduct and connects it with social responsibility, ecological awareness, and global interdependence. The paper argues that interbeing connects an understanding of existence with ethical respon-sibility and provides a meaningful basis for understanding compassion as a transformative principle in contemporary Buddhist thought.