Thích Thiên-Ân (釋天恩) (September 22, 1925—November 23, 1980) was a teacher and Buddhist monk of

Vietnamese Thiền Vietnamese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia ** A citizen of Vietnam. See Demographics of Vietnam. * Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam ** Overse ...

(

Zen Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...

)

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

and was active in the United States from 1966 to 1980. He was ordained at Chua Chau Lam in Hue, Vietnam. Thích Thiên-Ân came to the United States from

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making ...

in the summer of 1966 as an exchange professor. He taught philosophy at the

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the Californ ...

. After discovering that he was not only a renowned scholar, but a Zen Buddhist monk, as well, his students convinced him to teach

Zen meditation ''Zazen'' (literally " seated meditation"; ja, 座禅; , pronounced ) is a meditative discipline that is typically the primary practice of the Zen Buddhist tradition. However, the term is a general one not unique to Zen, and thus technicall ...

and to start a Buddhist study group on the

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...

campus. A few years later, his enthusiastic students encouraged Thích Thiên-Ân to apply for permanent residence and open a meditation center that included a place for practitioners to live and study Zen Buddhism. In 1970, he founded the ''International Buddhist Meditation Center'' in the

Koreatown A Koreatown ( Korean: 코리아타운), also known as a Little Korea or Little Seoul, is a Korean-dominated ethnic enclave within a city or metropolitan area outside the Korean Peninsula. History Koreatowns as an East Asian ethnic enclave have ...

section of

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

."Buddhism and Zen in Vietnam" by Dr. Thich Thien-An, 1975, Charles E. Tuttle Co., Rutland, VT USA and Tokyo, Japan. . Once established, Thích Thiên-Ân taught the traditions of Zen Buddhism at his center. In addition, he taught

Eastern Philosophy Eastern philosophy or Asian philosophy includes the various philosophies that originated in East and South Asia, including Chinese philosophy, Japanese philosophy, Korean philosophy, and Vietnamese philosophy; which are dominant in East Asia ...

and

Asian Studies Asian studies is the term used usually in North America and Australia for what in Europe is known as Oriental studies. The field is concerned with the Asian people, their cultures, languages, history and politics. Within the Asian sphere, Asia ...

Los Angeles City College Los Angeles City College (LACC) is a public community college in East Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. A part of the Los Angeles Community College District, it is located on Vermont Avenue south of Santa Monica Boulevard on the former campu ...

. He retired from teaching at the college when he was diagnosed with

liver cancer Liver cancer (also known as hepatic cancer, primary hepatic cancer, or primary hepatic malignancy) is cancer that starts in the liver. Liver cancer can be primary (starts in liver) or secondary (meaning cancer which has spread from elsewhere to th ...

in 1979. He continued teaching at his center until he died in 1980 at the age of 54, succumbing to the effects of the liver cancer. The International Buddhist Meditation Center he founded continues to thrive. Thích Thiên-Ân authored the following books: ''Zen Philosophy, Zen Practice'' ();and ''Buddhism and Zen in Vietnam'' copyright 1975 ().

Quotes

* "We all shed salty tears and shed red blood. All is one."

References

External links

Thich Thien-An
{{DEFAULTSORT:An, Thien Thien-An Thien-An Thiền Buddhists Zen Buddhist monks Vietnamese religious leaders Vietnamese emigrants to the United States Vietnamese Zen Buddhists American Zen Buddhists Monks of Vietnamese descent 20th-century Buddhist monks