Thich Nhat Hanh Reincarnation Book: Rebirth as Continuation

“Touching the earth, I let go of my idea that I am this body and my life span is limited.”

— Plum Village

Many of us carry a quiet question about what happens when this body reaches its end. This Thich Nhat Hanh reincarnation book takes up that question gently. Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (or “Thay,” which means “teacher” in Vietnamese) speaks of reincarnation as continuation, and he invites us to look for it in the life we are living today: in our thoughts, our words and our actions. Reincarnation is a short book with illustrations by Jeanne Fries, one to read slowly and open again whenever the question returns.

Buddhist Rebirth as Continuation

Thay chose the word continuation for rebirth, and he shows us where to find it. Our thoughts, speech and actions go on long after the moment that produced them. A kind word can stay alive for years in the person who heard it. How we live and what we consume shape all three, so each day we take part in what continues from us. When we stop seeing ourselves as a self cut off from everything else, the edge of this body no longer marks where we end, and rebirth becomes something we can touch in this very moment.

A Practice of Continuation for Tonight

In the Plum Village tradition, we touch this insight in the Touchings of the Earth, where the falling plum blossom does not mean the end of the plum tree.

• Sit comfortably and follow three breaths, in and out.
• Bring to mind one thing you said today, and look at where it has gone: into a friend, a colleague, a child.
• Choose one action from today that you would like to continue, and one you would like to transform.
• Rest your palms on the floor, or touch the earth, and let go of the idea that you are only this body.
• Breathe out with a half-smile, knowing that your next thought, word and action are already your continuation.

About This Book

• Author: Thich Nhat Hanh.
• Illustrations: Jeanne Fries.
• Language: English.
• Length: a short book.
• Reading as practice: read a few pages at a time, pausing with a breath when a line touches you.

Thay looks at birth, death and interbeing at greater length in No Death, No Fear and The Art of Living.

Going as a River: Why the Official Source Matters

In the Plum Village tradition, we know that a single drop of water evaporates, but as a river, it reaches the sea. When you choose to support your practice through the Plum Village Official Shop, your purchase is more than a transaction. It is an act of Dana (generosity). Every purchase directly supports the Plum Village monastic community and its mission to share the practice of mindfulness with the world. Thank you for going as a river with us.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What does Thich Nhat Hanh say about reincarnation?

A: Thich Nhat Hanh speaks of reincarnation as continuation. In his teaching, we continue through our thoughts, our speech and our actions, which keep shaping the world after the moment has passed. In this short reincarnation book, he invites us to see rebirth taking place now, in the way we live each day, and to care for what we pass on.

Q: How do Buddhists understand rebirth?

A: Rebirth is a central teaching across Buddhist traditions, and each school describes it in its own way. In the Plum Village tradition, Thich Nhat Hanh looks at Buddhist rebirth through interbeing: because nothing has a separate self, what we think, say and do flows on into others and into the world. His book Reincarnation offers this view in a few illustrated pages.

Q: How can I practise with the teaching of continuation?

A: You can practise continuation by looking at one thought, one word and one action each day and seeing where it goes. Before you speak or act, take a breath and ask what you would like to continue. In the Plum Village tradition, the Touchings of the Earth also help us let go of the idea that we are only this body. Thay’s Reincarnation can accompany this practice, a few pages at a time.