Writing a love letter to your (perceived) enemy: ThÃch Nhất Hạnh and the rhetoric of nonviolence
Journal Title: ESSACHESS - Journal for Communication Studies - Year 2017, Vol 10, Issue 1
Abstract
Vietnamese Buddhist monk and peace activist ThÃch Nhất Hạnh has been a leading figure in the promotion of nonviolent practice throughout the world. We examine his concept of engaged Buddhism, theories of nonviolence, and intersections with rhetorical and communication studies. His approach takes nonviolence beyond the realm of refusing to use physical violence to the recognition that language itself can be violent. In order to understand this approach we detail the concepts of interbeing, loving speech, and deep listening. We examine the role of love in Nhất Hạnh’s theory of nonviolence, comparing it with approaches taken by Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. Examples are given from many of Nhất Hạnh’s speeches and writings with particular attention paid to a love letter he wrote to US President George W. Bush during the Iraq War. ThÃch Nhất Hạnh offers the practice of writing a love letter to one’s perceived enemy as a means to persuade for a turn to nonviolence.
Authors and Affiliations
Associate Professor Michael PHILLIPS-ANDERSON| Department of Communication, Monmouth University USA, Independent Scholar Rachel PHILLIPS-ANDERSON| Independent Scholar Rachel PHILLIPS-ANDERSON USA
Keywords
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