Book Club: Learning True Love – Practicing Buddhism in a Time of War

You’re invited to join us for a series of book club discussions on Sister Chân Không’s autobiography Learning True Love during Women’s History Month!

Check back soon for registration! In the meantime, order your copy of Learning True Love directly from Parallax and receive 20% off with code MAR2025.

About the book

Learning True Love is a moving personal memoir, an introduction to the mindfulness teachings and life of Thích Nhất Hạnh and his community in exile, an overview to the development of the European and American peace and human rights movement, and an introduction to the engaged and practical style of Vietnamese Buddhism.

Learning True Love documents the process that brought an end to the US Vietnam war, and gives a lively summary of Vietnamese history from 1945 to the current political, social and spiritual climate in Vietnam. It also portraits some of the many remarkable people that shared Sister Chân Không ‘s path.

Foremost however it is the remarkable and impressive story of a very courageous woman, whose journey from an accredited biologist at the University of Paris to a Buddhist nun, gives her unique insight into life’s central questions and the ability to address them in an unflinching and straightforward manner.

Discount for book club

Use code MAR2025 to receive 20% off your copy of Learning True Love.

Discussion dates

These free, virtual, one-hour book club discussions are open to all. Please register on Zoom to attend. Our discussions will not be recorded.

Check back soon for registration!

We will meet on Saturdays from 11am to noon CT. Find your local time here.

For all of our friends across the world with various schedules and times zones who are unable to attend our discussions, we encourage you to self-organize your own book clubs and read along with us on following schedule! (Find a local sangha) Downloadable discussion questions will be added each week.

March 1: Optional meet and greet

• We can introduce ourselves, discuss the format of the book club, and answer any questions

March 8: Growing Up in the Land of Tet 1938–1961

• Foreword, Intro, up to page 30

March 15: Working for Social Change 1962–1965

• pages 32-80

March 22: The War Escalates 1966–1968

• pages 82-124

March 29: Working for Peace 1969–1975

• pages 126-178

April 5: Exile 1976–2003

• pages 180-240

April 12: Exile 1976–2003 and Vietnam 2004–2005

• pages 241-300

From the foreword by Thích Nhất Hạnh

My students are also my teachers. I learn so much from them. Sister Chân Không (whose name means True Emptiness) is among the foremost of these. Please allow me to tell you one of the important lessons she taught me. It was in 1966, when the war in Vietnam had become unbearable, and I was so absorbed in working to end the war it was hard for me to swallow my food. One day, Chân Không was preparing a basket of fresh, fragrant herbs to serve with rice noodles, and she asked me, “Thầy, can you identify these fines herbes?” Looking at her displaying the herbs with care and beauty on a large plate, I became enlightened. She had the ability to keep her attention on the herbs, and I realized I had to stop dwelling only on the war and learn to concentrate on the fines herbes also. We spent ten minutes discussing the herbs that could be found in the south
of Vietnam and the ones in the central regions, and that encounter took my mind off the war, allowing me to recover the balance I needed so badly. In 1968, when I was in the south of France, I sought out the fines herbes of Provence with my full attention and interest.

Years later, a friend from America asked me, “Thầy, why do you waste your time planting lettuce? Wouldn’t it be better to use the time to write poems? Anyone can plant lettuce, but few people can write such beautiful poetry.” I smiled and said, “My dear friend, if I do not plant this lettuce, I will not be able to write poetry.” I did not reveal that my answer came from the encounter twelve years earlier with Sister True Emptiness. Even today when I read the manuscript handed to me by Chân Không, I continue to learn from her. A teacher should always be at the same time a student, and a student must always be at the same time a teacher. When we remember this, we benefit from each other.

Sister True Emptiness has a great capacity for joy and happiness. That is what I appreciate most in her life. Her unwavering faith in the Dharma is strengthened each day as she continues to enjoy the fruit of transformation and healing born from the practice. Her stability, joy, and happiness are wonderful supports for many of us in Plum Village and in the circle of the greater sangha. Working for social change and helping people are sources of joy for her. The love and concern that underlie her work are deep. True Emptiness is also true love. Her story is more than just the words. Her whole life is a Dharma talk.

I regret that this book is still too short and that her words could not convey all the depth and reality of her path. Sister True Emptiness could have written a book ten times longer, because she has so much to tell. But she is more an activist than a writer, and for now we must be satisfied with the present work. If you have the opportunity to be with her, please ask her to tell you more about her experiences. You can learn a lot from her. She is a true bodhisattva.

Discussion questions

Check back here for discussion questions as they are posted each week!

Please email jess@parallax.org if you have any questions about this book club, or suggestions on how to support those interested in self-organizing book clubs in different time zones.