32 mindfulness practitioners around the world reflect on encountering the extraordinary teachings of Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, who passed away in January 2022, exploring themes of coming home to ourselves, healing from grief and loss, facing fear, and building community and belonging.

Some moments change our lives. We experience wonder and relief when we realize we can be okay, just as we are. How do we then integrate these transformative moments into our daily life? Tears Become Rain is a collection of such stories, with one common inspiration: the teachings of mindfulness and compassion offered by the most influential meditation teacher of the past century, the Buddhist monk and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh, who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Dr. Martin Luther King.

The stories encapsulate the benefits of mindfulness practice through the experiences of ordinary people from 16 countries around the world. Some of the contributors were direct students of Thich Nhat Hanh for decades and are meditation teachers in their own right, while others are relatively new on the path. Eliza’s story is about her life-long quest to arrive at a sense of peace about her visual impairment, both how her eyes appear to others and how she sees the world, and the powerful role that Mindfulness practice played in that journey. Joann’s story traces her first connection with Thich Nhat Hanh to her action as a nun against Dow Chemical during the Vietnam War, through her struggles with alcoholism and the transformation from blaming her father into love and compassion for him through mindfulness meditation.

ASL interpretation will be provided.