If someone you know takes a moment longer than usual to answer the phone, perhaps they’re being mindful. Try and share the peace

Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh’s recent five-day mindfulness retreat in Chiang Mai was a chance for Thais – virtually all of them Theravada Buddhists – to stroll down the religion’s other avenue.

Mahayana Buddhism wasn’t going to win any converts, though – and of course it wasn’t trying to – but the exiled Vietnamese monk’s clear and gentle guidance encouraged many to embrace “loving speech” and “deep listening” as paths to better lives.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Thich Nhat Hanh – addressed as Thay (teacher) – sponsors retreats in countries around the world from Plum Village, his meditation centre outside Bordeaux, France.