The Plum Village Tradition of Engaged Buddhism was founded by the Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. As a young bhikkhu (monk) in the early 1950s, he was actively involved in the movement for the renewal of Buddhism in Vietnam.

During the American war in Vietnam, he advocated the perspective that in addition to the two warring sides, communism and Western democracy (capitalism), there was a third side: the human side. He argued that all people are victims of this war and suffered from it as a result. Therefore, the war had to end in order to end the suffering of all beings. He was a close friend of Martin Luther King Jr. and together they raised global awareness on the war in Vietnam and significantly contributed to the peace negotiations. He was forced into exile for his peace activism.

After the war, he established an international practice center in southwestern France. Thich Nhat Hanh has been a pioneer and trailblazer since the early 1970s, bringing mindfulness to the Western world and developing new ways to apply ancient wisdom to the challenges of modern life.