Find Peace in a Teacup

"I've killed people. How can I ever find peace?" The American veteran's hands trembled as he sat across from the Vietnamese monk he once considered an enemy.

It was 1982. The Vietnam War had ended, but not for this soldier. His nights were battlefields. His days, a struggle for redemption. He had traveled to meet Thích Nhất Hạnh, a monk exiled from Vietnam for advocating peace during a time of hatred, violence, and division.

The monk, who had established refugee programs that rescued thousands, had every reason to harbor resentment toward American soldiers. His homeland destroyed. His people killed. His monastery abandoned. Instead, he poured two cups of tea and placed one before the troubled man.