During the time we celebrate the anniversary of Thích Nhất Hạnh’s continuation, Magda will present her most recently published book, Vietnam, Where the Lotus Blooms. Written in the footsteps of Thích Nhất Hạnh and mostly narrated from Plum Village, the book is a contemplative pilgrimage through the sacred landscapes that shaped Thay’s life and teachings.
Event will be held in person and online February 7, 2026 at 4:00pm -5:30pm.
Location: 3812 Northampton Street Northwest, Washington, DC 20015
The manuscript was read, edited, and warmly endorsed by Sister Tuệ Nghiêm, who led the journey to Vietnam and encouraged Magda throughout the writing process.
The book is also supported by Dharma Teachers Annie Mahon and Kaira Jewel Lingo.
You may order her book and art through her website: manuscriptsandmandalas.com.
You may also order her book directly through lulu.com, a certified B (public benefit) corporation.
Book Summary
Vietnam, Where the Lotus Blooms is a deeply personal and poetic pilgrimage through the sacred landscapes that shaped the life and teachings of Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh. Written from the heart of Plum Village, this beautifully illustrated narrative invites readers on both an inner and outer journey—from the ancestral grounds of Từ Hiếu Monastery to the quiet refuge of Phương Bối, from the mountain peaks of Yên Tử to the iconic One-Pillar Temple in Hanoi.
Through meditative storytelling and reflections rooted in mindfulness, Dr. Magda De La Paz Cabrero walks alongside readers as she retraces Thầy’s path—a path marked by exile, courage, compassion, and spiritual awakening. Weaving together memory, ritual, art, and deep ecological awareness, each chapter offers insight into Thầy’s legacy as a humble yet revolutionary teacher.
The book honors the often-unseen hands that shape a spiritual life—ancestors, friends, children, and the Earth itself. It is both a tribute to Thích Nhất Hạnh’s gentle yet radical presence and an invitation to continue his path of interbeing, loving action, and inner freedom. Whether longtime practitioners or newcomers to his teachings, readers are guided to touch the lotus blooming within their own hearts.
Dr. Magda De La Paz Cabrero
Dr. Magda De La Paz Cabrero is an engaged mindfulness practitioner, world pilgrim, writer, and visual artist rooted in the Plum Village tradition of Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh. She holds a doctorate in education from the University of Maryland.
She serves as a Dharma facilitator, coordinator of the Engaged Mindfulness Circle and council member of the Opening Heart Mindfulness Community in Washington, D.C. She is also a council and board member of the International Earth Holder Council and coordinates Journeywomen at Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Maryland.
Like her earlier illustrated memoir, Walking on Earth with Thích Nhất Hạnh, Magda’s writing weaves poetic reflection, original artwork, pilgrimage, and mindfulness practice. Her books and artwork are available at manuscriptsandmandalas.com.
Magda previously taught world language pedagogy at George Mason University. She has also served as a facilitator of restorative justice programs for youth. For over thirty years, Magda has worked and advocated for children and young people from historically marginalized communities, a commitment she continues to share through her other website, truejustice4youth.org.
The daughter of a Puerto Rican father and a Venezuelan mother, Magda writes bilingually and contributes regularly to The Mindfulness Bell and to the Earth Holders Newsletter. Through her words and illustrations, she invites readers to listen deeply—to the Earth, to true justice, to the breath, and to the lotus blooming within.