"One of the most powerful teachings that [Thich Nhat Hanh] shared with us before he got sick was about not building a stupa for him and putting his ashes in an urn for us to pray to.
"He strongly commanded us not to do this.
"I will paraphrase his message:
"'Please do not build a stupa for me. Please do not put my ashes in a vase, lock me inside, and limit who I am. I know this will be difficult for some of you.
"'If you must build a stupa though, please make sure that you put a sign on it that says, "I am not in here."
"'In addition, you can also put another sign that says, "I am not out there either," and a third sign that says, "If I am anywhere, it is in your mindful breathing and in your peaceful steps."'"
Senior student Phap Dung, on his teacher.
(Photo of a second century BCE frieze of Buddhists worshiping at a Shunga dynasty stupa courtesy of the Freer Gallery of Art, Wikimedia Commons, and a generous photographer.)
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