Plum Village Monastics

What Plum Village Monastics does

Plum Village Monastics (legally CBZ Village des Pruniers) is a non-profit religious association founded in 1982 by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh in southwestern France, operating the largest Buddhist mindfulness practice community in the West. The organization runs 11 monastic practice centers across France, the United States, Germany, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Australia, delivering residential retreats ranging from single Days of Mindfulness to 90-day Rains Retreats, supplemented by an international sangha directory, the Wake Up young adult network (ages 18–35), and Wake Up Schools for educator training. Its product surface spans physical retreat infrastructure, the free Plum Village App, the Living Gems Dharma teaching archive, the online Plum Village Library, and publishing operations through Parallax Press and The Mindfulness Bell magazine.

The core 'technology' is doctrinal: Thich Nhat Hanh's engaged Buddhism methodology and the Five and Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings, a modern ethical framework based on traditional Bodhisattva precepts. Distribution is multi-channel: direct in-person registration at practice centers, self-serve online courses (e.g., 'Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet,' 'Happy Families Change The World'), a free mobile app, podcasts with 4,000+ Dharma talks, and book retail. The revenue model blends retreat contributions under a dana (generosity) framework, ongoing donations, fee-based online courses, and publishing royalties, with no fixed pricing and no disclosed financial statements. Customer segments include general mindfulness practitioners, young adults, families, educators, and 2,000+ lay members of the Order of Interbeing.

Name

Plum Village Monastics

Legal name

CBZ Village des Pruniers

Website

https://plumvillage.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mindfulness Practice and Spiritual Retreats

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Religious Orders & Monastic Communities (Monasteries, Convents) (BPAGAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wellness Retreat Centers (Yoga, Meditation & Mindfulness) (THAGAMAB), Religious Retreats & Spiritual Wellness Travel Agencies (THAKAHAM)

Keywords

• Mindfulness retreats
• Zen buddhism teachings
• Meditation practice
• Engaged buddhism
• Monastic practice centers

Headquarters

HQ city

Verdelot

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retreat Contributions: Plum Village operates on a contribution-based model where retreat participants make financial contributions to support the community. This includes accommodation and program fees for in-person retreats at all practice centers worldwide.
2. Donations: The organization accepts donations through their Dana platform (dana.plumvillage.org) to support the monastic community and continue Thich Nhat Hanh's mission.
3. Publishing: Books and publications through Parallax Press, including titles by Thich Nhat Hanh and monastic disciples. Also includes The Mindfulness Bell magazine and the Songbook (Basket of Plums).
4. Online Courses: Fee-based online courses such as 'Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet' and 'Happy Families Change The World' offered through their digital platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Plum Village Monastics operates a global network of monastic mindfulness practice centers offering residential retreats, meditation instruction, and Buddhist teachings rooted in the tradition of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. The organization delivers in-person and online retreat programs, an educational program for teachers, a free mobile app with guided meditations, and publishes books and a magazine on mindful living and engaged Buddhism. It sustains its mission through retreat contributions, donations, publishing royalties, and fee-based online courses.

Product overview

Plum Village Monastics operates as a global mindfulness practice organization founded by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. The organization offers a comprehensive portfolio of products and services centered on mindfulness practice and engaged Buddhism. The core offerings include the Plum Village App (a free mobile application with guided meditations), Living Gems (a digital teaching archive), and the Plum Village Library (online Dharma talks and practice resources). The organization publishes books through Parallax Press and The Mindfulness Bell Magazine. Practice programs include structured retreats ranging from single Days of Mindfulness to 90-day Rains Retreats, the Wake Up Network for young adults, Wake Up Schools for mindfulness education, and Happy Farms for sustainable farming practice. The global network includes monastic practice centers across France, Germany, USA, Australia, Thailand, and Hong Kong. The portfolio combines physical practice centers with digital platforms to make mindfulness teachings accessible worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Plum Village Retreats In-person and online mindfulness retreats at monasteries worldwide, ranging from Day of Mindfulness to 90-day Rains Retreat, for adults, families, and young people.
• Plum Village App A free mobile application offering guided meditations, deep relaxations, and Plum Village teachings for on-the-go mindfulness practice.
• Living Gems The largest collection of Thich Nhat Hanh's Dharma teachings, providing access to thousands of talks and spiritual resources.
• Parallax Press The publishing house of Thich Nhat Hanh and the Plum Village tradition, producing books on mindfulness, Zen Buddhism, and engaged ethics.
• The Mindfulness Bell Magazine A magazine publication covering mindfulness practice, community news, and teachings from the Plum Village tradition.
• Wake Up Schools Teacher training program bringing mindfulness education into schools, providing resources and training for educators to teach mindfulness to children and adolescents.
• Wake Up Network Global network for young adults (18-35 years) practicing mindfulness in the Plum Village tradition, with local groups and retreats worldwide.
• Happy Farms Organic farming and rewilding initiative at practice centers, combining mindfulness practice with sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship.
• Plum Village Books Extensive collection of mindfulness and Buddhist practice books by Thich Nhat Hanh, including the Mindfulness Essentials series, practice guides, children's literature, sutra commentaries, and poetry collections.
• Plum Village Library Online repository of Dharma talks, book excerpts, questions and answers, chants, songs, sutras, and meditation resources from Plum Village monastics.
• Plum Village Practice Centers Global network of monastic practice centers across France, Germany, USA, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Australia hosting residential retreats and ongoing practice programs.

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thichnhathanh
• YouTubeyoutube.com/plumvillage
• Facebookfacebook.com/plumvillage
• Instagraminstagram.com/plumvillage
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unified-buddhist-church-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Plum Village Monastics