Shambhala Sun deputy editor Andrea Miller met with Thich Nhat Hanh at Blue Cliff Monastery in Pine Hills, New York, for his "Transformation and Healing: The Art of suffering" retreat in August 2013. That interview appears in the January 2014 issue of the magazine. "Mother earth is the kingdom of heaven" is one of the calligraphies Thay created and gave to the Shambhala Sun Foundation on the occasion of that visit.

Thich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, poet, environmentalist, and peace and human rights activist. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967 by Martin Luther King Jr. for his efforts in generating peace and reconciliation in his native country. Thich Nhat Hanh travels internationally, teaching from his book The Art of Mindful Living.

The calligraphy, ink on rice paper, measures 15.5"w. x 11.5"h.