Heather Lyn Mann, Dharma Name Chân Liên An (True Lotus Peace), has been a disciple of Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (reverently known as Thay) for more than two decades. Thay ordained Heather into the core Tiep Hien Buddhist order in 2006. On March 23, 2026, Heather received the Dharmacharya (Mindfulness Teacher) Lamp Transmission from the Plum Village monastic community in France. The transmission is a great honor and formally authorizes her to teach the Dharma as Thay’s continuation.
Heather is the founder and pastor of Indigo Sangha.
Watch her Lamp Transmission Ceremony at the Plum Village Monastery in south-west France, HERE>>
Committed to inter-faith coalitions, Heather serves as an Advisory Board Member of the Charleston Interreligious Council (2022-present) and was honored to serve on the inaugural Faith-Based Education and Engagement Advisory Council of the International African American Museum (2021-2023).
Heather has a Masters’ Degree in Environmental Science from the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at University of Wisconsin, Madison. She helped found the Earth Holder Community of Plum Village, was a member of the non-profit’s Care-Taking Council from 2015-2020, and served as the group’s first chairperson from 2015-2018.
Parallax Press published Heather’s sailing memoir, Ocean of Insight: A Sailor’s Voyage from Despair to Hope, and described it as one woman’s death-defying and life-affirming journey on the open ocean.
A long-time Environmental Justice Advocate, Heather founded and directed Wisconsin’s Center for Resilient Cities from 1996 to 2008; the non-profit continues its mission to create healthy and healing natural landscapes where people live, work and play.
As a teacher in the 43rd generation of the Linji Dhyana School and the 9th generation of the Lieu Quan Dharma Line, Heather offers online and in-person retreats, Days of Mindfulness, ceremonies and one-to-one counseling.