Zen and the art of poverty reduction

THE World Bank may need a period of quiet reflection, but this was ridiculous. On September 10th 300 bankers joined Thich Nhat Hanh, an 87-year-old Vietnamese monk and founder of the Order of Interbeing, for a day of “mindful meditation” with Jim Kim, the bank’s president and an admirer of Mr Hanh. “It was all very Zen,” one member of staff told the Washington Post. Afterwards, Mr Hanh and 20 brown-robed brethren led a “walking meditation” through Washington—though since the traffic police did not show up, the quiet contemplation was marred by the not-so-Zen honking of angry drivers.