Extraordinary in its simplicity and humanity, clearly outlining the very personality needed for our species to evolve. This is one of the best descriptions for dealing with feelings I’ve ever read, so I wanted to include all the steps here. But what if you are dealing with a certified moron and unarguably and irrefutably absurd opinions, the book err.. doesn't talk about that. You will go on worrying about the future for your whole life. I will need to read this book numerous times. I think, along with Thomas Merton and several other teachers from a variety of religions, that Thich Nhat Hanh's te. Throughout his years of service, Thich Nhat Hanh has been a pioneer in "engaged Buddhism" which views meditation practices and social activism as being of one piece. The inner purpose of eating is to eat; the outer purpose to get energy for the day. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. By using some of your energy for hope, you’re left with less energy for maximizing whatever you’re doing in the present moment. I was as skeptical as anyone in the beginning, but after practicing quite heavily for the last two years, I am fully convinced of the benefits of mindfulness. Since we cling to our hope in the future, we do not focus our energies and capabilities on the present moment.”, “Hope can create an obstacle for you, and if you dwell in the energy of hope, you will not bring yourself back entirely into the present moment.”. Thich Nhat Hanh’s book "Being Peace" is all about the importance of being in synch with the wonders of the world, living in the moment, and most of all the effect of being happy and at peace with oneself and how this affects the lives of the people around us. Yet elsewhere I have read psychologists warning that one of the dangers of meditation is the risk of depersonalization. Using real examples from his own life as well as poems and fables, Nhat Hanh explains his key practices for living "right in the moment we are alive". March 1st 1988 Simply put, "let peace begin with me" and "let me begin with peace." Asking, “what’s not wrong?” helps you focus on the positive. Being Peace was one of Thich Nhat Hanh’s first books published in the United States. Please log in again. Maybe too simple on a couple of points -- not sure. I liked it then. Being Peace is a timeless and eloquent introduction t Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and his most important teachings. If the meek really do inherit the earth, many will owe their inheritance to the gentle teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh. Everyday life is at times filled with stress, confusion, worrying and even suffering. He quit university at the age of 21 after successfully making the leap to entrepreneurship. It contains a collection of teachings written by Nhat Hanh that cover typical Buddhist topics including (but not limited to) peace, consciousness, interbeing, meditation, love, understanding, and mindfulness. The inner purpose of walking across the room is walking across the room; the outer purpose is to pick up a book at the other end. It's a collection of Thich Nhat Hanh's lectures that he gave to peaceworkers and meditation students during his tour of Buddhist centers in 1985. However, in larger doses...he's even better. The first few lessons below may seem a bit abstract and theoretical as is often the case with these kind of teachings. When we understand the nature, the roots of our anger, we will be freed from it.”. “Peace Is Every Step Summary” Even his Holiness, the Dalai Lama, once said, “ Happiness is not something ready-made. I first read it in 1988 and it is just as cogent and helpful today as ever. So when the future comes, it will come as the present; and because of your habit of worrying about the future, you will waste that moment also in worrying. Thich Nhat Hanh's "Being Peace" is an excellent book. Makes sense? Instead, we should recognize the anger as a manifestation of suffering. I liked it even more this time around, 15 years later. Meditation, in an ideal world, is a constant phenomenon. Again, if you can’t be present while eating dessert, you won’t be able to fully enjoy it. The Middle Way. “Our mindfulness will take care of everything, as the sunshine takes care of the vegetation. While he often references Buddhist teachings, his writings are about life, about love, about understanding. That is lesson one – joy doesn’t come from what you do but from being present at what you’re doing. The sunshine does not seem to do much, it just shines on the vegetation, but it transforms everything. Thich Nhat Hanh is a Buddhist monk and social activist. The teachings and stories transcend Buddhism and offer simple ways that everyone in the world can find peace in their daily life. When you practice being depressed, you strengthen the neural circuits of depression in your brain – and you become better at being depressed. I find his words of wisdom bring me inner peace and serenity which I can read over and over. Since its publication in 1987, "Being Peace" has become a classic of contemporary religious literature. It’s an engaged, paradoxical merger of power and gentleness. by Parallax Press. This book is about the practice of mindfulness and meditation to help oneself be in the world with understanding and compassion for self and others. I got so much out of it the first time through, and I have a feeling I will get more out of every re-read. But if I don’t practice smiling for a number of years, that seed will weaken, and I may not be able to smile anymore.”. Breathing out, I smile. Thich Nhat Hanh’s Being Peace is a poet's heartfelt presentation of Buddhist teachings. Recommended. FONTS Thich Nhat Hanh WHAT DID HE TEACH? I've spent the last 3 days listening to the audio version of this book and felt peaceful and calm ever since. I also introduced it to a young man in France (who was still 'finding himself'--Frederic Deltour) and he often tells me that the book changed/improved his LIFE. SOME OF HIS BEST KNOW AND SOLD BOOKS: * He taught that through mindfulness, we can learn to live happily today, in the present moment- the only way to truly develop peace, both for you alone, and the world. Thich Nhat Hanh shows how our state of mind and body can make the world a more peaceful place. Yeah, one must be good, the book says. Of course, that’s a lot easier said than done. It contains a collection of teachings written by Nhat Hanh that cover typical Buddhist topics including (but not limited to) peace, consciousness, interbeing, meditation, love, understanding, and mindfulness. There is something about his writing style that makes for easy reading and his message seems to be absorbed subconsciously in my mind. Research confirms it. This “alchemy of mindfulness” acts on positive and negative emotions differently. Or I use my time planning for something in the future. What does this mean? This is pretty much identical with what Eckhart Tolle talks about in A New Earth. Announcing the Winners of the 2020 Goodreads Choice Awards. Over the years I have read many spiritual books that are all very similar and generally manage to annoy me by telling me that if I were truly advanced in understanding and in meditation practices I should be detached enough and wise enough not to mourn for the loss of those I love. #Connection. Thich Nhat Hanh, or Thay (teacher in Vietnamese) as his friends and students call him, is a world-renowned writer, spiritual leader, scholar, poet, peace activist, and Buddhist monk. I liked it then. If you were fully present, you’d enjoy it. Having read other books by Nhat Hanh, I am happy to continue learning from his teachings and look forward to exploring more of his works. I have direction on how to deepen my Buddha practice. When you are mindful of negative emotions (e.g., anger), they tend to disappear – first, only temporarily, and then also more permanently. As a young bhikshu (monk) in the early 1950s he was actively engaged in the movement to renew Vietnamese Buddhism. Peace Is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh (Book Summary) Thich Nhat Hanh is one of the world’s most revered mindfulness authors and teachers. This is a quintessential 'good book' - in the sense that it has nothing that you can disapprove of, but again, nothing that you don't know already. – Thich Nhat Hanh Short The Miracle of Mindfulness Summary: Repeat. It’s both a means and an end. These are some of the q. When you are aware of positive emotions, they tend to expand and grow stronger. Born in Hue, Vietnam, Thich Nhat Hanh is a Buddhist Zen Master, poet, scholar and human rights activist. In 1967, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Martin Luther King. The wisdom found throughout the book has the potential to awaken readers that have an open mind. A timeless introduction to Thich Nhat Hanh's most important teachings, this spiritual classic reveals the connection between peace in oneself and peace in the world. He is a scholar of immense intellectual capacity. After logging in you can close it and return to this page. A timeless introduction to Thich Nhat Hanh's most important teachings, this spiritual classic reveals the connection between peace in oneself and peace in the world.Being Peace was one of Thich Nhat Hanh's first books published in the United States. Every time a seed has an occasion to manifest itself, it produces new seeds of the same kind. I feel that it goes more deeply into things and thus is more challenging. Nhat Hanh served as the delegate for the Buddhist Peace Delegation at the Paris Peace talks in 1969, and the Paris Peace Accords were later signed in 1973. Even though some references are a little dated (Cold War), this book is entirely relevant now: in order to achieve peace, we each have to become peaceful. Not sure about that. There are so many elements in the world and within our bodies, feelings, perceptions, and consciousness that are wholesome, refreshing, and healing. If you’re looking for some easy to absorb spiritual wisdom from a Buddhist monk, this is a great read. Nhất Hạnh left for the U.S. shortly afterwards, leaving Sister Chân Không in charge of the SYSS. Gentle and practical in its approach. Every time a seed has an occasion to manifest itself, it produces new seeds of the same kind. Write down three things that went well today and why they went well… The three things need not be earthshaking in importance (‘My husband picked up my favorite ice cream for dessert on the way home from work today’), but they can be important (‘My sister just gave birth to a healthy baby boy’)… Writing about why the positive events in your life happened may seem awkward at first, but please stick with it for one week. The reason you don’t enjoy doing the dishes is because you’re not present while doing them. It’s something you’ll have to experience for yourself. Be mindful. Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1967, after playing a central role in the Vietnamese peace movement. With the fork in my hand, I will be thinking about what to do next, and the texture and the flavor of the dessert, together with the pleasure of eating it, will be lost.”. Thich Nhat Hanh is a Buddhist monk and a peace activist, who spent almost his entire adult life in exile, writing many books on solving conflicts and promoting friendship. What is your best bet at creating a great future? “Thich Nhat Hanh shows us the connection between personal inner peace and peace on earth.” —His Holiness the Dalai Lama “Thich Nhat Hanh is a holy man, for he is humble and devout. But how, the book doesn't talk more about that. We know how to sacrifice ten years for a diploma, and we are willing to work very hard to get a job, a car, a house, and so on. We don’t need some special occasion, a new car, a promotion, a beautiful sunset, or anything special to be happy and at peace. If we are angry for five minutes, new seeds of anger are produced and deposited in the soil of our unconscious mind during those five minutes. The seeds you’re planting (your daily experiences and emotional states) matter. And since the future flows out of the here and now, you’re also optimizing your future. Recognizing the feeling, becoming one with it, calming it down, releasing it, and then looking deeply into its causes, which are usually based on some false perceptions. The odds are that you will be less depressed, happier, and addicted to this exercise six months from now.”. This repeats the point we’ve talked about previously. Excerpts from Being Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh. If the meek really do inherit the earth, many will owe their inheritance to the gentle teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh. When you practice being grateful, you strengthen the neural circuits of gratitude in your brain – and you become better at being grateful. As soon as I finished this book I wanted to read it again immediately. “To my mind, the idea that doing dishes is unpleasant can occur only when you aren’t doing them.”. “Washing the dishes is at the same time a means and an end – that is, not only do we do the dishes in order to have clean dishes, we also do the dishes just to do the dishes, to live fully in each moment while washing them.”. The way to do it is to be fully present and keep witnessing with detachment and acceptance. We can't wait for peace to happen, we must live it. I didn’t find this book to be as easy-to-read as ”Peace is every step”, which I previously reviewed. * His custom of engaged Buddhism His books when I purchase them, find a special place on my personal bookshelves for a lifetime. With that being said, hope is, of course, still 10x better than worrying about the future or dwelling on negative emotions such as anger, fear, resentment, or grief. He is a master of the art of mindful living and staying in the present moment. How do we find compassion within ourselves, how do we find compassion within another, how do we create the bridge of resolution. I recommend it on my top-ten list of Peace resources. Thay was ordained as a monk at age 16 and was exiled for his peace work in Viet Nam during the war. A timeless introduction to Thich Nhat Hanh’s most important teachings, this spiritual classic reveals the connection between peace in oneself and peace in the world. #Inspiration. About Being Peace A timeless introduction to Thich Nhat Hanh’s most important teachings, this spiritual classic reveals the connection between peace in oneself and peace in the world. Thich Nhat Hanh's "Being Peace" is an excellent book. Thay (as he's called by those who love him) lovingly reminds us not to make ourselves battlefields upon which we wage war against our own anger. #Love. You will stop only when death comes and takes away all possibility of the future. We learn to transform the very situations that pressure and antagonize us into opportunities for practicing mindfulness. Peace Is Every Step is a quick and easy read with lots of helpful anecdotes all around the topic of meditation and mindfulness. And when you’re not present while doing the dishes, why should you suddenly be able to become present while eating dessert? Be the first to ask a question about Being Peace. Or on what’s not wrong? “If I am incapable of washing dishes joyfully, if I want to finish them quickly so I can go and have dessert, I will be equally incapable of enjoying my dessert. Every time you’re happy, you plant more seeds of happiness and thus make it more likely to be happy again in the future – the secret to happiness is happiness itself. Beautiful poem that has greatly impacted my own life: "Please Call Me By My True Names". A state of flattened emotions where you are no longer able to empathize with others. “Breathing in, I calm body and mind. This isn’t just anecdotal evidence, this is real science. Born in central Vietnam in 1926, Thich Nhat Hanh entered Tu Hieu Temple, in Hue city, as a novice monk at the age of sixteen. Among many things, he talks about walking meditation, sitting meditation, how our environment affects us and the manner in which we handle situations affects not only us, but those around us. Your mind is a creature of habit – if you’re never present in everyday life, you’ll build the habit of never being present, period. Definitely a book that should be read several times throughout a lifetime...and should be given as a gift to others. What does he mean? We learn to transform the very situations that pressure and antagonize us into opportunities for practicing mindfulness. We should learn to ask, “What’s not wrong?” and be in touch with that. Thich Nhat Hanh's "Being Peace" is an excellent book. I always find Thitch Nhat Hanh's writings to be simple, inspiring and refreshing. Twitter. Look for the negative and you’ll find it. Over the years I have read many spiritual books that are all very similar and generally manage to annoy me by telling me that if I were truly advanced in understanding and in meditation practices I should be detached enough and wise enough not to mourn for the loss of those I love. I liked it even more this time around, 15 years later. Here’s my favorite part:  “In your very planning, you are sowing the seeds of disappointment. The sun penetrates into the flowers, and at some point, the flowers cannot resist, they just have to open up. A great book! He talks about inner versus outer purpose. This book, recommended by my then therapist, skewed my vision for the better. I find his words of wisdom bring me inner peace and serenity which I can read over and over. Martin Seligman, a popular happiness researcher, shares a study illustrating this truth in his book Flourish: “Every night for the next week, set aside ten minutes before you go to sleep. Would recommend to anyone. If we can do that, thinking disappears and we (supposedly) experience profound peace of mind, silence, happiness, and a cessation of all problems. i found this book far more rewarding than i had expected it to be. Isn’t it to fully focus all of your energy on the present moment? In order to achieve peace, we must be peace. Thich Nhat Hanh — the Vietnamese Zen master who Martin Luther King nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize — embodies my answer as well as anyone. These are some of the questions he helps us to explore. “A few years ago, I asked some children, ‘What is the purpose of eating breakfast?’ One boy replied, ‘To get energy for the day.’ Another said, ‘The purpose of eating breakfast is to eat breakfast.’ I think the second child is more correct. It contains a collection of teachings written by Nhat Hanh that cover typical Buddhist topics including (but not limited to) peace, consciousness, interbeing, meditation, love, understanding, and mindfulness. It contains a collection of teachings written by Nhat Hanh that cover typical Buddhist topics including (but not limited to) peace, consciousness, interbeing, meditation, love, understanding, and mindfulness. | Privacy Policy. The login page will open in a new tab. 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