contents
PleaseCallMebyMyTrueNames
ThePracticeofMindfulness
IdeasforMeditationPractice
52MindfulMeditations
ThichNhatHanh:Monk,ZenMaster,Poet,andPeaceActivist
PleaseCallMebyMyTrueNames
Don’tsaythatIwilldeparttomorrow—eventodayIamstillarriving.
Lookdeeply:everysecondIamarrivingtobeabudonaspringbranch,tobeatinybird,withstill-fragilewings,learningtosinginmynewnest,tobeacaterpillarintheheartofaflower,tobeajewelhidingitselfinastone.
Istillarrive,inordertolaughandtocry,tofearandtohope.Therhythmofmyheartisthebirthanddeathofallthatisalive.
Iamamayflymetamorphosingonthesurfaceoftheriver.
AndIamthebirdthatswoopsdowntoswallowthemayfly.
Iamafrogswimminghappilyintheclearwaterofapond.AndIamthegrass-snakethatsilentlyfeedsitselfonthefrog.
IamthechildinUganda,allskinandbones,mylegsasthinasbamboosticks.AndIamthearmsmerchant,sellingdeadlyweaponstoUganda.
Iamthetwelve-year-oldgirl,refugeeonasmallboat,whothrowsherselfintotheoceanafterbeingrapedbyaseapirate.AndIamthepirate,
myheartnotyetcapableofseeingandloving.
Iamamemberofthepolitburo,withplentyofpowerinmyhands.AndIamthemanwhohastopayhis“debtofblood”tomypeopledyingslowlyinaforced-laborcamp.
Myjoyislikespring,sowarmitmakesflowersbloomallovertheEarth.Mypainislikeariveroftears,sovastitfillsthefouroceans.
Pleasecallmebymytruenames,soIcanhearallmycriesandlaughteratonce,soIcanseethatmyjoyandpainareone.
Pleasecallmebymytruenames,soIcanwakeupandthedoorofmyheartcouldbeleftopen,thedoorofcompassion.
THICHNHATHANH,1978
ThePracticeofMindfulness
“Mindfulnessshowsuswhatishappeninginourbodies,ouremotions,ourminds,andintheworld.Throughmindfulness,weavoidharmingourselvesandothers.”—ThichNhatHanh
TheemphasisinThichNhatHanh’steachingsisonthepracticeofmindfulness.To practicemindfulness is to be conscious in eachmoment of our lives. Theopposite of mindfulness is forgetfulness and Nhat Hanh emphasizes bringingmindfulnesstowhatwetendtoconsider“automatic”activities,suchaswalkingand breathing. Right Mindfulness is the continuous awareness of our bodies,emotions,andthoughts.
In theSutraon theFourEstablishmentsofMindfulness, theBuddhaoffersfourlayersofmindfulnesspractice:mindfulnessofthebody,oftheemotions,ofthemind,andoftheobjectsofmind.Practicingmindfulnessateachlayercanbethe foundation of well-being and happiness. When we don’t practicemindfulness, we suffer in our bodies, our minds, and in our relationships.Practicingmindfulness,webecomeapeaceful refuge forourselvesandothers.Clarityflowsfrommindfulness.Withtheenergyofmindfulness,wecanalwaysreturntoourtruehome,thepresentmoment.
TheChinesecharacterformindfulnessrevealsitsmeaning.Theupperpartofthe character means now, and the lower part stands for mind or heart. TheVietnamesewordformindfulness,channiem,means tobe truly in thepresentmoment.Mindfulnesshelpsustocomebacktothehereandnow,tobeawareofwhatisgoingoninthepresentmoment,andtobeintouchwiththewondersoflife.
TheSevenMiraclesofMindfulnessThich Nhat Hanh describes seven “miracles” of mindfulness that we canexperienceeverysingleday.
The First Miracle is to be present and to touch deeply our surroundings,includingthebluesky,abladeofgrass,oralovedone’ssmile.
TheSecondMiracleistobeabletobeawareofoursurroundings,sowecanseethesky,thegrass,andourlovedonesmoredeeply.
TheThirdMiracle is tonourish theobject of your attentionwithyour fullawareness.
TheFourthMiracleistorelieveothers’suffering.TheFifthMiracleislookingdeeplyintothetruenatureofselfandothers.TheSixthMiracleisunderstanding.Ifwe’remindfulofthepresentmoment,
we can see deeply and things become clear.With understanding, the desire torelievesufferingandgivelovewillawakenwithinus.
The Seventh Miracle is transformation. With mindfulness, we touch thehealingandrefreshingaspectsoflifeinusandaroundusandbegintotransformthesufferinginourselvesandintheworld.
MindfulnessasEnergyThich Nhat Hanh writes: “We have the ability to work wonders. If we livemindfullyineverydaylife,walkmindfully,andarefullofloveandcaring,thenwe create a miracle and transform the world into a wonderful place.” Hecompares mindfulness to a seed, which, when watered, grows intoenlightenment, understanding, compassion, and transformation. The more wepracticemindfulness,thestrongerthisseedwillgrow.
LivinginthePresentMomentThichNhatHanhwrites:“Ourtruehomeisthepresentmoment.Ifwereallylivein themoment,ourworries andhardshipswilldisappear andwewill discoverlifewithallitsmiracles.”
Reallifecanonlybefoundandtouchedinthehereandnow.Thisisbecausethepresentmomentis theonlymomentwecanactuallylive, theonlymomentwecan actually influence.Thepast is over and the futurehasnotyet arrived.Sincethepresentmomentistheonlyrealmomentforus,wecanalwaysreturnheretogetintouchwiththewondersoflife.
Living in themoment is thekey requirement forone’sown freedom.NhatHanhsays,“Aslongasweareconsumedwithoureverydayproblems—distress,regrets about thepastor constantworries about the future—wecannotbe freepeople;wearenotabletoliveinthehereandnow.”
EatingandDrinkingMindfullyThich Nhat Hanh writes: “A very important exercise is to eat in silence andcalmness,evenifonlyforafewminutes.Itkeepsusawayfromdistractionsthatgetinthewayofhavingrealcontactwithourfood.”
Thepracticeofmindfulnessencompassesallspheresandactivities,includingordinaryactions.Wecanbeawarethatwearedrinkingaglassofwater,withoutthinkingofanythingelse.Inthisway,wearedrinkingwithbodyandmind.
Thesameapplies toeating.Whileeating,wecanbeawareofhowwefeeland of how we consume. Eating is a deeply spiritual exercise. Nhat Hanhsuggestsgivingamealourfullattention,andbeingappreciativeofallthatgoesintoitscreation.
ThichNhatHanhwrites:“Wesee themealas the representativeofheavenandEarth.WhenIlookatabean,Iseeacloudfloatinginit.IcanseerainandsunshineandIrecognizethatthisbeanisapartofheavenandEarth.WhenIbiteintothebean,Iamawarethatthisisabean,whichIhavejustputinmymouth.Thereisnothingelseinmymouth,noworriesoranxiety.WhenIchewthebean,I justchew thebean,notmyfutureplansormyanger. Ichewwithawarenessandconcentration.WhileIinvolvemyselfinthisprocessonehundredpercent,IfeelaconnectionwithheavenandEarth,withthefarmerwhogrewthesebeans,aswellaswiththepeoplewhocookedthem.Eatingthisway,Ifeelthatstrength,freedom,andpleasureareattainable.Thismealdoesnotonlynourishmybodybutalsomysoul,myconsciousness,andmymind.”
Eatingmindfully,we have the opportunity to sit with peoplewe love andenjoypreciousfood,somethingthatisoftenscarceformanypeopleintheworld.Eating mindfully, we don’t have to go to a temple or a church to practicecompassionandawareness.Wecanpracticerightatthedinnertable.
BreathingMindfullyThich Nhat Hanh writes: “No one can be successful in the art of meditationwithouthavingpassedthegateofbreathing.”
We often assume breathing is just a natural skill; everyone knows how toinhaleandexhale.Butbreathingisamiracle.IntheSutraontheFullAwarenessofBreathing,theBuddhataughthisfollowerssixteenexercisesformindfulnessofbreathing.Beingawareofourbreathnotonlyhelpsusmanagethedifficultiesineverydaylife,italsohelpsdevelopourwisdomandcompassion.Basedonthesixteen exercises, Thich Nhat Hanh made the following short phrases, calledgathas,whichhesuggestsweuseinourpracticeofmindfulbreathing.
Breathingin,IknowI’mbreathingin.Breathingout,IknowI’mbreathingout.
Breathingin,mybreathgrowsdeep.Breathingout,mybreathgoesslowly.
Breathingin,Ifeelcalm.Breathingout,Ifeelease.
Breathingin,Ismile.Breathingout,Irelease.
Breathingin,Idwellinthepresentmoment.Breathingout,Iknowitisawonderfulmoment.
Torememberthisbreathingexercisemoreeasily,thegathascanbeshortenedtojustthekeywords:
“In,out;deep,slow;calm,ease;smile,release;presentmoment,wonderfulmoment.”
The reasonweuse gathas is that they’re a simple poetic tool to help us to beaware of and enjoy our breathing. Above all, mindful breathing should bepleasurable!
WalkingMindfullyThichNhatHanhwrites:“Life isnotaboutgetting toacertainplace.Life isapath. Walking meditation is a way to practice walking without a goal orintention.”
Mindfulwalkingsimplymeanswalkingwhilebeingawareofeachstepandof our breath. As with mindful breathing, mindful walking is a form ofmeditation, which brings us happiness right away. Since no preparation isnecessary,itcanbepracticedanywhere,whetheryouarealoneinnatureorwithothersinacrowdedcity.Youcanevenpracticemindfulbreathingandwalkingmeditationinbetweenbusinessappointmentsor in theparkinglotasyouwalkfromyourcartothegrocerystore.
Walkingonourplanetisajoy.Mindfulwalkingallowsustobeawareofthepleasureofwalking.Wecankeepourstepsslow,relaxed,andcalm.There’snorush,noplacetogetto,nohurry.Mindfulwalkingcanreleaseoursorrowsandourworriesandhelpbringpeaceintoourbodiesandminds.
We can practicewalkingmeditation alone, with another person, or with agroup.Placingour footstepsoneafter theother,slowly,and insilence,wecancreatejoywitheachstep.
ThichNhatHanhwrites:“Ifwetakestepswithoutanxiety,inpeaceandjoy,thenwewillcauseaflowertobloomontheEarthwitheverystep.”
HowtoSmileatYourselfThichNhatHanhwrites:“Whenwepracticesmilingpeacefullyandcalmly,ourpeace can permeate the entire universe. The source of a true smile is anawakenedmind.”
Aswithmindfulwalking, smiling can be a conscious practice.NhatHanhcallsthisexercise“MouthYoga.”Justasaspontaneoussmilegoesalongwithafeeling of happiness, there are times when a conscious smile can createrelaxationandpleasure.
The human face containsmore than 300muscles,which tense as soonwefeelangerorfear.Ifwelinkmindfulbreathingwithaconscioussmile,wecanreleasemuch of this tension immediately. Instead ofwaiting for amoment ofpleasuretocauseasmile,wecanletthesmilecomefirsttocreatethispositivefeeling.
DevelopingUnderstandingandCompassionThichNhatHanhwrites:“Lookat flowers,butterflies, trees,andchildrenwiththe eyes of compassion. Compassion will change your life and make itwonderful.”
Compassion requires understanding.When we are able to understand thatsomeoneelseisalsosuffering,thatthispersonhastroubles,fears,andworries,thenwewanttorelievehersuffering.Whenwearemindfulaswegoaboutourdaily activities and in our interactions with others, we develop the space andawarenesstonourishcompassionandunderstanding.
Compassionistheheartofourpractice.It isonlywithcompassionthatwecan embrace and transform violence. Only when we treat ourselves withcompassion, can we begin to be free in the present moment. This is true inrelationshipsbetweenindividualsaswellasbetweennations.
ThichNhatHanh’steachingsaresimple,buttheycancreatesomuchjoyinour lives.By livingmindfully,we’re filledwith compassion for ourselves andthosearoundus,andwecanbegintobethepeacewewanttoseeintheworld.
IdeasforMeditationPractice
Eachof the fifty-twomeditations on the followingpages carries a unique andbeautiful message of mindfulness. These meditations can provide valuableinspirationforanydayoranysituation.
Youcankeepthisbookinyourbagorbackpocketandturntoanypage,anytime.Themeditationsarethereforyou.
AYearofMindfulnessThebookisdesignedsoyoucanfocusononemeditationasyourpracticefortheweek.Youcancarrythismeditationwithyouthroughoutthewholeweek.Youcaneithermemorizethemeditation,carrythebook,orwritethemeditationonascrapofpaperandkeepitwithyou.Thesayingcanhelpyoutoremainmoremindful,aware,andhappyevenunderdifficultcircumstances.Youcanreadthismeditationeachmorningrightafterwakingupandagainbeforeyougotosleep.Therearefifty-twomeditations,soyoucanbeginatanypointintheyearandcontinuewithadifferentmeditationeachweekforafullyear.
ProblemSolvingYoucanalsousethemeditationsforproblemsolving.Whenyouaretroubledorfeelingaparticularlystrongemotion,youcanposeaquestiontoyourself,eithersilentlyoroutloud,andthenopenthebooktoameditationandusethatwisdomtogainunderstandingofyourparticularquestion.
Someexamplesofquestionsyoumightaskinclude:• Whatistherootcauseofmyproblem?WhatcanIdotosolveit?
• InwhichaspectofmylifeshouldIpaymoreattention?• WhichcharacteristicsshouldIdevelopmoreinordertobecomemoremindful,relaxed,andsatisfied?
• HowcanImakemyworkorhomelifemoresatisfying?
PersonalMeditationPracticeThesemeditationscanalsobeafocusand
inspirationforyourownsittingorwalkingmeditation.Readthemeditationyouhavechosen.Youmaywanttoreaditmorethanonce.Closeyoureyesandfollowyourbreathing.Noticetheemotions,pictures,andthoughtsarisinginyourconsciousnesswithoutevaluatingorclassifyingthem.Letyourthoughtsandattachmentsrollpastyou,liketwigsinariver.Letyourselfmeditateforatleastfiveminutes.Ifyouhavemoretime,pickanamountoftimeinadvanceandcommittobeingtherewithyourselfforthattime.Whenyouopenyoureyes,lookaroundyou.Youmaywanttoreadthemeditationagain.Afteryourownquietcontemplation,itsinsightmightbeavailabletoyouinanewway.
GroupInspirationsThesemeditationsmayalsobeusedinagroupsetting.Peoplecansitquietlytogetherandtaketurnsreadingameditationaloud,onepersonatatime.Aftereachmeditationisread,thegroupcansitquietlyforaminuteormoreandthen,iftheydesire,goaroundinacircle,eachpersontakingaminuteorsotosaywhatinsight,questions,orthoughtsthemeditationinspired.
These are just four suggestions. These meditations are here for you tointegrateintoyourownlifeinthewaythatworksbestforyou.
52MindfulMeditations
ONE
Themindcangoinathousanddirections,butonthisbeautifulpath,Iwalkinpeace.Witheachstep,agentlewindblows.Witheachstep,aflowerblooms.
TWO
Learntheartofmakingonepersonhappy,andyou’lllearntoexpressyourloveforthewholeofhumanityandallbeings.
THREE
Thereisnodistinctionbetweentheonewhogives,theonewhoreceives,andthegiftitself.
FOUR
Therearethousandsofchannelsinourconsciousness;it’suptoustochoosethechannel.
FIVE
Ifyouareapoet,youwillseeclearlythatthereisacloudfloatinginthissheetofpaper.
SIX
Ifwearepeaceful,ifwearehappy,wecansmileandblossomlikeaflower,andeveryoneinourfamily,ourentiresociety,willbenefitfromourpeace.
SEVEN
Ifwealignourselveswithonesideortheother,wewillloseourchancetoworkforpeace.Reconciliationrequiresunderstandingbothsidesinordertobringaboutpeace.
EIGHT
Everythingwearelookingforisrighthereinthepresentmoment.
NINE
Wedon’thavetogoanywheretoobtainthetruth.Weonlyneedtobestillandthingswillrevealthemselvesintheclearwaterofourheart.
TEN
Everydayweareengagedinamiraclewedon’tevenrecognize.
ELEVEN
Enlightenmentisnotseparatefromwashingthedishesorgrowinglettuce.
TWELVE
EachbiteoffoodcontainsthelifeoftheSunandtheEarth.Thewholeuniverseisinapieceofbread.
THIRTEEN
Don’tchaseafteryourthoughtsasashadowfollowsitsobject.Findjoyandpeaceinthisverymoment.
FOURTEEN
Compassionisabeautifulflowerbornofunderstanding.
FIFTEEN
Allthewonderfulthingsthatyouarelookingfor—happiness,peace,andjoy—canbefoundinsideofyou.Youdonotneedtolookanywhereelse.
SIXTEEN
Atinybudofasmileonyourlipsnourishesawarenessandcalmsyou.Itreturnsyoutothepeaceyouhadlost.Asmileisthemostbasickindofpeacework.
SEVENTEEN
Aflowerdoesnothavetodoanythingtobeofservice,itonlyhastobeaflower.Thatisenough.Ahumanbeing,atruehumanbeing,isenoughtomakethewholeworldrejoice.
EIGHTEEN
Itisnotnecessarytothrowawayyourtraditionoryourfamily.Keepeverythingandintroducemindfulness,peace,andjoyintoit.Yourfriendswillseethevalueofmindfulnessthroughyou—notthroughwhatyousay,butthroughyourbeing.
NINETEEN
TheEarthwillbesafewhenwefeelsafeinourselves.
TWENTY
Patienceisthemarkoftruelove.Ifyoutrulylovesomeone,youwillbemorepatientwiththatperson.
TWENTY-ONE
Ourbreathisthebridgethatunitesbodyandmind.
TWENTY-TWO
Lifeisfilledwithsuffering,butitisalsofilledwithmanywonders,likethebluesky,thesunshine,andtheeyesofababy.Tosufferisnotenough.Wemustalsobeintouchwiththewondersoflife.
Theyarewithinusandallaroundus,everywhere,anytime.
TWENTY-THREE
Youalreadyarewhatyouwanttobecome.
TWENTY-FOUR
Yesterdayisalreadygone.Tomorrowisnotyethere.Todayistheonlydayavailabletous;itisthemostimportantdayofourlives.
TWENTY-FIVE
Whileyouarewalking,smileandbeinthehereandnow,andyouwilltransformthatplaceintoparadise.
TWENTY-SIX
Wehaveinheritedgreatwealth,butwebehaveasifwearepoor.Wehaveatreasureofenlightenment,ofunderstanding,oflove,andofjoyinsideus.Itistimetogobacktoreceiveourinheritance.Beingmindfulwillhelpusclaimit.
TWENTY-SEVEN
Wecanliveourdailylivesinsuchawaythateveryactbecomesanactoflove.
TWENTY-EIGHT
Wearerelatedtoeachother.Bytakingcareofyou,Itakecareofmyself.Bytakingcareofmyself,Itakecareofyou.Happinessandsafetyarenotindividualmatters.
TWENTY-NINE
Walkingmeditationislikeeating.Witheachstep,wenourishourbodiesandourspirit.Whenwewalkwithanxietyandsorrow,itislikeweareeatingjunkfood.Thefoodofwalkingmeditationshouldbeofahigherquality.
THIRTY
Walkslowly.Don’trush.Eachstepbringsyoutothebestmomentofyourlife,thepresentmoment.
THIRTY-ONE
Understandingisthefoundationoflove.
THIRTY-TWO
Truelovetakesalotofcouragebecauseitisacommitmenttohelpremovesufferingandofferwell-being.
THIRTY-THREE
Throughmindfulness,youwillfindthatyouhaveevenmorereasonstobehappythanyouthought.
THIRTY-FOUR
Ifinourdailyliveswecansmile,ifwecanbepeacefulandhappy,everyonewillprofitfromit.
THIRTY-FIVE
Asmilemakesyoumasterofyourself.
THIRTY-SIX
Everyonehasthecapacitytowakeup,tounderstand,andtolove.
THIRTY-SEVEN
Understandingandlovearen’ttwothings.Whenyouunderstandyoucan’thelpbutlove.Andwhenyoulove,youactinawaythatcanrelievethesufferingofpeople.
THIRTY-EIGHT
Whenyoumeditate,youdoitforthewholeofsociety.Youseeksolutionstoyourproblemsnotonlyforyourselfbutforallofus.
THIRTY-NINE
Peaceisallaroundusandwithinus.Oncewelearntotouchthispeace,wewillbehealedandtransformed.Itisnotamatteroffaith;itisamatterofpractice.
FORTY
Weshouldbeabletobeourtrueselves.Thismeansweshouldbeabletobetheriver,theforest.Wemustdothistounderstand,andtohavehopeforthefuture.
FORTY-ONE
Everythingwethink,feel,anddohasaneffectonourancestorsandallfuturegenerationsandreverberatesthroughouttheuniverse.
FORTY-TWO
Yourbodyisnotyoursalone.Itbelongstoyourancestors,yourparents,futuregenerations,
andtosocietyandallotherlivingbeings.Allofthemhavecometogethertobringaboutthepresenceofthisbody.
Keepingyourbodyhealthyisanexpressionofgratitudetothewholecosmos.
Ifyouarehealthyphysicallyandmentally,allofuswillbenefit.
FORTY-THREE
Peoplesaythatwalkingonwaterisamiracle,buttome,walkingpeacefullyontheEarthistherealmiracle.TheEarthisamiracle.Eachstepisamiracle.Takingstepsonourbeautifulplanetcanbringrealhappiness.
FORTY-FOUR
Weshouldliveourdailylivesseeingeverythinginthelightofinterbeing.Thenwewillnotbecaughtinoursmallselves.Wewillseeourjoyandoursufferingeverywhere.
FORTY-FIVE
Thegroundforactionistobe.Walk,sit,andeatinsuchawaythatpeaceispossibleinthehereandthenow.
FORTY-SIX
Everythingcanbeabellofmindfulness,includingsuffering.
FORTY-SEVEN
Plantingaseed,washingadish,andcuttingthegrassareaseternal,asbeautiful,aswritingapoem.Idonotunderstandhowapoemcanbebetterthanapeppermintplant.
FORTY-EIGHT
WhetherwecanwakeupornotdependsonwhetherwecanwalkmindfullyonourMotherEarth.Thefutureofalllife,includingourown,dependsonourmindfulsteps.
FORTY-NINE
Meditationisnotanescape.Itisthecouragetolookatrealitywithmindfulnessandconcentration.Meditationisessentialforoursurvival.
FIFTY
Thereisnophenomenonintheuniversethatdoesnotintimatelyconcernus,fromapebblerestingatthebottomoftheoceantothemovementofagalaxymillionsoflightyearsaway.Allphenomenaareinterdependent.
FIFTY-ONE
Ourmessageisfirstandforemostanonverbalone;ourmessageisourownaction.
FIFTY-TWO
WearechildrenoftheEarthandnotseparatefromthesoil,theforests,therivers,andthesky.Wesharethesamedestiny.
ThichNhatHanhMonk,ZenMaster,Poet,andPeaceActivist
“ThichNhatHanhwriteswithBuddha’svoice.”—SogyalRinpoche
Born inVietnam in 1926,monk,Zenmaster, and poetThichNhatHanh nowlives in southwest France. Along with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, he isconsidered one of the most significant teachers of Western Buddhism and aleading spokesperson for the Buddhist peace movement. His unrelentingadvocacyforpeace,humanrights,andsocial justice,aswellashisspecialgiftfortransmittingtheteachingsofBuddhisminasimpleandengagingmanner,areacknowledgedworldwide.
Inallhisteachings,ThichNhatHanhplacesahighvalueonrelatingancientwisdomtoproblemsofeverydaymodernlife.Hefocusesonhowtostopandbeconscious in every moment. “There is no enlightenment outside of everydaylife,”ThichNhatHanhsays.Beingpresentinthemoment,hesays,iswhatwillbring us happiness. By bringing one’s body andmind together in the presentmoment,wecanexperiencepeaceandaunitywithhumanityandwithalloflife.
Martin Luther King, Jr., who nominated Thich Nhat Hanh for the NobelPeacePrizein1967,wrote:“ThichNhatHanh,inhismodestyanddevoutness,isasaintlyman.Butheisalsoasavantwithsignificantintellectualskills.”StephenBatcheloriscertainthatThichNhatHanhwillforeverbeconsideredoneoftheleading teachers and interpreters of Western Buddhism. Richard Baker-roshisays:“Ifsomeonecanbecalleda‘livingBuddha,’it isThichNhatHanh.”HisHolinesstheDalaiLamasaidofThichNhatHanh:“Heshowsustheconnectionbetweenaperson’sinnerpeaceandpeaceonEarth.”
Thich Nhat Hanh is not only an exceptionally gifted speaker, but also aprolificwriter.His descriptive and sensitive, poetic style enables the reader toeasilyfollowandcomprehendhisspiritualideas.ThichNhatHanh’spoeticandphilosophicalworkisdirectedtoeveryonewhoisinterestedinpeace,love,andlearningtheartofhappiness.
HisLifeandItsInfluenceThichNhatHanhwasbornNguyenXuanBaoin1926inVietnam.Attheageofsixteen, he joined a Zenmonastery, TuHieu, in Hue, in central Vietnam andbeganhiseducationasamonk.Thismonasterybelongs to theLinjiSchoolofZen Buddhism. He might have become the abbot of a monastery, but herespondedtoanothercalling.
DuringthebloodywarthatwasdominatingVietnam,heworkedwithotherstorenewBuddhismandmakeitmoreresponsivetotheneedsofsociety.Healsofelt that if all theBuddhist groups could unify, they could offer an alternativevision of society, one based on the Buddhist principles of compassion andinclusiveness.In1949,soonafterhisfullordination,heleftHuetogotoSaigon.TherehehelpedfoundtheSouthVietnamSchoolofBuddhistStudies.In1955,hebecame theeditorofVietnameseBuddhism, a journal thatwas inspirationalforyoungpeaceactivists.
In 1954, Vietnam had been divided and the repressive Diem regime wasestablishedinthesouth.DieminstitutedharshpoliciesagainstBuddhism.Therewerenonviolent protests andmanymonks, nuns, and laypeoplewere arrested,especiallyintheearly1960s.In1963,NhatHanh’scommitmenttononviolenceandhiseffortstorenewBuddhismbroughthimtheofferofafellowshiptostudyat Princeton University. A year later he was invited to teach Buddhism atColumbiaUniversityinNewYork.
In1964,he returned tohishomecountry, toSaigonwherehe founded theSchoolofYouthforSocialService(SYSS),whichtrainedyoungmonks,nuns,and laypeopleas socialworkers,helping rebuildvillagesand relocate refugeesand inotherwaysaddressing the socialdamageof the intensifyingwar.ManySYSS students were attacked and even killed. Thich Nhat Hanh also barelyescaped an attack. In 1966, he founded the Tiep Hien Order, the Order ofInterbeing.TheOrderdedicatesitselftothesupportofBuddhism,mindfulness,socialresponsibility,andnonviolence.SoonafterfoundingtheOrder,NhatHanhtraveledtotheUnitedStatestoinformpeopleoftheeffectsofthewarandtocallfor peace. He met with officials in the U.S. government and went on anextensive speaking tour of North American cities. When word of his effortsreachedVietnam,hewasrefusedpermissiontoreturnhome.
In1969,ThichNhatHanhsetuptheBuddhistPeaceDelegationattheParisPeaceTalks.After thewar,hecontinued to travelextensively inEurope,Asia,andAmerica,sharinghisteachings.Hehopedtoreturnhomeafterthesigningofthe1975peaceagreementthatendedtheVietnamWar.Butthegovernmentsof
bothNorthandSouthVietnamconsideredhimanenemybecausehewouldnottakesides,andhewasforcedtoremaininexile.
Thich Nhat Hanh and his associates from the Vietnamese Buddhist PeaceDelegationoffered to raisemoney forhungrychildren inVietnam through theembassy inParis, but theVietnamesegovernment refused.However, theworkwentforward.ThichNhatHanhandfriendsraisedmoneyandsentittoVietnam,whereitwasdistributedbySYSSsocialworkerswhocontinuedtoworkinsomeofthepoorestareasofthecountry.
While in Singapore for a conference, he heard of the plight of theVietnamese boatpeople. Singapore, Malaysia, and other countries rejectedVietnamese refugees, who were often pushed back out to sea in ramshackleboats.NhatHanhheadedanefforttorescueboatpeopleintheGulfofSiamandtriedtopublicizetheirplightsothatcountriesaroundtheworldwouldraisetheirrefugeequotas.
In 1982,ThichNhatHanh foundedPlumVillage, ameditation and retreatcenter near Bordeaux, France. Monks and nuns from many countries livetogetheryear-roundasaSangha,oraspiritualfamily.Livingtogether,monasticsfocus onbeing the peace theywould like to see in theworld.The center alsowelcomeslaypractitionersandfamilies,bringingtogetherpeoplefromallovertheworld.
ThichNhatHanh’s teachingshavegrown inpopularityandhisbookshavebeen published in many languages including Spanish, French, Korean, andVietnamese.BeingPeace,TheMiracleofMindfulness,BeFreeWhereYouAre,andAngeraresomeofhismostpopularbooks.Forafewweekseachsummer,Thich Nhat Hanh holds a large retreat in Plum Village for families andindividuals.Histeachingsreachpeopleofallagesandfromallwalksoflife.InJanuary 2005, for the first time in almost forty years, Thich Nhat Hanh wasallowedtoreturnforathree-monthvisittoVietnam.
JENIFER KENT makes drawings inspired by systems and patterns ofmovementandgrowth.ShereceivedherBFAfromRutgersUniversityandherMFAfromMillsCollege.She lives inPetaluma,Californiaand teachesatSanFranciscoUniversityHighSchool.HerworkhasbeenexhibitednationallyandisrepresentedbyDolbyChadwickGalleryinSanFrancisco.SeemoreofJenifer'sartworkatwww.jeniferkent.com.
ParallaxPressP.O.Box7355Berkeley,California94707www.parallax.org
ParallaxPressisthepublishingdivisionofUnifiedBuddhistChurch,Inc.Copyright©2013byUnifiedBuddhistChurchAllRightsReserved
Illustrations©2013JeniferKent/DolbyChadwickGalleryCoverandtextdesignbyDebbieBerne
ThiseBookwascreatedusingthefirstprinteditionfrom2013.
eBookISBN:978-1-937006-50-112345/1716151413
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
NhatHanh,Thich.Momentsofmindfulness:dailyinspiration/ThichNh’tHanh.
pagescm1.Meditation--Buddhism.2.Spirituallife--Buddhism.I.Title.BQ9800.T5392N4546152013294.3’44--dc232013019241
RELATEDTITLES
FROMPARALLAXPRESS
AwakeningJoyJamesBarazandShoshanaAlexander
CallMebyMyTrueNamesThichNhatHanh
TheLongRoadTurnstoJoyThichNhatHanh
MindfulnessintheGardenZachiahMurray
MakingSpaceThichNhatHanh
PresentMomentWonderfulMomentThichNhatHanh
TenBreathstoHappinessGlenSchneider
What?KoUn
MonasticsandlaypeoplepracticetheartofmindfullivinginthetraditionofThichNhatHanhatretreatcommunitiesworldwide.Toreachanyofthesecommunities,orforinformationaboutindividualsandfamiliesjoiningfora
practiceperiod,pleasecontact:PlumVillage
13Martineau
33580Dieulivol,Francewww.plumvillage.org
BlueCliffMonastery
3MindfulnessRoad
PineBush,NY12566www.bluecliffmonastery.org
MagnoliaGroveMonastery123TowlesRd.Batesville,MS38606www.magnoliagrovemonastery.org
DeerParkMonastery
2499MelruLane
Escondido,CA92026www.deerparkmonastery.org
TheMindfulnessBell,ajournaloftheartofmindfullivinginthetraditionofThichNhatHanh,ispublishedthreetimesayearbyPlumVillage.TosubscribeortoseetheworldwidedirectoryofSanghas,visitwww.mindfulnessbell.org
ParallaxPress,anonprofitorganization,publishesbooksonengagedBuddhismandthepracticeofmindfulnessbyThichNhatHanhandotherauthors.Fora
copyofthecatalog,pleasecontact:
ParallaxPressP.O.Box7355
Berkeley,CA94707Tel:(510)525-0101www.parallax.org
Top Related