Wherever we walk, whether it’s the railway station or the supermarket, we are walking on the earth and so we are in a holy sanctuary. If we remember to walk like that, we can be nourished and find solidity with each step. Thich Nhat Hanh
The message of our buddhist practice is simple and clear: “I am here for you.” Thich Nhat Hanh
I am determined not to speak when anger manifests in me. I will practice mindful breathing and walking to recognize and look deeply into my anger. I know that the roots of anger can be found in my wrong perceptions and lack of understanding of the suffering in myself and the other person. I will […]
Many people think of excitement as happiness. They are thinking of something, or expecting something that they consider to be happiness, and for them, that is already happiness. But when you are excited you are not peaceful. True happiness is based on peace. Thich Nhat Hanh
Suppose someone says something that angers you. Your old pathway wants to say something to punish him. But that makes us victims of our habit energy. Instead, you can breathe in and say, “Unhappiness is in me, suffering is in me, anger is in me, irritation is in me.” That is already helpful, recognizing your […]
When you practice sitting meditation in the temple and you hear bombs and the cry of victims outside, you have to go out and help. You have to do the kind of work that will bring relief for the people around, because to meditate is to be aware of what is going on in yourself […]
If you touch one thing with deep awareness, you touch everything. The same is true of time. When you touch one moment with deep awareness, you touch all moments. Thich Nhat Hanh
When another person makes you suffer, it is because he suffers deeply within himself, and his suffering is spilling over. He does not need punishment; he needs help. That’s the message he is sending. Thich Nhat Hanh
Feelings, whether of compassion or irritation, should be welcomed, recognized, and treated on an absolutely equal basis; because both are ourselves. The tangerine I am eating is me. The mustard greens I am planting are me. I plant with all my heart and mind. I clean this teapot with the kind of attention I would […]
When you communicate with compassion, you are using language that does not have the elements of anger and irritation in it. In this way we can help each other remove wrong perceptions. All the energies of anger, hatred, fear and violence come from wrong perceptions. Wrong perceptions result in a lot of anger, mistrust, suspicion, […]
There is the mud, and there is the lotus that grows out of the mud. We need the mud in order to make the lotus. Thich Nhat Hanh
The essence of love and compassion is understanding, the ability to recognize the physical, material, and psychological suffering of others, to put ourselves “inside the skin” of the other. We “go inside” their body, feelings, and mental formations, and witness for ourselves their suffering. Shallow observation as an outsider is not enough to see their […]
When you understand the roots of anger in yourself and in the other, your mind will enjoy true peace, joy and lightness. Thich Nhat Hanh
Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor. Thich Nhat Hanh
When we listen deeply to another person, we not only recognize their wrong perceptions, but we also identify our own wrong perceptions about ourselves and about the other person. That is why mindful dialogue and mindful communication is crucial to removing anger and violence. Thich Nhat Hanh
Birth and death are only ideas we have in our mind, and these ideas cannot be applied to reality. It is just like the idea of above and below. Heaven is above, and hell is below. But the people who are sitting right now on the other side of the planet must disagree, because the […]
Once you taste the peace, joy and serenity that result from the practice of slow mindful walking – you can practice walking meditation wherever you are. Thich Nhat Hanh
Life is available only in the present. That is why we should walk in such a way that every step can bring us to the here and the now. Thich Nhat Hanh
Understanding and love aren’t two separate things, they’re just one. Thich Nhat Hanh
Our notions about happiness entrap us. We forget that they are just ideas. Our idea of happiness can prevent us from actually being happy. We fail to see the opportunity for joy that is right in front of us when we are caught in a belief that happiness should take a particular form. Thich Nhat […]
