Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Touching Peace Practicing the Art of Mindful Living by Thich Nhat Hanh Spirituality & Practice. The Art of Living Peace and Freedom in the Here and Now. Book Review by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat. 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. He was born in Vietnam in 1926 and became a monk at the age of sixteen. He is a master of the art of mindful living and staying in the present moment. His practice of engaged Buddhism has led to the transformation of many people’s consciousness, and his writings on dealing with anger and violence are very concrete, recommending specific practices to undertake in our families and communities. Another of his core teachings — being peace in this conflicted world — has led many to new respect for their enemies and a firmer resolve to bring about reconciliation in our tattered world. In this sturdy and enlightening work, Thich Nhat Hanh explores seven key meditations. There are the Three Doors of Liberation, recognized in every Buddhist school: emptiness, signlessness, aimlessness. Four other concentrations are found in the Sutra on the Full Awareness of Breathing: impermanence, non-craving, letting go, and nirvana. He believes these practices represent "the Buddhist vision for a global spirituality and ethic." At the same time, they are nonsectarian and universal: "All spiritual traditions have their equivalent to these trainings, which are not commandments but practices of compassion born from mindfulness and insight." These fruitful trainings provide a path of happiness which enables us to touch peace and freedom each day in a variety of ways. In Thich Nhat Hanh's eyes, we are much more than our bodies — we are life without boundaries. With ample grace and abounding insights, this Zen master points to the eight bodies we all have been blessed with: the human body (it carries within it "the stars, the moon, the universe, and the presence of all our ancestors"); the Buddha body ("our capacity to be awake and fully present, to be understanding, compassionate, and loving); the spiritual practice body ("all of the spiritual practices and insights that have brought me healing"); the community body ("a source of support and a place of refuge"); the body outside the body ("the ways our practices and actions are non-local and used by others); the continuation body (our words and actions that influence the world and have a long- lasting impact upon others); the cosmic body ("We are inside the earth, and the earth is inside us." and "In every moment of our life the cosmos is going through us, renewing us, and we are returning ourselves to the cosmos."); the ultimate body (beyond appearances and signs, the true nature of the cosmos, which cannot be described in notions, words, or signs). We read with interest and were immensely impressed with Thich Nhat Hanh's writings on aimlessness and resting in God; impermanence and the futility of trying to live forever; and the art of letting go as a means of releasing our suffering. We cherish Thich Nhat Hanh's constant emphasis on everyday spirituality. Here he is on a daily three minute ritual: "The time of brushing your teeth is not lost time. It is also life. Don't just do it just to get it done. Enjoy being mindful, and concentrate on the act of tooth brushing. This is the art of living. You don't need to think of anything else; you don't need to hurry. Just relax and enjoy brushing your teeth. When you do this, you encounter yourself and you encounter your life deeply in the present moment." Spirituality & Practice. Touching Peace Practicing the Art of Mindful Living. A Book Excerpt on Attention. "We have so many reasons to be happy. The Earth is filled with love for us, and patience. Whenever she sees us suffering, she will protect us. With the Earth as a refuge, we need not be afraid of anything, even dying. Walking mindfully on the Earth, we are nourished by the trees, the bushes, the flowers, and the sunshine. Touching the Earth is a very deep practice that can restore our peace and our joy. We are children of the Earth. We rely on the Earth, and the Earth relies on us. Whether the Earth is beautiful, fresh, and green, or arid and parched, depends on our way of walking. Please touch the Earth in mindfulness, with joy and concentration. The Earth will heal you, and you will heal the Earth. "One of the best ways to touch the Earth is by practicing walking meditation. We walk slowly, massaging the Earth and planting seeds of joy and happiness with each step, and following our breathing at the same time. We don't try to go anywhere. We arrive with every step. When we breathe in, we count the number of steps we take. If we take three steps, we say, silently, 'In, in, in.' When we breathe out, we do the same, 'Out, out, out.' If we take three steps as we breathe in and four steps as we breathe out, we say 'Out, out, out, out.' We listen to the needs of our lungs, and we breathe and walk accordingly. Walking up a hill, we will probably take fewer steps with each breath. As we walk, we bring our attention down into our feet. We breathe as if we were breathing from the soles of our feet. We don't stay in the zone of our thoughts and emotions. "After practicing 'In, in, in' and 'Out, out, out,' five or ten times, you might like to practice 'Flower, flower, flower,' while breathing in, and 'Fresh, fresh, fresh,' while breathing out. You get flowerness and freshness from the Earth and from the air. You can hold the hand of a child as you walk. The child will receive your concentration and stability, and you will receive his or her innocence and freshness. At Plum Village, I proposed to the young people a simple gatha for walking meditation. I wanted them to respond to life, to society, to the Earth in a positive way, so I suggested they say, 'Oui, oui, oui,' when they breathe in, and, 'Merci, merci, merci,' when they breathe out. The children liked it very much. "After practicing 'Flower/Fresh,' you can switch to 'Mountain/Solid.' Practice each exercise as many times you wish, enjoying your walking and not arriving anywhere, except the present moment. You can practice walking meditation between business meetings, walking from your car to the market, or on any other occasion. Allow enough time to walk. Instead of three minutes, give yourself eight or ten minutes. I always give myself an extra hour when I go to the airport so that I can practice walking meditation there. My friends want me to keep visiting right up to the last minute, but I always resist. I tell them that I need the time. "To strengthen the seeds of mindfulness in us, it is helpful if sometimes we practice in a park or some other beautiful, quiet place. We walk slowly, but not too slowly, as we don't want others to think we are too unusual. This is a kind of invisible practice. We can enjoy nature and our own serenity without making others uncomfortable. When we see something we want to touch with our mindfulness — the blue sky, the hills, a tree, or a bird — we just stop, but while we do so, we continue breathing in and out mindfully. If we don't continue to breathe consciously, sooner or later our thinking will settle back in, and the bird and the tree will disappear. Therefore, we always hold on to our breathing. At Plum Village, we practice walking meditation every time we go from one place to another, even for a short distance. Whenever I see someone walking mindfully, she is a bell of mindfulness for me. If I have lost my mindfulness and I see her, I return to my mindfulness right away. As a community, we can help each other a lot. "There is no need for us to struggle to arrive somewhere else. We know that our final destination is the cemetery. Why are we in a hurry to get there? Why not step in the direction of life, which is in the present moment? When we practice walking meditation for even a few days, we will undergo a deep transformation, and we will learn how to enjoy peace in each moment of our life. We will smile, and countless bodhisattvas throughout the cosmos will smile back at us because our peace is so deep. Everything we think, feel, and do has an effect on our ancestors and all future generations and reverberates throughout the universe. Therefore, our smile helps everyone. This is the teaching of the Avatamsaka Sutra. To take good care of our baby, we only need to stop struggling. Peace is every step. We have already arrived." 55 Deep Thich Nhat Hanh Quotes on Mindfulness and Being Fully Present. Whether you believe in the teachings of mindfulness or not, you will have heard of Thich Nhat Hanh . Sometimes called Thay, his books, teachings, and sayings have been widely popular in the West. Followed by presidents, diplomats, top executives, and celebrities, Thich Nhat Hanh has made the practices of mindfulness accessible to everyone, from almost any level of society. Table of Contents. Who is Thich Nhat Hanh. Born as Nguy?n Xuân B?o on October 11, 1926 in Central Vietnam, Thich Nhat Hanh entered the monastery at age 16. When he graduated from Báo Qu?c Buddhist Academy, he began training in Mahayana Buddhism, as well as Vietnamese Thi?n. He was ordained as a Bhikkhu, or monk, in 1951 at the age of 25. Thich Nhat Hanh was a man who loved to learn as much as he loved to teach. Aside from studying science at Saigon University, he was able to attend the Princeton Theological Seminary and also became a lecturer at Columbia University. He was fluent in five other languages (including English, French, and Sanskrit) aside from Vietnamese. This he used to his full advantage as he helped translate his books. With over 100 titles, some of the most recommended include: The Miracle of Mindfulness, Peace is Every Step, You Are Here, Making Space, The Blooming of a Lotus, Happiness, and The Art of Living . Behind the Father of Modern Mindfulness. Considered to be ‘one of the most significant spiritual leaders of our times’, Thich Nhat Hanh was more than Buddhist monk. He was a peace activist, an author, and founder of the Plum Village Tradition . The Plum Village Tradition was one of the first monastic communities founded by Thay in the southwest of France. As a school for Buddhism, the approach is somewhat modern in that it combines elements from Zen and Theravada. Here, people can learn mindfulness through daily practices, such as: breathing, sitting meditation, listening to a bell, etc. One of the reasons why Thay’s concept of mindfulness quickly spread worldwide was because it was simple. Unlike other teachings, there are no rigorous trainings involved, and one is not required to believe in a particular organization or deity. It also still follows the core philosophy of Buddhism, which is compassion. While Thich Nhat Hanh and his teachings grew in popularity outside of his home country, back in Vietnam, his ways started to court controversy. When the Vietnam War escalated in 1966, he left to talk to other nations about peace. In 2005, he was allowed to go back to teach and publish his books. This drew critics who considered his stand on ‘not taking sides’ an insult to those who were fighting against the abuses of the government. Thich Nhat Hanh Legacy. Now at 92 years old, Thich Nhat Hanh rests inside a 19th century Tu Hieu pagoda, just outside the province of Hue in Vietnam. He has traveled to many countries and talked with many world leaders about peace. Today, he awaits the last cycle of existence with his closest followers. A lot of people were thankful for his teachings. His ‘contemporary Buddhism’ was perhaps what the world needed, so we could grapple with modern-day challenges and demons. Even those who didn’t want to be affiliated with any religion, started to believe again. You don’t need to be a monk in order to practice mindfulness. Find compassion, inner peace, and purpose through these thought-provoking Thich Nhat Hanh quotes and sayings. Touching Peace : Practicing the Art of Mindful Living. In Touching Peace , Thich Nhat Hanh expands the teachings on practicing the art of mindful living begun in the best-selling Being Peace by giving specific, practical instructions on extending our meditation practice into our daily lives. Nhat Hanh reminds us to focus on what is refreshing and healing within and all around us, and how, paired with the practice of mindful breathing, it can be used as the basis for examining the roots of war and violence, alcoholism and drug abuse, and social alienation. Included are classic Thich Nhat Hanh practices and teachings such as the conflict resolution tool of the Peace Treaty; his thoughts on a “diet for a mindful society” based on his interpretation of the 5 Mindfulness Trainings; and his early writings on the environment. With Touching Peace , Nhat Hanh shares his vision for rebuilding society through strengthening our families and communities, and realizing the ultimate dimension of reality in each act of our daily lives. Отзывы - Написать отзыв. LibraryThing Review. This recording was not a reading of the book, but a recording of presentations to a group. It was about 2 hours long. I enjoyed the topic and what was said, but it was not a book as I had expected. I Читать весь отзыв. LibraryThing Review. Set of 7 cassettes of talks from retreat given in England in 1997. Covers a huge range of subjects, and includes talks for children. The question- and-answer session is particularly good. Читать весь отзыв. Thich Nhat Hanh on The Practice of Mindfulness. Calligraphy by Thich Nhat Hanh. Purchase a print in the Lion’s Roar store. Our true home is not in the past. Our true home is not in the future. Our true home is in the here and the now. Life is available only in the here and the now, and it is our true home. Mindfulness is the energy that helps us recognize the conditions of happiness that are already present in our lives. You don’t have to wait ten years to experience this happiness. It is present in every moment of your daily life. There are those of us who are alive but don’t know it. But when you breathe in, and you are aware of your in-breath, you touch the miracle of being alive. That is why mindfulness is a source of happiness and joy. You don’t have to wait ten years to experience this happiness. It is present in every moment of your daily life. Most people are forgetful; they are not really there a lot of the time. Their mind is caught in their worries, their fears, their anger, and their regrets, and they are not mindful of being there. That state of being is called forgetfulness—you are there but you are not there. You are caught in the past or in the future. You are not there in the present moment, living your life deeply. That is forgetfulness. The opposite of forgetfulness is mindfulness. Mindfulness is when you are truly there, mind and body together. You breathe in and out mindfully, you bring your mind back to your body, and you are there. When your mind is there with your body, you are established in the present moment. Then you can recognize the many conditions of happiness that are in you and around you, and happiness just comes naturally. Mindfulness practice should be enjoyable, not work or effort. Do you have to make an effort to breathe in? You don’t need to make an effort. To breathe in, you just breathe in. Suppose you are with a group of people contemplating a beautiful sunset. Do you have to make an effort to enjoy the beautiful sunset? No, you don’t have to make any effort. You just enjoy it. The same thing is true with your breath. Allow your breath to take place. Become aware of it and enjoy it. Effortlessness. Enjoyment. The same thing is true with walking mindfully. Every step you take is enjoyable. Every step helps you to touch the wonders of life, in yourself and around you. Every step is peace. Every step is joy. That is possible. SIGN UP FOR LION’S ROAR NEWSLETTERS. Get even more Buddhist wisdom delivered straight to your inbox! Sign up for Lion’s Roar free email newsletters. During the time you are practicing mindfulness, you stop talking—not only the talking outside, but the talking inside. The talking inside is the thinking, the mental discourse that goes on and on and on inside. Real silence is the cessation of talking—of both the mouth and the mind. This is not the kind of silence that oppresses us. It is a very elegant kind of silence, a very powerful kind of silence. It is the silence that heals and nourishes us. Mindfulness gives birth to joy and happiness. Another source of happiness is concentration. The energy of mindfulness carries within it the energy of concentration. When you are aware of something, such as a flower, and can maintain that awareness, we say that you are concentrated on the flower. When your mindfulness becomes powerful, your concentration becomes powerful, and when you are fully concentrated, you have a chance to make a breakthrough, to achieve insight. If you meditate on a cloud, you can get insight into the nature of the cloud. Or you can meditate on a pebble, and if you have enough mindfulness and concentration, you can see into the nature of the pebble. You can meditate on a person, and if you have enough mindfulness and concentration, you can make a breakthrough and understand the nature of that person. You can meditate on yourself, or your anger, or your fear, or your joy, or your peace. Anything can be the object of your meditation, and with the powerful energy of concentration, you can make a breakthrough and develop insight. It’s like a magnifying glass concentrating the light of the sun. If you put the point of concentrated light on a piece of paper, it will burn. Similarly, when your mindfulness and concentration are powerful, your insight will liberate you from fear, anger, and despair, and bring you true joy, true peace, and true happiness. When your mindfulness becomes powerful, your concentration becomes powerful, and when you are fully concentrated, you have a chance to make a breakthrough, to achieve insight. When you contemplate the big, full sunrise, the more mindful and concentrated you are, the more the beauty of the sunrise is revealed to you. Suppose you are offered a cup of tea, very fragrant, very good tea. If your mind is distracted, you cannot really enjoy the tea. You have to be mindful of the tea, you have to be concentrated on it, so the tea can reveal its fragrance and wonder to you. That is why mindfulness and concentration are such sources of happiness. That’s why a good practitioner knows how to create a moment of joy, a feeling of happiness, at any time of the day. First Mindfulness Exercise: Mindful Breathing. The first exercise is very simple, but the power, the result, can be very great. The exercise is simply to identify the in-breath as the in-breath and the out-breath as the out-breath. When you breathe in, you know that this is your in-breath. When you breathe out, you are mindful that this is your out-breath. Just recognize: this is an in-breath, this is an out-breath. Very simple, very easy. In order to recognize your in-breath as in-breath, you have to bring your mind home to yourself. What is recognizing your in-breath is your mind, and the object of your mind—the object of your mindfulness— is the in-breath. Mindfulness is always mindfulness of something. When you drink your tea mindfully, it’s called mindfulness of drinking. When you walk mindfully, it’s called mindfulness of walking. And when you breathe mindfully, that is mindfulness of breathing. So the object of your mindfulness is your breath, and you just focus your attention on it. Breathing in, this is my in-breath. Breathing out, this is my out-breath. When you do that, the mental discourse will stop. You don’t think anymore. You don’t have to make an effort to stop your thinking; you bring your attention to your in-breath and the mental discourse just stops. That is the miracle of the practice. You don’t think of the past anymore. You don’t think of the future. You don’t think of your projects, because you are focusing your attention, your mindfulness, on your breath. The in-breath can be a celebration of the fact that you are alive, so it can be very joyful. It gets even better. You can enjoy your in-breath. The practice can be pleasant, joyful. Someone who is dead cannot take any more in-breaths. But you are alive. You are breathing in, and while breathing in, you know that you are alive. The in-breath can be a celebration of the fact that you are alive, so it can be very joyful. When you are joyful and happy, you don’t feel that you have to make any effort at all. I am alive; I am breathing in. To be still alive is a miracle. The greatest of all miracles is to be alive, and when you breathe in, you touch that miracle. Therefore, your breathing can be a celebration of life. An in-breath may take three, four, five seconds, it depends. That’s time to be alive, time to enjoy your breath. You don’t have to interfere with your breathing. If your in-breath is short, allow it to be short. If your out-breath is long, let it be long. Don’t try to force it. The practice is simple recognition of the in-breath and the out-breath. That is good enough. It will have a powerful effect. Second Mindfulness Exercise: Concentration. The second exercise is that while you breathe in, you follow your in-breath from the beginning to the end. If your in-breath lasts three or four seconds, then your mindfulness also lasts three or four seconds. Breathing in, I follow my in-breath all the way through. Breathing out, I follow my out-breath all the way through. From the beginning of my out-breath to the end of my out-breath, my mind is always with it. Therefore, mindfulness becomes uninterrupted, and the quality of your concentration is improved. So the second exercise is to follow your in-breath and your out-breath all the way through. Whether they are short or long, it doesn’t matter. What is important is that you follow your in-breath from the beginning to the end. Your awareness is sustained. There is no interruption. Suppose you are breathing in, and then you think, “Oh, I forgot to turn off the light in my room.” There is an interruption. Just stick to your in-breath all the way through. Then you cultivate your mindfulness and your concentration. You become your in-breath. You become your out-breath. If you continue like that, your breathing will naturally become deeper and slower, more harmonious and peaceful. You don’t have to make any effort—it happens naturally. Third Mindfulness Exercise: Awareness of Your Body. The third exercise is to become aware of your body as you are breathing. “Breathing in, I am aware of my whole body.” This takes it one step further. In the first exercise, you became aware of your in-breath and your out-breath. Because you have now generated the energy of mindfulness through mindful breathing, you can use that energy to recognize your body. “Breathing in, I am aware of my body. Breathing out, I am aware of my body.” I know my body is there. This brings the mind wholly back to the body. Mind and body become one reality. When your mind is with your body, you are well-established in the here and the now. You are fully alive. You can be in touch with the wonders of life that are available in yourself and around you. This exercise is simple, but the effect of the oneness of body and mind is very great. In our daily lives, we are seldom in that situation. Our body is there but our mind is elsewhere. Our mind may be caught in the past or in the future, in regrets, sorrow, fear, or uncertainty, and so our mind is not there. Someone may be present in the house, but he’s not really there, his mind is not there. His mind is with the future, with his projects, and he’s not there for his children or his spouse. Maybe you could say to him, “Anybody home?” and help him bring his mind back to his body. So the third exercise is to become aware of your body. “Breathing in, I’m aware of my body.” When you practice mindful breathing, the quality of your in-breath and out-breath will be improved. There is more peace and harmony in your breathing, and if you continue to practice like that, the peace and the harmony will penetrate into the body, and the body will profit. Fourth Mindfulness Exercise: Releasing Tension. The next exercise is to release the tension in the body. When you are truly aware of your body, you notice there is some tension and pain in your body, some stress. The tension and pain have been accumulating for a long time and our body suffers, but our mind is not there to help release it. Therefore, it is very important to learn how to release the tension in the body. It is always possible to practice releasing the tension in yourself. In a sitting, lying, or standing position, it’s always possible to release the tension. You can practice total relaxation, deep relaxation, in a sitting or lying position. While you are driving your car, you might notice the tension in your body. You are eager to arrive and you don’t enjoy the time you spend driving. When you come to a red light, you are eager for the red light to become a green light so that you can continue. But the red light can be a signal. It can be a reminder that there is tension in you, the stress of wanting to arrive as quickly as possible. If you recognize that, you can make use of the red light. You can sit back and relax—take the ten seconds the light is red to practice mindful breathing and release the tension in the body. So next time you’re stopped at a red light, you might like to sit back and practice the fourth exercise: “Breathing in, I’m aware of my body. Breathing out, I release the tension in my body.” Peace is possible at that moment, and it can be practiced many times a day—in the workplace, while you are driving, while you are cooking, while you are doing the dishes, while you are watering the vegetable garden. It is always possible to practice releasing the tension in yourself. Walking Meditation. When you practice mindful breathing you simply allow your in-breath to take place. You become aware of it and enjoy it. Effortlessness. The same thing is true with mindful walking. Every step is enjoyable. Every step helps you touch the wonders of life. Every step is joy. That is possible. You don’t have to make any effort during walking meditation, because it is enjoyable. You are there, body and mind together. You are fully alive, fully present in the here and the now. With every step, you touch the wonders of life that are in you and around you. When you walk like that, every step brings healing. Every step brings peace and joy, because every step is a miracle. The real miracle is not to fly or walk on fire. The real miracle is to walk on the Earth, and you can perform that miracle at any time. Just bring your mind home to your body, become alive, and perform the miracle of walking on Earth. THANK YOU FOR READING LION’S ROAR. CAN WE ASK FOR YOUR HELP? At Lion’s Roar, our mission is to communicate Buddhist wisdom in today’s world. The connections we share with you — our readers — are what drive us to fulfill this mission. Today, we’re asking you to make a further connection with Lion’s Roar. Can you help us with a donation today? As an independent nonprofit committed to sharing Buddhist wisdom in all its diversity and breadth, Lion’s Roar depends on the support of readers like you. If you have felt the benefit of Buddhist practice and wisdom in your own life, please support our work so that many others can benefit, too. Please donate today — your support makes all the difference. Lion’s Roar is a registered charity in the US and Canada. All US & Canadian donations are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. About Thich Nhat Hanh. Thich Nhat Hanh is a renowned Zen Master and poet, the founder of the Engaged Buddhist movement, and the founder of nine monastic communities, including Plum Village Monastery in France. He's also the author of At Home in the World , The Other Shore , and more than a hundred other books that have sold millions of copies worldwide. Thich Nhat Hanh currently lives in Vietnam.