Our Appointment with Life: Sutra on Knowing the Better Way to Live Alone

by Thich Nhat Hanh

Our Appointment with Life( Sutra on Knowing the Better Way to Live Alone) <> Paperback <> ThichNhatHanh <> ParallaxPress

Paperback

Published March 31, 2011

About the author

Thích Nhất Hạnh was a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, teacher, author, poet and peace activist who then lived in southwest France where he was in exile for many years. Born Nguyễn Xuân Bảo, Thích Nhất Hạnh joined a Zen (Vietnamese: Thiền) monastery at the age of 16, and studied Buddhism as a novitiate. Upon his ordination as a monk in 1949, he assumed the Dharma name Thích Nhất Hạnh. Thích is an honorary family name used by all Vietnamese monks and nuns, meaning that they are part of the Shakya (Shakyamuni Buddha) clan. He was often considered the most influential living figure in the lineage of Lâm Tế (Vietnamese Rinzai) Thiền, and perhaps also in Zen Buddhism as a whole.

Reviews

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was structured differently than previous novels by this author, with an intro of sorts, commentary on what the Sutra means or how to read it, and the meat of the book's application. It was not so straightforward with the various repeats and the commentary, but once I hit the application section, I enjoyed the breakdown and how to apply the Sutra to my current life.

Being alone is not being alone, and the book encourages one to be part of the greater community through presence. "We need to discover the way of being alone in a practice community." The book offers up the way many humans consider 'alone' - I was one of them - through solitary existence. This "human form" is not the correct form of living alone.

In addition to being solitary, I am also an overthinker, whether reflecting on the past or meditating on the future, and a healthy alone is not one chasing after ghosts, be they past or future. Even if you think you are alone, you are not if you are not present. Part of being present is being compassionate to oneself and those on their own life path. To be present is to be part of the giving world.

[Geoff Godwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bhadderakaratta Gatha is found in several Buddhist teachings. It is a common theme in many contemporary books as well. The power of living in the present moment is thousands of years old yet as relevant today as it was when the Buddha taught it the first time. Read this short book by Thich Nhat Hanh. Keep it handy and read it again and again.