The Snail is Slow but Never Late

by Jung-mok

'Have you ever thought that the snail that moves slowly will never reach the end of the path; Have you ever wanted to grab it to make it go faster?

On a human scale, the snail's speed is ridiculously slow, but on a world scale, it's just perfect.'

In this calming and heart-warming book Jung-mok, a Buddhist nun from Korea, teaches us to free ourselves from the ambient stress of our modern lives. A specialist in meditation, Jung-mok shares simple gestures and daily practices rooted in Buddhist philosophy to help us live a lifestyle conducive to happiness.

This collection of thoughts and short stories imbued with wisdom invites us to open our eyes to the world around us and appreciate the small things which bring us joy. It is a poetic and soothing reminder to grasp and appreciate the beauty of the present moment.

Genres: Nonfiction

240 pages, Hardcover

First published May 15, 2012

About the author

Jung-mok est une moniale bouddhiste coréenne.

Elle entre dans les ordres à l’âge de 16 ans. Diplômée en théologie bouddhiste à l'Université Dongguk en 1980, elle prend la tête du Seoul National University Hospital’s Buddhist Center et fonde l’association Jakeun Sarang (Un peu d’amour) pour venir en aide aux enfants malades hospitalisés.

En 2007, elle lance son propre programme de radio bouddhique, également accessible sur un site internet dédié.

Elle devient la première moniale animatrice de radio au monde; ce qui lui vaut, en Corée, le surnom de Bikkhuni DJ (Moniale DJ).

Reviews

[Aliesha's_lit_life · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quiet revolution against hustle culture.
A reminder that slowness isn’t laziness.
Through poetic reflections and nature-rooted this shows how to live with intention.
Each chapter is a soft nudge to let go of urgency. Words are paired with cute delicate ink illustrations.
It’s the kind of book you read slowly,
then want to reread even slower.
Perfect for anyone craving peace in a busy life.

[Synlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brief Summary of Book:
This is a comforting and heart-warming collection of short stories and bite-sized wisdom book. The core message revolves around freeing oneself from the stress and urgency of modern life by embracing the natural, slower pace of the snail.

Through simple practices and personal stories rooted in Buddhist philosophy, the author encourages readers to stop rushing and instead focus on the present moment. The book serves as a soothing balm for the soul, teaching that while our efforts may feel slow on a human scale, they are perfectly paced on a grand, world scale. It ultimately invites readers to appreciate the beauty around them, live a lifestyle conducive to happiness, and find inner peace and stillness by living at their own, perfect speed.

Overall Rating: 3.0 Stars

[Chong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soft 4/5.

"In a world obsessed with speed, we have come to believe that slow progress means failure. We chase after more money and higher status, and want to reach the finish line even fastet, but this has nothing to do with happiness. Once we reach one peak, there is inevitably always another, and another, for us to contend with."

This book covers bite-sized lessons in finding peace with living in the present moment. Much of this book is influenced and references Buddhism. While the lessons are valuable, they seem overly idealistic at times. Overall a good read and the areas for self-improvement are vastly in our control.

Recommened.

[Hlyan · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started reading this book, I was just sampling it and wasn’t sure if I’d read it at all. But there’s something about this book that keeps me reading. The language is simple and the ideas are not groundbreaking. But there’s so much beauty, comfort, and quiet wisdom. I also really love the illustrations, the pen and ink drawings, throughout this book.

[Gigglebells · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is good, it’s the first self-help book I’ve ever read.

The snail is slow but never late. To me, it sounded like, things might be slow but never late. Each thing has its own timing in the universe, never try to chase after things, let it flow through.

[Seon-Ju Choi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book with a simple yet profound message about how to truly live a happy life. The writing is gentle and at times poetic, making it a pleasure to read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and it left me feeling healed, encouraged, and warmly uplifted.

[Barbora · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me, this book doesn´t have any revolutionary ideas in the sense that it doesn´t contain anything “new” or mind-blowing. But I think this is actually quite alright, as spirituality and living mindfully are based on a few principles that are known. They are universal truths and practices that don´t really change so a certain familiarity with the ideas is reassuring, as it means the author knows what she is talking about and has tapped into these universal truths.

What can be new or unique is the way these are described. And I found the ideas presented in a simple, clear way through nice images, metaphors or comparisons to images from nature or the world and life around us. The style is clear, not too difficult to understand but thought-provoking at the same time and it has a gentle, soothing quality to it.

The book contains six sections or parts:

1. Emptying myself to fill myself
2. Finding the center
3. All is harmonious
4. To be flexible is to be strong
5. Only stillness
6. Finding your own answer

Each of these sections starts with a few short reflexions connected to the theme and are followed by numerous short aphorisms. They offer wisdom, observations, inspiration and some practical advice on how to deal with emotions and situations all of us frequently experience, particularly the ones that throw us off balance and overwhelm us with anxiety, stress, fear or other kind of negative emotion. The trick is to slow down, be still and present in the moment, and the author also offers several breathing techniques that can help calm us down and anchor us to the present moment. We are encouraged to accept things and people as they are, without judgement but at the same time told not be too hard on ourselves too if we cannot immediately master everything. This book teaches us how we can enjoy and appreciate life, create meaning and ultimately find happiness.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

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