El Arte de Vivir

by Thich Nhat Hanh, Begoña Laka Mugarza (Translator)

• Nominado al Premio Nobel de la Paz, el maestro budista Thich Nhat Hanh es uno de los líderes espirituales más reconocidos del mundo.
• Una obra que combina la esencia de las enseñanzas del budismo con la prosa emotiva, iluminadora e intemporal del autor.
• A través de meditaciones, nos invita a experimentar felicidad, paz y libertad en nuestra vida. 

Thich Nhat Hanh, uno de los maestros zen más venerados en Occidente, ofrece por primera vez un conjunto de siete meditaciones guiadas inspiradas en las bases del budismo. Vivimos inmersos en percepciones y juicios erróneos que nos provocan todo tipo de sufrimiento. El maestro Thich Nhat Hanh nos presenta por primera vez dos grupos de meditaciones budistas que podemos incorporar a nuestra vida diaria con el fin de liberar a la mente de su prisión y acceder al momento presente, el único que nos permite afrontar la vida desde la alegría y la serenidad.
Pero el budismo, afirma el maestro, no es un sistema filosófico estático, sino el arte mismo de vivir. De ahí que conciba la atención plena, ante todo, como una ruta hacia la compasión, un estado interior integrado con el universo que elimina los sentimientos de miedo y soledad para sustituirlos por otros de felicidad e integración. 
Una introducción elegante y delicada al lado más vivo del budismo, para leer, pero también para ceder espacios al silencio, esa región privilegiada donde se ilumina la eternidad del instante.

Genres: Nonfiction, Spirituality, Philosophy, Buddhism, Self Help, Audiobook, Religion

168 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2017

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

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book and thought it was a great refresher on mindfulness and staying present. It’s nice to read about these philosophies from Thich Nhat Hanh himself, given that so many Western conceptualizations of mindfulness do draw from his work and other Buddhist/Eastern practitioners. I appreciated the reminders to engage in mindful walking and breathing, recognizing the collective and connected role we play in one another’s lives, and honoring impermanence. Those who are already well-versed in mindfulness or Buddhism may not feel that this book is groundbreaking, though for me it was still pleasant to read.

As an aside, now that I’m about to start my second year as a professor *gasp* it is beneficial to still tune into the principles of this book, because I often find myself on the go and thinking about the next task at hand. So while reading this book over the past day, I mindfully 1) savored a pop tart I ate that I had slathered in peanut butter 2) lied down on my couch and felt gratitude as I stretched my different muscles, and 3) cherished the beats and instrumentals in Jeon Somi’s songs “Dumb Dumb” and “What You Waiting For,” which I will go on a mindful jog to later today! Life doesn’t feel perfect though there are still enjoyable moments which I appreciate. Anyway, wanted to share this personal tidbit/reflection and hope if you’re reading this you’re doing well!

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

According to Thich Nhat Hanh, the key to the art of living can be summarized in one word: Mindfulness. Or to use his words:

Happiness is not something that arrives in a package in the mail. Happiness does not fall out of the sky. Happiness is something we generate with mindfulness.

I am inclined to agree with him.

For over a year, I have been attending weekly guided meditations on Thursdays at the Los Angeles Central Library conducted by the Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC) at UCLA. I was able to do this because my job was reduced from a full-time job to a part-time job. Curiously, I have been feeling better as a result, and my overall health has improved. On the other hand, two of my co-workers have died during the same period, and the remaining ones, incuding my boss, are incredibly stressed.

There's a lot to this practice. Although Thich Nhat Hanh was a Buddhist monk, his advice in The Art of Living is non-denominational. In every way, this a a highly useful book.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

from page 70:
"When I was eighty years old, a journalist asked me if I ever planned to retire as a spiritual teacher. I smiled and explained that teaching is given not by talking alone but by the way we live our life. Our life is the teaching. Our life is the message. And so I explained that as long as I continue to practice mindful sitting, walking, eating, and interacting with my community and those around me, I will continue to teach. I told her that I had already started encouraging my senior students to begin to replace me by giving their own Dharma talks. Many of them have given wonderful Dharma talks, and some have been better than mine! When they teach, I see myself continued in them.”

I find nourishing and healing food-for-thought in the writings of Zen master Thich That Hanh (b. 1926). The edition I read was from the library, and I was moved to copy out a number of passages - which indicates that I probably need a personal copy!

[Yesenia Cash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Common message, mindfulness....sounds easy but few achieve.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Art of Living by Thich Nhat Hanh

Does Zen master, global spiritual leader, poet and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh need any further introduction?

For me it is the first of his books I have read and it wont be the last. I enjoyed his clear and simple way of writing and explaining. (Is that because he writes his insights after -walking- meditation and with a brush in short calligraphy phrases?) It helped me to understand the Buddha’s teachings and the basics of mindfulness a little better.

I gladly share some of Thich Nhat Hanh’s insights with you:

Time is life and life is love.

Love is a long-term commitment made know to my family and friends.

The four basic elements of true love are loving kindness, compassion, joy and inclusiveness.

When you start a relation with someone you should also need to find out what their dreams are and also need to help them understand your dream.

My happiness depends on my mental attitude not on external conditions.

Seven concentrations (and the seven chapters of this book)

1. Emptiness, means to be full of everything but empty of a separate existence.

2. Signlessness ‘a cloud never dies’
death is essential to making life possible, death is transformation, death is continuation.

We should take time to understand living and dying and free our self from anxiety, fear and sorrow.

3. Aimlessness ‘you already are what you want to become’ ‘the way out is in’
It is the quality of our life that is important, not how long we live.

Spiritual practise is the art of knowing how to create happiness and handle suffering.

Your dream is now. What can I do today to realize my dreams? Realize your dreams with joy, ease and freedom. Our dream gives us vitality, it gives meaning to our lives.

4. Impermanence, thanks to impermanence everything is possible.
When we agree with the truth of impermanence we have to behave according to that truth. You do everything you can and you do it now. Make the person you love happy, live the kind of life you would like to live. Make it a living insight that is with us every day.
(don’t exercise to get fit or be healthier, do it because you enjoy being alive)

Take good care of your garden, so you can help your beloved take care of theirs.
Cultivate flowers of peace, compassion, gratitude, understanding and joy,
and you can offer, patience acceptance, understanding and compassion,
and grow together.

Our suffering is impermanent and that is why we can transform it, and because happiness is impermanent that is why we have to nourish it.

5. Non Carving (you have enough)
As soon as we realize that in this very moment we already have enough and we already are enough true happiness becomes possible.

Mindfulness can only help reduce our stress and tension if it provides us with insight.

Our spiritual practice (meditation) has the power to transform the roots of our suffering and transform the way we live our daily life. It is insight that helps us calm our restlessness, stress and craving.

True happiness depends on our capacity to cultivate compassion and understanding and bring nourishment and healing to ourselves and our loved ones.

It is possible to learn to sit in peace, breath in peace and walk in peace. To be at peace is an art we cultivate with daily mindful practice.

As we nourish and heal ourselves, our understanding of the meaning of life will deepen day by day.

We can become a victim of our success but never of our happiness.

6. Letting go.
Our idea of happiness may be the very obstacle of our happiness.

Peace, freedom and happiness can be found right here in this very life, if only we can learn the art of handling our suffering.

Happiness and peace are born from transforming suffering and pain. If there was no mud, how could a lotus grow.

A meditator is both an artist and a warrior.

7. Nirvana is now
Nirvana is a pleasant state of coolness and freshness that we can all touch in this very life.

As we learn to handle our suffering we are learning to generate moments of nirvana.

Awakening can be found right in the heart of suffering. So it’s okay to suffer, we just need to learn how to handle it.

time is life an time is love

This is my life and I want to live it deeply.


The five Remembrances of the Buddha:

I am of the nature to grow old
There is no way to escape growing old

I am of the nature to have ill health
There is no way to escape ill health

I am of the nature to die
There is no way to escape death

All that is dear to me and everyone I
love are of the nature to change
There is no way to escape being separated from them

My actions are my only true belongings
I cannot escape the consequences of my actions
They are the ground upon which I stand

[majo☽ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Todo lo que buscamos, todo eso que queremos experimentar, debe ocurrir justo aquí, en el momento presente. El futuro es tan solo una idea, una noción abstracta.

El Arte de Vivir es un libro práctico y lleno de sabiduría. Sin embargo no voy a negar que me costó un poco de trabajo leerlo; dimensionar los conceptos y atraerlos a un ámbito personal, para así obtener un beneficio propio y social, requiere de mucha práctica. Para calificar un libro siempre me baso en si me deja algún aprendizaje y este me dio demasiados.

Cualquiera puede llegar al despertar si trabaja en lo que realmente quiere. Lo más importante es ser unx mismx y vivir la vida propia de la forma más profunda y consciente posible. Para ello está la espiritualidad, que no es lo mismo que la religión, sino un camino para generar felicidad, comprensión y amor a fin de que podamos vivir profundamente cada instante de la vida.

La meditación es sumamente importante en nuestro camino espiritual y consiste en observar profundamente y ver cosas que otros no pueden ver, incluso las nociones erróneas que subyacen en la base de nuestro sufrimiento. Cuando somos capaces de librarnos de las nociones, podemos dominar el arte de vivir felices, en paz y libertad. Las nociones erróneas son:

1. Somos seres separados, sin conexión alguna con el resto del mundo.
2. Defendemos que seamos únicamente este cuerpo y que al morir dejamos de existir.
3. Aquello que buscamos solo puede ser hallado en el futuro distante y fuera de nosotrxs.

Las prácticas que nos ayudan a librarnos de estas nociones nos hacen despertar de la realidad y nos ayudan a apreciar lo que ya tenemos para ser capaces de alcanzar una felicidad verdadera en el aquí y el ahora. Este es el arte de vivir.

Otro aspecto muy interesante que Thich Nhat Hanh presenta es la teoría de los 8 cuerpos interconectados que, en conjunto, aguardan la energía. Estos cuerpos son:

Cuerpo humano.
Cuerpo de buda (capacidad de estar despiertxs y plenamente presentes, de ser comprensivos, compasivos y amorosos).
Cuerpo de la práctica espiritual (arte de generar felicidad y manejar el sufrimiento).
Cuerpo de la comunidad (necesitamos de amigxs espirituales que nos apoyen y nos nutran).
Cuerpo exterior al cuerpo.
Cuerpo de continuación (lo que producimos en forma de pensamientos palabras y acciones, continúa teniendo una influencia en el mundo).
Cuerpo cósmico (engloba todo el mundo de los fenómenos).
Cuerpo último (el más profundo nivel cósmico: la naturaleza de la realidad en sí, más allá de toda percepción, forma, signo o idea).

Y por último me gustaría acabar con un pensamiento de Thich Nhat Hanh que me hizo reflexionar mucho: En ocasiones, no hacer algo es lo mejor que podemos hacer.

[Kamakana · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you like this review, i now have website: www.michaelkamakana.com

230417: exceptionally clear, concise, kind. this work is definitely one of the best summaries of buddhism encountered, though it helps to have read and be familiar with certain buddhist assertions. thay- term of affection for teacher- has distilled, has filtered, all the teachings of which i or we might be familiar and offers them in simple not simplified writing. perhaps it only works so well after reading so many Phil-indic-buddhism (94) (now 129 by 241216). this could be refresher course. chapters are: emptiness: the wonder of interbeing, signlessness: cloud never dies, aimlessness: resting in god, impermanence: now is the time, non-craving: you have enough, letting go: transformation and healing: nirvana is now...

emptiness is the first door of liberation. what is emptiness? that nothing, no one, ever, is filled with presence or being, that all is part of everything else: the tree is the rain, the soil, the sunshine, the gardener, the hill, the countryside, the planet and so on. it and we are not separate. there are two levels of truth, one of convenient, conventional, designation such as man, woman, boy, girl, baby. there is the ultimate truth of no designation, no symbol, no words, no discrimination. we interbe with so much it is impossible to name or divide ourselves as separate. at this point he finds parallels with Henri Bergson, life-force as equivalent to elan vital...

signlessness is the second door of liberation. what is signlessness? that, for example, cloud is a sign of H2O. So is rain. And snow, and hail, and river water, and the sea... signs are for something we say is or is not. the truth is nothing is lost, only transformed, only the sign is changed. the truth is the reality of signlessness. and so you have no birthday and you have no death day. you only transform from one to the other: as you are continuation of your ancestors, so you will be continued in your descendants, whether in genetics or thought. you are not your body's lifespan...

In fact you have, suggests Thay, eight bodies: 1) the human body- what we in west call physical body, though our body is not ourself, 2) the buddha body- because we are human we can awaken to the world just as it is, as anyone can be a buddha, 3) the spiritual practice body- grows from our buddha body, nurtures, protects, all others on the path, 4) the community body- of others who support each other, 5) the body outside the body- we can be here and amongst the suffering, 6) the continuation body- how we are beyond limits, we are must say, think, act: in the right way, that is compassion, forgiveness, love , 7) the cosmic body- we are stardust, this is buddhist interpretation of Stardust, 8) the ultimate body- the nature of reality itself, beyond perceptions, forms, signs, ideas. all eight bodies are united, waves within the ocean, interbeing with all other waves, all other water...

aimlessness is the third door of liberation. what is aimlessness? arriving in the present moment, discover you already are what you want to be, not putting cravings before, chasing, reaching for- not doing nothing but doing only as required, eating breakfast and not all your regrets, anticipations, worries, thoughts. learning to stop. present moment is alone real, neither past nor future, so rest in now. past is no more than memory. future is no more than abstraction... to wait for something is to lose the present...

impermanence is the fourth door of liberation. what is impermanence? because of impermanence everything is possible: an acorn becomes an oak, fetus changes to infant, child to adult, these old beings must pass away for the new to live. recite the five remembrances: I am of the nature to grow old, there is no escape of growing old: I am of the nature of having ill health, there is no escape having ill health: I am of the nature to die, there is no escape of death: everyone and everything I love are of the nature of change, there is no way I will not be separated: my actions are my only true belongings, I cannot escape the repercussions of my actions, they are the ground on which I stand...

non-craving is the fifth door of liberation. what is non-craving? non-craving means you always have enough: art of happiness is to live deeply in the moment, happiness is habit, requires training, requires mindfulness, concentration, insight. we know true happiness is not this house or that car, we know the cravings disguise a hook, the cravings are not what we truly want, but there are industries and propaganda that try to seduce us into useless purchases... list what you want...

letting go is the sixth door of liberation. what is letting go? letting go is exactly what it sounds like. living our lives fully and deeply requires courage, and if we are not happy right here, right now, you must discover why, you must disentangle yourself from all these hindrances. to do this perhaps you need to talk to friendly family member. to do this might require notes. letting go is really examining yourself... list what you want to let go...

nirvana is the seventh door of liberation. what is nirvana? nirvana is not negative, not extinction of being, but extinction of suffering. now is mostly summation and incorporation of all the ideas of this book. if you have read and understood this far the only logical response is nodding in agreement, occasionally smiling, pointing out or underlining passages...

more
What the Buddha Taught
Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment
Nietzsche and Buddhist Philosophy
Buddhist Philosophy: Essential Readings
Buddhist Philosophy: A Historical Analysis
Empty Words: Buddhist Philosophy and Cross-Cultural Interpretation
Buddhism as Philosophy: An Introduction
The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way: Nāgārjuna's Mūlamadhyamakakārikā
Self, No Self?: Perspectives from Analytical, Phenomenological, and Indian Traditions
After Buddhism: Rethinking the Dharma for a Secular Age
Philosophers of Nothingness: An Essay on the Kyoto School
The Kyoto School
Nishida And Western Philosophy
Buddhism: A Philosophical Approach
What the Buddha Thought
Wisdom Beyond Words: The Buddhist Vision of Ultimate Reality
An Introduction to Buddhist Philosophy
Why I Am Not a Buddhist
Why I Am a Buddhist: No-Nonsense Buddhism with Red Meat and Whiskey
Samsara, Nirvana, and Buddha Nature
Already Free: Buddhism Meets Psychotherapy on the Path of Liberation
Indian Buddhist Philosophy: Metaphysics as Ethics

[serial_jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

i would recommend this book even if you’re not into buddhism/meditation practice. it shows really simple steps to improve everyday life and lower the amplitude of drama and suffering.

[liv ❁ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly an incredible book that inspires a very healing and beautiful way to live. I have been loving my Thich Nhat Hanh journey so far, but this one takes the cake and is one I know in my heart will stick with me for the rest of my physical existence. Essential, calming, and truly beautiful and inspiring.

“Don’t believe anything, not even what I tell you, replied the Buddha. Even if it’s in an ancient teaching; Even if it’s taught by the most highly revered teacher. You should use your intelligence and critical mind to carefully examine everything you see or here and then put the teaching into practice to see if it helps liberate you from your suffering and your difficulties. If it does, you can believe in it. If we want to be a soulmate of the Buddha, we need to have a discriminating, critical mind like this. If we do not allow our beliefs to evolve, if we do not maintain an open mind, we risk waking up one day to discover that we have lost faith in what we once believed.”

[Hákon Gunnarsson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think The Art of Living is Thich Nhat Hanh’s latest book. It is based on talks he gave in 2014. Later that year he got a severe brain hemorrhage and still hasn’t gained the power of speech again, so this might be his last book too.

In most ways a continuation of what he has been writing about in other books I’ve read by him, Buddhism, and how to live well. But he is also writing about dying, and he deals with that in quite an interesting way. He was born in 1926, so one might assume that he is coming to terms with his own mortality.

However I look at it, I find it an interesting book, and often beautifully written, like so much of his other writings I’ve read.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book received from Edelweiss

Religious Diversity @emojiathon

I first heard of this author in my Eastern Religions class, while I'm not Buddhist some of the teachings of the religion really resonated with me. This book was sent to me by the publisher at an interesting time. At the end of the month we'll be coming up on the 1st anniversary of my niece's death and things are starting to get rough as we get closer to her birthday which was also this month. Reading through this book and remembering that I need to focus on the present has helped me quite a bit to put things back on an even keel. This is one book that I want to add to my own religious bookshelves for when I need that reminder again.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very comprehensive and deep teachings from Thich Nhat Hahn. I think this may well be one of my favourites. I especially found the teachings on emptiness and signlessness particularly helpful and insightful. This has a little more depth than what I usually find in Hahn’s books. Definitely be reading this again.

[Chetan · Rating 2 out of 5]

In 2014 Thich Nhat Hanh suffered a stroke leaving him unable to speak. Whoever ghostwrote this book, published in 2017, did so without proper knowledge in Dhamma and it clearly shows.

The author starts by doing a fantastic job of mixing religions and getting the reader to see the bigger picture. Finding happiness, love, and a better life while diluting the teaching to easily digestible portions. What this isn't is the art of living, not in its entirety. Just the parts that would make sense to someone who lives in the west. The meditation taught here is very much in the shallow end of the pool that is meditation. It's very misleading, like suggesting that being in a state of mind without physical or mental pain is Nirvana. I feel it is irresponsible.

This book is decent, it has many good parts but it's nothing original to plum village Buddhism. If you want to read something similar but better I'd suggest Sharon Salzberg's Real Love or The Art of Happiness by the Dalai Lama.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up after having heard so many good things about Thich Nhat Hanh, a Buddhist monk from Vietnam. While I found the book helpful in a couple ways, much of what he discussed are topics that Sam Harris and other philosophers discuss outside the realm of religion. As a somewhat spiritual but scientific individual, I am less interested in the abstract and belief-based values and reasoning. Hanh doesn't go too far with religion, but he does mention "energies" multiple times, which I find off-putting for their new-age, unproven, seemingly innacurate connotations and denotations.

Overall, it was okay. He writes as you might imagine a monk would, in short, simple and clear sentences. He uses metaphors often, especially ones connected to nature. And he touches on some important topics like non-attachment that I think are valuable, but I also think others have covered the same topics in a better way.

[Christine Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Everyone should read this who wants to try to live a more mindful existence. Can not put into words the feeling this book has given me. I borrowed the book from the library but just purchased it as i feel it needs to be read many times in order to fully absorb the words to help incorporate into everyday life. Excellent.

[Abbey]

"this is my life and i want to live it deeply."

i've been listening to this audio book while driving to and from work and it has been so useful as a way of reorienting myself to my body, go slower, and let go of obsession with outcome/result. thay's teachings are so helpful & kind and so very necessary in this current time.

[Kevin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my kind of book I guess. Saw the 5 star rating and thought it would be good. It seemed that he repeated himself over and over again in the book.

[Su Myint Myat Moe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listening this book as audio was like someone was talking, comforting and easing the pain.

[Jami Adarsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading the book itself is such a peaceful experience

[Gabi de Mendonca Gomes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I… needed this.

[jrendocrine at least reading is good · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book for people looking for teaching in Buddhism. In that, this author may be unparalleled.

I listened to it: beautiful and helpful.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come.

[Chris Dietzel · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. A really good overview of Buddhist philosophy as it relates to every day life. Recommended if you've read similar books and enjoyed them but if you're just starting out I'd give a higher recommendation to Awakening the Buddha Within: Eight Steps to Enlightenment and perhaps also to The Art of Happiness.

[Liza Nahas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughtful, thought-provoking advice to help one advance on your spiritual journey through life. You'll need to own your copy because there is so much to highlight & underline! I've already referred back to my marked passages several times.

[Rain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why is mindfulness so hard to achieve? I was able to slow down for a few moments and really soak up this book and it's beautiful messages. Thankful this book found its way into my heart when the message was needed the most.

[Valeriia Arnaud · Rating 4 out of 5]

ніколи в житті не думала, що буду цікавитися книгами про дзен, нірвану та свідомість, yet here I am.
насправді ця книга може бути корисною для будь-кого, в ній чимало істин, про які варто було б згадувати частіше.

[Bibi Larson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome way to live our lives - being mindful!!

[Bremer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Calm your mind. Open up to what is arising and passing. If you stir up the mud at the bottom of a lake, the water will be unclear. But when you let the water be as it is, not trying to flatten the ripples or scoop out all the mud, the lake will settle down. Then you will not only see the still water, but a reflection of the mountains on the surface.
When you watch the rain, you are the rain just as much as the rain is you. Rather than feeling that you are an observer who is passively watching each of the droplets hit the ground, there is only the splash, splash, splash.
The rain exists beyond your words. Beyond your images and concepts and memories. Yet all too often, you divide yourself from the rain, creating an idea of you, an idea of the rain, an idea of how the rain sounds, an idea of how you should feel when you see the rain, and so on. You forget to smell the freshness of the rain because you are attached to what you think about it.
It is normal for you to separate your experiences into endlessly finer categories. You discriminate between past and future, good and bad, black and white, ugly and beautiful, life and death, young and old. You are looking for order and security. Your universe is placed into a mental filing system.
But as Alan Watts once said, “You confuse the menu for the meal.”
When you can be mindful, when you can let go, then you will come back to the purity of who you are. You will harmonize with nature. Breathing in, breathing out. You are here.
You are not alienated from the rest of life. You inter-are. You are made up of relationships.
A flower cannot unfold without the soil beneath it and the sun above it. It needs non-flower elements to be.
For the petals of a rose to glisten with dew, there first had to be a Big Bang. Conditions before that flower existed helped that flower to be. When that rose wilts back into the old earth, another flower will take its place.
Energy cannot be created nor destroyed, only transformed.
Just like a flower, you are made up of non-you parts. You cannot exist without the oxygen you breathe or your ancestors or the gravity of the planet. You cannot exist without the water from the oceans or the clouds drifting above you. There is no you apart from anything else.
As Heraclitus said, “You cannot step into the same river twice.”
Your thoughts, feelings, and perceptions are changing. You are not the same person at five or fifteen or eighty. You may feel the same inside, and believe that you are going to remain young forever, but you are a constellation of processes, transforming in every moment. You are dying and being born. You are changing with the conditions of the universe. You are the conditions of the universe.
Don’t attach to one view of life and claim that is the best view to have. When you cling to your beliefs and refuse to open to what is happening, you will suffer. Your dogmatism will cause other beings to suffer too.
You are all the lives you have influenced. You are all your distant ancestors who survived for you to be born. You are all your descendants who will grow after your decomposition.
You are the sun and water and trees and moon. Without them, there is no you.
Your interconnection with all living beings will help you to see beyond yourself. When you become more aware of the changing conditions of your existence, you will not judge everything outside your flesh as separate from you.
You don’t have to look for ways to isolate yourself from other sentient beings. Clinging to your beliefs and refusing to consider differing perspectives will only cause you to suffer more. You are in others as others are in you.
It’s up to you to be kind, compassionate, and loving.
Every moment is a chance for you to deepen your practice. Talking about philosophy is not enough. Your life is your message. Your teaching.
When you are mindful and compassionate, your presence will influence the people around you. Everyone you meet will be a continuation of you. Your practice is a practice not only for you, but for your siblings, parents, children, neighbors, and the rest of your community.
When you think you are separate from the rest of the world, you will try to run from the world. You will seek pleasure while avoiding pain. You will look for comforting answers to the mystery of existence. You will hide from unpleasant truths.
Rather than resisting ideas that you don’t want to accept, look within yourself.
See yourself in the world just as the world is seen in you. You are not only the blood in your body, but the stars in your blood. You don’t have to climb a mountain to find what is already here. You only need to see.
If you walk in a park, will you notice the leaves falling from the trees? Will you feel the breeze brushing against your skin?
Look for lessons in what is already an intimate part of you. There is more wisdom in a crumbling leaf than in a thousand words about impermanence.
When you walk, walk. When you sit, sit. When you breathe, breathe. Rather than seeking to become important or achieve something outside of yourself, rather than dwelling on your regrets or rushing off to do the next thing, continue to do what you are doing, but with total freedom.
When you nourish yourself, you will nourish other beings. You will care for those who are suffering, who need someone to be there for them.
You are not only working toward an end goal of compassion, peace, and kindness. You can embody those qualities now. Every step can be a step of love.
When you live in the present moment, you will begin to see the impermanence of all things. Flowers blooming in the spring mornings and withering in the autumn sun, a lover with age spots on her hands, a flash of lightning in the clouds.
Without impermanence, a child can never mature into an adult and an acorn can never grow into an oak tree. For there to be birth, there has to be death. Yet at the ultimate level, there is only a transformation of what is.
When you are aware of your own impermanence, every moment is precious, a fleeting miracle. You will care for everything in your life, while knowing that nothing will last.
Pain and anger will fade away just like joy and happiness. Seemingly unstoppable empires will collapse before the rise of future civilizations. Everyone you know will die. Their bodies will break down into the dust of bones. Plants will grow over their forgotten tombs.
There is no you that remains the same. Your perceptions, thoughts, feelings, moods, and behaviors all change over time. From the cells in your fingers to the bacteria in your gut, from the wrinkles on your skin to the hormones in your glands, from the neurons in your brain to the oxygen that you inhale, you are transforming.
You are not alone. You are not an unchanging entity, separate from the universe. You are the same and yet different.
Life is like a garden that you can cultivate. You can water the seeds of hatred and ignorance and greed, or, you can water the seeds of peace and joy and compassion. You have the freedom to choose. It is up to you.
When you tend to yourself, you will tend to others. When you tend to others, you will tend to yourself. You must be wise enough to select the most wholesome seeds to water.
Sometimes in your relationships, you may fall into unwholesome habits. You may forget to be grateful and engaged. As the weeds grow in your garden and in theirs, both of you will suffer. But it is never too late to cut away the weeds and to plant new seeds again.
Rather than chasing after abstractions of success, pleasure, power, and reputation, see these cravings for what they are. When you desire to taste the bait, biting down with all your force, you will only get hooked. You will find freedom only when you can let go.
Be aware of your fear, your need for intimacy, your sorrow, your instinct to survive. You are connected with this earth. Be compassionate with your suffering and nourish your love.
Smile because you are alive on this beautiful earth. You are only here for a short time.

[Eric T. Voigt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ugh, I feel like I have a long long way to go to get to the peace espoused in this text.

[Anabel Olivo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that everyone should read regardless of their religion.