A monk with global influence and an ally of Martin Luther King, he championed what he called "engaged Buddhism," applying its principles in pressing for peace.
...Traveling widely on speaking tours in the United States and Europe (he was fluent in English and French), Thich Nhat Hanh (pronounced tik nyaht hahn) was a major influence on Western practices of Buddhism, urging the embrace of mindfulness, which his website describes as "the energy of being aware and awake to the present moment."
In his book "Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life," he wrote, "If we are not fully ourselves, truly in the present moment, we miss everything."
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"We have the feeling that we are overwhelmed by information," he told the assembled [Google] workers. "We don't need that much information."
And he said: "Do not try to find the solution with your thinking mind. Nonthinking is the secret of success. And that is why the time when we are not working, that time can be very productive, if we know how to focus on the moment." NYT
...Traveling widely on speaking tours in the United States and Europe (he was fluent in English and French), Thich Nhat Hanh (pronounced tik nyaht hahn) was a major influence on Western practices of Buddhism, urging the embrace of mindfulness, which his website describes as "the energy of being aware and awake to the present moment."
In his book "Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life," he wrote, "If we are not fully ourselves, truly in the present moment, we miss everything."
...
"We have the feeling that we are overwhelmed by information," he told the assembled [Google] workers. "We don't need that much information."
And he said: "Do not try to find the solution with your thinking mind. Nonthinking is the secret of success. And that is why the time when we are not working, that time can be very productive, if we know how to focus on the moment." NYT
“Peace is present right here and now, in ourselves and in everything we do and see. Every breath we take, every step we take, can be filled with peace, joy, and serenity. The question is whether or not we are in touch with it. We need only to be awake, alive in the present moment.”
“We are very good at preparing to live, but not very good at living. We know how to sacrifice ten years for a diploma, and we are willing to work very hard to get a job, a car, a house, and so on. But we have difficulty remembering that we are alive in the present moment, the only moment there is for us to be alive.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh, Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life
“There is no need to run, strive, search or struggle. Just be. Just being in the moment in this place is the deepest practice of meditation. Most people cannot believe that just walking as if you have nowhere to go is enough.”
Nothing against Mr. Bat Outta Hell, but this was a noble and possibly more instructive life. https://t.co/RAsdQ9ZlUr
— Phil Oliver (@OSOPHER) January 22, 2022
— carolyn (@imcarolyn) January 21, 2022
His quote about his own death is so captivating. He seems to imply that "Heaven" is here on Earth whenever we are in a state of peace. As religious or non-religious people, we should all be striving to make heaven a place on Earth.
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