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While washing the dishes, you might be thinking about the tea afterwards, and so try to get them out of the way as quickly as possible in order to sit and drink tea. But that means that you are incapable of living during the time you are washing the dishes. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Each minute we spend worrying about the future and regretting the past is a minute we miss in our appointment with life- a missed opportunity to engage life and to see that each moment gives us the chance to change for the better, to experience peace and joy. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
It is possible to live happily in the here and the now. So many conditions of happiness are available - more than enough for you to be happy right now. You don't have to run into the future in order to get more. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Don't wait to start living. Live now! Your life should be real in this very moment. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Love is a living, breathing thing. There is no need to force it to grow in a particular direction. If we start by being easy and gentle with ourselves, we will find it is just there inside of us, solid and healing. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
If we do not know how to take care of ourselves and to love ourselves, we cannot take care of the people we love. Loving oneself is the foundation for loving another person. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Peace is based on respect for life, the spirit of reverence for life. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When we hug, our hearts connect and we know that we are not separate beings. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Admonish yourself strongly. Scrutinize yourself deeply. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
I bowed my heard, and I knew that we have a lot to learn from the leaf because it was not afraid - it knew that nothing can be born and nothing can die. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Without suffering, there's no happiness. So we shouldn't discriminate against the mud. We have to learn how to embrace and cradle our own suffering and the suffering of the world, with a lot of tenderness. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
A few years ago, I asked some children, "What is the purpose of eating breakfast? One boy replied, "To get energy for the day." Another said, "The purpose of eating breakfast is to eat breakfast." I think the second child is more correct. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Poison cannot penetrate the hand that is free of wounds. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We have more possibilities available in each moment than we realize. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
A single wise word bringing peace to the listener is worth more than a thousand speeches of empty words. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
There is no single entity whose identity is changeless. All things are constantly changing. Nothing endures forever or contains a changeless element called a self. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
In the process of meditation, fetters are undone; internal blocks of suffering such as resentment, fear, anger, despair, and hatred are transformed; relationships with humans and nature become easier; freedom and joy can penetrate us. We become aware of what is inside and around us; -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Impermanence means that everything changes and that nothing remains the same in any consecutive moments. And although things change every moment, they still cannot be accurately described as the same or as different from what they were a moment ago. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
I am life without boundaries. The decaying of this body does not mean the end of me. I am not limited to this body. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Suchness [...] means that reality is as it is. You cannot say anything about it; you cannot describe it. Nirvana is the same. Nirvana is the removal of all notions and concepts so that reality can reveal herself fully to you. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
A foolish man clings to wrong views, mocks the teaching of the righteous, and invites ruin and destruction. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Often we forget that it is the very people around us that we must live for first of all. If you cannot serve your wife or husband or child or parent - how are you going to serve society? If you cannot make your own child happy, how do you expect to be able to make anyone else happy? -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Unchecked craving strangles the careless man. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Every breath we take, every step we make, can be filled with peace, joy and serenity. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
It's very important that we re-learn the art of resting and relaxing. Not only does it help prevent the onset of many illnesses that develop through chronic tension and worrying; it allows us to clear our minds, focus, and find creative solutions to problems. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The reality is that we are safe and we have the capacity to enjoy the wonders of life in the present moment. When we recognize that our suffering is based on images instead of current reality, then living happily in the present moment becomes possible right away. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
If we take good care of ourselves, we help everyone. We stop being a source of suffering to the world, and we become a reservoir of joy and freshness. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
You have feet, and if you don't make use of them it's a loss and a waste. Someone is telling you now so that in the future you cannot say: "No one told me that it was important to enjoy using my feet. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
All things arise because of their interdependence, and that is why nothing has a separate, independent identity. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
A wave has a right to live her life as a wave, but she must also learn to live her life as water because she is not only a wave. She is also water. And water lives without the fear carried by the wave. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When we succeed in surviving strong emotions, we experience a more solid peace of mind. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Calming, Smiling, Present moment, Wonderful moment. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Angry words backfire upon the speaker. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
In the past there were people who were not rich but contented with their living style, laughing and happy all day. But when the new rich people appear, people look at them and ask, 'why don't I have a life like that too, a beautiful house, car and garden,' and they abandon their values. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Once you can communicate with yourself, you'll be able to communicate outwardly with more clarity. The way in is the way out. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The essential discipline of following one's breath to nourish and maintain calm mindfulness, even in the midst of the most difficult circumstances. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When you have a toothache, you call your dentist and ask for an emergency appointment to relieve your pain. You know deeply at that point that not having a toothache is happiness. Yet later, when you don't have a toothache, you forget and do not treasure your non-toothache. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Mindfulness is the continuous practice of touching deeply every moment of daily life. To be mindful is to be truly present with your body and your mind, to bring harmony to your intentions and actions, and to be in harmony with those around you. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Love has no meaning without understanding -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Some people live as though they are already dead. There are people moving around us who are consumed by their past, terrified of their future, and stuck in their anger and jealousy. They are not alive; they are just walking corpses. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Failures are not your own self. See to it that you are free from them. Only when you can relinquish them can you really be free and no longer assailed by them. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Eating is not only nourishing for the body, but also for the mind. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
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. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Peace is every step. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
For me, there is no happiness without freedom, and freedom is not given to us by anyone; we have to cultivate it ourselves. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Take my hand. We will walk. We will only walk. We will enjoy our walk without thinking of arriving anywhere. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
As long as we're rejecting ourselves and causing harm to our bodies and minds, there's no point in talking about loving and accepting others. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When you prepare a meal with artful awareness, it's delicious and healthy. You have put your mindfulness, love, and care into the meal, then people will be eating your love. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Sometimes it is better not to talk about art by using the word "art". If we just act with awareness and integrity, our art will flower, and we don't have to talk about it at all. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Mindfulness frees us of forgetfulness and dispersion and makes it possible to live fully each minute of life. Mindfulness enables us to live. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Practice living every moment of your daily life deeply and in freedom. If that's what you really want, then what you need to do is let go of pursuing the past, the future, and all your worries, and come back to the present moment. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We have millions of ways to lose this precious time - we turn on the TV, or pick up the telephone, or start the car and go somewhere. We are not used to being with ourselves, and we act as if we don't like ourselves and are trying to escape from ourselves. Meditation -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The roots of war are in the way we live our daily lives
the way we develop our industries, build up our society, and consume goods. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We carry our past sorrows and anger and they become a kind of baggage that makes life heavy. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Happiness is available. Please help yourself to it. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
In fact, "father" and "mother" are two aspects of the same reality. Father is more expressive side of wisdom or understanding, and mother the side of love or compassion...Without understanding there cannot be true love, and without love there cannot be understanding, -- Thich Nhat Hanh
If we are not in control of ourselves but instead let our impatience or anger interfere, then our work is no longer of any value. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Nonfear is the basis of true happiness, and if you can offer nonfear to someone, you are giving that person the best kind of gift. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When you are calm, when you are still, you see things as they truly are. You don't distort things. When you are not calm, it's easy to get confused and angry. All of us make a lot of mistakes and create a lot of suffering when we are not calm. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Mind is the forerunner of all actions. All deeds are led by mind, created by mind. If one speaks or acts with a corrupt mind, suffering follows. If one speaks or acts with a serene mind, happiness follows. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The main affliction of our modern civilization is that we don't know how to handle the suffering inside us and we try to cover it up with all kinds of consumption. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
During the past few years I have avoided tiring myself and losing my breath. I must take care of my body, treat it with respect as a musician does his instrument. I apply nonviolence to my body, for it is not merely a tool to accomplish something. It itself is the end. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The present moment is the only time over which we have dominion. The most important person is always the person you are with, who is right before you, -- Thich Nhat Hanh
But a lot of our thinking is caught up in dwelling on the past, trying to control the future, generating misperceptions, and worrying about what others are thinking. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Getting rid of the concept of self is the work of all meditators, because suffering is born from this concept. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
To be and not to be are just two ideas opposing each other. But they are not reality, and they do not describe reality. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Life is too precious for us to lose ourselves in our ideas and concepts, in our anger and our despair. We must wake up to the marvelous reality of life. We must begin to live fully and truly, every moment of our daily lives. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Life is miraculous, even in its suffering. Without suffering, life would not be possible. There is nothing permanent, and there is no separate self. Neither is there impermanence or no-self. When we see life deeply, there is no death. Therefore, it isn't necessary to say everlasting life. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
A true partner or friend is one who encourages you to look deep inside yourself for the beauty and love you've been seeking. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Whoever moves from carelessness to vigilance, whoever overcomes his unwholesome deeds with wholesome actions, lights up the world, like the moon that merges from a cloud. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
True love is a love without possessiveness. You love and still you are free, and the other person is also free. The kind of love that has no joy is not true love. If both parties cry every day, then that's not true love. There must be joy and freedom and understanding in love. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
To take hold of your mind, you must practice mindfulness of the mind. You must know how to observe and recognize the presence of every feeling and thought which arises in you. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Meditation is offering your genuine presence to yourself in every moment. It's the capacity to recognize clearly that every moment is a gift of life, a gift from the Earth and sky. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
A human being is like a television set with millions of channels ... We cannot let just one channel dominate us. We have the seed of everything in us, and we have to recover our own sovereignty. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Attachment to the false view of self means belief in the presence of unchanging entities which exist on their own. To break through this false view is to be liberated from every sort of fear, pain, and anxiety. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Don't chew your worries, your suffering, or your projects. That's not good for your health. Just chew the string bean. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
You are the foundation of any change that will happen in your society. A student asked Thay, "There are so many urgent problems. What should I do?" Thay answered calmly, "Take one thing, and do it very deeply and carefully, and you will be doing everything at the same time." Knowing -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When you look at the sun during your walking meditation, the mindfulness of the body helps you to see that the sun is in you; without the sun there is no life at all and suddenly you get in touch with the sun in a different way. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Deeds done from bad motives remain everlastingly tainted. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The miracle is walking on the earth, not walking on water or fire. The real miracle is walking on this earth. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
So if we love someone, we should train in being able to listen. By listening with calm and understanding, we can ease the suffering of another person. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Listening to the bell I feel the afflictions in me begin to dissolve. My mind becomes calm, my body relaxed, and a smile is born on my lips. Following the sound of the bell, my breath guides me back to the safe island of mindfulness. In the garden of my heart, the flower of peace blooms beautifully. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Anywhere we go, we will have our self with us; we cannot escape ourselves. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
To live in the present moment is a miracle. The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green Earth in the present moment, to appreciate the peace and beauty that are available now. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We humans have lost the wisdom of genuinely resting and relaxing. We worry too much. We don't allow our bodies to heal, and we don't allow our minds and hearts to heal. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Do not lose yourself in the past. Do not lose yourself in the future. Do not get caught in your anger, worries, or fears. Come back to the present moment, and touch life deeply. This is mindfulness. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The past is gone, the future is not yet here, and if we do not go back to ourselves in the present moment, we cannot be in touch with life. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
If after reading the newspaper, hearing the news, or being in a conversation, we feel anxious or worn out, we know we have been in contact with toxins. Movies -- Thich Nhat Hanh
From time to time, to remind ourselves to relax and be peaceful, we may wish to set aside some time for a retreat, a day of mindfulness, when we can walk slowly, smile, drink tea with a friend, enjoy being together as if we are the happiest people on Earth. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The Essential Discipline for Daily Use, written by the Buddhist monk Doc The from Bao Son pagoda, -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The most precious inheritance that parents can give their children is their own happiness. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The gift of truth is the highest gift. The taste of truth is the sweetest taste. The joy of truth is the greatest joy. The extinction of craving is the end of suffering. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Calming allows us to rest, and resting is a precondition for healing. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Dear friends, do you know that you are lucky people? You don't have any cows to lose. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
If we have too many worries, fears, and doubts, we have no room for living and loving. We need to practice letting go. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We will not just say, "I love him very much," but instead, "I will do something so that he will suffer less." The mind of compassion is truly present when it is effective in removing another person's suffering. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Death drowns the unsatisfied man, whose restless mind clutches for greater and greater pleasures. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Home is the place where loneliness disappears. When we're home, we feel warm, comfortable, safe, fulfilled. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Because God the Sonnets is made of the energy of the Holy Spirit, He is the door for us to enter the Kingdom of Heaven...The Buddha is also described as a door, a teacher, who shows us the way in this life. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Don't ask me anything more. My essence is wordless. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Understanding is love's other name. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
A person is not some private entity traveling unaffected through time and space as if sealed off from the rest of the world by some thick shell. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When you sit alone quietly, it's something beautiful, even if nobody sees it. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When you understand, you cannot help but love. You cannot get angry. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it. (21) -- Thich Nhat Hanh
If we take something to be the truth, we may cling to it so much that when the truth comes and knocks on our door, we won't want to let it in. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
I am a continuation like the rain is the continuation of the cloud. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves - slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
To meditate with mindful breathing is to bring body and mind back to the present moment so that you do not miss your appointment with life. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Mindful breathing is the vehicle that you use to go back to your true home. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
You have to learn how to help a wounded child while still practicing mindful breathing. You should not allow yourself to get lost in action. Action should be meditation at the same time. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Soldiers fear the frontier post, monks fear the Surangama Dharani! -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Her smile was as fresh as a half-opened lotus. Siddhartha bowed and looked into her eyes, saying in a quiet voice, Thank you, princess. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The original reality of Amitabha is our own Dharma body, It shines out brightly everywhere, in the South, North, East, and West, It is like the autumn moon that lies in the high, vast sky, In the silence of the night its brilliance shines far over the ocean. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Changing is not just changing the things outside of us. First of all we need the right view that transcends all notions including of being and non-being, creator and creature, mind and spirit. That kind of insight is crucial for transformation and healing. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
If you can feel that Mother Earth is in you, and you are Mother Earth, then you are not any longer afraid to die because the earth is not dying. Like a wave appears and disappears and appears again. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness. If, in our heart, we still cling to anything - anger, anxiety, or possessions - we cannot be free. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
To be in the here and the now - solid and fully alive - is a very positive contribution to our collective situation. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We do so much, we run so quickly, the situation is difficult, and many people say, "Don't just sit there, do something." But doing more things may make the situation worse. So you should say, "Don't just do something, sit there." Sit there, stop, be yourself first, and begin from there. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
If we practice stopping while attending to e-mails, surfing the Web, attending meetings or appointments, folding the laundry, washing the dishes, or taking a shower, we are living deeply. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
According to the Buddha's teachings, the most basic condition for happiness is freedom. Here we do not mean political freedom, but freedom from the mental formations of anger, despair, jealousy, and delusion. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The secret of Zen masters is discovering the path of return to such moments, and knowing how to pave the way for such moments to arise. The masters know how to use the dazzling light of those moments to illuminate the journey of return, the journey that begins from nowhere and has no destination. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The suffering and the quarreling in a family don't begin with unkindness, they begin with one person's pain and stress. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The virtuous mind themselves. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Hell is in us, like a seed. We need to cultivate the positive within us so we can generate the energy of understanding and compassion and transform hell. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Compassion is the capacity to understand the suffering in oneself and in the other person. If you understand your own suffering, you can help him to understand his suffering. Understanding suffering brings compassion and relief. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Compassion is born from understanding suffering. We all should learn to embrace our own suffering, to listen to it deeply, and to have a deep look into its nature. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Fear feeds off ignorance, whereas compassion and lucidity flower from understanding. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The difficult truth is that the basic law of thermodynamics still holds: When we eat more calories than we expend, we gain weight. When we burn more energy through physical activity or exercise than we take in from food and drinks, we lose weight. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Of course, to lose weight, dieters need to eat fewer calories than they burn. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Earth will be safe when we feel in us enough safety. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Equanimity means to let go, not to abandon. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The art of happiness is also the art of suffering well. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Life is available only in the present moment. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Now I see that if one doesn't know how to die, one can hardly know how to live - because death is a part of life. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
I have arrived, I am home In the here, in the now I am solid, I am free In the ultimate I dwell -- Thich Nhat Hanh
To meditate means to go home to yourself. Then you know how to take care of the things that are happening inside you, and you know how to take care of the things that happen around you. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Concentration is not wholesome in itself. A thief needs concentration to break into a house.
The object of our concentration is what makes it beneficial or not. If you use meditative concentration to run away from reality, that is not beneficial. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Mindful eating means simply eating or drinking while being aware of each bite or sip. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Understanding is like water flowing in a stream. Wisdom and knowledge are solid and can block our understanding -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When you say something really unkind, when you do something in retaliation your anger increases. You make the other person suffer, and he will try hard to say or to do something back to get relief from his suffering. That is how conflict escalates. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We need to stop and ask, "Can I realize my deepest aspiration if I pursue this path?" "What is really preventing me from taking the path I most deeply desire?" DEVELOPING -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When we're inspired by the desire to practice and transform our suffering, the mind of the moment is very beautiful. Sometimes we call it the mind of love. It's because of love that we practice. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Usually when we hear or read something new, we just compare it to our own ideas. If it is the same, we accept it and say that it is correct. If it is not, we say it is incorrect. In either case, we learn nothing. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Control the senses, practice equanimity. Live by disciplinary rules. Associate with good friends who are not lazy and live purely. Be courteous and well-mannered, and thus, full of joy. Put an end to suffering. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
EMBRACING SUFFERING If we let the suffering come up and just take over our mind, we can be quickly overwhelmed by it. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Be an island unto yourself. Take refuge in yourself and not in anything else. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Hell is a matter of everyday life, like the Kingdom of God. The choice is yours. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don't need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When another person makes you suffer, it is because he suffers deeply within himself, and his suffering is spilling over. He does not need punishment; he needs help. That's the message he is sending. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The wave can live the life of a wave, but it can also do better. It can live every moment of its life deeply touching its nature of no-birth and no-death, that is, its nature as water. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
To see one in all and all in one is to break through the great barrier which narrows one's perception of reality, -- Thich Nhat Hanh
He realized that body and mind formed one reality which could not be separated. The peace and comfort of the body were directly related to the peace and comfort of the mind. To abuse the body was to abuse the mind. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
If we are not fully ourselves, truly in the present moment, we miss everything. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Touching the present moment, we realize that the present is made of the past and is creating the future. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
If monks and nuns do not cherish their time of practice, they will have nothing to offer the world. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Each moment you are alive is a gem, shining through and containing earth and sky, water and clouds. It needs you to breathe gently for the miracles to be displayed. Suddenly you hear the birds singing, the pines chanting, see the flowers blooming, the blue sky, the white clouds ... -- Thich Nhat Hanh
All is in the word "know." To know is to realize. Realization is mindfulness. All the work of meditation is aimed at awakening us in order to know one and only one thing: birth and death can never touch us in any way whatsoever. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We are imprisoned in our small selves, thinking only of the comfortable conditions for this small self, while we destroy our large self. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Every one of us is trying to find our true home. Some of us are still searching. Our true home is inside, but it's also in our loved ones around us. When you're in a loving relationship, you and the other person can be a true home for each other. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Knowing how to suffer well is essential to realizing true happiness. SUFFERING -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Listening to and understanding our inner sufferings will resolve most of the problems we encounter. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Once we recognize that all things are impermanent, we have no problem enjoying them. In fact, real peace and joy are only possible when we see clearly into the nature of impermanence. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
I am the twelve-year-old girl,
refugee on a small boat,
who throws herself into the ocean
after being raped by a sea pirate.
And I am the pirate,
my heart not yet capable
of seeing and loving. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Mindfulness isn't something we practice only in the meditation hall; we also practice in the kitchen, in the garden, or when we're on the telephone, driving the car, or washing the dishes. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We should live every day like people who have just been rescued from the moon. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Treat your anger with the utmost respect and tenderness, for it is no other than yourself. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
A true bodhisattva is one who sees no demarcations between organic and non-organic, self and non-self, living beings and non-living beings, bodhisattvas and non-bodhisattvas. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Our feelings are formations, impermanent and without substance. We learn not to identify with ourselves with our feelings, not to consider them as a self, not to seek refuge in them, not to die because of them. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The one contains the many and the many contains the one. Without the one, there cannot be the many. Without the many, there cannot be the one. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Jesus Christ is still manifesting himself in many thousands of ways. He is manifesting himself all around you. We need to be alert in order to recognize his manifestations. If you are not mindful or attentive, you will miss him because you will miss his manifestations. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
To be loved means to be recognized as existing. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Enlightenment, peace, and joy will not be granted by someone else. The well is within us, And if we dig deeply in the present moment, The water will spring forth -- Thich Nhat Hanh
If you have mindfulness, if you feel safe, you recognize that you have plenty of conditions to be happy already, and that you don't need to run into the future in order to get a few more conditions. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
He whispered in the king's ear, "If you ask me, I think you should find a wife for Siddhartha. Once he has a family to occupy him, he will abandon this desire to become a monk." King Suddhodana nodded. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We can continue to learn generation after generation and now is time to begin to learn how to love in a non-discriminatory way because we are intelligent enough, but we are not loving enough as a species. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When we want to understand something, we cannot just stand outside and observe it. We have to enter deeply into it and be one with it in order to really understand. If we want to understand a person, we have to feel his feelings, suffer his sufferings, and enjoy his joy. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The first definition of love is to be there. This is a practice. How can you love if you are not there? In order to love you have to be there, body and mind united. A true lover knows that the practice of mindfulness is the foundation of true love. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When you listen deeply to someone who suffers, you step into a zone of fire. There is a fire of suffering, of anger burning in the person you are listening to. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
If you can be aware that you have a living body, and notice when there's tension in your body, that's already an important insight. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Each morning when we wake up to life we see that we have a gift of twenty-four brand new hours. If -- Thich Nhat Hanh
A lotus for you. A Buddha to be. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When you touch deep understanding and love, you are healed. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
To fully experience this life as a human being, we all need to connect with our desire to realize something larger than our individual selves. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Eat in a way that is relaxing and brings you joy. It doesn't take too much organizing and the results are profound. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When conditions are sufficient things manifest. When conditions are no longer sufficient things withdraw. They wait until the moment is right for them to manifest again. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The space itself, your home, naturally has a message and intention. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The soil of our mind contains many seeds, positive and negative. We are the gardeners who identify, water, and cultivate the best seeds. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
There is no fire like lust, no vise like hatred, no trap like delusion, and no galloping river like craving. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Being vegetarian here also means that we do not consume dairy and egg products, because they are products of the meat industry. If we stop consuming, they will stop producing. Only collective awakening can create enough determination for action. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Work is only a part of life. But work is life only when done in mindfulness. Otherwise, one becomes like the person who lives as though dead. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
To write a book, we must write with our whole life, not just during the moments we are sitting at our desk. When writing a book or an article, we know that our words will affect many other people. We do not have the right just to express our own suffering if it brings suffering to others. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
To be truly present we have to stop our thinking. This is the secret of success. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
There are those who say that in their heaven there is no suffering. But if there is no suffering, how can there be happiness? We need compost to grow flowers, and mud to grow lotuses. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
What we need are people who are capable [...] of not taking sides so that they can embrace the whole of reality. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Life is a miracle, and being aware of simply this can already make us very happy. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We have to believe that by engaging in dialogue with the other person, we have the possibility of making a change within ourselves, that we can become deeper. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
If you want to relax the worry-tightened muscles in your face, let the half smile come to your face. As the half smile appears, all the facial muscles begin to relax. The longer the half smile is maintained, the better. It is the same smile you see on the face -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The present moment is the substance with which the future is made. Therefore, the best way to take care of the future is to take care of the present moment. What else can you do? -- Thich Nhat Hanh
A Buddha is a person who has no more business to do and isn't looking for anything. In doing nothing, in simply stopping, we can live freely and be true to ourselves, and our liberation will contribute to the liberation of all beings. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
May the sound of this bell penetrate deeply into the cosmos. In even the darkest places, may living beings hear it clearly so that understanding comes to their hearts, and without much hardship, they transcend the cycle of birth and death. or: -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Reconcile with yourself for the sake of the world, for the sake of all living beings. Your peace and serenity are crucial for all of us. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Words sometimes get sick and we have to heal them. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We will be more successful in all our endeavors if we can let go of the habit of running all the time, and take little pauses to relax and re-center ourselves. And we'll also have a lot more joy in living. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
People were entrapped not only by illness and unjust social conditions, but by the sorrows and passions they themselves created in their own hearts and minds. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Live the actual moment. Only this actual moment is life. Don't be attached to the future. Don't worry about things you have to do. Don't think about getting up or taking off to do anything. Don't think about departing. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Let one embrace his own truth and devote himself to its fulfillment. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Due to attachment, anger, and foolishness, I have committed numberless mistakes in speech, deed and thought. I bow my head and repent. I vow from today to begin anew, to live day and night in mindfulness, and not to repeat my previous mistakes. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Love, understanding, courage, and acceptance are expressions of the life of Jesus, -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The bikku should not rest content until mental intoxicants are fully extinct. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Faith is having a path that leads you to freedom, liberation, and the transformation of afflictions. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
You know that your happiness and suffering depend on the happiness and suffering of others. That insight helps you not to do wrong things that will bring suffering to yourself and to other people. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Our mothers and fathers helped us come to be and, even nlw, they continue to give us life. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Your true home is in the here and the now. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
May we find ways to live more simply in order to have more time and energy to change the system of injustice that exists in the world. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
In order to heal others, we first need to heal ourselves. And to heal ourselves, we need to know how to deal with ourselves. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Making an effort at the wrong time or place dissipates our energy. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
It is only when we stop that we can encounter life. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We must lead all beings to the shore of awakening, but, after these beings have become liberated, we do not, in truth, think that a single being has been liberated. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Views, knowledge, and even wisdom are solid, and can block the way of understanding. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Instead, we must learn how to make friends with our hardships and challenges. They are there to help us; they are natural opportunities for deeper understanding and transformation, bringing us more joy and peace as we learn to work with them. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Unwholesome acts cannot bring wholesome results. The things a fool gains amount to nothing. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
If you take good care of the present, there is no need to worry about the future. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
In the West, we are very goal oriented. We know where we want to go, and we are very directed in getting there. This may be useful, but often we forget to enjoy ourselves along the route. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
It is better to live alone than to have a fool for a companion. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We are very afraid of being powerless. But we have the power to look deeply at our fears, and then fear cannot control us. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We have to continue to learn. We have to be open. And we have to be ready to release our knowledge in order to come to a higher understanding of reality. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The more you cultivate joy, the more joy you will feel and be able to share. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Precepts in Buddhism and commandments in Judiasm and Christianity are important jewels that we need to study and practice. They provide guidelines that can help us transform our suffering. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The way to suffer well and be happy is to stay in touch with what is actually going on; in doing so, you will gain liberating insights into the true nature of suffering and of joy. NO -- Thich Nhat Hanh
In mindfulness one is not only restful and happy, but alert and awake. Meditation is not evasion; it is a serene encounter with reality. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The more happiness and love that can be reborn the better, because it will make this world more beautiful and kind. Therefore you and I should be living our weeks, days and hours in order to be reborn constantly as happiness, love and kindness. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
As you will see, mindfulness practice does not need to be another "add-on." Its beauty lies in the fact that it can be fully and easily integrated into every act of our daily living, reminding us to live the present moment fully. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Compassion is a verb. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
If the content of your speech is not authentic, talking or texting on a device doesn't mean you're communicating with another person. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Everyone knows we need to have mud for lotuses to grow. The mud doesn't smell so good, but the lotus flower smells very good. If you don't have mud, the lotus won't manifest. You can't grow lotus flowers on marble. Without mud, there can be no lotus. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
So, while driving in the car with the person sitting right next to us, we think about other things. We aren't interested in him anymore. What arrogance! The person sitting there beside is really a mystery! We only have the impression that we know her, but we don't know anything yet. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When the Buddha gave a talk to a large gathering of businessmen, the core of his message to them was, "It is possible to live happily right in the present moment. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Birth is okay and death is okay, if we know that they are only concepts in our mind. Reality transcends both birth and death. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Zen Master Doc The says that when sitting in meditation, one should sit upright, giving birth to this thought, Sitting here is like sitting on the Bodhi spot. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Enlightenment is always there. Small enlightenment will bring great enlightenment. If you breathe in and are aware that you are alive - that you can touch the miracle of being alive - then that is a kind of enlightenment. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Effortlessness is the key to success. Don't fight. Don't try hard. Just allow yourself to sit. This relaxing way of sitting is also resting. Allow your body to rest. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
To be or not to be, that is not a question, because reality transcends both notions of birth and death, of being and non-being. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The wise man carefully, moment by moment, one by one, eliminates the stains of his mind. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
In the past, we probably did suffer from one thing or another. It may even have felt like a kind of hell. If we remember that suffering, not letting ourselves get carried away by it, we can use it to remind ourselves, "How lucky I am right now. I'm not in that situation. I can be happy. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
In true love, there is no pride. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
You are capable of coming back to your best and highest self, but you must maintain this practice. Don't allow yourself to get distracted and forget to practice. Practice regularly, daily, with the support of your family, friends, and community - this is diligence. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Suffering has its beneficial aspects. It can be an excellent teacher. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Compassionate listening is to help the other side suffer less. If we realize that other people are the same people as we are, we are no longer angry at them. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When you put a piece of bread into your mouth, chew only your bread and not your projects, worries, fears, or anger. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Anger is like a storm rising up from the bottom of your consciousness. When you feel it coming, turn your focus to your breath. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We need the vision of interbeing - we belong to each other; we cannot cut reality into pieces. The well-being of "this" is the well-being of "that," so we have to do things together. Every side is "our side"; there is no evil side. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Because they have learned not to get caught in notions or representations, they do not speak as though they alone hold the truth, and they do not think that those in other traditions are going the wrong way. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
[A]ll the methods in the search for truth should be looked on as means rather than as ends in themselves or as absolute truth. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Curb your speech, restrain your mind, commit no evil deed. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We can walk in such a way that we arrive with each step - not walking just to get somewhere else. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We are all mother's of the Buddha because we are all pregnant with the potential for awakening. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
He saw that the key to liberation would be to break through ignorance and to enter deeply into the heart of reality and attain a direct experience of it. Such knowledge would not be the knowledge of the intellect, but of direct experience. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Place your left hand, palm side up, in your right palm. Let all the muscles in your hands, fingers, arms, and legs relax. Let go of everything. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
As long as fear is in us, happiness cannot be perfect. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The raft is used to cross the river. It isn't to be carried around on your shoulders. The finger which points at the moon isn't the moon itself. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
So many individuals, children, couples, and families have been destroyed by sexual misconduct. To practice the Third Precept is to heal ourselves and heal our society. This is mindful living. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When we're having a toothache, we know that not having a toothache is a wonderful thing. Yet when we don't have a toothache, we're still not happy. A non-toothache is very pleasant. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
If you have a gun, you can shoot one, two, three, five people; but if you have an ideology and stick to it, thinking it is the absolute truth, you can kill millions. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Like the Buddha, we too have come from suchness, remain in suchness, and will return to suchness. We have come from nowhere and have nowhere to go. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Don't chew your worries, your fear, or your anger. If you chew your planning and your anxiety, it's difficult to feel grateful for each piece of food. Just chew your food. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Doing your best is the surest way to remind those around you to do their best. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When a person's speech is full of anger, it is because he or she suffers deeply. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Life is real; it's not a dream when mindfulness is there. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Our notions about happiness entrap us. We forget that they are just ideas. Our idea of happiness can prevent us from actually being happy. We fail to see the opportunity for joy that is right in front of us when we are caught in a belief that happiness should take a particular form. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The most basic precept of all is to be aware of what we do, what we are, each minute . Every other precept will follow from that. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
People ask me, "Why do you do walking meditation?" The best answer I can give is, "Because I like it. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Our spiritual ancestors have also given birth to us, and they, tol, continue to give birth to us. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The fact is that when you make the other suffer, he will try to find relief by making you suffer more. The result is an escalation of suffering on both sides. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Just as a flower is made only of non-flower elements, Buddhism is made only of non-Buddhist elements, including Christian ones, and Christianity is made of non-Christian elements, including Buddhist ones. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The seed of suffering in you may be strong, but don't wait until you have no more suffering before allowing yourself to be happy. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The situation the Earth is in today has been created by unmindful production and unmindful consumption. We consume to forget our worries and our anxieties. Tranquilising ourselves with over-consumption is not the way. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The true miracle is not walking on water or walking in air, but simply walking on this earth. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
A person who looks at the table and can see the universe is a person who can see the way. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
If you're a politician, you might want to learn the Buddhist way of negotiation. Restoring communication and bringing back reconciliation is clear and concrete in Buddhism. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Someone may be able to speak beautifully about compassion, wisdom, or nonself, but this doesn't necessarily help others. And the speaker may still have a big self or treat others badly. His eloquent speech may be only empty words. We can get tired of all these words, even the word "Buddha". -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Imagine one atom of that speck of dust, with electrons traveling around its nucleus at 180,000 miles per second. It is very exciting. To return to a speck of dust with be quite an exciting adventure! -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When we cannot handle our suffering, we spew forth our frustration and pain onto those around us. We are victims of our own suffering, but because we do not know how to handle it, we hurt others while we are in pain. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When you hold a child in your arms, or hug your mother, or your husband, or your friend, if you breathe in and out three times, your happiness will be multiplied at least tenfold. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Any meaningful work for peace must follow the principle of nonduality, the principle of penetration. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The truth is that everything contains everything else. We cannot just be, we can only inter-be. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
As long as you find something beautiful, good, and true to believe in and abide by, you have the equivalent of God in your life. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Nonhuman animals instinctively know that stopping is the best way to get healed. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The object of your practice should first of all be yourself. Your love for the other, your ability to love another person, depends on your ability to love yourself. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Mindfulness is like that - it is the miracle which can call back in a flash our dispersed mind and restore it to wholeness so that we can live each minute of life. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Father, a day upon the throne would be like a day of sitting on a bed of hot coals for me. If my heart has no peace, how can I fulfil your or the people's trust in me? I have seen how quickly time passes, and I know my youth is no different. Please grant me your permission. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Nonviolent action, born of the awareness of suffering and nurtured by love, is the most effective way to confront adversity. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Understanding someone's suffering is the best gift you can give another person. Understanding is love's other name. If you don't understand, you can't love. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
It is possible to live twenty-four hours a day in a state of love. Every movement, every glance, every thought, and every word can be infused with love. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When we see that some suffering or some pain is coming up, we don't try to run away from it. In fact, we have to go back and take care of it. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
To bring happiness to others, we must be happiness. And this is why we always train ourselves to first take care of our own bodies and minds. Only when we are solid can we be our best and take good care of our loved ones. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Most people are afraid of suffering. But suffering is a kind of mud to help the lotus flower of happiness grow. There can be no lotus flower without the mud. - THICH NHAT HANH -- Thich Nhat Hanh
If our love is only a will to possess, it is not love. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Meditation is to be aware of what is going on: in your body, in your feelings, in your mind, and in the world. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Life is enhanced and ultimately perfected by inward development. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Goodwill is not enough; we need to learn the art of making others happy. Art is the essence of life, and the substance of art is mindfulness. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
In true love, you attain freedom. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When you speak, allow the insight of our collective humanity to speak through you. When you walk, don't walk for yourself alone; walk for your ancestors and your community. When you breathe, allow the larger world to breathe for you. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Peace is all around us and within us. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Smile, breathe and go slowly. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Be there is the first step, and recognizing the presence of the other is the second step. To love is to recognize; to be loved is to be recognized by the other. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
If you love someone but rarely make yourself available to him or her, that is not true love. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
If you suffer and make your loved ones suffer, there is nothing that can justify your desire. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
In a place where there is something that can be distinguished by signs, in that place there is deception. If you can see the signless nature of signs, then you can see the Tathagata. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
In the stormy ocean of life, take refuge in your wise self. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Fearlessness is not only possible, it is the ultimate joy. When you touch nonfear, you are free. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
A bodhisattva doesn't have to be perfect. Anyone who is aware of what is happening and who tries to wake up other people is a bodhisattva. We are all bodhisattvas, doing our best. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Without suffering, we do not have the opportunity to cultivate compassion and understanding; and without understanding, there can be no true love. So -- Thich Nhat Hanh
You must love in such a way that the person you love feels free. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The person who suffers most in this world is the person who has many wrong perceptions, and most of our perceptions are erroneous. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The needs of our personal life are not separate from those of ourwork life. Our inability to be mindful and bring our full attention to what we are doing has both personal and professional costs. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
It is my conviction that there is no way to peace - peace is the way. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When we go home to the present moment, we understand there are so many conditions of happiness that we don't need to go running after yet another one. We already have enough conditions to be happy. Happiness is entirely possible right in the here and now. The -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Our forgetfulness of its sacred nature, which is also our own sacred nature. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Be Yourself. Life is precious as it is. All the elements for your happiness are already here. There is no need to run, strive, search, or struggle. Just Be. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Do not allow your heart to whirl in the pleasures of senses. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Let us fill our hearts with our own compassion - towards ourselves and towards all living beings. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We should treat our anxiety, our pain, our hatred and passion gently, respectfully, not resisting it, but living with it, making peace with it, penetrating into its nature by -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Our capacity to make peace with another person and with the world depends very much on our capacity to make peace with ourselves. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We ought to listen to music or sit and practice breathing at the beginning of every meeting or discussion. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Person always deserves your full respect. Reverence is the nature -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Breathing in, there is only the present moment.
Breathing out, it is a wonderful moment. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
As a free person I can always come and go, Not caught in ideas of is and is not. Not caught in ideas of being and non-being Let your steps be leisurely. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
A meditation center, for example, is only a form. In our daily life we need forms, but we do not need to cling to them. We can study and practice meditation anywhere. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
You are a child of the sun, you come from the sun, and that is something true with the Earth also ... your relationship with the Earth is so deep, and the Earth is in you and this is something not very difficult, much less difficult then philosophy. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
While washing the dishes one should only be washing the dishes, which means that while washing the dishes one should be completely aware of the fact that one is washing the dishes. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Be like the earth. When the rain comes, the earth simply opens up to the rain and soaks it all in. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
You would not cry if you knew that by looking deeply into the rain you would still see the cloud. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When you look deeply into your anger, you will see that the person you call your enemy is also suffering. As soon as you see that, the capacity of accepting and having compassion for them is there. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Living peacefully and happily is the best way to show our gratitude and is our greatest gift for the world and the next generation. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The wave does not need to die to become water. She is already water. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
If you have enough spiritual strength, you will give birth to a spiritual child, and through your life and practice, you continue giving birth, even after you die. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Feeling the heat of anger right now, I close my eyes and look into the future. Three hundred years from now, where will you, where will I, be? -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Some people are consumed with thoughts and memories from their past. Their mourning, regretting, rehashing, and begrudging doom them to life imprisonment in their painful past. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The miracle is to walk on Earth. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
You listen not for the purpose of judging, criticizing or analyzing. You listen only to help the other person to express himself and find some relief from his suffering. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Often, we get crushes on others not because we truly love and understand them, but to distract ourselves from our suffering. When we learn to love and understand ourselves and have true compassion for ourselves, then we can truly love and understand another person. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
I would not look upon anger as something foreign to me that I have to fight ... I have to deal with my anger with care, with love, with tenderness, with nonviolence. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
In a relationship, we are nourishment for each other. So we have to select the kind of food we offer the other person, the kind of food that can help our relationships thrive. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Speech: 1. Tell the truth. Don't lie or turn the truth upside down. 2. Don't exaggerate. 3. Be consistent. This means no double-talk: speaking about something in one way to one person and in an opposite way to another for selfish or manipulative reasons. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
If you walk with true awareness of every step, without having a goal to get anywhere, happiness will arise naturally. You don't need to look for happiness. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Our own life has to be our message. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
If you love someone, the greatest gift you can give them is your presence -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When you love someone, the best thing you can offer is your presence. How can you love if you are not there? -- Thich Nhat Hanh
It is not impermanence that makes us suffer. What makes us suffer is wanting things to be permanent when they are not. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We wanted peace. We did not care about anyone's victory or defeat. We just wanted the bombs to stop falling on us. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Learn to love, enjoy and embrace what you have in the here and now. That's all you really need to be happy. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We can put an end to our suffering just by realizing that our suffering is not worth suffering for! How -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Let one mold himself in accordance with the precepts he teachers. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
While they could appreciate the artistry of the dancers and musicians, they were not carried away by the pleasures they offered. They had their own dreams - to find answers concerning the spiritual quest and the renewal of society. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The energy of mindfulness has the element of friendship and loving kindness in it. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Suffering is not enough. Life is both dreadful and wonderful ... How can I smile when I am filled with so much sorrow? It is natural
you need to smile to your sorrow because you are more than your sorrow. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Looking deeply" means observing something or someone with so much concentration that the distinction between observer and observed disappears. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
spend time with your food; every minute of your meal should be happy. Not many people have the time and the opportunity to sit down and enjoy a meal like that. We are very fortunate. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We have to make the effort to heal words by using them properly and carefully. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
I have lost my smile,
but don't worry.
The dandelion has it. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
To think in terms of either pessimism or optimism oversimplifies the truth. The problem is to see reality as it is. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We are related to each other. By taking care of you, I take care of myself. By taking care of myself, I take care of you. Happiness and safety are not individual matters. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Dear master, I think it would be better for each of us to watch ourself. To look after oneself means to look after both of us. That way I am sure we will avoid any accidents and will earn enough to eat.' " The Buddha said: "The child spoke correctly. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
To love without knowing how to love wounds the person we love. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Every person is a world to explore. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Falcon swooped down and caught a young quail -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Western civilization places so much emphasis on the idea of hope that we sacrifice the present moment. Hope is for the future. It cannot help us discover joy, peace, or enlightenment in the present moment. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Vegetarians and vegans tend to weigh less and have lower blood pressure, lower blood cholesterol, and, in turn, a lowered risk of heart disease than people whose diets include some or all types of animal products; -- Thich Nhat Hanh
ALTHOUGH I DON'T PROFESS TO BE NORMAL, I AM HUMAN AS ARE ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE I WORK WITH, AND SOMETIMES EVEN I FORGET THAT."
-Violent Crimes Investigator Flagstaff Arizona -- Thich Nhat Hanh
As rain pours through poorly thatched houses, so does desire penetrate an undeveloped mind. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
dwell deeply in the present moment. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
If we can relax when our strong emotions come, then we don't pass fear on to our children and to future generations. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
While practicing mindfulness, don't be dominated by the distinction between good and evil, thus creating a battle within oneself. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When people say, "Don't just sit there, do something," they're urging you to act. But if the quality of your being is poor - if you don't have enough peace, understanding, and equanimity, if you still have a lot of anger and worries - then your actions will also be poor. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
MEDITATION is not to get out of society, to escape from society, but to prepare for a reentry into society -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Just because we do not perceive something, it is not correct to say it does not exist. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
An oak tree is an oak tree. That is all it has to do. If an oak tree is less than an oak tree, then we are all in trouble. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
For dialogue to be fruitful, we need to live deeply our own tradition and, at the same time, listen deeply to others. Through the practice of deep looking and deep listening, we become free, able to see the beauty and values in our own and others' tradition. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Mindfulness is the awareness of what is going on in us and around us in the present moment. It requires stopping, looking deeply, and recognizing both the uniqueness of the moment and its connection to everything that has gone on before and will go on in the future. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
He who judges a situation impulsively is not righteous. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
If you don't understand and you love, that is not love; it is something else. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Just as rust produced by iron corrodes iron, so is the violator of moral law destroyed by his own wrong action. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The verb "to be" here means to generate your own presence, your real presence. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
You do not need to waste your time doing those things that are unnecessary and trifling. You do not have to be rich. You do not need to seek fame or power. What you need is freedom, solidity, peace and joy. You need the time and energy to be able to share these things with others. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We have created a culture of constant snacking, drinking, and eating. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The verses are meant to help us to bring our awareness back to what's happening in the present moment. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Freedom is not given to us by anyone; we have to cultivate it ourselves. It is a daily practice ... No one can prevent you from being aware of each step you take or each breath in and breath out. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
You only need to breathe mindfully and smile to your habit energy: "Oh, I got pulled away by that again." When you can recognize habit energies this way, they lose their hold on you, and you're free once again to live peacefully and happily in the present. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life of peace, you inspire hope for a future of peace. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
One included all, and all were contained in one. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The third element of love is mudita, joy. True love always brings joy to ourselves and to the one we love. If our love does not bring joy to both of us, it is not true love. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Maintain your health. Be joyful. Do not force yourself to do things you cannot do."2 -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The present moment is the only moment available to us and it is the door to all other moments. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Sitting in meditation is nourishment for your spirit and nourishment for your body, as well. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Preventing war is much better than protesting against the war. Protesting the war is too late. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Those flawed in their nature have no control over themselves. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Confucius said,To know that you don't know is the beginning of knowing. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The more freedom you have, the more happiness you have. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Direct experience is the only way. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Many of us continue to run even in our sleep. We can never rest. In our dreams, in our nightmares, we continue to run. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
That's why to love means to learn the art of nourishing our happiness. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
By eating meat we share the responsibility of climate change, the destruction of our forests, and the poisoning of our air and water. The simple act of becoming a vegetarian will make a difference in the health of our planet. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
To make hell into paradise, we only need to change the mind on which it is based.
[...] With your deluded mind, you make hell for yourself. With your true mind, you make paradise. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
At any moment, you have a choice, that either leads you closer to your spirit or further away from it. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Buddhism teaches that joy and happiness arise from letting go. Please sit down and take an inventory of your life. There are things you've been hanging on to that really are not useful and deprive you of your freedom. Find the courage to let them go. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When you walk, arrive with every step. That is walking meditation. There's nothing else to it. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Everything - including love, hate, and suffering - needs food to continue. If suffering continues, it's because we keep feeding our suffering. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When we know how to be at peace, we find that art is a wonderful way to share our peacefulness. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We are too undemanding, too ready to watch whatever is on the screen, too lonely, lazy, or bored to create our own lives. We turn on the TV and leave it on, allowing someone else to guide us[.] -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Saint Macarius said, "It is not necessary to use many words. Only stretch out your arms and say, 'Lord, have pity on me as you desire and as you well know how. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The roots of a lasting relationship are mindfulness, deep listening and loving speech, and a strong community to support you. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
He knew that even his own father's authority was fragile and restricted - a king did not possess true freedom but was imprisoned by his position. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Let go of the past. Let go of the future. Let go of the present. Proceed to the opposite shore with a free mind, leaving behind all conditioned things. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
You are what you want to become. Why search anymore? You are a wonderful manifestation. The whole universe has come together to make your existence possible. There is nothing that is not you. The kingdom of God, the Pure Land, nirvana, happiness, and liberation are all you. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The wise man, by vigor, mindfulness, restraint, and self-control, creates for himself an island which no flood can submerge. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Don't chase after your thoughts as a shadow follows its object. Don't run after your thoughts. Find joy and peace in this very moment . -- Thich Nhat Hanh
if you practice true love, very soon that love will grow and include all of us. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
According to the Buddha, life is available only in the here and now, the present moment. He said, "The past is already gone, the future is not yet here. There's only one moment for you to live, and that is the present moment." If you miss the present moment, you miss your appointment with life. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
There is no enlightenment outside of daily life. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When Jesus said, "I am the way," He meant that to have a true relationship with God, you must practice His way. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
even if you turn off the TV, the TV in your mind continues to run. So you have to also stop the TV in your head. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Can there be joy and laughter when always the world is ablaze? Enshrouded in darkness, should you not seek light? -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Learn to look at your body as a river in which every cell is a drop of water. In every moment, cells are born and cells die. Birth and death support each other. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Life is illuminated by right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Breath remains the vehicle to unite body and mind and to open the gate to wisdom. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We can't wait to be happy until we remove one hundred percent of suffering. That moment will never exist. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
There are many ways to tell the truth. It's an art. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Smiling is a kind of mouth yoga. When we smile, it releases the tension in our face. Others notice it, even strangers, and are likely to smile back. By smiling, we initiate a wonderful chain reaction, touching the joy in anyone we encounter. A smile is an ambassador of goodwill. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
To be a friend means to offer happiness. If love doesn't offer happiness, if it makes the other person cry all the time, then it's not love; it's the opposite. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The mind can go in a thousand directions, but on this beautiful path, I walk in peace. With each step, the wind blows. With each step, a flower blooms. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
If a lotus is to grow, it needs to be rooted in the mind. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment I know this is the only moment. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
If you cannot be compassionate to yourself, you will not be able to be compassionate to others. When we get angry, we have to produce awareness: "I am angry. Anger is in me. I am anger." That is the first thing to do. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
There is the mud, and there is the lotus that grows out of the mud. We need the mud in order to make the lotus. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Many people are alive but don't touch the miracle of being alive. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Emptiness is not the opposite of existence. It is not nothingness or annihilation. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
If you truly practice mindfulness, it will never cause harm. If the practice doesn't bring about more compassion, then it's not right mindfulness. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We turn on the TV and leave it on, allowing someone else to guide us, shape us, and destroy us. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The more you understand, the more you love; the more you love, the more you understand. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The secret of Buddhism is to remove all ideas, all concepts, in order for the truth to have a chance to penetrate, to reveal itself. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We fall back into the past, we jump ahead into the future, and in this we lose our entire lives. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Our inner space and our peace of mind are affected by our outer space. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
If you have the impression that you know the other person inside and out, you are wrong. Are you sure that you even know yourself? Every person is a world to explore. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The only way to ease our fear and be truly happy is to acknowledge our fear and look deeply at its source. Instead of trying to escape from our fear, we can invite it up to our awareness and look at it clearly and deeply. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When you love someone, you have to offer that person the best you have. The best thing we can offer another person is our true presence. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Unwholesome action, hurting self, comes easily. Wholesome action, healing self, takes effort. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When we are mindful, deeply in touch with the present moment, our understanding of what is going on deepens, and we begin to be filled with acceptance, joy, peace and love. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
If you touch one thing with deep awareness, you touch everything. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When you learn about the teaching and the practice of another tradition, you always have a chance to understand your own teaching and practice. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Nothing can heal anger except compassion. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
You don't have to die to enter nirvana or the Kindgom of God. You only have to dwell deeply in the present moment, right now. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Our idea of happiness may be the very thing that's preventing us from being happy. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We need enlightenment, not just individually but collectively, to save the planet. We need to awaken ourselves. We need to practice mindfulness if we want to have a future, if we want to save ourselves and the planet. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When our beliefs are based on our own direct -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The mind is like a monkey swinging from branch to branch through a forest, says the Sutra. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Whether we are in the city, the countryside, or the wilderness, we need to sustain ourselves by choosing our surroundings carefully and nourishing our awareness in each moment. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
My dear friends, my dear disciples, don't take refuge in anything outside of you. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Being rich is an obstacle to loving. When you are rich, you want to continue to be rich, and so you end up devoting all your time, all your energy, in your daily life to stay rich. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Nonfear is the cream of the Buddha's teaching. Practicing -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Time passes quickly, Great King. If I don't use the strength and energy I now possess as a young man, old age will arrive too soon and I will feel deep regret. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Just as an arrow smith shapes an arrow to perfection with fire, so does the wise man shape his mind. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When we read a magazine, we consume. When we watch a television program, we consume. Whatever we consume affects our body and mind. If we consume toxic magazine articles, movies, or video games, they will feed our craving, our anger, and our fear. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The son needs the father to have access to his source, and the father needs the son to have access to the future and the infinite. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We constantly encounter themes that arouse sexual desire, often coupled with themes of violence. If our collective consciousness is filled with violent sexual seeds, why should we be surprised when there is sexual abuse of children, rape, and other violent acts? -- Thich Nhat Hanh
If we study it is not to store up knowledge but to deepen our understanding. Our understanding, in turn, can only deepen as we put it into action. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Other people's actions are the result of their own pain and not the result of any intention to hurt you. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Happiness is a function of compassion. If you do not have compassion in your heart, you do not have any happiness. The -- Thich Nhat Hanh
There is no need to travel a great distance to touch the Kingdom of God, because it is not located in space or time. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We must practice living deeply, loving, and acting with charity if we wish to truly honor Jesus. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When we have peace, then we have a chance to save the planet. But if we are not united in peace, if we do not practice mindful consumption, we cannot save our planet. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Our practice is to water the flower in our loved one, and not bring them more garbage. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
You cannot love properly and deeply without mindfulness. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
As the pot slowly fills up with water, drop by drop, so does the fool, little by little, become evil. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We can only accept teachings that we have put into practice with our own awakened understanding and that we can see with our own experience to be true. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Life is both dreadful and wonderful. To practice meditation is to be in touch with both aspects. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Most of us experience a life full of wonderful moments and difficult moments. But for many of us, even when we are most joyful, there is fear behind our joy. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Mindfulness is the capacity to shine the light of awareness onto what's going on here and now. Mindfulness is the heart of meditation practice. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We must speak carefully so that we and our listeners do not get stuck in words or concepts. It is our duty to transcend words and concepts to be able to encounter reality. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Letting go takes a lot of courage sometimes. But once you let go, happiness comes very quickly. You won't have to go around search for it. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
it is always possible to practice "I have arrived, I am home." I have run all my life; I am not going to run anymore; now I am determined to stop and really live my life. When -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We have to be in the present time, because only the present is real, only in the present can we be alive. We do not practice for the sake of the future, to be reborn in a paradise, but to be peace, to be compassion, to be joy right now. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Meditation is not an escape. It is the courage to look at reality with mindfulness and concentration. Meditation is essential for our survival. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Each moment is a chance for us to make peace with the world, to make peace possible for the world, to make happiness possible for the world. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The amassing of evil brings misery. The accumulation of good brings blessings. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Buddhist teachings are meant to awaken our true self, not merely to add to our storehouse of knowledge. From -- Thich Nhat Hanh
In what spirit is this explanation given? Without being caught up in signs, just according to things as they are, without agitation. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Don't do any task in order to get it over with. Resolve to do each job in a relaxed way, with all your attention. Enjoy and be one with your work. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When we direct our attention toward our suffering, we see our potential for happiness. We see the nature of suffering and the way out. That is why the Buddha called suffering a holy truth. When we use the word "suffering" in Buddhism, we mean the kind of suffering that can show us the way out. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
I promise myself that I will enjoy every minute of the day that is given me to live. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Look at the body as a royal chariot to which the ignorant cling, while the wise let go. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
They persistently refused to support either armed party and believed that both sides were but the reflection of one reality, and the true enemies were not people, but ideology, hatred, and ignorance. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
To practice nonviolence, first of all we must learn to deal peacefully with ourselves. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When you touch someone who authentically represents a tradition, you not only touch his or her tradition, you also touch your own. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
What is love? Love is treating your heart with a great deal of tenderness, with understanding, love, and compassion. If you cannot treat your own heart this way, how can you treat your partner with understanding and love? -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Tomorrow, I will continue to be. But you will have to be very attentive to see me. I will be a flower, or a leaf. I will be in these forms and I will say hello to you. If you are attentive enough, you will recognize me, and you may greet me. I will be very happy. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Health is the highest prize. Contentment is the greatest wealth. A loyal friend is the best relative. Nirvana is supreme bliss. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Those who fail to distinguish the nonessential from the essential and the essential from the nonessential will, in feeding all wrong thoughts, fail to attain the essential. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We have a lamp inside us. The oil of that lamp is our breathing, our steps, and our peaceful smile. Our practice is to light up the lamp. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When mindfulness is present, the Buddha and the Holy Spirit are already there, -- Thich Nhat Hanh
If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all generations of your ancestors. All of them are alive in this moment. Each is present in your body. You are the continuation of each of these people. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Nothing can exist by itself alone. It has to depend on every other thing. That is called inter-being. [...] There is no being; there is only inter-being. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
People sacrifice the present for the future. But life is available only in the present. That is why we should walk in such a way that every step can bring us to the here and the now. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
I clean this teapot with the kind of attention I would have were I giving the baby Buddha or Jesus a bath. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Harmony and One-ness with all living beings. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The most important matter for a practitioner is to be able to break through the veil of the material plane in order to enter the ultimate dimension and see the interconnection between us and all other phenomena in the world around us. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Keeping your body healthy is an expression of gratitude to the whole cosmos - the trees, the clouds, everything. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
The intuitive mind is a sacred gift, and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a world that honors the servant, but has forgotten the gift. - ALBERT EINSTEIN -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Attachment to views is the greatest impediment to the spiritual path. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
That is why I don't believe much in what Mr. Descartes said: "I think, therefore I am."
I think, therefore I'm lost in my thinking. I'm not there. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Suffering has many faces. If we discover the roots of one suffering, we are at the same time discovering the roots of others. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Compassion doesn't mean that you have to love that person who's so difficult. But if you stop and look deeper, you'll see that person's difficulties. If you can accept him, then you can love him. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
In Asia, when people kiss each other they use the nose more than the mouth. Using the nose, we can recognize the person; it's so pleasant. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
(from now on I'll use the term "mindfulness" to refer to keeping one's consciousness alive to the present reality), then one must practice right now in one's daily life, not only during meditation sessions. When -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Using your intelligence and your compassion, you'll be able to find your way out of any difficulty that arises in daily life. This gives you greater confidence in your own capability, making you even more solid. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Where there is anger, apply loving kindness. Where there is evil, offer good. Where there is stinginess, be generous. Where there are lies, be truthful. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Thinking prevents us from touching life deeply. I think, therefore I am really not there. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
If we are peaceful, if we are happy, we can smile, and everyone in our family, our entire society, will benefit from our peace. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Your anger. And when someone makes you suffer, go back and -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Root out the violence in your life, and learn to live compassionately and mindfully. Seek peace. When you have peace within, real peace with others is possible. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Do not say that I'll depart tomorrow because even today I still arrive. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Breathing in, I know I have an unpleasant feeling. Breathing out, I am here for this unpleasant feeling. Breathing in, I calm the feeling in me. Breathing out, I calm the feeling in me. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
My Dharma is the practice of nonpractice. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
You already are everything you are seeking. Do not try to become something else. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When there are wars within us, it will not be long before we are at war with others, even those we love. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Each time you look at a tangerine, you can see deeply into it. You can see everything in the universe in one tangerine. When you peel it and smell it, it's wonderful. You can take your time eating a tangerine and be very happy. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Without reason, there is no concentration. Without concentration, there is no reason. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
There is nowhere to arrive except the present moment. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When St Francis looked deeply at an all day treatment in winter and asked it to speak to him about God, the tree was instantly covered in blossoms. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
I am determined to practice deep listening. I am determined to practice loving speech. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
When you see the suffering inside yourself, you can see the suffering in the other person, and you can see your part, your responsibility, in creating the suffering in yourself and in the other person. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Many people think excitement is happiness ... But when you are excited you are not peaceful. True happiness is based on peace. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
You guys get up too early for one thing, you should get up a little later. And your practice is too grim. I have just two instructions for you this week. One is to breathe, and one is to smile. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
It is said that God has created man in his own image. But it may be that humankind has created God in the image of humankind. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We can condition our bodies and minds to happiness with the five practices of letting go, inviting positive seeds, mindfulness, concentration, and insight. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We absorb and reflect what is around us. If we live in a place where people are angry and violent, then eventually we'll become like them. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Whoever neglects doing good is inviting addiction to evil. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
My actions are my only true belongings. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Life waits patiently for true heroes. It is dangerous when those aspiring to be heroes cannot wait until they find themselves. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Precepts in Buddhism are not imposed by some outside authority. They arise from our own insight based on the practice of mindfulness. To be attached to the form without understanding the essence is to fall into what Buddhism calls attachment to rules. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Waking up this morning, I smile. Twenty-four brand new hours are before me. I vow to live fully in each moment and to look at all beings with eyes of compassion. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Understanding and love aren't two separate things, they're just one. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We are here to awaken from our illusion of separateness. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We practice so that each moment of our life becomes real life. And, therefore, when we meditate, we sit for sitting; we don't sit for something else. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
If I don't understand you, I may be angry at you, all the time. We are not capable of understanding each other, and that is the main source of human suffering. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
In the dimension of space and time,
We chew as rhythmically as we breathe.
Maintaining the lives of all our ancestors,
Opening an upward path for descendants. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
We do not have to look for God, we do not have to look for our ultimate dimension or nirvana, because we are nirvana, we are God. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Each thought, each action in the sunlight of awareness becomes sacred. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
For things to reveal themselves to us, we need to be ready to abandon our views about them. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Our own life is the instrument with which we experiment with the truth. -- Thich Nhat Hanh
