Nhat Hanh
Nhat Hanh
Thích Nhất Hạnh; born as Nguyen Xuan Bao on October 11, 1926) is a Vietnamese Buddhist monk and peace activist. He lives in Plum Village in the Dordogne region in the south of France, travelling internationally to give retreats and talks. He coined the term "Engaged Buddhism" in his book Vietnam: Lotus in a Sea of Fire. A long-term exile, he was given permission to make his first return trip to Vietnam in 2005...
NationalityVietnamese
ProfessionActivist
Date of Birth11 October 1926
CountryVietnam
If you have a friend who suffers, you have to help him.«My dear friend, you are on safe ground. Everything is okay now. Why do you continue to suffer? Don't go back to the past. It's only a ghost; it's unreal». And whenever we recognize that these are only movies and pictures, not reality, we are free. That is the practice of mindfulness.
Forgiveness will not be possible until compassion is born in your heart.
Fearlessness is not only possible, it is the ultimate joy. When you touch nonfear, you are free.
Simple practices like conscious breathing and smiling are very important. They can change our civilization.
When we give ourselves the chance to let go of all our tension, the body's natural capacity to heal itself can begin to work.
If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today
True love always brings joy to ourself and the one we love. If our love does not bring joy to both of us, it is not true love.
A real love letter is made of insight, understanding, and compassion. Otherwise it's not a love letter. A true love letter can produce a transformation in the other person, and therefore in the world. But before it produces a transformation in the other person, it has to produce a transformation within us. Some letters may take the whole of our lifetime to write.
Find joy and peace in this very moment.
Life is a miracle, and being aware of simply this can already make us very happy.
Are we treating our body kindly by the way we eat, by the way we drink, by the way we work? Are we treating ourselves with enough joy and tenderness and peace? Or are we feeding ourselves with toxins that we get from the market - the spiritual, intellectual, entertainment market?
Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful.
If a child smiles, if an adult smiles, that is very important. If in our daily lives we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. If we really know how to live, what better way to start the day than with a smile? Our smile affirms our awareness and determination to live in peace and joy. The source of a true smile is an awakened mind.
My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground on which I stand.