When we come into contact with the other person, our thoughts and actions should express our mind of compassion, even if that person says and does things that are not easy to accept. We practice in this way until we see clearly that our love is not contingent upon the other person being lovable.
—Thich Nhat Hanh
Topics: Compassion, Kindness
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
Topics: Earth, Live, Water, Feel
Our notions of 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
May our heart’s garden of awakening bloom with hundreds of flowers.
—Thich Nhat Hanh
Topics: Gardening
If love is in our hearts, every thought, word, and deed can bring about a miracle.
—Thich Nhat Hanh
In April, we cannot see sunflowers in France, so we might say the .sunflowers do not exist. But the local farmers have already planted thousands of seeds, and when they look at the bare hills, they may be able to see the sunflowers already. The sunflowers are there. They lack only the conditions of sun, heat, rain and July. just because we cannot see them does not mean that they do not exist.
—Thich Nhat Hanh
But if we have the energy of compassion and loving kindness in us, the people around us will be influenced by our way of being and living.
—Thich Nhat Hanh
Topics: Compassion
If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work.
—Thich Nhat Hanh
Topics: Peace, Joy, Smile
Feelings, whether of compassion or irritation, should be welcomed, recognized, and treated on an absolutely equal basis; because both are ourselves. The tangerine I am eating is me. The mustard greens I am planting are me. I plant with all my heart and mind. I clean this teapot with the kind of attention I would have were I giving the baby Buddha or Jesus a bath. Nothing should be treated more carefully than anything else. In mindfulness, compassion, irritation, mustard green plant, and teapot are all sacred.
—Thich Nhat Hanh
Topics: Action
In true dialogue, both sides are willing to change.
—Thich Nhat Hanh
Topics: Change
The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.
—Thich Nhat Hanh
Topics: Attention, Listening
Some people live as though they are already dead. They are people moving around 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
Words and thoughts concerning compassionate action that are not put into practice are like beautiful flowers that are colorful but have no fragrance.
—Thich Nhat Hanh
Topics: Activism
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
If we are too busy, if we are carried away every day by our projects, our uncertainty, our craving, how can we have the time to stop and look deeply into the situation-our own situation, the situation of our beloved one, the situation of our family and of our community, and the situation of our nation and of the other nations?
—Thich Nhat Hanh
Topics: Reflection
Though we all have the fear and the seeds of anger within us, we must learn not to water those seeds and instead nourish our positive qualities — those of compassion, understanding, and loving kindness.
—Thich Nhat Hanh
The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling truly alive.
—Thich Nhat Hanh
Live your daily life in a way that you never lose yourself. When you are carried away with your worries, fears, cravings, anger, and desire, you run away from yourself and you lose yourself. The practice is always to go back to oneself.
—Thich Nhat Hanh
People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child—our own two eyes. All is a miracle.
—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
Topics: Smile
Whatever you can do, do it today and then old age will be a delicious fruit.
—Thich Nhat Hanh
We often think of peace as the absence of war; that if the powerful countries would reduce their arsenals, we could have peace. But if we look deeply into the weapons, we see our own minds – our prejudices, fears, and ignorance. Even if we transported all the bombs to the moon, the roots of war and the reasons for bombs would still be here, in our hearts and minds, and sooner or later we would make new bombs. Seek to become more aware of what causes anger and separation, and what overcomes them. Root out the violence in your life, and learn to live compassionately and mindfully
—Thich Nhat Hanh
Topics: Compassion, Absence
To educate people for peace, we can use words or we can speak with our lives.
—Thich Nhat Hanh
Topics: Peace
Your true home is in the here and the now. It is not limited by time, space, nationality, or race. Your true home is not an abstract idea. It is something you can touch and live in every moment. With mindfulness and concentration, the energies of the Buddha, you can find your true home in the full relaxation of your mind and body in the present moment. No one can take it away from you. Other people can occupy your country, they can even put you in prison, but they cannot take away your true home and your freedom.
—Thich Nhat Hanh
Each thought, each action in the sunlight of awareness becomes sacred. In this light, no boundary exists between the sacred and the profane… sitting at the table with other people, we have the chance to offer an authentic smile of friendship and understanding. It is very easy, but not many people do it. To me, this is the most important practice. We look at each person and smile … .
—Thich Nhat Hanh
There is no way to happiness, happiness is the way.
—Thich Nhat Hanh
Topics: Happiness
When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don’t blame the lettuce. You look into the reasons it is not doing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water, or less sun. You never blame the lettuce. Yet if we have problems with our friends or our family, we blame the other person. But if we know how to take care of them, they will grow well, like lettuce. Blaming has no positive effect at all, nor does trying to persuade using reason and arguments. That is my experience. No blame, no reasoning, no argument, just understanding. If you understand, and you show that you understand, you can love, and the situation will change.
—Thich Nhat Hanh
Topics: Blame, Arguments, Understanding
Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful.
—Thich Nhat Hanh
Topics: Smile
In order to rally people, governments need enemies. They want us to be afraid, to hate, so we will rally behind them. And if they do not have a real enemy, they will invent one in order to mobilize us.
—Thich Nhat Hanh
Topics: Government
If we are not empty, we become a block of matter.
We cannot breathe, we cannot think.
To be empty means to be alive, to breathe in and to breathe out.
We cannot be alive if we are not empty.
Emptiness is impermanence, it is change.
We should not complain about impermanence,
because without impermanence, nothing is possible.
—Thich Nhat Hanh
Topics: Rationality
Wondering Whom to Read Next?
- The 14th Dalai Lama Tibetan Buddhist Religious Leader
- Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche Tibetan Buddhist Teacher
- Sakyong Mipham Tibetan Buddhist Religious Leader
- D. T. Suzuki Japanese Buddhist Philosopher
- Taisen Deshimaru Japanese Buddhist Teacher
- Mary Manin Morrissey American Christian Religious Leader
- Joseph Goldstein American Buddhist Teacher
- Pema Chodron American Buddhist Nun
- Yogaswami of Jaffna Sri Lankan Hindu Religious Leader
- L. Ron Hubbard American Scientologist Religious Leader
Leave a Reply