Rating:  Summary: Peace, indeed in everyday life! A Wonderful Book! Review: This book is so easy to read that there is no excuse not to read. Better yet, it is even easier to implement the steps within. You can open a random page and you will find something simple and useful. I liked the book so much that I am gifting copies of this book to my dear friends and relatives. This book makes a noticeable change in your life in just one day! And yes you will feel calm and peaceful after impementing just one page of this wonderful book. Peace.
Rating:  Summary: Simply beautiful and enlightening Review: Amidst the complexity of traditional and Zen Buddhism comes this delightful book. Whereas Zen can reveal more about the illusion of life in startling ways and classical Buddhism can lend more poetry and symbols, Thich Nhat Hanh returns to the core of Buddhism: compassion and "inter-being" (the interdependecy of the universe). With convincing simplicity which never drifts into condescention, this book qualifies as must-reading and must-interbeing simultaneously. It is concise enough for re-reading, memorization, and most importantly, attainment.
Rating:  Summary: A Gem: Small And Precious Review: Peace is not external, so we do not need to chase it. Peace is already present but we have to get in touch with it. This is attained through mindfulness: living in the present moment, in the here and now. Thich Nhat Hanh, Zen master and spiritual leader teaches mindfulness through conscious breathing and smiling. Connecting the body and mind, to find peace and happiness even in the most unlikely situations. Breathing and smiling! Is that it? You may be as skeptical as I was before practicing this exercise: breathe in, while reciting " breathing in I calm my body" then breathe out while smiling and reciting "breathing out I smile" do this three times! This is a very easy yet very effective exercise, do this often enough, in any position at any time (sitting, lying, driving, walking, before you eat, before you wash the dishes, when you hear the phone ring....) and enjoy being calm, relaxed and peaceful. The author teaches us to be mindful of the people in our life, of the food we eat and of the environment around us.... Turn off the TV and instead walk in the park, visit a good friend, sit down for a meal with family or friends or even by yourself but before you dig in, breath smile, appreciate the food on the table, then eat mindfully, be aware of the taste, the smell, the texture, even if its only a bowl of rice, be happy, be thankful. He also teaches how to transform unpleasant feelings like anger for example into something more wholesome like understanding, using a 5-step method. By practicing understanding and loving speech instead of blaming and arguing we can help each other be happy. By knowing the true nature, the essence of the people around us we can enjoy each other. Mindfulness should lead to proactivity. We must be aware of the real problems of the world and of the suffering around us, and then with mindfulness we will know what to do to be of help. This book is written clearly and beautifully. Full of inspiring stories and parables, meditations and practices, reflecting the author's wisdom and experience. Terrific and extremely effective, will make you calm and happy just reading it, then breathe, smile and be peaceful!
Rating:  Summary: Simple and deep. A beautiful book. Review: This is a beautiful, simple and extremely deep book. It is very easy to read. The concepts are simple, presented in a sweet and heartwarming way. Simple as the ideas are, I have never read anything of its type as convincing or compelling. As jaded and cynical as I am, this book reached me, and even if in subtle way, changed me. I truly believe that if everyone in the world read this book, the world would immediately change for the better. Nothing in the book is at odds with established religions -- this approach transcends that. You need not buy into Buddhism to enjoy this book. Read it and pass it on to others.
Rating:  Summary: Amazing Review: I don't feel it's necessary to repeat what so many others have said. I've read extensively in my own spiritual quest and this is the first book I've found that I feel to be truly lifechanging. I'm now going through all the others he's written. Just buy it.
Rating:  Summary: eye-opening Review: This book is a work of truly dramatic simplicity. Thich Nhat Hanh's grasp of being truly aware is delicately laid upon the seeker and if you are open to being truly at peace, this book will help you get there. "Understanding and love are not two things, but just one." - TNH "The source of a true smile is an awakened mind." - TNH
Rating:  Summary: Breathe . . . Review: It's hard for me to write a review for this book because words can't really describe how wise Thich Nhat Hanh is. All I can say is that this book was very helpful for me and encouraged me to slow down and look at things from a deeper perspective than usual. I especially liked the suggestion that we walk or ride bikes whenever possible, so as to cut back on the pollution that is caused by cars. And I appreciated Hanh's description of the importance of present moment living, as well as his description of proper and deep breathing. Thich Nhat Hanh is a wonderful teacher, and this book is one of the classics in his library. I would recommend it to anyone interested in an introduction to Zen Buddhism. Thich Nhat Hanh is one of the most influencial teachers of Buddhism, and he is an important activist for peace.
Rating:  Summary: Eye-Opening, Motivating Review: I found this book to open my eyes to simplicity as I have never seen it before. The author provides everyday suggestions to finding peace in every moment and every activity of the day. There are meditation suggestions for everything from eating dinner to driving to talking on the phone. Something I think more of us could learn from!! However, I did find some ideas to be redundant after awhile. Could have said a similar message in less words (maybe my impatients needs a little more work still!)
Rating:  Summary: Begin Your Journey of Awareness Review: This book seems very simplistic on the surface, with what appear to be standard Eastern metaphors encouraging inner peace and awareness. Some examples are stories about meditating on a falling leaf or retreating to a quite room in your house. But as you make your way through the book and think about what you're reading, you'll find that Nhat Hanh is actually using these simple stories to make very profound points about how you can embark on a journey of inner peace. And this is serious inner peace as the Buddhists continually strive for, not just the stereotypes that you hear from Western folks who only see this stuff as a fad. Nhat Hanh describes how you can find serenity in the most mundane of activities, such as washing dishes, walking, eating, and even breathing (the breathing techniques he describes are also a key component of Yoga). His techniques for managing anger, depression, and frustration are incredibly useful and should be practiced by far more Westerners. The only flaw in this book is in some sections of Part 3, in which Nhat Hanh attempts to move these techniques from your inner world to the outer world, and contends that these methods of inner awareness can help solve the world's problems or war, hunger, crime, etc. if everyone just practiced them devoutly. He may be right about that, but this is far too idealistic for the real world, even if his Eastern interpretation is far more humane and open-minded than the Western view. Other than that minor flaw, I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a way to cut down on stress or anger, and would like to improve your mental and emotional health.
Rating:  Summary: Simple yet profound Review: This book significantly increased my awareness of how accessible peace of mind, body and spirit is. It reads very easy and the insights are simple observations that in our busy lives we often forget or take for granted. With mindfulness and 'enjoying doing the dishes' we can learn to grow from and fully enjoy the process of living and the diversity of life's various experiences. This book promotes world peace, one reader at a time, since peace on earth begins in the heart. I also highly recommend "Open Your Mind, Open Your Life: A Book of Eastern Wisdom" by Taro Gold. Both are simple yet profound.
|