"I have lost my smile, but do not worry, the dandelion has it"- Thich Nhat Hanh
An Interview by Marianne Schnall, May 21, 2010 We humans have lost the wisdom of genuinely resting. We worry too much. We don't allow our bodies to heal, and we don't allow our minds and hearts to heal. Meditation can help us.
Thich Nhat Hanh (pronounced Tick-Naught-Han), is a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, author, teacher and peace activist. His efforts to generate peace and reconciliation moved Martin Luther King, Jr. to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967 and to call him "an apostle of peace and nonviolence".
Nhat Hanh currently lives in Plum Village, a Buddhist meditation practice center and monastery he founded in southern France, and travels regularly throughout North America and Europe to lecture and lead retreats on "the Art of Mindful Living." The author of over 100 books including the best-selling books The Miracle of Mindfulness, Living Buddha, Living Christ, and Being Peace, he is currently working on a new book, tentatively titled Peace Is Every Breath: Daily Practices for Our Busy Lives, due out next year.
In his foreword to Thich Nhat Hanh's book, "Peace is Every Step", the Dalai Lama writes that Nhat Hanh "shows us how to use the benefits of mindfulness and concentration to transform and heal difficult psychological states. He shows us the connection between personal, inner peace and peace on Earth."
In the following interview, Nhat Hanh shares valuable insights, advice and wisdom on how we can use our downtime to truly nourish ourselves (he says, "we humans have lost the wisdom of genuinely resting and relaxing"), how even a busy U.S. Congressman uses walking meditation to de-stress and clear his mind on the way to a floor vote, his concerns about the impact of technology on society and his belief in the power of meditation and mindfulness to produce a more peaceful world and self.
READ THE INTERVIEW
The atmosphere is very peaceful and natural..."
"And your setting is instantly relaxing and peaceful,"
"I honestly feel at peace"1
"I felt a sense of peace just standing in the lobby."
"A sanctuary2 of profound peace, symmetry and rejuvenation."
"A sanctuary for sure! This was a truly I-tal3 experience! Every Blessing"
1. peace [pees] noun, interjection, verb, peaced, peac·ing; cessation of or freedom from any strife or dissension: freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, an obsession, etc.; tranquillity; serenity: silence; stillness
2. sanctuary sanc·tu·ar·y immunity afforded by refuge in such a place; any place of refuge; asylum
3. Ital or I-tal i celebrated by those in the Rastafari movement. The word derives from the English word "vital", with the initial syllable replaced by i.
sagebrooklyn on November 19, 2010 in Inspiration, meditation, Reviews & Comments | Permalink | Comments (0)
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