Thích Nhất Hạnh (/ˈtɪk ˈnjʌt ˈhʌn/; Vietnamese: [tʰǐk ɲɜ̌t hɐ̂ʔɲ] ( listen); born as Nguyễn Xuân Bảo on October 11, 1926) is a Vietnamese Buddhist monk and peace activist.
Even if we cannot be completely non-voilent, by being vegetarian we are going in the direction of non-voilence
In our consciousness, there are many negative seeds and also many positive seeds. The practice is to avoid watering the negative seeds, and to identify and water the positive seeds every day.
Only the present moment contains life.
We fear that this moment will end, that we won't get what we need, that we will lose what we love, or that we will not be safe. Often, our biggest fear is the knowledge that one day our bodies will cease functioning. So even when we are surrounded by all the conditions for happiness, our joy is not complete.
If you establish serenity and happiness inside yourself, you provide the world with a solid base of peace. If you do not give yourself peace, how can you share it with others? If you do not begin your peace work with yourself, where will you go to begin it?
Transformations is the word. We can do the work of transformation only in the present moment
In the moment when we are able to smile, to look at ourselves with compassion, our world begins to change.
Understanding means throwing away your knowledge.
Your journey to a healthier weight is not a journey that you start and then give up. It is a journey that you are living every day for the rest of your life.
Do not live with a vocation that is harmful to humans and nature. Do not invest in companies that deprive others of their chance to live. Select a vocation that helps realise your ideal of compassion.
The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it. (21)
You are like fireworks. You go out into your children, your friends, your society, and the whole world.
We are here to awaken from our illusion of separateness.
In true dialogue, both sides are willing to change.
Please don't wait until the doctors tell you that you are going to have a baby to begin to take care of it. It is already there. Whatever you are, whatever you do, your baby will get it. Anything you eat, any worries that are on your mind will be for him or her. Can you tell me that you cannot smile? Think of the baby, and smile for him, for her, for the future generations. Please don't tell me that a smile and your sorrow just don't go together. It's your sorrow, but what about your baby? It's not his sorrow, its not her sorrow.
The first thing I learned was that even if you have a lot of money and power and fame, you can still suffer very deeply.
We have to look deeply at things in order to see. When a swimmer enjoys the clear water of the river, he or she should also be able to be the river.
May all beings learn how to nourish themselves with joy each day.
The buddha called suffering a holy truth, because our suffering has the capacity of showing us the path to liberation. Embrace your suffering and let it reveal to you the way to peace.
Working for peace in the future is to work for peace in the present moment.