Thich Nhat Hanh: His Life’s Lessons & Inspirational Quotes Leading to Peace!

Thich Nhat Hanh: His Life’s Lessons & Inspirational Quotes Leading to Peace!

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It is truly difficult to find peace and mindfulness in a world full of chaos. Thich Nhat Hanh teaches peace, love, and humility through mindfulness and meditation. His major message resonates that all can learn to live happily in the present moment.

Living in the moment is the only way to develop peace in one’s self and the world. Begin with Thich Nhat Hanh’s Engaged Buddhism and apply the enlightenment you gain from meditation to calm the chaos around you.  

Developing mindlessness helps you create social interactions in the world. It influences how to love yourself, share this love with others around you, and make a difference.

Learn to live in the present moment through mindfulness. You can learn your place in this world, find ways to give up addictions and use Thich Nhat Hanh’s mindfulness teachings and lessons to influence your meditation and find peace in the way you live your life.  

As a society, we are growing far apart. People spend too much time on the Internet, social media platforms, and digital entertainment. The concentration on living through technology is a sickness of our time. Thich Nhat Hanh credits the Internet as a tool that can be used to great benefit, but it also brings with it many problems.

The amount of information you can receive online can be overwhelming and cause you to lose yourself in a sea of information. Mindfulness brings you back to reality. Meditation moderates the time spent online and helps you to know if what you are learning is beneficial or if it makes you lonely and desperate.

Read his words, and quotes and take into your soul the poems written by Thich Nhat Hanh. Find those quotes that echo throughout your mind and influence your daily meditation. You live in a world full of conflict and social injustices.

Learn how you can improve yourself and the world around you. Take into your heart the ways Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings influence modern society. Learn to think deeply, love fully, and act kindly. In today’s world, meditation is regarded as a mental focus for New Age people.

Not so, meditation is envisioning something that gives you peace or satisfaction. Meditation’s goal is to stop the relentless activity of your mind; to slow thoughts down. Slowing down chaotic thoughts and activities is good for your mind and body.

Learn from Thich Nhat Hanh the proper way to meditate. Turn your mind to a state of unthinking awareness. Know that meditation is not doing; it is being.



Related: Self-Meditation for Peace and Serenity

Thich Nhat Hanh: The Zen Master

True meditation is a state of profound peace that comes when the mind is calm and silent, yet alert. True meditation takes you to a higher state of awareness and enables you to fulfill who you were meant to be.

Meditation is a learned talent. It takes the guidance, love and support, and suggestions of a Zen master. Thich Nhat Hanh is such a master, and he has trained countless followers around the world to help.

Nhat Hanh is a spiritual leader designed for everyone around the globe. He is a peace activist, an accomplished poet, a teacher, and a mentor. He is well-regarded everywhere in the world for his teachings and pathways to spiritual and world peace.

Thach Nhat is the Zen Master Martin Luther King, Jr. called “An Apostle of peace and nonviolence.” “Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy” (Thich Nhat Hanh quotes.)

Mindfulness Exercise as Taught by Thich Nhat Hanh

How to Meditate as Taught by the Zen Master  

“To meditate does not mean to fight with a problem. To meditate means to observe. Your smile proves it. It proves that you are being gentle with yourself, And the sun of awareness is shining in you, that you have control of your situation. You are yourself, and you have acquired some peace.”  

“Breathing in I know that I am breathing in.”  

Breathing makes meditation a humble practice, but it is a life-changing action. Thich Nhat Hanh explains five mindfulness exercises to give you a chance to live a peaceful and joyful life.



Identify your Breath

The first step is a very simple but powerful exercise. Simply identify your in-breath and your out-breath. Bring your mind home and recognize that your in-breath is your mind and the object of your mind. “Mindfulness is always mindful of something. When you drink your tea mindfully, it’s called mindfulness of drinking. When you walk mindfully, it’s called mindfulness of walking. And when you breathe mindfully, that is mindfulness of breathing”

Thich Nhat Hanh teaches that when your mind is focused on your breath or any other action you are doing, you focus your entire attention on that action. You do not think about anything else for the present. To learn this focus, start with the simple act of breathing. Bring your attention to your breath and all mental discourse inside your mind just stops. Focusing on one action is the miracle of the practice.

Concentrate

The second mindfulness exercise is concentration. While you breathe in, you follow your breath from the beginning to the end. Breathe in and out and think of nothing else. Concentrate on your breathing. Make a conscious effort to breathe in and breathe out. Don’t think about your next project.

“If you continue like that, your breathing will naturally become deeper and slower, more harmonious and peaceful. You don’t have to make any effort—it happens naturally” – Thich Nhat Hanh



Be Aware of Your Body  

The third mindfulness exercise is being aware of your body. As you breathe in and out, you know your body is in the present. Your mind comes back to your body. Mind and body become one reality. You are fully alive and can be in touch with the wonders of life. Don’t look around you for this will cause distractions, but do be aware.  

“Breathing in, I’m aware of my body.” When you practice mindful breathing, the quality of your in-breath and out-breath will be improved. There are more peace and harmony in your breathing, and if you continue to practice like that, the peace and the harmony will penetrate the body, and the body will profit (Thich Nhat Hanh, 2010).  

Release Tension  

The fourth mindfulness exercise as taught by Thich Nhat Hanh is releasing tension. Releasing tension is one great by-product of meditation. When you are aware of your body, you will notice you have some tension, pain, and stress.

Tension and pain have been accumulating for a long time, and your body suffers. Your mind cannot help release tension without your mindfulness. It is important to learn how to release tension to live in peace and awareness.  

Sit, lay, or stand. Any position can help you practice deep relaxation. When driving in your car you can release tension. When you are at a red light, sit back and practice the fourth mindfulness exercise. And, when you are working in an office, take a moment and sit back in your chair. Shut your eyes. Be one with your surroundings. Meditate and take the stress away. Don’t be afraid that someone will see you. Have enough confidence in yourself just to be.  

“Breathing in, I’m aware of my body. Breathing out, I release the tension in my body.” Peace is possible at that moment, and it can be practiced many times a day—in the workplace, while you are driving, while you are cooking, while you are doing the dishes, while you are watering the vegetable garden. It is always possible to practice releasing the tension in yourself.”



Walking Meditation  

“When you practice mindful breathing you simply allow your in-breath to take place. You become aware of it and enjoy it. Effortlessness. The same thing is true with mindful walking. Every step is enjoyable. Every step helps you touch the wonders of life. And, every step is a joy. That is possible.”  

Walking meditation is very enjoyable. You are here in the present with your body and mind working together. You are alive and in the here and now. With every step you take, you touch the wonder of life that is all around you. When you walk in mindfulness, every step brings peace and joy. Think about your steps; every step is a miracle.  

The real miracle is walking on the Earth. You can perform this miracle at any time of the day or night. Bring your mind home to your body, be alive, and think of walking as a miracle.  

This simple way to help you honor the sacred in your life brings you closer to spiritual awareness. Keep your pace moderate and focused. Pay attention to each step you take and the feeling of your muscles working, Listen to your breathing and your surroundings. Stay at the moment, focused, and in tune. Do not let your mind wander. Once you get into this state of walking meditation, your life will change for the better.

Sitting Meditation  

One of the most healing meditation practices is sitting meditation. It is like coming home and sitting in meditation urges you to give total attention and care to yourself. Observe your thoughts and images in your mind and be accepting of who you are. Feel free to love yourself. Sit still and be calm despite all the storms that are around you.  

Sit upright with dignity either on the floor or in a chair. Concentrate on breathing. Let your full attention be around you and let your mind and heart be full of love and softness.  



Noble Silence  

Zen Master Thich Nhah Hanh teaches that a period of deep silence will heal your body and mind. Noble silence is usually starting at the end of the evening sitting meditation and can last until you need to get ready for bed. Noble silence is healing if you allow the silence and calmness to penetrate your flesh and bones.

Breathe deeply and enjoy the stillness of the evening. Do not talk to anyone. It is also nice to stay alone outside with the stars. After you have experienced noble silence, practice deep relaxation and let sleep come quietly.

Thich Nhat Hanh wrote this beautiful poem for the young who died trying to teach the world how to be one with another:

“Promise me, promise me this day, promise me now, While the sun is overhead exactly at the zenith, promise me: Even as they strike you down with a mountain of hatred and violence; even as they step on you and crush you like a worm, even as they dismember and disembowel you, remember, brother, remember: man is not our enemy” (Thich Nhat Hanh, 1987)

FAQs

Thich Nhat Hanh Quotes

  1. “My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground on which I stand.”
  2. “We who have touched war have a duty to bring the truth about war to those who have not had a direct experience of it. We are the light at the tip of the candle. It is really hot, but it has the power of shining and illuminating. If we practice mindfulness, we will know how to look deeply into the nature of war and with our insight, wake people up so that together we can avoid repeating the same horrors again and again.”
  3. “If you do not know how to take care of yourself, and the violence in you, then you will not be able to take care of others. You must have love and patience before you can truly listen to your partner or child. If you are irritated, you cannot listen. You have to know how to breathe mindfully, embrace your irritation and transform it. Offer ONLY understanding and compassion to your partner or child. – This is the true practice of love”
  4. “The essence of loving kindness can offer happiness. You can be the sunshine for another person. You can’t offer happiness until you have it for yourself. To build a home inside by accepting yourself and learning to love and heal yourself. Learn how to practice mindfulness in such a way that you can create moments of happiness and joy for your nourishment. Then you have something to offer the other person. If you have enough understanding and love, then every moment — whether it’s spent making breakfast, driving the car, watering the garden, or doing anything else in your day — can be a moment of joy”
  5. “When you love someone, you should have the capacity to bring relief and help him to suffer less. This is an art. If you don’t understand the roots of his suffering, you can’t help, just as a doctor can’t help heal your illness if she doesn’t know the cause. You need to understand the cause of your loved one’s suffering to help bring relief”

Thich Nhat Hanh Death: Is Thich Nhat Hanh Still Alive in 2022

No, He died on 22nd January 2022 in Vietnam.  He was 95. The death was confirmed by a monk at Tu Hieu Pagoda in Hue, Vietnam who said that Nhat Hanh, known as Thay to his followers, died at midnight on Saturday.

  • Date of death: 22 January 2022
  • Place of death: Từ Hiếu Pagoda, Hue, Vietnam

Thich Nhat Hanh Books

  1. How to Love by Thich Nhat Hanh
  2. The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh
  3. The Art of Living: Peace and Freedom in the Here and Now by Thich Nhat Hanh
  4. Peace Is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh
  5. The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh

Thich Nhat Hanh Pronunciation: How to Pronounce Thich Nhat Hanh

Watch this video:

Source: Julien Miquel

Thich Nhat Hanh Meditation

  1. “To meditate does not mean to fight with a problem. To meditate means to observe. Your smile proves it. It proves that you are being gentle with yourself, And the sun of awareness is shining in you, that you have control of your situation. You are yourself, and you have acquired some peace.”  
  2. “Breathing in I know that I am breathing in.”  

Breathing makes meditation a humble practice, but it is a life-changing action. Thich Nhat Hanh explains five mindfulness exercises to give you a chance to live a peaceful and joyful life.

Peace Love and Zen

The Zen Master teaches that real love has its roots in four elements. These elements are loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. The first two elements address the relationship between your suffering and your capacity to understand others.

The second element of love is compassion. Compassion is the desire to ease another’s burdens and the ability to ease these trials. Practice looking deep into the soul of another to gain an understanding of their suffering. Meditate to learn to understand.   

Understand yourself and embrace all of the negativity plus all the positivity. This gives you the capacity to understand how others feel. Accept yourself with all your faults. Embracing all that life gives you provides a way you can accept and love others. You learn from yourself as you learn from others.  

Joy is the third step to true love. If the is no joy in life, there cannot be love. If you suffer all the time and are depressed, and if you make the person you love cry, this is not love.

Love is a learned vibrant interaction and is formed from what we have seen and understood early in life. It comes via imitation rather than a conscious creation.  

Nhat Hanh tells us, “If our parents didn’t love and understand each other, how are we to know what love looks like? … The most precious inheritance that parents can give their children is their happiness. Our parents may be able to leave us money, houses, and land, but they may not be happy people. If we have happy parents, we have received the richest inheritance of all”

Nhat Hanh’s fourth step to love is freedom. If you love someone, you bring freedom to them. You don’t keep them in slavery, but give them the freedom to learn and grow.

Love is the capacity to protect, nourish and take care of someone. If you can’t take care of and love yourself, you are not capable of taking care of anyone else. Buddhist teachings state that to love oneself is the foundation of love for others.

Peace is the root of Buddhism and the direct aim of Engaged Buddhism. Respect, kindness, and compassion are all elements you must use in your daily life to follow an engaged path. Using these teachings will bring you to nonviolence and the way to socialize with others to help them be peaceful and engaged.

Conclusion:

Nhat Hanh’s poems have the power to disarm hate and confusion. They are there to awaken compassion and help carry the mind and body into the immediate presence of meditation. If you long to find hope in a desperate world, Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings are the answer.  

Take Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings, quotes poems, and writings into your heart. Make them a part of your life. It is up to you and me and citizens of the world to share this journey of peace and love with others. Bring peace to the world.



Also Read: A Compilation of Quotations and Poems for Mothers


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