Brief Description
"This book gives specific, practical instructions on extending our meditation practice into our daily lives and relationships. With his inimitable blend of simplicity and profundity, Nhat Hanh helps us look deeply into and transform the roots of violence, war, alcoholism, and family strife."--Yoga Journal
In this sequel to Being Peace, Thich Nhat Hanh continues his teachings on practicing peace in everyday life and shows us how mindful awareness can help us see the roots of war, violence, substance abuse, and social alienation. He concludes with his compelling vision for rebuilding society.
Sample Chapter
We come to the practice of meditation seeking relief from our suffering, and meditation can teach us how to transform our suffering and obtain basic relief. But the deepest kind of relief is the realization of nirvana. There are two dimensions to life, and we should be able to touch both. One is like a wave, and we call it the historical dimension. The other is like the water, and we call it the ultimate dimension, or nirvana. We usually touch just the wave, but when we discover how to touch the water, we receive the highest fruit that meditation can offer.
In the historical dimension, we have birth certificates and death certificates. The day your mother passes away, you suffer. If someone sits close to you and shows her concern, you feel some relief. You have her friendship, her support, her warm hand to hold. This is the world of waves. It is characterized by birth and death, ups and downs, being and non-being. A wave has a beginning and an end, but we cannot ascribe these characteristics to water. In the world of water, there is no birth or death, no being or non-being, no beginning or end. When we touch the water, we touch reality in its ultimate dimension and are liberated from all of these concepts.