O, The Oprah Magazine | February 22, 2010
12 Inspiring Quotes From Thich Nhat Hanh – Oprah.com
The man Martin Luther King Jr. called "an apostle of peace and nonviolence" has been a teacher, writer and vocal opponent of war. Here, Thich Nhat Hanh shares a few words of wisdom. Please see Quotes below.
We can’t always achieve “Nirvana” An ideal condition of rest, harmony, stability, or joy. Neither will most of us in the world be able to achieve enlightenment. However, what we can try to do is come as close to achieving inner peace as much as possible. “What else would we want for ourselves?” So, we live in a complicated world, we are not perfect human beings far from it. We all lead busy lives, we have our jobs, some of us travel extensively, we have our families to look after, we get overwhelmed with household chores and if you own your own business you know you wear many hats. In the larger scheme of things though you can try to minimize the stress you are going through by adapting a certain mindset.
Sometimes we build things up in our heads so much that we feel the worst is the worst when it’s far from it. In other words, we worry endless for no reason. We panic and get nervous and unstable when the pressures of life increase to unlimited proportions. It doesn’t have to be that way. My recommendation is to stop focusing of your worries and concerns and focus instead on a solution, by doing that you shift your thoughts to positive action instead of negative thoughts.
Most of us won’t be able to achieve that state of enlightenment has a Buddhist monk does. but we can try to stay focused and calm under pressure. What I know from past experience is that, whatever current instability you are going through in life right now, be it with your family life, friends, personal issues, career etc. everything will get back to normal at some point in time. Life is never static, it changes just like our seasons, remember this every time something in your life is not going according to plan, it will get better it always does.
Please see Thich Nhat Hanh Quotes below:
~ "Freedom is not given to us by anyone; we have to cultivate it ourselves. It is a daily practice… No one can prevent you from being aware of each step you take or each breath in and breath out."
~ "People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar."
~ "Enlightenment is always there. Small enlightenment will bring great enlightenment. If you breathe in and are aware that you are alive—that you can touch the miracle of being alive—then that is a kind of enlightenment."
~ "Many people are alive but don’t touch the miracle of being alive."
~ "It is possible to live happily in the here and now. So many conditions of happiness are available—more than enough for you to be happy right now. You don’t have to run into the future in order to get more."
~ "People suffer because they are caught in their views. As soon as we release those views, we are free and we don’t suffer anymore."
~ "Mindfulness helps you go home to the present. And every time you go there and recognize a condition of happiness that you have, happiness comes."
~ "Life is available only in the present. That is why we should walk in such a way that every step can bring us to the here and the now."
~ "When you love someone, the best thing you can offer is your presence. How can you love if you are not there?"
~ "To be loved means to be recognized as existing."
~ "Every thought you produce, anything you say, any action you do, it bears your signature."
~ "We have to continue to learn. We have to be open. And we have to be ready to release our knowledge in order to come to a higher understanding of reality."
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Often referred to as the most beloved Buddhist teacher in the West, Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings and practices appeal to people from various religious, spiritual, and political backgrounds. Nhat Hanh offers a practice of "mindfulness" that is beneficial for people of all faiths, by helping us resist and transform the speed and violence of our modern society. His life and teachings have deeply influenced millions of people, including scores of luminaries in different fields.
Thich Nhat Hanh (pronounced "tik not hahn") was born in central Vietnam in 1926 and joined the monkhood at the age of 16. In Saigon in the early 1960′s, he founded the School of Youth for Social Services (SYSS), a grass roots relief organization that rebuilt bombed villages, set up schools and medical centers, resettled homeless families, and organized agricultural cooperatives. Rallying some 10,000 student volunteers, the SYSS based its work on the Buddhist principles of non-violence and compassionate action. Despite government denunciation of his activity, Nhat Hanh also founded a Buddhist University, a publishing house, and an influential peace activist magazine in Vietnam. Read more about him here: http://www.dharmamemphis.com/magnolia/tnhbio.html
