The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation
by Thich Nhat Hanh
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Book Reviews of The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation
Book Review: my guidance through the toughest period of my life
Summary: 5 Stars
I was diagnosed with depression 4 years ago and was on medications until about four months ago. I believed I had gotten rid of my depression and it would never enter my life again. I thought that I had learned the life skills to cope. Everything in my life was on the surface fine, but underlying were still issues of self deprecation and anxiety. Five weeks ago my arm started to go numb causing me to have panic attacks and soon my entire body felt tingling. This continued for a week until I had to check myself into the psychiatric emergency. It turned out that I had extreme anxiety and Pure-O. During this time, this book was recommended to me. I never before had realized my lack of presence in the moment. While many situations beyond my control (my friend becoming very ill, death of my grandmother, moving to another state) were present, my main problem was my inability to focus on the beauty in my life. I was so consumed with the future that I caused myself to fall back into depression. I completely believe that depression is a physiological condition but I also feel that our attitude plays an integral part in our recovery. This book not only taught me to appreciate the miracle of living but an acceptance of the unknown. While I know that I need therapy and medication for the few years, I ultimately feel that with this book as an introduction, Buddhism and mindfulness can help me overcome my anxiety and ocd. The only thing that is known in life is the present. If you can not learn to recognize the beauty in each moment's existence the future will pass by without acknowledgment. I have been meditating now for three weeks and see significant improvement in my mental state. While I was never spiritual before, this book is opening my mind to all beings interconnectedness. It has sparked my interest in Buddhism and I am so grateful that books such as this exist. I recommend this book to everyone. We must all learn the miracle in the moment and learn compassion for all living beings.Book Review: A good introduction to mindfulness
Summary: 4 Stars
Unfortunately, I had to read this book in Danish translation, since the library wouldn't get it for me in English (I can't buy all the books I read). The English version is a translation from the Vietnamese, the author Thich Nhat Hanh being a Buddhist monk who wrote the book in 1974 as a letter to a teacher at a social school in South Vietnam from his exile in France.
The book exhorts the reader to mindfulness, i.e. to live in the "now", as Echart Tolle directs us to do, and explains how to do so. When you do the dishes, you don't do so to get them clean, but just for the sake of doing them. You do them with mindfulness and love for the process.
The author's words (even in translation) are imbued with peace and calm, and I found myself reading the book more slowly than I otherwise might have done.
Thich Nhat Hanh's text is inspiring and useful. Its essence is his advocacy of the importance of breathing exercises in order to obtain mindfulness, and innumerable of these are found in a subsequent section on mindfulness exercises as a whole.
A chapter enlightens us about the author Nhat Hanh who at the time of writing what turned into the book was committed to explaining to the Americans the necessity of stopping the bombings and killings in his country. He is a poet and Zen Master.
The final sections of the book are devoted to a selection of buddhist Sutras, which I couldn't really make head or tail of.
But all in all, an admirable book - a good introduction to mindfulness meditation.
I will now be trying to obtain other works of this author, preferably some that have not been translated into Danish, so I have a better chance of getting hold of them in English, for instance, "The long road turns to joy".
Book Review: Meditation for the rest of us
Summary: 4 Stars
Some see meditation as a discipline, others as a method of escape from a hectic world, but according to Vietnamese Buddhist, Thich Nhat Hanh, meditation is neither a strict discipline nor an evasion: "it is a serene encounter with reality."
Using examples such as washing the dishes (of course most of us have dishwashing machines now, but any simple repetitive activity will suffice), Hanh tells us that "While washing the dishes, one should only be washing the dishes." We shouldn't be rushing through one `chore' to get to whatever it is we are planning to do later. When eating an orange we should be aware of each wedge, each individual bite, and not mindlessly consuming while thinking about what comes later. In short, our life consists of what we are doing at this precise moment.
Only by being aware of the present moment can we control our actions. If we are angry, for instance, we should be aware of the fact that we are angry. This awareness leads to a choice: we can maintain our anger or let it go. We are free to act, but our action now becomes a conscious choice; there can be no excusing that action. "The essential thing is not to let any feeling or thought arise without recognizing it in mindfulness."
"The Miracle of Mindfulness" goes on to cover the simple fundamentals of breathing, posture and contemplation all within the gentle framework of mindfulness. Not so much a discipline or escape but a meditation method for the rest of us -- a mindfulness we can apply within the midst of our hectic world.
Book Review: Authentic Power
Summary: 5 Stars
In simple, plain language, Thich Nhat Hanh, a Buddhist monk and well known peace activist, gently explains the daily practice of mindfulness (meditation) inviting us to discover personal transformation in ordinary, everyday tasks. He includes no anecdotes drawn from professional work; he quotes little poetry. You'll find no references to other writers and their books on this topic nor any reference to other fields of human achievement. Nhat Hahn's teachings are based on the practice that has permeated his life and thus ring with authenticity. Also authentic are the books concerning awareness written by Deepak Chopra. However, Chopra weaves a glittering tapestry of provocative professional experiences integrated with the words and beliefs of Indian gurus decorated with the verses of Rumi, references to famous authors and art masterpieces and awash with strategies to reveal the Self. A dazzling work of genius. In contrast, Nhat Hahn presents his work garbed in humble cloth and sandeled feet. He tells us how to turn mundane tasks into mindful meditative practices regarding such events as washing dishes, taking a bath, or making tea as opportunities to dwell deeply in the moment transforming an ordinary event into a deeply spiritual one. It is through these small events of awareness, Nhat Hahn explains, that large events are born that can change the world. In a culture largely obsessed with activity, Thich Nhat Hahn calmy shows us that true power is available to us in ordinary human tasks.Book Review: Miracles!
Summary: 5 Stars
Thich Nhat Hanh wrote "The Miracle of Mindfulness" in 1974 to help the politically-neutral aid workers in Vietnam deal with the trauma of war and the challenges of their work. The book is a remarkable reminder of the power we have to be effective, and that power is rooted in our willingness to bring attention to exactly where we are.
What I really appreciate about this book is that it is about "Engaged Buddhism." In this school, awareness is not just something you gain sitting still in meditation. Rather Hahn emphasizes that awareness can also be gleaned and expressed when you get to work in your life!
If what you seek is practical enlightenment, I suggest you read any of Ariel and Shya Kanes' books: Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: A Book About Instantaneous Transformation,How To Create a Magical Relationship,Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment. Like Hahn, the Kanes support their readers in gaining and utilizing awareness in a way that is clearly effective, both personally and globally!