The first Thich Nhat Hanh book I ever read, when I was a young teenager. What a beautiful read. He has a wonderful ability to draw on the depths of his experience and practice, and share them in very clear, straightforward way. Peace always starts with us, and this book is both an introductory explanation of various teachings of Buddhism, as well as offers some practical approaches and advise on how to access and cultivate an experience of peace within our being.
He also expounds the fourteen mindfulness trainings of the Order of Interbeing, the organization he and others started in Vietnam many years ago, which focuses on what he calls ‘Engaged Buddhism.’
Opening poem:
“If we are peaceful, if we are happy,
we can blossom like a flower,
and everyone in our family,
our entire society,
will benefit from our peace.”
This book explores the need for cultivating peace; all life may be suffering, but suffering is not enough. He points out that it is our responsibility, both to ourselves and future generations, to cultivate a better world, by starting with ourselves. Breathing practice – stopping, resting and accessing feelings of peace in an otherwise frantic world, is an important cornerstone of this cultivation.
He talks of the three gems of Buddhism, the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha – individual practitioners, the teachings, and practice communities, and how they are interconnected and support each other, how each one can be found in, and is in fact an integral part of, the other two. He also emphasizes how we are part of these, and they are part of us. The Buddha is not just an external figure to admire. Buddha nature is in each of us as well, that capacity for realization.
He talks of feelings and perceptions, how these work according to adhidharma, Buddhist psychology – again, their interconnectedness and how they work with and play off of each others, feelings informing perceptions and perceptions, in turn, informing feelings. He talks of the need to sit with our feelings and perceptions, to see where they are accurate, and where they are not, and how doing this work is also central to the action of embodying and cultivating peace.
He offers this story and consideration:
A man was rowing his boat upstream on a very misty morning. Suddenly, he saw another boat coming downstream, not trying to avoid him. It was coming straight at him. He shouted, “Be careful! Be careful!” but the boat came right into him, and his boat was almost sunk. The man became very angry, and began to shout at the other person, to give him a piece of his mind. But when he looked closely, he saw that there was no one in the other boat. It turned out that the boat just got loose and went downstream. All his anger vanished, and he laughed and he laughed. If our perceptions are not correct, they may give us lots of bad feelings. Buddhism teaches us how to look at things deeply in order to understand their own true nature, so that we will not be misled into suffering and bad feelings.
He speaks of the heart of practice, which is the development of compassionate understanding, with the view of constructively impacting society and the world. Explanations of nonduality and dependent origination appear here, and he discusses how the main importance of sitting and gatha practice is how it impacts the non-sitting and non-gatha time in our lives, emphasizing quality of practice over quantity. He offers: “When you understand, you cannot help but love. You cannot get angry. To develop understanding, you have to practice looking at all living beings with the eyes of compassion. When you understand, you love. And when you love, you naturally act in a way that can relieve the suffering of people.”
Another important point: “The problem is not to do a lot, but to do it correctly. If you do it correctly, you become kinder, nicer, more understanding and loving. When we practice sitting or walking we should pay attention to the quality and not the quantity.”
He talks of working for peace, right livelihood, and how we all collectively share together in this, and the kind of deep insight it requires. Further emphasis on developing compassionate insight, understanding and its relation to love, the need for both when dealing with conflict in order to bring about reconciliation. The importance of taking care of each other, and our world. He offers seven practices to bring about reconciliation in the face of conflict, adapted from the system of conflict resolution in place in Buddhist monasteries:
- Face to face sitting – the two monks in question sit face to face, breathing, smiling, in front of the entire community, who, they know, is hoping for a peaceful resolution
- Rememberance – both monks try to remember the whole history of the conflict, while the assembly sits patiently and listens. This helps inform each other, and the assembly, of all the thoughts and feelings at play in the situation; so many of them remain as currents below the surface of day to day living. This helps set the playing field of collective understanding, in order to be able to help.
- Non-stubbornness – there is an expectation in the community that the two monks will not be stubborn, and will try their best for reconciliation. The outcome is not important vs both monks showing that they are trying their best in understanding and acceptance. It is important to have high expectations in this regards, and the atmosphere plays a large role in determining the outcome of the conflict here.
- Covering Mud with Straw – when you walk in the countryside after a rain, it is very muddy. You have to spread straw over the mud in order to be able to walk safely through it. One respected senior monk is appointed to represent each side, and then take turns addressing the assembly, saying things to de-escalate the conflict – one says something about this monk, what he says will cause the other monk to understand better and de-escalate his feeling of anger or his resistance. Then the other high monk says something to protect the other monk in the dispute, saying it in a way that the first monk feels better. By doing so, they dissipate the hard feelings in the hearts of the two monks and help them to accept the verdict proposed by the community. Putting straw on mud – the mud is the dispute, and the straw is the loving kindness of the Dharma.
- Voluntary Confession – each monk reveals his own shortcomings without waiting for others to say them – it always feels different when others say them. It is wonderful to take ownership here. The atmosphere is encouraging; everyone is supportive, expecting that de-escalation will be realized. The senior monks then remind the feuding monks to think not only of their own feeling, but of the well-being of the community as well, and each monk will be ready to accept the decision made by the community.
- Decision by Consensus & Accepting the Verdict – it is agreed in advance that the two monks will accept whatever the verdict is, so the sixth and seventh steps really come down to the delivery of the verdict by the community, and the carrying out of the decision by both sides.
He emphasizes the need for the peace movement to lead by example, to be able to work with all parties involved in a conflict in a peaceful and loving way.
Then he goes into discussing the Order of Interbeing in detail, talking of the commitments the community makes. Lay members make a commitment to 60 days of mindfulness each year – think one a week, plus a few extras. They take refuge in the three gems; Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, and then make two promises for children. They are:
“I vow to develop my compassion in order to love and protect the life of people, animals, plants, and minerals.” and “I vow to develop understanding in order to be able to love and to live in harmony with people, animals, plants, and minerals.”
The Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings are then presented, along with commentary on each, to help provide context and shape understanding. I am tempted to reproduce all the commentary in full length and detail here, as it provides such clarity, but will limit it to just listing the trainings themselves. Definitely a lot of food for thought and consideration here, strongly encourage reading and reflecting upon the entire list, along with the commentaries.
- Aware of the suffering created by fanaticism and intolerance, we are determined not to be idolatrous about or bound to any doctrine, theory, or ideology, even Buddhist ones. Buddhist teachings are guiding means to help us learn to look deeply and to develop our understanding and compassion. They are not doctrines to fight, kill, or die for.
- Aware of the suffering created by attachment to views and wrong perceptions, we are determined to avoid being narrow-minded and bound to present views. We shall learn and practice nonattachment from views in order to be open to others’ insights and experiences. We are aware that the knowledge we presently possess is not changeless, absolute truth. truth is found in life, and we will observe life within and around us in every moment, ready to learn throughout our lives.
- Aware of the suffering brought about when we impose our views on others, we are committed not to force others, even our children, by any means whatsoever – such as authority, threat, money, propaganda, or indoctrination – to adopt our views. We will respect the right of others to be different and to choose what to believe and how to decide. We will, however, help others renounce fanaticism and narrowness through compassionate dialogue.
- Aware that looking deeply at the nature of suffering can help us develop compassion and find ways out of suffering, we are determined not to avoid or close our eyes before suffering. We are committed to finding ways, including personal contact, images, and sounds, to be with those who suffer, so we can understand their situation deeply and help them transform their suffering into compassion, peace, and joy.
- Aware that true happiness is rooted in peace, solidity, freedom and compassion, and not in wealth or fame, we are determined not to take as the aim of our life fame, profit, wealth, or sensual pleasure, nor to accumulate wealth while millions are hungry and dying. We are committed to living simply and sharing our time, energy, and material resources with those in need. We will practice mindful consuming, not using alcohol, drugs, or any other products that bring toxins into our own and the collective body and consciousness.
- Aware that anger blocks communication and creates suffering, we are determined to take care of the energy of anger when it arises and to recognize and transform the seeds of anger that lie deep in our consciousness. when anger comes up, we are determined not to do or say anything, but to practice mindful breathing or mindful walking and acknowledge, embrace, and look deeply into our anger. We will learn to look with the eyes of compassion at those we think are the cause of our anger.
- Aware that life is available only in the present moment and that it is possible to live happily in the here and now, we are committed to training ourselves to live deeply each moment of daily life. We will try not to lose ourselves in dispersion or be carried away by regrets about the past, worries about the future, or craving, anger, or jealousy in the present. We will practice mindful breathing to come back to what is happening in the present moment. We are determined to learn the art of mindful living by touching the wondrous, refreshing, and healing elements that are inside and around us, and by nourishing seeds of joy, peace,love, and understanding in ourselves, thus facilitating the work of transformation and healing in our consciousness.
- Aware that the lack of communication always brings separation and suffering, we are committed to training ourselves in the practice of compassionate listening and loving speech. We will learn to listen deeply without judging or reacting and refrain from uttering words that can create discord or cause the community to break. We will make every effort to keep communications open and to reconcile and resolve all conflicts, however small.
- Aware that words can create suffering or happiness, we are committed to learning to speak truthfully and constructively, using only words that inspire hope and confidence. We are determined not to say untruthful things for the sake of personal interest or to impress people, nor to utter words that might cause division or hatred. We will not spread news that we do not know to be certain nor criticize or condemn things of which we are not sure. We will do our best to speak out about situations of injustice, even when doing so may threaten our safety.
- Aware that the essence and aim of a Sangha is the practice of understanding and compassion, we are determined not to use the Buddhist community for personal gain or profit or transform our community into a political instrument. A spiritual community should, however, take a clear stand against oppression and injustice and should strive to change the situation without engaging in partisan conflicts.
- Aware that great violence and injustice have been done to our environment and society, we are committed to not live with a vocation that is harmful to humans and nature. We will do our best to select a livelihood that helps realize our ideal of understanding and compassion. Aware of global economic, political, and social realities, we will behave responsibly as consumers and as citizens, not investing in companies that deprive others of their chance to live.
- Aware that much suffering is caused by war and conflict, we are determined to cultivate nonviolence, understanding, and compassion in our daily lives, to promote peace education, mindful mediation, and reconciliation within families, communities, nations, and in the world. We are determined not to kill and not to let others kill. We will diligently practice deep looking with our Sangha to discover better ways to protect life and prevent war.
- Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation, social injustice, stealing, and oppression, we are committed to cultivating loving kindness and learning ways to work for the well-being of people, animals, plants, and minerals. We will practice generosity by sharing our time, energy, and material resources with those who are in need. we are determined not to steal and not to possess anything that should belong to others. we will respect the property of others, but will try to present others from profiting from human suffering or the suffering of other beings.
- (for lay members): Aware that sexual relations motivated by craving cannot dissipate the feeling of loneliness but will create more suffering, frustration, and isolation, we are determined not to engage in sexual relations, without mutual understanding, love, and a long-term commitment. In sexual relations, we must be aware of future suffering that may be caused. We know that to preserve the happiness of ourselves and others, we must respect the rights and commitments of ourselves and others. We will do everything in our power to protect children from sexual abuse and to protect couples and families from being broken by sexual misconduct. We will treat our bodies with respect and preserve our vital energies (sexual, breath, spirit) for the realization of our bodhisattva ideal. We will be fully aware of the responsibility of bringing new lives into the world, and will meditate on the world into which we are bringing new beings.
(for monastic members): Aware that the aspiration of a monk or a nun can only be realized when he or she wholly leaves behind the bonds of worldly love, we are committed to practicing chastity and to helping others protect themselves. We are aware that loneliness and suffering cannot be alleviated by the coming together of two bodies in a sexual relationship, but by the practice of true understanding and compassion. We know that a sexual relationship will destroy our life as a monk or a nun, will prevent us from realizing our ideal of serving living beings, and will harm others. We are determined not to suppress or mistreat our body or to look upon our body as only an instrument, but to learn to handle our body with respect. We are determined to preserve vital energies (sexual, breath, spirit) for the realization of our bodhisattva ideal.
I love his emphasis on how the process starts with us: “Smiling is very important. If we are not able to smile, then the world will not have peace. it is not by going out for a demonstration against nuclear missiles that we can bring about peace. It is with our capacity of smiling, breathing, and being peace that we can make peace.”
He closes by talking about meditation in daily life, how it becomes a combination of concentration and insight. First we stop, and then we look deeply. He offers the metaphor of growing a tree; if a tree does not grow well, we don’t blame the tree. We look into the reasons for it not doing well – blame has no effect at all. If you understand, and you show that you understand, you can love, and the situation will change. He offers a few practices that we can use to help us return to the present moment, including walking meditation, bells of mindfulness, practices for mealtimes, creating dedicated spaces for breathing and meditation, inviting people to use them, and spending time in the morning and evening reconnecting and spending time with each other in mindful awareness.