Thich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, poet, scholar, and human rights activist. In this practice-oriented paperback, he addresses some of the major challenges we face at work, especially those of us who are teachers, social workers, and in other people-helping professions. In environments filled with stress, anger, competition, and frustration; we can all be peacemakers. Thich Nhat Hanh offers eleven spiritual practices that can transform the way we spend our days and relate to ourselves and the world around us. The practices are:
• Walking meditation
• Mindful breathing
• Mindful consumption
• Watering seeds
• The Second Body System
• Beginning Anew
• A Code of Ethics
• Right Thought and Right Speech
• Looking with the Eyes of Compassion
• Deep Listening and Loving Speech
• Being a Bodhisattva
Every moment of the day offers us opportunities to practice mindfulness, joy, and compassion. At work there are ample occasions for us to practice dealing with anger, deep listening, right speech, and expressing appreciation for what others have done for us. At Plum Village, Thich Nhat Hanh has set up a practice called The Second Body System:
"Every one of us has another person whom we take care of beside ourselves. We call this person our Second Body. We care for this person and are aware of what is going on with them."
People in the helping professions need a support system to help them cope with stress and avoid burnout. He also recommends carrying in our wallets a piece of paper with these three sentences: "I need you. I suffer. Please come and help." He calls them a mindfulness bell to remind us that we are connected to others and should always reach out. The eleven practices outlined in this paperback all nourish the art of being peace wherever we are.
