Thich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, poet, scholar, and human rights activist. In this brief but enlightening paperback, he demonstrates how peace can become a vital part of our daily lives through various practices. He begins with a story:
"Once there was a teacher who lived with his students in a temple. One day, a student asked, 'Dear teacher, can we arrange to have a picnic?' The teacher said, 'Yes, we will find a day when we can have a picnic.' Yet they were so busy, they never even found one day. A year passed, then two, then three, and still they hadn't had a picnic. One day, while walking together in the city, they saw a funeral procession. The teacher asked his student, 'What is that?' And the student said, 'They are going on a picnic. The only picnic they have is when they die.' "
So true, we pass by so many chances to slow down and savor the pleasures of relaxation and camaraderie. For Thich Nhat Hanh, being present is the key to a life of peace.
He wants us to bring this healing power to our bodies: "Often our bodies are not at peace. We can learn how to bring peace into our body in the here and now. Our body suffers, especially during times of war. We feel tension, stress, and pressure. We have worked our body too hard and it is full of conflicts. The way we handle our bodies makes them suffer so much that we have no real peace. To bring peace into our bodies, we allow them to rest and have a chance to renew and heal themselves. We can do it today. Even after one or two hours, we will feel much better. We are not just talking about peace in our body, we are actually bringing peace into it." We can also bring this quality to our daily activities. Being truly mindful while washing our hands, feeding the cats, or drinking a cup of tea are all ways of creating victory for peace for ourselves, those around us, and all over the world.
The road map to peace is not created by governments but by people who are able to be truly present with each other, practicing deep listening and empathy for the suffering of others. Thich Nhat Hanh has brought Palestinians and Israelis to Plum Village, France, for retreats where they begin their own peace process. This paperback outlines some of the practices they tried and is spiced with stories from participants in these retreats. Thich Nhat Hanh adds his thoughts about cultivating the seeds of peace, dealing with anger, fostering reconciliation, walking the path of nonviolent resistance, and creating a people's peace treaty.
