October 11 was the 100th birthday of the Vietnamese Zen master, teacher, author, poet, and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh. Exiled in France because of his opposition to the Vietnamese war, his reputation for his spiritual teachings grew worldwide. Particularly appreciated were his teachings on the practice of mindfulness, a spiritual discipline of being attentive to the present moment. He died on January 22, 2022, at the age of 95. HeartSpeak offers you some reflections on mindfulness from Thich Nhat Hanh and invites you to offer your reflections in the “Comments” section below.
“People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child—our own two eyes. All is a miracle.”
“Don’t do any task in order to get it over with. Resolve to do each job in a relaxed way, with all your attention. Enjoy and be one with your work.”
“Be yourself. Life is precious as it is. All the elements for your happiness are already here. There is no need to run, strive, search, or struggle. Just be. Just being in the moment in this place is the deepest practice of meditation. Most people cannot believe that just walking as though you have nowhere to go is enough. They think that striving and competing are normal and necessary. Try practicing aimlessness for just five minutes, and you will see how happy you are during those five minutes.”
“The present moment is the only time over which we have dominion. The most important person is always the person you are with, who is right before you,”
To sen/se each creature singing the hymn of its existence is to live joyfully. In God’s love and hope. Laud to Si 85 Tich Naht Hahn helps us/ to do that.