Mindfulness allows individuals to find strength in handling suffering and transform it into peace.
Understanding and compassion, born out of mindfulness, play a vital role in addressing conflicts and violence.
Deep dives
The Power of Mindfulness in Turbulent Times
Mindfulness served as the core practice that sustained individuals during times of political and social activism in the 1960s. It was seen as a means of survival, especially for those working in dangerous situations. The practice of mindfulness, rooted in Buddhist teachings, allows individuals to cultivate deep concentration and insight, enabling them to better understand the true nature of things. By being fully present in the moment, one can experience the wonders of life, find strength to handle suffering, and transform it into peace and happiness.
The Union of Understanding and Compassion
Understanding and compassion, born out of mindfulness, play a vital role in addressing conflicts and violence. By removing wrong perceptions and restoring communication, individuals can create space for peace and healing. Genuine communication is essential, not only between nations but also within families and individuals. The practice of loving speech and compassionate listening helps foster understanding, reconciliation, and transformation. It is through collective awakening and the power of individual actions that lasting change and a more peaceful world can be achieved.
The Key to Progress: Removing Wrong Perceptions
The world is in need of collective awakening to address the root causes of violence and suffering. Wrong perceptions and lack of communication hinder progress and perpetuate conflicts. Understanding that violence can only be ceased through understanding and compassion is crucial. Nations should invest in the United Nations, turning it into an effective body for peacekeeping. Political leaders must realize the power of communication and the need to move beyond violence. By removing wrong perceptions and practicing compassion, individuals hold the potential to transform the world and create a future of peace and understanding.
The Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh, revered Zen master, teacher, and poet, died on January 22, 2022, in his native Vietnam. Brother Thay, as he was known by his community and students, transmuted what he had experienced of chaos and bloodshed in his country and his life into an ability to speak with equal measures directness and compassion to the many conflicts and bewilderments of contemporary life. Martin Luther King Jr. nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize. He was a great teacher of the wonderful practice of “walking meditation.” He taught a way of living to face suffering, fear, and violence inside and beyond ourselves and yet to become “fresh, solid, and free.” Krista sat with him for this rare conversation in the early years of this show, and it has touched many. It is astonishing to re-experience the deep, enduring wisdom this monk leaves for our world now.
Thich Nhat Hanh was a Vietnamese Zen master, poet, and teacher. He first came to the world's attention in the 1960s during the war in his native Vietnam, as he forsook monastic isolation to care for the victims of that war and to work for reconciliation among all the warring parties. He called this “engaged Buddhism.” Martin Luther King Jr. nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize, and he led the Buddhist delegation to the Paris Peace Talks in 1969. He wrote his classic book, The Miracle of Mindfulness, as a manual for young nuns and monks who were facing death every day during war in his country. He settled in exile in France and there he founded Plum Village, a Buddhist community, or Sangha, that has spawned communities of practice and service around the world. Other books among his many beloved include Being Peace and The Long Road Turns to Joy: A Guide to Walking Meditation.
This interview is edited and produced with music and other features in the On Being episode "Remembering Thich Nhat Hanh, Brother Thay." Find the transcript for that show at onbeing.org.
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