Spiritwalk Books
- Selections of the Month
- July 1999
- About the book
- About the Author
- Reading from the book
- Reviews and Endorsements
- Music to Read By
- Make Your Order at Amazon.com
- Links
Synopsis
Thich Nhat Hahn is well-known for the simplicity and clarity with which he presents Buddhist
teachings. Now he brings that spirit to his own introduction to Buddhism, introducing--in a way that
is at once utterly lucid and entirely original--the life of Buddha, the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold
Path, and the Doctrine of Emptiness.
Thich Nhat Hanh is a Buddhist monk, poet, peace activist, and the author of Being Peace, The Miracle of Mindfulness, and many other books. He lives in a monastic community in southwestern France called Plum Village, where he teaches, writes, gardens, and
works to help refugees worldwide. He conducts retreats throughout the world on the art of mindful living, and has conducted special retreats for American Vietnam War veterans, psychotherapists, artists, environmental activists and children. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in nominating Thich Nhat Hanh for the Nobel Peace Prize "Thich Nhat Hanh is a holy man, for he is humble and devout. He is [also] a scholar of immense intellectual capacity."- What People are saying about The Heart of Buddha's Teaching ~ Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy and Liberation by Thich Nhat Hanh
- Thich Nhat Hanh presents the face of Buddhism in practice. A face with deep peace and compassion. In this book he brings his his experience of the years of study and application of Buddhist principles to this explication of the essential teachings of the Buddha. With his typical erudite simplicity which reveals an uncommon depth of understanding, he presents the core tenets of Buddhism in a way that they are easily grasped and, more importantly, applied to our daily experience. Thanks to Thich Nhat Hanh we have access to these teachings as never before.
- ~ Roger Ebsen, Spiritwalk Foundation
-
What should we think when on the one hand Buddhism tells us that life is suffering and on the other
we are told to enjoy life's every moment? Loved around the world for his simple, straightforward
explanations of Buddhism, Thich Nhat Hanh has finally turned his hand to the very core of Buddhism
and conundrums such as this. In the traditional way, Thich Nhat Hanh takes up the core teachings
one by one--the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, the Twelve Links of Interdependent
Co-Arising--but his approach is as fresh as a soft breeze through a plum orchard. For illustration, he
dips into the vast stores of Buddhist literature right alongside contemporary anecdotes, pointing out
subtleties that can get glossed over in other popular introductions. He also includes three short but
key sutras, essential source teachings from which all Buddhism flows. Studying the basics of
Buddhism under Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh is like learning basketball from Michael Jordan.
- ~ Brian Bruya, Amazon.com
A profoundly healing book
-
Thich Nhat Hanh's presentation of the "basics" of Buddhism is a first-rate introduction to the
essentials of this way of practice and faith. What distinguishes it from similar
introductory treatments
of Buddhism is its profoundly healing quality. The subtitle, "Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy,
and Liberation" could well have been the title. In the Buddhist tradition of both wisdom and
compassion, it enlightens the mind and heals the heart. An excellent read for anyone who feels life's
difficulty, whether Buddhist or not.
-
An EXCELLENT book, Thich Nhat Hanh is a wonderful teacher.
-
The best book on Buddhism I have ever read. Thich Nhat Hanh presents the essential teachings of Buddhism in a way that really makes it come alive. The way he presents the four noble truths and
eight-fold path are written with a minimum of fuss and jargon. He points out the mutations Buddhism
experienced in its oral transmission over the centuries. His argument for critical thinking while
reading Buddhist texts is very important reminder that errors in transmission do exist. The material
displays not only his intellectual ability as a scholar but also his incredible compassion. He doesn't
just write about Buddhism, he lives it.
- THE HEART OF THE BUDDHA'S TEACHING brings Thich Nhat Hanh's
gift of clear and poetic expression to an explanation of the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold
Path, and other basic Buddhist teachings. This comprehensive guide to basic Buddhist teachings is
for everyone. Other titles by Thich Nhat Hanh are CULTIVATING THE MIND OF LOVE,
BEING PEACE AND CALL ME BY MY TRUE NAMES all by Parallax Press.
- Reading from the Book
Chapter One
Entering the Heart of the Buddha
Buddha was not a god. He was a human being like you and me, and he suffered just as we do. If we go to the Buddha with our hearts open, he will look at us, his eyes filled with compassion, and say, "Because there is suffering in your heart, it is possible for you to enter my heart."
The layman Vimalakirti said, "Because the world is sick, I am sick. Because people suffer, I have to suffer." This statement was also made by the Buddha. Please don't think that because you are unhappy, because there is pain in your heart, that you cannot go to the Buddha. It is exactly because there is pain in your heart that communication is possible. Your suffering and my suffering are the basic condition for us to enter the Buddha's heart, and for the Buddha to enter our hearts.
For forty-five years, the Buddha said, over and over again, "I teach only suffering and the transformation of suffering." When we recognize and acknowledge our own suffering, the Buddha - which means the Buddha in us - will look at it, discover what has brought it about, and prescribe a course of action that can transform it into peace, joy, and liberation. Suffering is the means the Buddha used to liberate himself, and it is also the means by which we can become free.
The ocean of suffering is immense, but if you turn around, you can see the land. The seed of suffering in you may be strong, but don't wait until you have no more suffering before allowing yourself to be happy. When one tree in the garden is sick, you have to care for it. But don't overlook all the healthy trees. Even while you have pain in your heart, you can enjoy the many wonders of life - the beautiful sunset, the smile of a child, the many flowers and trees. To suffer is not enough. Please don't be imprisoned by your suffering. If you have experienced hunger, you know that having food is a miracle. If you have suffered from the cold, you know the preciousness of warmth. When you have suffered, you know how to appreciate the elements of paradise that are present. If you dwell only in your suffering, you will miss paradise. Don't ignore your suffering, but don't forget to enjoy the wonders of life, for your sake and for the benefit of many beings.
When I was young, I wrote this poem. I penetrated the heart of the Buddha with a heart that was deeply wounded.
My youth
an unripe plum.
Your teeth have left their marks on it.
The tooth marks still vibrate.
I remember always,
remember always.
Since I learned how to love you,
the door of my soul has been left wide open
to the winds of the four directions.
Reality calls for change.
The fruit of awareness is already ripe,
and the door can never be closed again.
Fire consumes this century,
and mountains and forests bear its mark.
The wind howls across my ears,
while the whole sky shakes violently in the snowstorm.
Winter's wounds lie still,
Missing the frozen blade,
Restless, tossing and turning
in agony all night.
I grew up in a time of war. There was destruction all around - children, adults, values, a whole country. As a young person, I suffered a lot. Once the door of awareness is opened, you cannot close it. The wounds of war in me are still not all healed. There are nights I lie awake and embrace my people, my country, and the whole planet with my mindful breathing.
Without suffering, you cannot grow. Without suffering, you cannot get the peace and joy you deserve. Please don't run away from your suffering. Embrace it and cherish it. Go to the Buddha, sit with him, and show him your pain. He will look at you with loving kindness, compassion, and mindfulness and show you ways to embrace your suffering and look deeply into it. With understanding and compassion, you will be able to heal the wounds in your heart, and the wounds in the world. The Buddha called suffering a Holy Truth, because our suffering has the capacity of showing us the path to liberation. Embrace your suffering, and let it reveal to you the way to peace.
Chapter two
The First Dharma Talk
Siddhartha Gautama was twenty-nine years old when he left his family to search for a way to end his and others' suffering. He studied meditation with many teachers, and after six years of practice, he sat under the bodhi tree and vowed not to stand up until he was enlightened. He sat all night, and as the morning star arose, he had a profound breakthrough and became a Buddha, filled with understanding and love. The Buddha spent the next forty-nine days enjoying the peace of his realization, and after that he walked slowly to the Deer Park in Sarnath to share his understanding with the five ascetics with whom he had practiced earlier.
When the five men saw him coming, they felt uneasy. Sid-dhartha had abandoned them, they thought. But he looked so radiant that they could not resist welcoming him. They washed his feet and offered him water to drink. The Buddha said, "Dear friends, I have seen deeply that nothing can be by itself alone, that everything has to inter-be with everything else. I have seen that all beings are endowed with the nature of awakening." He offered to say more, but the monks didn't know whether to believe him or not. So the Buddha asked, "Have I ever lied to you?" They knew that he hadn't, and they agreed to receive his teachings.
The Buddha then taught the Four Noble Truths of the existence of suffering, the making of suffering, the possibility of restoring well-being, and the Noble Eightfold Path that leads to well-being. Hearing this, an immaculate vision of the Four Noble Truths arose in Konda––a, one of the five ascetics. The Buddha observed this and exclaimed, "Konda––a understands! Konda––a understands!" and from that day on, Konda––a was called "The One Who Understands."
The Buddha then declared, "Dear friends, with humans, gods, brahmans, monastics, and maras as witnesses, I tell you that if I have not experienced directly all that I have told you, I would not proclaim that I am an enlightened person, free from suffering. Because I myself have identified suffering, understood suffering, identified the causes of suffering, removed the causes of suffering, confirmed the existence of well-being, obtained well-being, identified the path to well-being, gone to the end of the path, and realized total liberation, I now proclaim to you that I am a free person." At that moment the Earth shook, and the voices of the gods, humans, and other living beings throughout the cosmos said that on the planet Earth, an enlightened person had been born and had put into motion the wheel of the Dharma, the Way of Understanding and Love. This teaching is recorded in the Discourse on Turning the Wheel of the Dharma (Dhamma Cakka Pavattana Sutta).1 Since then, two thousand, six hundred years have passed, and the wheel of the Dharma continues to turn. It is up to us, the present generation, to keep the wheel turning for the happiness of the many.
Three points characterize this sutra. The first is the teaching of the Middle Way. The Buddha wanted his five friends to be free from the idea that austerity is the only correct practice. He had learned firsthand that if you destroy your health, you have no energy left to realize the path. The other extreme to be avoided, he said, is indulgence in sense pleasures - being possessed by sexual desire, running after fame, eating immoderately, sleeping too much, or chasing after possessions.
The second point is the teaching of the Four Noble Truths. This teaching was of great value during the lifetime of the Buddha, is of great value in our own time, and will be of great value for millennia to come. The third point is engagement in the world. The teachings of the Buddha were not to escape from life, but to help us relate to ourselves and the world as thoroughly as possible. The Noble Eightfold Path includes Right Speech and Right Livelihood. These teachings are for people in the world who have to communicate with each other and earn a living.
The Discourse on Turning the Wheel of the Dharma is filled with joy and hope. It teaches us to recognize suffering as suffering and to transform our suffering into mindfulness, compassion, peace, and liberation.
- Make Your Purchase at Amazon.com
- Order Paul Horn: INSIDE the Taj Mahal
- Spiritwalk's GATEWAY TO THE WORLD OF AMAZON.COM
- Check out the Previous Spiritwalk Selections
- Links
- Parallax Press http://www.parallax.org
- The publisher of The Heart of Buddha's Teaching and the official home page for
- Thich Nhat Hanh and Plum Village. More excerpts here.
- Spiritwalk's GATEWAY TO THE WORLD OF AMAZON.COM
- [Go to back to Spiritwalk Bookstore Index]
- Home Contents Newsletter Library Archive Bookstore Brochure E-mail Mailing List
- © Spiritwalk
- Spiritwalk Selections, July 1999 http://www.spiritwalk.org/bom9907.htm