Thich Nhat Hanh
Photo by Paul Davis

About Thich Nhat Hanh

Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, who passed away January 22, 2022, was a global spiritual leader, poet, and peace activist.

Born in Hue, Vietnam in 1926, Thich Nhat Hanh was exiled from Vietnam during the Vietnam War and he then settled in France. In 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize. He traveled extensively, giving talks and leading retreats around the world on the art of mindful living. Meditation Centers in his tradition include Plum Village in France as well as retreat centers throughout Europe and in the United States, Australia, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Vietnam.

Thich Nhat Hanh’s key teaching is that, through mindfulness, we can learn to live happily in the present moment and that the present moment is the only way to truly develop peace, both in one’s self and in the world.

"Thich Nhat Hanh shows us the connection between personal, inner peace, and peace on earth"

His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Books and Audio by Thich Nhat Hanh

You Are Here

$16.95 - Paperback

$21.95 - Hardcover

Cut through the busyness and anxieties of daily life to discover the simple happiness of living in the present moment, as taught by a world-renowned Zen monk.

In this book, Thich Nhat Hanh—Zen monk, author, and meditation master—distills the essence of Buddhist thought and practice, emphasizing the power of mindfulness to transform our lives. But true mindfulness, Hanh explains, is not an escape. It is being in the present moment, totally alive and free.

Based on a retreat that Thich Nhat Hanh led for Westerners, You Are Here offers a range of effective practices for cultivating mindfulness and staying in the present moment—including awareness of breathing and walking, deep listening, and skillful speech. These teachings will empower you to witness the wonder of life and transform your suffering, both within and outside you, into compassion, tenderness, and peace. As Thich Nhat Hanh declares, “the energy of mindfulness is the energy of the Buddha, and it can be produced by anybody.” It is as simple as breathing in and breathing out.

True Love 3D Cover
Paperback | eBook
Audiobook Download

$14.95 - Paperback

In a new edition of this classic, the renowned Zen monk and bestselling author Thich Nhat Hanh explains what real love is and how we can experience it in our daily lives, for readers of any faith.

Thich Nhat Hanh offers us a Buddhist view of love along with techniques for manifesting it in our daily lives. In his characteristically direct, simple, and sweet style, he explores the four key aspects of love as described in the Buddhist tradition: loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and freedom.

In True Love, Thich Nhat Hanh explains that in order to love in a real way, we need to learn how to be fully present in our lives. Toward that end, he offers the technique of conscious breathing as a way of synchronizing the mind and the body and establishing the conditions for love. He goes on to offer a mantra practice for cultivating real love that consists of expressing four key statements or intentions in our relationships.

In the concluding section of the book, Thich Nhat Hanh explains how we can bring love to bear on our own pain, fear, and negativity. He explains that we must not regard these things as bad and repress them. We must recognize them as part of us and allow them into our consciousness, where they can be cared for through mindfulness.

Everyday-Peace-Cards
Card Deck

$18.95 - MixedMedia

Inspiring, joyful, and deeply insightful, this deck of cards offers daily contemplations and words of wisdom from one of the most important spiritual teachers of our time.  These short teachings on mindfulness bring forth his accessible wisdom in a way that offers daily opportunities to make peace with yourself, those around you, and the earth.

YourTrueHome
Paperback | eBook

$19.95 - Paperback

Bringing the energy of true presence into our lives really does change things for the better—and all it takes is a little training. This treasury of 365 gems of daily wisdom from one of the most beloved Buddhist teachers of our age is a help and support for anyone who wants to train to meet every moment of life with 100 percent attention. Thich Nhat Hanh shows how practicing mindfulness can transform every area of our lives—and how its benefits radiate beyond us to affect others and the whole, larger world.

Paperback | eBook

$12.95 - Paperback

Since Thich Nhat Hanh’s exile from his native Vietnam in 1966, this Zen Buddhist monk has gone on to become one of the most influential and beloved spiritual masters of our age. The seeming simplicity of his words belies the power of this teaching to touch the heart and mind and to inspire spiritual practice. These selections, taken from his many published works, together make up a concise introduction to all his major themes and distill his teachings on the transformation of individuals, relationships, and society.

Books Featuring a Teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh

This popular introduction to Buddhist meditation contains two pieces by Thich Nhat Hanh.  Finding Your "Breathing Room”: How to Create a Meditation Space and Getting Grounded through Walking Meditation

"We are made of body and mind. Our body can radiate the energy of peace and compassion. Our mind also has energy. The energy of the mind can be powerful. If the energy of the mind is filled with fear and anger, it can be very destructive. But if we sit mindfully, if we walk mindfully and reverently on the earth, we will generate the energies of mindfulness, of peace, and of compassion in both body and mind. This kind of energy can heal and transform."

"In order to approach others to help them transform, you have to become a part of their world so that they will recognize and accept you. Then you can begin to help transform their hearts. This is the fourth skillful means of the bodhisattva, the practice of 'doing the same thing.' In a gang, you may look, act, and speak like any other gang member, but really you are a bodhisattva. In a prison you manifest yourself as prisoner and become a bodhisattva among prisoners. This is the action of Avalokiteshvara. "

This powerful anthology of Buddhist approaches to handing fear includes two teachings by Thich Nhat Hanh:  Healing Pain and Dressing Wounds and Be What You Need to Be.  This collection was put together by the editors at Lion's Roar where you will find many articles on Thich Nhat Hanh.

This collection of essays and teachings on Buddhism and the environment includes three pieces by Thich Nhat Hanh. The Sun My Heart, Meal Chants, and Earth Chants.

"In our former lives, we were rocks, clouds, and trees. . . . This is
not just Buddhist; it is scientific. We humans are a young species.
We were plants, we were trees, and now we have become humans.
We have to remember our past existences and be humble."

"How can we transform our consciousness, and the collective consciousness of our society, if we practice filling every moment with TV and other cultural products? That is why we must be in touch with what is healing, refreshing, and joyful. This is very important. When we practice walking meditation, we get in touch with the earth, our mother, with the air, with the trees, and with ourselves, and we water the seeds of peace and joy, as individuals, and as a community. "

Not Turning Away

$24.95 - Paperback

By: Susan Moon

This collection on Engaged Buddhism includes Thay's The Practice of Peace.

This anthology centered around bringing mindfulness to our relationships includes Thay's Love Is Being Present.

"According to the teaching of the Buddha, in true love, there is no place for pride. If you are suffering, every time you are suffering, you must go to the person in question and ask for his or her help. That is true love. Do not let pride keep you apart. If you think your love for this person is true love, you must overcome your pride; you must always go to him or her. That is why I have invented this mantra for you. Practice so as to bring about oneness of your body and mind before going to the person to say the fourth mantra: 'Dear one, I am suffering. Help me, please.' This is very simple but very hard to do."

"Leaves are usually looked upon as the children of the tree. Yes, they are children of the tree, born from the tree, but they are also mothers of the tree. The leaves combine raw sap, water, and minerals, with sunshine and gas, and convert it into a variegated sap that can nourish the tree. In this way, the leaves become the mother of the tree. We are all children of society, but we are also mothers. We have to nourish society. If we are uprooted from society, we cannot transform it into a more livable place for us and for our children. The leaves are linked to the tree by a stem. The stem is very important. "

The classic selection of Buddhist teachings includes Thich Nhat Hanh's Engaged Buddhism.

Wait

$16.95 - Hardcover

By: Cuong Lu

This book by Cuong Lu who was ordained by and is a close student of Thay.

"Many years after leaving Vietnam, I returned with my teacher Thich Nhat Hanh and a group of monastics. Thich Nhat Hanh had been in exile for forty years, and we came home on New Year’s Day (Têt). Têt is a day for families to come together and celebrate the birth of something new, a new year, a chance to begin anew. Every mistake is forgiven, and we have a chance to renew our love and live together happily. In that spirit, we went to Vietnam as children coming home to our families after a very long journey. Thich Nhat Hanh was warmly welcomed at the airport by thousands of people. It was deeply moving.

To come home is to return to ourselves. We don’t need Google Maps to give us directions. Home is in our heart. If you live with someone and you say, 'Honey, I’m home,' and they respond, 'I’m so glad you’re here,' you’re happy, of course. When they add, “I love you,” you’re overjoyed. If they give you a kiss, you’re ecstatic. But what if they’re in a bad mood and ignore you, or what if your words lead to an argument? Are you homeless? It’s up to you. If you react, you’ll both suffer. If you turn around and head out the door, you’ll both suffer. Your happiness was conditional. It relied on someone acting a certain way, and they didn’t."