Thich Nhat Hanh - The Miracle of Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Meditation

Thich Nhat Hanh, Jo di Feo, U Ba Khin

The Miracle of Mindfulness, Zen Psychoanalysis, In This Life

This book is compiled from the meditation instructions of the Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, from scientific article psychologist and Buddhist scholar Joe Di Feo, as well as from instructions on achieving spiritual enlightenment by the southern Buddhist master U Ba Khin.

Thich Nhat Hanh - writer and poet, Zen master and public figure. He led the peacekeeping delegation of Vietnamese Buddhists at negotiations in France after the end of the Vietnam War. Subsequently, he was nominated to receive Nobel Prize peace. Thich Nhat Hanh is the author of many books. Thich Nhat Hanh currently lives in France. He heads the Thiep Hien Spiritual Order and is a teacher of more than 200 Zen Buddhist communities.

In 1992, Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh visited Moscow, where he created a Zen center. The center's president is Joe di Feo, a member of the Thiep Hien spiritual order.

U Ba Khin is a famous Burmese Buddhist master. During a tour of the United States, he gave a course of lectures on spiritual path, which were included in the book entitled “In This Life”.

Editor Soldatov A.V.

“In this life” translated by Arkhipov A.V.

Miracle awareness

Preface to the Russian edition

A peculiar tradition has already developed that with the publication of each book by Thich Nhat Hanh in Russia, some small unusual incident is associated. This time it lasted only three years (better than the last time, when the original publishers of the Life of the Buddha disappeared along with the money). We can say that everything started well...

I remember, as if now, that three years ago I was in Plum Village(Plum Village) at a seminar for businessmen: I sat in the lotus position in the huge meditation hall, focused and relaxed, as if protected in my robe of a member of the order Mutual existence, I observed the meeting of the Sanghas who had come to the seminar from different countries.

When Tai asked me: “How are things going with the Moscow Sang-ha?”, I apparently lost my awareness, and my business approach returned to me. I told the meeting how the Moscow Center of Zen Buddhism is developing. In particular, I proudly noted: “We have decided to publish another book, very relevant, this time - “The Miracle of Mindfulness.” This idea has already been approved by our Zen Center. By talking about this in front of everyone, it was as if I wanted to commit myself that the book would actually be published. To my great surprise, Thai (Thich Nhat Hanh) asked me, “Are you sure about this?” To which I responded in a very un-Zen way, “Yes, this book will be published in a few months.”

It was only after many experiences associated with the publication that I understood the deep meaning of my teacher’s “koan”: “The Buddha said that during the day we often succumb to false beliefs, we should not be completely sure of our ideas.” Ty repeatedly suggested writing the words “Are you sure about this?” on the sign. and hang it in the room as a sign of awareness. All Zen Buddhists know the parable of a rope that someone saw in the forest and mistook for a snake.

This false confidence of mine only lasted three years. Quite a lot, you say, and now the book “The Miracle of Mindfulness” has been published. I ask you to read it slowly, and not in one breath, as I did, and then re-read it again afterwards. And I ask you, whenever you are sure of something, repeat Thich Nhat Hanh’s question to yourself, this will help you move further along the Path.

Thich Nhat Hanh says: “On the altar of my house in France there are images of Buddha and Jesus. Whenever I light incense, I connect with it as spiritual predecessors. I can do this because I have met many Christians who embodied in their lives and in their words the deepest concepts of the Christian tradition.”

In this regard, I often heard during Dharma Teachings Ty's urgent request not to leave the religious tradition in which we grew up for another, but to live in it consciously.

This book does not push anyone to move away from their religious tradition, but on the contrary, it helps people to understand it more deeply.

I cannot help but thank for the enormous contribution to the translation and publication of this book my brother in Dharma, Doctor of Philosophy and founder of the Moscow Center of Zen Buddhism, member of the order Mutual existence Orion Boris Valentinovich, as well as all those who worked closely with him and contributed to the achievement of his goal.

A lotus to you, a Buddha to be.

Brother Chan Tu Han (JodiFeo)

Thich Nhat Hanh

The Miracle of Mindfulness

The Miracle of Mindfulness / Thich Nhat Hanh; [translation: Soldatov A.V.]. Zen Psychoanalysis / Joe Di Feo; [translation: Soldatov A.V.]. In this life / U Ba Khin; [transl.: Arkhipov A.V.]; [to the book in general: editor Soldatov A.V.]. - [B.m.]: Nirvana, 2005. - 320 p. - (Masters of Modern Buddhism).

This book is compiled from instructions on meditation by the Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, from a scientific article by psychologist and Buddhist scholar Jo Di Feo, and from instructions on achieving spiritual enlightenment by the Southern Buddhist master U Ba Khin.

Thich Nhat Hanh is a writer and poet, a Zen master and social activist. He led the peacekeeping delegation of Vietnamese Buddhists at negotiations in France after the end of the Vietnam War. He was subsequently nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Thich Nhat Hanh is the author of many books. Thich Nhat Hanh currently lives in France. He heads the Thiep Hien Spiritual Order and is a teacher of more than 200 Zen Buddhist communities.

In 1992, Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh visited Moscow, where he created a Zen center. The center's president is Joe di Feo, a member of the Thiep Hien spiritual order.

U Ba Khin is a famous Burmese Buddhist master. During a tour of the United States, he gave a course of lectures with instructions on the spiritual path, which were included in a book entitled “In This Life.”

Preface to the Russian edition

I remember, as if now, that three years ago I was in Plum Village at a seminar for businessmen: I was sitting in the lotus position in the huge meditation hall, focused and relaxed, as if protected in my robe of a member of the Order of Interbeing, I observed how the meeting of the Sanghas, who came to the seminar from different countries, took place.

In this regard, I often heard during Dharma Teachings Ty's urgent request not to leave the religious tradition in which we grew up for another, but to live in it consciously.

This book does not push anyone to move away from their religious tradition, but on the contrary, it helps people to understand it more deeply.

I cannot help but thank for the enormous contribution to the translation and publication of this book my brother in Dharma, Doctor of Philosophy and founder of the Moscow Center of Zen Buddhism, member of the Order of Interexistence of Orion Boris Valentinovich, as well as all those who closely collaborated with him and contributed achieving the set goal.

A lotus to you, a Buddha to be.

Brother Chan Tu Han (Joe Di Feo)

1. BASIC RULES

Yesterday Allen came to see me with his son Joey. Joey has grown up so fast! He is already seven years old and speaks French and English. He even uses a few slang words picked up on the street. Children here are raised completely differently than at home. Here parents are convinced that freedom is necessary for the development of a child. During the two hours we spent talking, Allen had to constantly monitor Joey. Joey played, muttered something and interrupted us, preventing us from having a detailed conversation. I gave him several children's picture books, but he threw them away without even looking, and again interrupted our conversation. He required constant adult attention.

Then Joey put on his jacket and went out to play with the neighbor boy. I asked Allen: “Do you consider family life is easy? Allen didn't answer directly. He said that in Lately, after Anna was born, he could not sleep properly. At night, a tired Sue would wake him up and ask him to check if Anna had stopped breathing. “I get up, look at the child, and then come back and fall asleep again. Sometimes I repeat this two or three times a night.”

“Who has it easier: a bachelor or a family man?” - I asked.

Allen again did not answer directly, but I understood him. I asked him another question: “Many people say that married people feel less lonely, they are calmer. This is true?"

Allen tilted his head and muttered something inaudibly. But I understood him. Allen then said, “I discovered a way to make time for myself. I used to think that my day was divided into several parts. One part for Joey, one for Sue, one for looking after Anna, one for housework. The rest of the time was mine. I could read, write, explore, walk. But now I try not to delimit my time anymore. I consider my time with Joey and Sue my time. When I help Joey with his homework. I'm trying to find some way to make his time my own. I study lessons with him and am passionate about everything we do together. The time given to him comes back to me. The same is true for Sue. The best part is that I now have a lot of personal time!”

Allen was said to be smiling. I was surprised because I knew that Allen did not get this truth from books. He himself made the discovery, and in everyday life.

Wash dishes to wash dishes

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Thich Nhat Hanh
The miracle of mindfulness. A Practical Guide to Meditation

All rights reserved. No part of the electronic version of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, including posting on the Internet or corporate networks, for private or public use without the written permission of the copyright owner.

Thich Nhat Hanh is not just a master of meditation. This is a mediator between earth and Heaven, this is the voice of enlightened eternity, reaching our deaf souls. His books are written surprisingly easily and clearly; they are ideal food for the mind. I re-read The Miracle of Mindfulness several times, and each time I discovered something new in it.

Marven Glenn, Miami

“This is an extraordinary book!”

This is an extraordinary book! In simple terms she talks about things that you seem to have always known, but did not use... Attention is a universal tool, a magic wand with which you can really change your life. But the best thing is that each of us has this tool!

Katherine White, Dallas

“With this book you will wake up!”

Many books on meditation are unbearably boring, so from the very first pages you are inexorably drawn to sleep... However, with this book YOU WILL WAKE UP! Unlike most similar literature, it immediately invites you to try simple practices. And they work! You don’t have to wait long, just try it and you will immediately feel the changes!

Grace Wiggins, Phoenix, Arizona

“He is a fantastic life teacher!”

For anyone planning to take up meditation, Thich Nhat Hanh's book is a great place to start! It immediately shows the desired perspective. By following the principles of Thich Nhat Hanh, you will never stray from the right path. This is truly one of the greatest teachers! Before I became acquainted with his books, I was an ordinary clerk, tortured by a constant lack of time and stress. I am still an ordinary clerk, but I am a happy clerk! I have an endless supply of time and never feel stressed - all because Thich Nhat Hanh taught me to be aware of every minute. He is a fantastic life teacher!

Richard May, Boston

“They work for people of all beliefs.”

I love Thich Nhat Hanh's work. They work real miracles! I am a Catholic myself, but his principles are universal. They work for people of any religion, any belief. Read and see!

Lionella Charity, Colombia

“And then you will understand that life is endless”

We are all going to live “someday.” And Thich Nhat Hanh suggests appreciating the present. This is not a new idea, but few people know how to implement it. Simple and useful exercises This book will help you touch the present. By doing them, you will learn to use every second 100%. And then you will understand that life is endless, and you can fit everything you want into it!

Karen Anderson, Philadelphia

Translator's Preface to the English Edition

Young people there acquired skills in helping people and were imbued with a spirit of compassion. After training, students used the knowledge they gained to help peasants who suffered from wartime turmoil. They helped restore destroyed houses, taught children, created medical centers and schools, and participated in the organization of agricultural cooperatives.

Their peaceful methods were often misunderstood in the wartime atmosphere of fear and mistrust. The school's alumni consistently refused to support either warring faction and argued that both were reflections of a single reality and that the real enemy was not people, but ideologies, hatred and ignorance. This position brought them to the brink of conflict, and in the early years of the existence of the “little peace squads” (as they called themselves), workers were periodically attacked, several times it came to kidnappings and murders. As the war went on and on—even after the Paris Peace Agreement was signed in 1973—it seemed impossible at times not to succumb to feelings of weariness and hopelessness. It took great courage to continue the work in a spirit of love and understanding.

After his deportation to France, Thich Nhat Hanh constantly wrote to Brother Quang to encourage the courage of the workers during these dark times. Thai Nhat Hanh (“Thai” is a form of address for Vietnamese monks, meaning “teacher”) encouraged them to constantly remember the most important breathing practice - concentration on the breath, which allows them to develop and maintain inner calm even in the most difficult circumstances. Because Thich Nhat Hanh saw Brother Quang and the students as colleagues and friends, the letter that became The Miracle of Mindfulness speaks to the reader in a very direct and personal manner. When Thay talks about village paths, he remembers the very paths where he walked with his brother Quant. When he mentions the child's shining eyes, he is referring to a specific child—Kwang's brother's son.

At the time Thai wrote this letter, I was also in Paris, participating in the Vietnamese Buddhist Peace Delegation with other American volunteers. Thai headed the “Delegation”, which became the foreign focal point for all organizations (including the “School of Social Service”) whose efforts were aimed at achieving peace in Vietnam and the reconstruction of the country. I remember evening tea parties at which Thai explained selected points from his letter to colleagues and friends. Of course, very soon we began to think that many other people in other countries could benefit from the practices described there.

Thai recently met young Buddhists from Thailand who were encouraged by evidence showing the influence of Buddhism in Vietnam. Their goal was to help prevent armed conflict brewing in Thailand, and they wanted to understand how to learn to act in a spirit of mindfulness and reconciliation, without allowing anger and frustration to get the better of them. Some of them knew English, and we translated and discussed the letter to Brother Kwang. The idea of translation became especially relevant when the authorities closed and confiscated a Buddhist publishing house in Vietnam, so that the original plan to publish the letter in a small edition in Vietnamese was not feasible.

I gladly took on the task of translating the book into English. For almost three years I lived in Paris with the members of the “Delegation”, spending my days immersed in the poetic sounds of the Vietnamese language. Thai took over my “formal” language training, and he and I slowly read, sentence by sentence, some of his early books. Thus, my rather unusual dictionary of Vietnamese Buddhist terms was formed. Of course, during these three years, Thai taught me more than just language. His very presence served as a gentle reminder to turn to our true essence, awaken and live consciously.

When I sat down to translate The Miracle of Mindfulness, I remembered all the incidents that had happened over the years that had been associated with my own development of mindfulness. So, one day I was preparing food, being very irritated, and could not find a spoon that I had thrown somewhere among the rest of the dishes. When I was unsuccessfully looking for her everywhere, Thai entered the kitchen and, seeing my tossing, smiled. He asked, “What is Moby looking for?” Of course, I answered: “A spoon!” I'm looking for a spoon! Thay smiled again and said, “Oh no! Moby is looking for Moby."

Thai suggested that I translate the book slowly and calmly to maintain awareness. I translated no more than two pages a day, and in the evenings Ty and I looked through these two pages, correcting certain words and sentences. Other friends helped with editing. It is very difficult to describe the actual experience gained in the process of translation, but the fact that in the process of work I was aware of how I moved the pen on the paper, was aware of my posture, my breathing, helped me to clearly understand with what complete awareness Thai wrote every word. Reading and translating the text, I could literally see its addressees – Brother Kwang and the employees of the “School”. Moreover, I began to understand that every reader would be able to see in Thai's words the same direct and personal interest - since they are addressed to real people and filled with sincere love. As the work continued, I could see an ever-expanding community: the School workers, young Thai Buddhists and many of our friends around the world.

When the translation was complete, we typed it up and Thai made a hundred copies on a tiny printing press crammed into the bathroom of the Delegation office. And all members of the delegation with joy and hope sent these copies to their friends in different countries.

And then the book “The Miracle of Mindfulness” spread around the world like waves in a pond. It has been translated into several languages and published or distributed in all countries. One of the reasons for the joy that I received from translation was constantly hearing from the most different people how they discovered this book. I once met a man in a bookstore who knew a student who asked me to make a copy for his friends in the Soviet Union. And recently I met a student from Iraq; he was threatened with deportation to his homeland, where he could be sentenced to death for refusing to take part in a war that he considered cruel and senseless. He and his mother both read The Miracle of Mindfulness and practiced mindful breathing. I also learned that all proceeds from the sale of the Portuguese edition are used to help underprivileged children in Brazil. Prisoners serving time, refugees, healthcare and education workers, artists - the lives of each of them were changed by a meeting with this little book. I often think that The Miracle of Mindfulness is a miracle in itself and continues to connect people all over the world.

American Buddhists have been greatly impressed by the book's natural and unique blend of Theravada and Mahayana traditions, which is characteristic feature Vietnamese Buddhism. As a Buddhist text, The Miracle of Mindfulness is particularly valuable because it lays out the basic practices in a simple and clear way that anyone can begin immediately. But, of course, the book's audience is not limited to those interested in Buddhism. The ideas of the book will seem close and understandable to people of very different traditions and beliefs. After all, it would be very difficult to tie the breath of man to a strictly defined religious doctrine.

Anyone who finds this book interesting will probably also want to read Thich Nhat Hanh's other books on English language. To date, he has written about a dozen books in Vietnamese: short stories, novels, essays, poetry. Some of these books have not yet been published in English, but his newer works have been published, such as “Finding Peace,” “The Sun is My Heart,” and “A Guide to Walking Meditation.”

Not receiving permission to return to Vietnam, Thich Nhat Hanh founded the “Village of Plums,” a small commune in France, in the Dordogne province, where he spends most of his time. Here, under the leadership of the same brother Kwang for whom the letter that later became the book “The Miracle of Mindfulness” was written many years ago, members of the commune planted hundreds of plum trees. All proceeds from the sale of plums are used to help starving children in Vietnam. Every summer, the commune welcomes many visitors from all over the world, who come to spend a month practicing mindfulness and meditation. For the past few years, Nhat Hanh has been regularly traveling to the United States and Canada to conduct week-long seminars organized by the Buddhist Peace Fellowship.

I want to give a special thanks to Beacon Press for their wise decision to release a new edition of The Miracle of Mindfulness. I hope that everyone who reads this book will feel that it is addressed directly to him, as if he were Brother Kwang or a worker at the School of Social Service for Youth.

Moby

August 1987

Chapter first
Fundamentals of the discipline

Yesterday Allen came to see me with his son Joey. Joey is growing up so fast! He is already seven years old and speaks French and English fluently. He even uses a little slang that he picked up on the street. Here children are raised completely differently from the way we raise them at home. Here parents are convinced that “freedom is necessary for the development of the child.” During the two hours that we spoke, Allen was forced to constantly look after Joey. Joey was playing, chatting something, not stopping for a minute, constantly interrupting us, so it was impossible to conduct a normal dialogue. I gave him some picture books for children, but he only glanced at them and then tossed them aside and got back into our conversation. It requires constant attention from adults.

A little later, Joey put on his jacket and went out to play with the neighborhood kids. I asked Allen how his family life was, and whether it was difficult, but he avoided answering directly. He only said that in the last few weeks after Anna was born, he never really slept. At night, Sue wakes him up and, since she herself is too tired, asks him to get up and check if Anna is okay. “I get up, look at the baby, then go back to bed and go back to sleep. This ritual can be repeated two or three times a night.”

I asked: “What is easier, leading a family life or being a bachelor?” Allen again avoided a direct answer, but I understood him. Then I asked another question: “A lot of people argue that if you have a family, then you are less lonely and more secure. This is true?". Allen nodded his head and muttered something unintelligible. But I understood him.

Allen then said, “I discovered a way to have more time. I used to perceive time as if it were divided into several parts. I kept one part for Joey, one for Sue, another part for helping with Anna's care, another for homework. All the time remaining beyond that belonged to me. I could read, write, research, walk...

But now I try not to divide my time into parts anymore. I view the time I spend with Joey and Sue as mine. When I help Joey with homework, I try to think of it not as his time, but as mine. I study his lessons, communicate with him and try to find interest for myself in these activities. The time I give to him becomes my time. Same with Sue. And what’s great is that now I have an unlimited supply of personal time!”

Allen said all this with a smile, and I was amazed. I knew for sure that he did not read what was said in some book - it was a discovery that he made for himself, based on his daily life.

Washing dishes as a process

Thirty years ago, when I was a novice at Tu Hieu Monastery, washing dishes was hard and unpleasant work for me. During the period of solitude 2
Privacy during the rainy season. During this period, the monks do not leave their monastery and engage in deeper meditation practice and comprehension of Buddhist teachings. During this period, the usual communication between monks and laity is reduced.

When all the monks returned to the monastery, two novices had to do all the work of preparing food for more than a hundred monks, with an appropriate amount of dishes washed. We didn't have soap. We used ash, rice husks, coconut fibers and that's it. Washing such a huge number of bowls was quite a task, especially in winter when the water practically froze and we had to heat it in a huge cauldron before handling the dishes. Now that in modern kitchens you have and liquid soap, and special sponges, and hot water flowing from the tap, washing dishes has become a much more bearable task. It stopped being a problem altogether. You can quickly rinse your plates and then sit down and enjoy a cup of tea. Nowadays, no one is surprised by washing machines, although I myself wash my clothes by hand, but dishwashers are perhaps too much.

When you wash dishes, you have to immerse yourself in the process. This means that while washing dishes, you should be fully aware that you are washing dishes. At first glance, this seems a little stupid: why pay so much attention to such a simple thing? But that's the whole point! The fact that I'm standing here rinsing cups is wonderful in itself. I am completely focused on myself, I feel the rhythm of my breathing, I am aware of my presence, I am aware of my every thought and every movement. I do not allow my mind to wander pointlessly, like an empty bottle thrown overboard, which is carried here and there on the waves.

Cup of tea in your hands

I have a close friend here in the United States. His name is Jim Forest. I met him eight years ago, he then worked at the Catholic Brotherhood for Peace. 3
Catholic Brotherhood for Peace" ( Catholic Peace Fellowship) founded in 1965. Founder Jim Forest. This organization consciously fought against militarism. Thanks to her activities, Catholic Church was more active than any other religious organization against the war in Vietnam.

Last winter Jim came to visit me. I usually wash the dishes in the evening after dinner, and only then sit down to have tea with the guests. One evening Jim asked if he could wash the dishes. I said, “Okay, but do you know how to do this?” Jim replied: “Do you think I don’t know how to wash dishes?” I explained, “There are two ways to wash dishes. The first way is when you wash the dishes so that they become clean. And the second is when you wash the dishes to wash the dishes.” Jim was delighted and said: “I choose the second method - washing dishes to wash dishes.” From that point on, Jim knew how to wash the dishes and I put him in charge of this task for the entire week.

If, while washing dishes, we think only about the cup of tea that awaits us at the end of the process, we try to quickly get rid of this work, as if it were an annoying nuisance. And this is not what I call “washing dishes to wash dishes,” we are not involved in the process. Moreover, we are not truly living the entire time we wash dishes this way. In fact, we are completely unable to comprehend the miracle of our existence while we are standing at the sink! And if we can't wash the dishes, we probably won't be able to drink our tea afterwards. While we drink tea, we will think about completely unrelated things, almost not realizing that we are holding a cup in our hands. And so we will constantly be carried away by our thoughts into the future - without realizing ourselves at every current moment of our life.

How to eat a tangerine

I remember many years ago, when Jim and I first traveled to the United States, we sat under a tree and shared a tangerine. He started talking about what we should do in the future. Whenever we started thinking about projects that seemed important and interesting to us, Jim would get so carried away that he would completely forget about what he was doing at the moment. He put a slice of tangerine in his mouth and, before he began to chew, immediately took a second one. He hardly knew what he was doing. I told him, “Chew what's in your mouth first,” and Jim winced and came back to reality.

It was as if he had not eaten the tangerine at all. Whatever the food was, what he was really eating was his plans for the future.

Mandarin consists of segments. If you can eat one slice, you can probably eat the rest. But if you can't chew one slice, you can't eat this tangerine. Jim understood. He slowly put the second slice back and focused on the one already in his mouth. He chewed it thoroughly before swallowing, and only then took the next piece.

Later, when Jim went to prison for participating in protests against the war, I was very worried whether he could handle being confined to four walls. And I sent him a short letter: “Do you remember the tangerine we ate then? Your stay here is like this mandarin. Eat it and don't think about anything else. He won't be there tomorrow."

Thich Nhat Hanh

The miracle of mindfulness. A Practical Guide to Meditation

Thich Nhat Hanh is not just a master of meditation. This is a mediator between earth and Heaven, this is the voice of enlightened eternity, reaching our deaf souls. His books are written surprisingly easily and clearly; they are ideal food for the mind. I re-read The Miracle of Mindfulness several times, and each time I discovered something new in it.

Marven Glenn, Miami

“This is an extraordinary book!”

This is an extraordinary book! In simple language, she talks about things that you seem to have always known, but did not use... Attention is a universal tool, a magic wand with which you can really change your life. But the best thing is that each of us has this tool!

Katherine White, Dallas

“With this book you will wake up!”

Many books on meditation are unbearably boring, so from the very first pages you are inexorably drawn to sleep... However, with this book YOU WILL WAKE UP! Unlike most similar literature, it immediately invites you to try simple practices. And they work! You don’t have to wait long, just try it and you will immediately feel the changes!

Grace Wiggins, Phoenix, Arizona

“He is a fantastic life teacher!”

For anyone planning to take up meditation, Thich Nhat Hanh's book is a great place to start! It immediately shows the desired perspective. By following the principles of Thich Nhat Hanh, you will never stray from the right path. This is truly one of the greatest teachers! Before I became acquainted with his books, I was an ordinary clerk, tortured by a constant lack of time and stress. I am still an ordinary clerk, but I am a happy clerk! I have an endless supply of time and never feel stressed - all because Thich Nhat Hanh taught me to be aware of every minute. He is a fantastic life teacher!

Richard May, Boston

“They work for people of all beliefs.”

I love Thich Nhat Hanh's work. They work real miracles! I am a Catholic myself, but his principles are universal. They work for people of any religion, any belief. Read and see!

Lionella Charity, Colombia

“And then you will understand that life is endless”

We are all going to live “someday.” And Thich Nhat Hanh suggests appreciating the present. This is not a new idea, but few people know how to implement it. The simple and useful exercises in this book will help you get in touch with the present. By doing them, you will learn to use every second 100%. And then you will understand that life is endless, and you can fit everything you want into it!

Karen Anderson, Philadelphia

Translator's Preface to the English Edition

The Miracle of Mindfulness was written in Vietnamese in 1974 and was originally an extended letter to Brother Quang, a senior teacher at the School of Social Service for Youth in South Vietnam. The letter's author, Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, founded this school in the 1960s as one of the projects of Action Buddhism. Young people there acquired skills in helping people and were imbued with a spirit of compassion. After training, students used the knowledge they gained to help peasants who suffered from wartime turmoil. They helped restore destroyed houses, taught children, created medical centers and schools, and participated in the organization of agricultural cooperatives.

Thai suggested that I translate the book slowly and calmly to maintain awareness. I translated no more than two pages a day, and in the evenings Ty and I looked through these two pages, correcting certain words and sentences. Other friends helped with editing. It is very difficult to describe the actual experience gained in the process of translation, but the fact that in the process of work I was aware of how I moved the pen on the paper, was aware of my posture, my breathing, helped me to clearly understand with what complete awareness Thai wrote every word. Reading and translating the text, I could literally see its addressees – Brother Kwang and the employees of the “School”. Moreover, I began to understand that every reader will be able to see the same direct and personal interest in Thai’s words - since they are addressed to real people and filled with sincere love. As the work continued, I could see an ever-expanding community: the School workers, young Thai Buddhists and many of our friends around the world.

Thich Nhat Hanh The miracle of mindfulness. A Practical Guide to Meditation

Translator's Preface to the English Edition

Chapter first Fundamentals of the discipline

Washing dishes as a process

Cup of tea in your hands

How to eat a tangerine

Thich Nhat Hanh
The miracle of mindfulness. A Practical Guide to Meditation

Chapter first
Fundamentals of the discipline