Book summary of The Art of Living by Thich Nhat
The feeling of peace and freedom is hidden in the now and in this moment
in two words
The Art of Living (2017) gives the understanding to fully feel every moment of every day. Many of us are so bogged down by our fears or preoccupations that prevent us from connecting with the wonders of life. But by increasing our understanding of existence and adopting mindfulness practices, we can overcome the obstacles that hold us back from truly living.
Who is it for?
For anyone who has an interest in Buddhism.
- For the ambitious people who are looking for a stay.
• For those full of stress who yearn for peace.
About the Author,
Thich Nhat Hahn is a Buddhist monk, peace activist, and author of over 100 books. In addition to his best-seller, Anger, the titles of the rest of his books range from manuals on meditation to children's stories and poetry. In 1967, Thich Nhat Hahn was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Martin Luther King Jr.
Book summary of The Art of Living
There is no such thing as a separate self.
No one wants to reach the end of life just to feel that they have not lived to the fullest. And yet our drunken lifestyle is taking us towards the exact same end. By running from place to place, or by clinging to our screens, we are distancing ourselves from this very moment. But whatever we have is just a moment from now. The past is behind us, and the future is yet to come. So why do we allow ourselves to be busy or distracted instead of connecting with the moment? This summary sheds light on why we are adopting this distressing behavior and offers a new perspective on what it means to exist. They also teach mindfulness practices that can help you figure out how to really be alive. In this summary, you will know what really keeps you busy. Why is it better to be aimless or aimless? And how to achieve nirvana before dying. - So let's get started! What is a flower made of? The obvious answer is a stem, leaves, and petals - things you can easily see. But, actually, there is much more to it than that. A flower is also the soil that nurtured it, the rain that watered it, and the sun that gave it light. Even place and time are part of its existence. If you removed any of these "non-flower" elements, the flower would not exist. Humans are no different either. Your body is made up of trillions of non-human cells that keep you alive. Basically, you have the entire universe inside you, from the air you breathe to the food you eat, the education, and the culture that makes you like you. And then there are your ancestors - their generations have been spread behind you over time. If you removed any of these elements on your own, you would not be you. Human beings are not separate entities. Actually, every human being is an interbeing - a combination of elements found from various sources present in time and space.
Children clearly show this interrelationship or interbeing. A child will not only look like his parents, but he will also speak and act like them. Similarly, if you look at his parents, you will find the marks of the child. Therefore, neither the child nor his parents are a separate self. They are so deeply connected that it is impossible for them to exist independently. It's not just our genes that make us interbeings. In fact, it does not even require personal contact. Just look at the Zen master and author Thich Nhat Hahn. The Zen master does not have children of his own, but if you look at his students, you will see that they walk and talk like him. Even students who have only read his books have his marks. If you imagine the presence of your ancestors or your teachers during your daily activities, you can connect to everyone's existence. Reminding yourself that you are not alone can be a great comfort no matter what you are going through. So whether you're doing the dishes, working on a project, or practicing a skill, you have the chance to accept that you're part of the living, breathing cell that we call the world. . And not only this, the world is also a part of you.
You have always been there, and you will always be there.
Imagine that a cloud is blowing over your head and you are looking at it. After looking away for a moment, when you look again at the sky, you will notice that the cloud is gone. You think the cloud no longer exists. But, of course, this is not true. The cloud did not disappear. It simply turned into something else, such as mist or rain. This is in line with the first law of thermodynamics, which states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed - it can only be transformed Is . Similarly, the cloud can never stop. So, the cloud you saw yesterday may have turned into water, which you will drink someday. Marking things, such as calling something a "cloud" or a "person", helps us identify parts of the world. But if the sign is not applied anywhere, then you can assume that that part of the world no longer exists. So, if you want to see the full nature of existence, you need to look beyond the signs. "Birth" and "Death" are symbols that we use to mark dates in the calendar. But these signs do not fully represent existence. Before you were born, you were present in your mother's womb. And before that, the elements that made you up were present in the sperms and eggs that went into your conception. These elements were also present in your grandparents and ancestors. It means that there was no time when you were not present. You were just constantly being transformed to get the look that you are today. Similarly, you will continue to exist even after your death. Although many people consider death to be negative, it is just another transformation – like a cloud that turns into rain. Basically, death is what makes life possible because it triggers the birth of a new way of being. When death touches our lives, we often need time to understand what that new existence is all about. We feel pain, but the pain is there even at birth. The knowledge that something new has begun makes that pain bearable. So, on a deeper look, you will finally recognize the new state of existence that comes after death. Thinking of your life as a continuous transformation helps to overcome the fear of death. And when you free yourself from the anxiety and sorrow caused by death, you will see the world as a rich tapestry of existence, not in terms of its science. Our ancestors developed the ability to run so that they could escape danger and hunt animals for food. Although most humans no longer need to run like that to survive, the urge to hunt is still hardwired into our cells somewhere. What has changed is our target. Now instead of chasing wildlife, we chase money, love, health, and even helping others. But in trying to achieve these goals, we sacrificial the magic of the present moment as our eyes are fixed on the future. We tell ourselves that the reward of all our efforts is that one day we, our version of us, will reach heaven and be happy. But heaven already exists for us. And if we stop running, we can enjoy it now. If you are constantly running around or looking for something that you think you do not have, then you are not free to embrace the magic of the present moment. Instead of connecting with the joy of being alive in the now and in this moment, your mind is filled with plans and tasks. You cannot feel at peace by living in this constant state of longing. To free yourself from this, practice aimlessness, which is a Buddhist technique that allows you to keep yourself firmly attached to the ground. Aimlessness doesn't mean you're not doing anything. It is a state where you let go of the desire to pursue things or goals. Without a purpose to pursue, you are free to remain still and connect deeply with the present. This stillness will bring you peace. It will also help you understand the magic of being alive. To be present in the moment itself Training to ko fills your life with happiness. It also enhances the quality of life around you. When you are in a state of sickness, you are not working in the anxiety of achieving the goal. Instead, you can focus on your surroundings. This will motivate you with compression and understanding, not fear or greed. In this new wake-up mindset, calmness restores energy that you might have lost from being busy. Gives your Wisdom and Compassion a chance to grow.
Immortality is a blessing.
As the ancient Greek philosopher, Heraclitus said, "You can never bathe twice in the same river." this would have flowed. Similarly, you are not the same person you were yesterday because many cells in your body have died and have been replaced by new cells. People are afraid of change. We think change is a sign of difficult times, we forget that change also has the power to bring happiness. Thanks to this change, due to this many diseases have been cured and tyrannical rule has ended. Even in terrible times like war, when there seems to be no end to it, we can breathe a sigh of relief thinking that nothing lasts forever. The human body is extraordinary, an organism capable of performing miracles. It can walk and talk, think and feel. But there will come a time when he will not be able to do all these things. Knowing that your body will one day turn to dust will make it easier for you to appreciate what a gift this is too. By accepting this natural transition, you will be able to appreciate the present moment more. Mortality doesn't just apply to physical objects. This also applies to thoughts and feelings. Because your inner landscape is constantly changing, the "you" that you are in this moment is not the same as the "you" of a moment ago. This means that your pain and fear are also not permanent. Knowing this will help you to face your difficult feelings with courage. You can be sure that after a while these difficult feelings will go away. The impermanence within us gives an opportunity for a positive change. If you think of your inner landscape as a garden and consider yourself to be the gardener of that garden, you can choose the aspects of yourself that you want to grow and what you want to bring out. If you sow the seeds of peace and happiness, these qualities will bear fruit in your life. Without change, there will be no improvement. A seed will never grow into a plant and a child will never grow up. And because we all have seeds in our gardens that are positive, such as anger and fear, we can choose not to turn these seeds into plants. Instead, if we focus on cultivating positive qualities, then impermanence will change us for the better. To achieve freedom, you have to let go of your desires. Imagine a fish swimming in a river, moving towards a tempting piece of bait. It is obvious that as soon as she eats the fodder, she will get stuck in the thorn without knowing it. And in an instant that fish will lose its freedom. Cravings are like fish feed. She matches everything we've dreamed of, but we can't see how deep she'll get us hooked. And instead of giving us happiness, they will become the cause of our suffering. So if we want to feel satisfied, we have to stop chasing the bait. Everyone has a craving. Tracing where the feeling of wanting something is coming from, it can be known that it is related to the fear of dying hidden deep inside. This fear is present in us from the moment we are born. Suddenly, our mother stopped giving us oxygen and we had to breathe for ourselves. This fear born for our survival is always with us when we are babies, so we look for ways to persuade elders to take care of us. But even when we grow up, it doesn't get scared. We crave connection or fear being left out, so we seek intimate relationships that don't leave us feeling lonely. But if love is not found with all this, then we start feeling more lonely. The problem with cravings is that they don't fulfill you, even if you got what you wanted. As soon as one wish is fulfilled, you will start wishing for something more or new, which means that you will never be satisfied. And so by always keeping an eye on what you want, you will stop appreciating what your life is in the present moment. To free yourself from this damaging pattern, you have to let go of your desires. Begin by examining your situation deeply, so that you can pinpoint what you aspire to. For example, it could be a special job that represents your bait. Now test your desire honestly, to see if there's a hook - something that could take away your freedom, like working long hours or getting high levels of stress. And lastly, see if that hook is any kind of danger to you. For example, how will that job affect your health or relationships? By understanding the journey that comes with that desire, you will be able to let it go.
If you have not faced your journey, then you cannot live in this moment.
When a newborn cries, his mother hurriedly goes up to the swing and lovingly lifts him in her lap. As soon as the child is carried in the lap, he gets relief from his journey, even if his mother does not know what is the reason for the child's pain. If the mother leaves the child crying, then he becomes more unhappy. The pain we carry is like this child - he is crying for comfort. But like a loving mother, we do not take care of her, but turn our backs to her. Instead of taking care of our pain, we distract ourselves by keeping ourselves busy. We use our phones, work or desires to suppress the sound of our pain. But the only way to heal ourselves is to lovingly embrace the feeling that we are feeling. Healing is a transformative act that will restore peace and happiness to your life. But healing will happen only when you look at your pain honestly and be fully present for it. Often, you can't do this because you're surrounded by your own circumstances or feelings that don't allow you to reach that moment. As if you are probably stuck in your work, hectic lifestyle, sadness, anger, or broken relationship. Or perhaps they are swayed by a desire such as money, power, or the best of food. All these distractions cover up the pain one is longing for relief. To start the healing process by setting yourself free, start by meditating on what's holding you back from being in the moment. Ask yourself where did these barriers come from and why do they exist. After that look at your priorities. Is the thing holding you back more important than being completely alive? Knowing that your biggest priority is to live deeply will allow you to let go of your distractions. Once you are free from them, you can work on your healing by recognizing and feeling your pain. You can handle your pain in many ways; Writing, drawing, or listening to music are some of these methods. Thich Nhat Hain writes poems to explore his pain. Or they recollect a sweet memory that brings them comfort, such as thinking about their favorite pine tree or a child's laughter. By doing such things you will remember that the world is still full of magic, even in this moment of your journey.
Nirvana is not a destination you reach after death;
This is a stage of life. When Thich Nut Hain was in Kuala Lumpur on a teaching tour, he saw billboards advertising a company called Nirvana, which conducted Buddhist funerals. He did not like the choice of name because Buddha never associated nirvana with death. Western Buddhist scholars have mistakenly defined Nirvana as Eternal Death, which comes after the final stage of reincarnation. But this definition does not match the teachings of the Buddha; You cannot get Eternal Death or Eternal Death and existence or existence is a continuous process. The Buddha described Nirvana as the blissful feeling you feel after all your sorrows are gone - the same comfort you feel after a thorn is removed from your foot. This is not the gift that you get after the end of life. This is a state that exists daily for everyone. There is a fire inside every human being which keeps burning on worries, desires and regrets. But by transforming these difficult feelings with the help of meditation, you can experience peace. This is the state of Nirvana. You can feel Nirvana throughout the day in small doses. Recognizing the continuum present in the particle is one way to approach it as it reduces the fear of death. When you meditate on the world from the perspective of Continuous Being, you can let go of the limitations of science like "life" and "death", because then you know that these signs do not represent reality. This will give you peace. The notion that nirvana is a reward makes many people feel that they are not yet enlightened enough to experience it. But this is not true. Even after attaining enlightenment, Buddha was still human. Even after that, he experienced pain, hunger, cold, and fatigue. He also felt emotions like other human beings. But he was able to reach Nirvana because he knew how to handle his journey. When you do the same, you will also reach Nirvana. Traveling is not something that once recovered, is done. It will always be a part of existence, so you will always have to face it and transform it using meditation. But with traveling comes awakening. When you look into the heart of your trouble or journey and turn the blazing fire in it into a gentle relief, you will enter nirvana.
in short, to be fully alive means to live in the now, at this moment. But living in this moment is challenging. Desires and ambitions can prevent you from doing this. And if you are prone to difficult emotions, you may want to turn your back or hide your emotions behind the mask of being busy because they are very difficult to cope with. But when you muster up the courage to be still and embrace the pain, you will begin to heal and free yourself from the distractions that steal your peace. Doing so will allow you to connect deeply with the wonders of your life, and see what it has in store for you. What to do? Use breathing meditation to overcome restlessness. If you are constantly rushing from one activity to the next, make a habit of asking yourself what is motivating you to do so. For example, as you go to pick up the TV remote, ask yourself if you really want to watch a program or if you want to switch channels on the TV for Easy Escape. If you're trying to forget your travels while watching TV, focus on your breath and embrace what you're feeling. Use that moment to reconnect with the world around you, remembering that you have a lot of support because you are not alone.
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