Life is Available Only in the Present Moment

Dear Friends: Now that the world knows that Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) is in intensive care, it is important to remember one of his major teaching: “Life is available only in the present moment.” Tricycle also picked up on this theme with these words of wisdom from Thay. It is funny that things […]

Love Is Letting Go Of Fear

With Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh in the hospital, it may be good to remember that love is letting go of fear. Then we will be free to love Thay and allow what is to be to be. Love Is Letting Go Of Fear is the title of a book by Jerry Jampolsky. He was the […]

Let Your Mind Settle

Here is a story and a quote that teaches you how to let your mind settle. You may want to do this prior to taking an action when you are disturbed or upset. In The Sun My Heart: From Mindfulness to Insight and Contemplation, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (known as Thay by his followers) […]

Compassion is Mandatory

In our world today, compassion is mandatory. It is mandatory because there are so many diverse interests. Compassion is necessary for us to develop tolerance for different points of view. Compassion is mandatory in order for us to develop non-discrimination. Many people still harbor discrimination towards people who are not like them. There is a […]

The Better Way to Live Alone

My teacher, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (known affectionately by his followers as Thay – teacher) , often teaches on the better way to live alone. His teachings are based on the words of the Buddha passed down orally until they were written down. These writings are called sutras. In this article, we are going to review Sutra […]

Taking Care of Our Families

Taking care of our families is just as important as dharma practice. Even though we are taught that “non-attachment is essential,” we must continue to love and support our family members. I find this teaching to be really essential. At a time when many of my friends were attending retreats away from their families, I […]

Our True Home

Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh teaches us that our true home exists in the here and in the now. There is only the present moment, and if we are present, we are home. We sing a song that goes like this: I have arrived, I am home. In the here and in the now. I […]

Keep Our Compassion Alive

The People’s Climate Train, climate march and Flood Wall Street occurred while I was in Spain. My dharma brother, David Nelson, filmed the event and has made his film public. What we learn is that we need to keep our compassion alive as Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) says, May we keep our compassion […]

Giving is the Best Communication

This video shows us how giving is the best communication. It is in giving that we receive. Francis of Assisi said, “Make me an instrument of Your peace; Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is discord, harmony; Where there is error, truth; Where there is doubt, […]

Pebble Meditation from Plum Village

This article contains a video of Pebble Meditation from Plum Village conducted by another monk, Thay Phap Luu. The video was produced by Peace Is The Way Films. If you ever listen to Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh teach the children how to do this, you may wonder what he is talking about. He calls […]