Great book! Perfect for anxiety.

Juno · Post by **Juno** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 12:10 pm

I was at the Asia Society Museum the other day and I found this amazing book by a Buddhist monk. It is called Being Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh. It really captures in eloquent language many of the skills we try to learn in this program: to live in the present moment.
Here is some of what he writes:
"Recently one friend asked me, 'How can I force myself to smile when I am filled with sorrow? It isn't natural.' I told her she must be able to smile to her sorrow, because we are more than our sorrow. A human being is like a television set with millions of channels. If we turn the Buddha on, we are the Buddha. If we turn sorrow on, we are sorrow. If we turn a smile on, we really are the smile. We can't let just one channel dominate us. We have the seeds of everything in us, and we have to take the situation in hand to recover our own sovereignty."
This reminds me when I started studying literature. I realized there was beauty in sorrow, in my suffering and others' suffering. Everyone has a story and in it there is often pain. But that is beautiful.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 1:27 pm

This sounds very interesting. I will have to see if my book store can get it on order. Thanks

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 1:27 pm

Thich Nhat Hanh has written quite a few really great books. Buddhist thought can really help with anxiety. If you have itunes, I recommend this podcast called A Quiet Mind. The lessons are excellent! They deal with living in the present moment and dealing with sorrow, anger, etc. Check it out!

Boon · Post by **Boon** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 1:52 pm

His books are very good. The concept of living in the present moment has been around for a very long time. Meditation is excellent for quieting the mind and lowering your anxiety levels. Pema Chodron (a Buddhist nun) has also written some excellent books. One I particularly like is "When Things Fall Apart."