Book Review - Living Buddha, Living Christ

“When you are a truly happy Christian, you are also a Buddhist. And vice versa.”

— Thich Nhat Hanh

I first added Thich Nhat Hanh’s book Living Buddha, Living Christ to my “Want to Read” list on Goodreads ten years ago but didn’t actually get around to reading it until earlier this year. I’m not sure exactly what enticed me about the book the first time I came across it, but something in me knew that I needed to eventually read it. I’m glad I followed that calling and gave it a try, even if it took me a decade to finish.

Living Buddha, Living Christ provides a high-level overview of the similarities and differences between Buddhism and Christianity. The book certainly isn’t a deep dive into either tradition, so if that is what you’re looking for then you should move on and continue your search.

But if you want to read a respectful, highly-digestible, thought-provoking take on the two spiritual paths, then look no further.

In the book, Hanh (the bestselling author of Peace Is Every Step) explores the teachings and practices brought to us by two of the most influential figures in the history of humankind. Jesus Christ and the Buddha have helped shape the lives of people and cultures for two millennia. Yet their followers do not always agree. Have you ever wondered what Buddha and Jesus would say (or do) to each other if they met on the road?

Something tells me that they wouldn’t kill each other, despite the sage advice from Zen master Linji Yixuan that is often repeated in Buddhist centers and temples throughout the world:

If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him.

Instead, it’s likely that the two would engage in a friendly discussion similar to the one that Hanh has been having with Christians for several decades, where he has tried to build a bridge between the two contemplative traditions. Thankfully, the wisdom from that discussion has been skillfully translated for readers in Living Buddha, Living Christ.

The book explores several striking similarities between Buddhism and Christianity, like how the Buddhist idea of reincarnation lines up perfectly with “pre-incarnation”, a teaching from the third-century Christian theologian Origen that you’ve probably never even heard of. Or the ways that Buddhism’s notion of nirvana echo the sentiment of Jesus’ description of the Kingdom of God.

This book will help you see both Buddhism and Christianity in a different light, but also more clearly than you ever have before.

My completion of Living Buddha, Living Christ marks the 10th book by Thich Nhat Hanh that I have read. His books are incredibly simple yet they serve as powerful guides to live a better life, and this book is no exception. If you want to learn more about the intersections where Buddhism and Christianity overlap as well as where they diverge, I can honestly recommend that you give this book a read.

However, as one last note, I wouldn’t suggest Living Buddha, Living Christ as your introduction to Thich Nhat Hanh. Personally I think that Peace Is Every Step, The Art of Communicating, Being Peace, and Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames are much better places to start. But if you’re really into the concept behind Living Buddha, Living Christ, then you surely won’t be disappointed.

Either way, be sure you check out Hanh’s body of work; it has the potential to change your life.

Click here to buy the book.

Disclaimer: Think Wilder is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.

Book Review - Peace is Every Breath

I love me a good Thich Nhat Hanh book. They're usually quick and simple to digest, chock-full of easily-applied sage wisdom from one of the most influential Buddhist leaders in the West. Peace is Every Breath is no exception.

Hanh is a world-renowned Vietnamese Zen Buddhist master, poet, scholar, and peace activist who attempts to show people how to incorporate the practice of mindfulness into each and every waking moment. The followup to his bestselling classic, Peace is Every Step, the chapters of this book flow together as a helpful guide that the reader can use to live a fuller life.

He writes:

Mindfulness is what brings us back in touch with what's happening in the present moment in our body, in our feelings, in our thinking, and also in our environment. It enables us to be present in the here and the now, mind and body together, aware of what's going on inside us and around us. And when we are very mindful of something, we are concentrated on it.

This book shows the reader how it is possible to practice cultivating mindfulness in each and every moment, featuring short chapters on various everyday activities that are often tedious and unmemorable for most of us, such as waking up each morning, eating breakfast, and brushing your teeth. I think that Hanh successfully unpacks the concept that we can continue our meditation or yoga practice even if we have gotten up from our zafus or stepped off our mats for the day. While I enjoyed the first book, Peace is Every Step, a bit better than this one, I still think that Peace is Every Breath is well worth reading and would encourage you to check it out if you're in need of a relaxing deep breath.

3/5 stars. 160 pages.

Banner image by Larisa-K, courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.

Book Review – No Mud, No Lotus

No Mud, No Lotus: The Art of Transforming Suffering is a book written by the Vietnamese monk and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh, which focuses on various aspects surrounding the concept of transforming suffering. The meaning behind the title is that without mud, the beautiful lotus flower could not grow. This is an analogy to life—without suffering, there cannot be happiness. The key is to develop a keen ability to transform one's own suffering, for which Hanh lays out a detailed plan with various helpful techniques.

In the very beginning of the book is a quote and approach which resonated with me that can be used when someone asks a difficult question about suffering that has no end in sight. Hanh explains that during the Vietnam war, when someone would ask when the war would be over, he knew that he could not tell a lie and say that it will be over soon, nor could he say "I don't know", which would only cause the person to despair even more. So he would answer, "Everything is impermanent, even war. It will end some day." I appreciated this advice and will try to put it into practice when addressing others' suffering.

Hanh discusses the question of whether or not the Buddha suffered by saying that since he had a body, feelings, and perceptions (like all of us) he also experienced suffering. Although both physical suffering and suffering of the mind is inevitable, we can suffer much less by "not watering the seeds of suffering inside us." The act of consuming in order to cover up our suffering does not work; we need a spiritual practice to develop the skill and strength necessary to look deeply into our suffering and make a breakthrough.

There are many mantras, meditations, and techniques in the book that can help address suffering. For example, there is the concept of being a mindfulness bell for a loved one—gently squeezing their hand whenever there is something that may trigger their anger or sadness during a difficult conversation with someone else. Or the morning verse for happiness, which is a daily reminder to breathe and become aware that we have twenty-four new hours to live each morning when we wake up.

According to my records, this is the sixth book by Hanh that I have completed. I enjoy his books a lot, and have gotten much benefit from them. However, I do feel that they borrow a lot of content from one another (granted, he has written a myriad of books, so this is to be somewhat expected) and have a lot of overlapping stories and advice between them. I enjoyed this book, although there wasn't much in it that I couldn't have gotten from reading one or two of his other books. I do plan to continue reading Thich Nhat Hanh's works, and I wouldn't hesitate to suggest his books to anyone else. They are very quick and easy to read, and are very helpful. Please do check one of them out when you get a chance.

3/5 stars. 128 pages.

Book Review - Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames

Photo taken by David Wilder.

Anger is an emotion that everyone experiences from time to time. I have worked very hard to improve my own relationship with anger over the years, and still feel like I have a long way to go. Although my temper does not flare up often, when it does rear its ugly head, it can sometimes be difficult for me to control. I suspect that it is most likely congruent with others' experiences as well. When something pushes us over the line, it seems like calming down is but an impossibility.

Being a fan of Thich Nhat Hanh's writing, I decided to give Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames a read. I have read some other books on anger, most notably Working With Anger by Thubten Chodron. I anticipate that I will read plenty more in the future, because I have discovered that developing a healthy relationship with anger requires a lot of practice.

Hanh's Anger defines what anger truly is, explores its causes, provides advice for learning to communicate effectively with others, and offers mindfulness and meditation techniques that address how to handle the feeling of anger (and other negatively-associated emotions). There are several stories, both from Hanh's personal experiences and people he has encountered, as well as fictional situations, that help illustrate his points for the reader.

I found the book to be extremely easy to read and full of great information about anger. I have read many of Hanh's books and have noticed that many of the stories are repeated from book to book. I do not take issue with this, and actually find the repetition to be helpful for me. But it is certainly worth noting that if one was to read many of his books, then it is perhaps worthwhile to expect to reread some of the stories multiple times. Compared to Chodron's book mentioned above, I did not find Hanh's Anger to be as practical or helpful, but it is certainly an excellent overview, with many techniques to practice and stories to learn from. Anger is certainly something that we will all face at various times of our lives, and I believe that reading this book could help transform our relationships with it.

227 pages. 4/5 stars.

Click here to buy the book.

Disclaimer: Think Wilder is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.

Book Review - The Art of Communicating

Photograph taken by David Wilder.

Thich Nhat Hanh has written an excellent guide to understanding and practicing what he has dubbed The Art of Communicating. We all benefit from his effort, and I am grateful for the chance to give this a read.

The book begins by discussing the concept of absorbing thoughts, speech, and actions we produce ourselves in addition to karmic actions contained in the communications of those around us. Hanh moves on to address ways to effectively and honestly communicating with ourselves and others. His explanation of how the suffering of our parents and ancestors can be found within our own suffering helped me understand my own suffering as well as that of those who have come before me.

There is a concept discussed at length that essentially boils down to loving oneself in order to manifest compassion and happiness for others. It is nearly impossible to have true compassion for another when one does not truly love oneself. That is something that I have been working on for the past few decades and will continue to work on in the coming decades as well.

Hanh reminds us that when we greet another human being, it is helpful to remind ourselves that there is a Buddha inside them. As he says, "'The Buddha' is just a name for the most understanding and compassionate person it's possible to be. You may call it something else if you wish, like wisdom or God. We can breathe, smile, and walk in such a way that this person in us has a chance to manifest." I really enjoyed the wider passage that I plucked this quotation from—it reminds me that there are positive qualities inside of each and every one of us.

Deep listening and loving speech are also two concepts that I really enjoyed reading about, and hope to put into practice more and more as time goes on. Giving someone our full undivided attention while they are speaking is very powerful—when we listen with true compassion, we have the power to help the person suffer less. This book helped me see that I don't always practice this, and I would like to do it more often because my intention is to always help others and to never intentionally hurt others. Hanh lists and fully explains four elements of loving speech:

1. Tell the truth. Don't lie or turn the truth upside down.

2. Don't exaggerate.

3. Be consistent. This means no double-talk: speaking about something in one way to one person and in an opposite way to another for selfish or manipulative reasons.

4. Use peaceful language. Don't use insulting or violent words, cruel speech, verbal abuse, or condemnation.

In my opinion, those are very helpful reminders for us to continue to develop our practice of using loving speech when communicating with ourselves and others.

I think my favorite part of the book was the part that centered on the six mantras of loving speech. Without going into detail on what they are in this review, I will simply say that they seem extremely helpful in communicating with others about suffering that we all go experience from time to time. I have already started putting some of these mantras into practice, and have found them to be useful and helpful in my communication with others.

The book also covers the issues of communicating at work and in communities. One piece I took away from those sections was that it is beneficial to find time to be fully present and mindful with myself before getting into the car to drive to work, and certainly before walking into the door at my office!

I have greatly enjoyed reading Hanh's books over the past several years. He has so many that it is unlikely that I will read his entire body of work, but I have benefitted greatly from his contributions and have a few more picked out that I plan to read. If you have any suggestions of exceptional Thich Nhat Hanh books for me to read, please let me know!

4/5 stars. 166 pages.

Click here to buy the book.

Disclaimer: Think Wilder is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.