You Are Here: Discovering the Magic of the Present Moment - Hardcover

Hanh, Thich Nhat

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1590309839 ISBN 13: 9781590309834

Publisher: Shambhala Library, 2012

Synopsis

This moment is the gateway to enlightenment. It is the only moment we have to be joyful, mindful, and awake. The key is to be there for yourself—to learn to be fully present in your life. This, Thich Nhat Hanh explains, is the heart of Buddhist practice.

In this introduction to the practice of presence, the beloved Buddhist teacher provides indispensable insight on the essentials of Buddhist thought and offers a range of simple, everyday practices for cultivating mindfulness. These teachings empower us to witness the wonder of life and transform our suffering, both within us and around us, into compassion, tenderness, and peace—not in some long and hard struggle, but in this very moment. As Thich Nhat Hanh declares, “the energy of mindfulness is the energy of the Buddha, and it can be produced by anybody.” It’s as simple as breathing in and breathing out.

About this title

About the Author:

A Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh is an internationally known author, poet, scholar, and peace activist, and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Martin Luther King Jr. He is the author of numerous books, including the best-selling Living Buddha, Living Christ; Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames; Peace Is Every Step; and The Miracle of Mindfulness. He is the leader of monastic communities in New York, California, France, Germany, Hong Kong, and Vietnam, and his teachings inspire several hundred local groups of lay practitioners across the United States, Latin America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

The heart of Buddhist practice is to generate our own presence in such a way that we can touch deeply the life that is here and available in every moment. We have to be here for ourselves, we have to be here for the people we love, we have to be here for life with all its wonders. The message of our Buddhist practice is simple and clear: “I am here for you.”
In our daily life, we are often lost in thoughts. We get lost in regrets about the past and fears about the future. We get lost in our plans, our anger, and our anxiety. At such moments, we cannot really be here for ourselves. We are not really here for life.
Practice makes it possible for us to be free—to rid ourselves of these obstacles and establish ourselves firmly in the present moment. Practice gives us methods we can use to help us be here in the present moment. Practice makes it possible for us to say “I am here for you.”
The Buddha said, “The past no longer exists, and the future is not here yet.” There is only a single moment in which we can truly be alive, and that is the present moment. Being present in the here and now is our practice.

About this edition

• Publisher: Shambhala Library
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 1590309839
• ISBN 13: 9781590309834
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 160
• Editor: McLeod Melvin