Peace Teachings

"True peace is always possible," declares Thich Nhat Hanh in this watershed work. "Yet it requires strength and practice, particularly in times of great difficulty. To some, peace and nonviolence are synonymous with passivity and weakness. In truth, practicing peace and nonviolence is far from passive. To practice peace, to make peace alive in us, is to actively cultivate understanding, love, and compassion, even in the face of misperception and conflict. Practicing peace, especially in times of war, requires courage."

This peacemaker knows of what he writes. He has survived three wars, persecution, and more than 30 years of exile from his native country, Vietnam. This book has grown out of his experiences as a Buddhist monk, a retreat leader on the art of mindful living, the author of more than 100 books of teachings and poetry, and a world leader in the nonviolence movement. In addition, he has offered spiritual advice to American Vietnam War veterans, Israeli and Palestinian activists, psychotherapists, artists, environmental activists, children, and others.

Thich Nhat Hanh's teaching has a very practical quality to it. In this volume he writes about creating peace in our personal lives, families, neighborhoods, spiritual communities, society, and world. Many of the practices have been honed in the monastic community he founded in France, Plum Village, as well as two centers in the United States, the Green Mountain Dharma Center in Vermont and Deer Park Monastery in California. Throughout his years of service, Thich Nhat Hanh has been a pioneer in "engaged Buddhism" which views meditation practices and social activism as being of one piece.

Both war and peace reside within each of us. Thich Nhat Hanh uses the image of the many seeds that are in our minds: seeds of understanding, wisdom, and forgiveness; as well as seeds of ignorance, anger, fear, and hatred. Peace and nonviolence start with us when we refuse to water the seeds of war by our actions. The spiritual teachings of all traditions challenge us to cultivate the seeds of compassion, love, kindness, nonviolence, openness, and reconciliation. Practices, guided meditations, and other exercises included here help us calm our emotions, acknowledge our interbeing with others, and extend the circle of compassion.

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