I've read a few books on Buddhism before, but none have been so beautifully articulate or compassionate as this book by Thich Nhat Hanh. I love how he weaves a few of his own poems into the text to illustrate certain principles and experiences, because he is a phenomenal poet. It really is his explanation of how certain lines of Buddhist thought have become altered from earlier versions, and how different practices intersect and contain each other's ideas that really sets this apart. I read it t More...

"Let us look at a wave on the surface of the ocean. A wave is a wave. It has a beginning and an end. It might be high or low, more or less beautiful than other waves. But a wave is, at the same time, water. Water is the ground of being of the wave. It is important that a wave knows that she is water, and not just a wave. We, too, live our life as an individual. We believe that we have a beginning and an end, that we are separate from other living beings. That is why the Buddha advised us to look More...

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A book by a prominent Buddhist monk outlining key teachings of Buddhism. I started off rather liking it as an approach to mindfulness and how to process suffering and the good things about life. But after he Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, I started to get a bit irritated with the constant discovery of new lists of important spiritual things, from the Two Truths up to the Twelve Links of Interdependent Co-Arising; it seems to me that over-descr More...

read this book as it relates to one of the great religion of India. Book explains deeper meaning of Nirvana, four noble truths , Noble eightfold path etc and its relation in today's life. the author very well explained that the Buddha is in our heart and not in some far place we are just not seeing him. it further says when " there is wrong thinking, it is already Right View.when there is Right thinking one knows it is Right Thinking. What is wrong thinking? it is thinking that leads to desire, More...

First, I want to make a distinction between what I’d like to call ‘cultural Buddhism’ and ‘secular Buddhism’. Secular Buddhism, much like secular Christianity, is a distilled version of cultural Buddhism made to fit the vogues of our society. Offensive elements are purged, unreasonable stories and precepts dismissed, and what you have left is a perfectly digestible form of the original that now can be taught as an elective for school credit. Cultural Buddhism, as I’ve deemed it, is Buddhism as r More...

This book by Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh goes into a lot of the background from the later-life teachings of the Buddha such as the Lotus Sutra, so in a way, it's more about what the Zen school of Buddhism or Mahayana sects in general teach. Concepts are well-explained with copious footnotes, and it remembers the Indian roots of Buddhism throwing in Sanskrit / Pali terms in addition to Japanese and Chinese terms.

But while the book is easy to read, it often overwhelms the reader with More...

I just completed this book and very much enjoyed it. This is Brother Thay's take on the teachings and draws from the original Buddhist Suttas from the Pali Canon but also from the later Chinese Agama translations and Mahayana Suttas. While I prefer the original Theravada teachings, this book is a fascinating read and packed full of information. Much denser and full of detail then most of Thich Nhat Hahn'a other writings but, at least to me, still immensely readable. Recommended to anyone who wis More...

The tag line of this book is "Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation." In Part I, the author writes about the Four Noble Truths. The First Noble Truth is Suffering (dukkha), the recognition that suffering is ever-present in our lives. The Second Noble Truth is the origin, roots, nature, creation, or arising (samudaya) of suffering. The Third Noble Truth is the cessation of suffering, which is achieved by refraining from doing the things that cause us to suffer. The Fourth Noble T More...

This is the books we read at the study group of "Exploring Buddhism" at East West Crossings. I like this book very much. In particular, the way Thich Naht Hahn's comment on the Buddha today may as well be a Sangha, a community of meditators who are already treading on the path of liberation. His understanding of the dependent co-arising (Paticca Samupada) is also deep, there is no need to abandon our mind and body, no need to run away from this world, we simply need to transform them with love a More...

A handbook for the basics of Buddhist philosophy as it relates to personal transformation. Thich Nhat Hanh emphasizes teachings that came "directly" from the Buddha rather than later Buddhist teachers. Also it's not an overview of different kinds of Buddhism, or all traditional Buddhist beliefs (e.g. no discussion of karma and reincarnation).

The first half of the book covers the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. The second half of the book covers various other ideas in bulletpoint More...

A great introduction to Buddhist teachings, one objective of which is to live each day with more mindfulness. Key to achieving this goal is understanding the connection we have to each other and everything in our environment. Among other things, the author outlines the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path to Well-being, tools which help one live life with more awareness and meaning. Better understanding of the heart of Buddha's teaching brings wisdom, appreciation, compassion, enlighte More...

I loved this book. I think I love Buddhism, but please, please, please, don't make me take a test on it.

When I decided I wanted to know more about Buddhism, it was because of my developing interest in yoga. I can't tell you how exactly Buddhism is related to yoga, but it surely is. First of all, I find no need for faith in yoga or Buddhism. It works. I practice yoga, I feel better. I practice Buddhist principles, I feel better. No faith involved.

Compare this with Judaism. You believe in God? Pro More...

I have been savoring this book for some time, and was lucky to have it with me while trapped on planes and in airports and on an overnight detour to Detroit--Hanh's teachings didn't quite transform the ordeal into great spiritual practice, but they did vastly improve the experience. Many of his other books can be read almost as a philosophy of Buddhism; here he explains the basic religious tenets in depth (and with more clarity than I'd previously encountered in introductory texts). While not qu More...

What should we think when on the one hand Buddhism tells us that life is suffering and on the other we are told to enjoy life's every moment? Loved around the world for his simple, straightforward explanations of Buddhism, Thich Nhat Hanh has finally turned his hand to the very core of Buddhism and conundrums such as this. In the traditional way, Thich Nhat Hanh takes up the core teachings one by one--the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, the Twelve Links of Interdependent Co-Arising- More...

I loved this book, the parts about the noble truths, the sutras and the eightfold path were the best, great learning to become a better person. Some of the later parts I thought were a bit out of order in the terminology used sometimes, like the book was a compendium of different writings and some of it was lost in the way, there is also some repetition in the last parts of the book. Nevertheless I loved reading it and learning from it. I got some other books by Thich Nhat Hanh after this one.

Thich Nhat Hanh is an amazing teacher. His stories and examples make concepts that could be confusing very clear with the perfect amount of detail. The clarity in which the principles are Buddhism are presented in the book and then nicely wrapped together at the end of each section is something rare and wonderful. Highly recommended for anyone new to Buddhism who is learning the principles. WIll hang on to this one and refer to it over and over again.

If you're looking for an erudite, comprehensive overview of mainstream Buddhist thought, "The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching" is an adequate choice, but prepare for a long, hard slog. Thich Nhat Hanh is at his best when he's telling stories from his own life— his time in Vietnam during the war, or stories about the Buddhist community he started in France. Unfortunately, most of the book isn't told from his personal point of view— it's an academic rundown of major Buddhist ideas (and endlessly li More...

A nice introduction to the basics of Buddhism. Thich Nhat Hanh makes concepts simple and easy to understand for those unfamiliar with Buddhism and lays out the basics in a clear fashion. If you're looking for some of the finer details, this probably isn't the book for you, but for a nice overview, this is a great place to start. I'd highly recommend this to beginners due to its simplicity and knack of getting basic concepts across.

I first picked up this book when I was going through an identity crisis in the seventh or eight grade. Many books have made me think, many books have changed my opinions before, but the Heart of the Buddha's Teachings has been the only book to change my life. I remember the very day when I read a passage from this piece and it was like a great awakening.

Great book. Not recommended for a beginner getting into Buddhist concepts and practice. This was a lot of information, you could spend years just reflecting and practicing on one chapter. Some really beautiful prose at times, found some passages that really resonated with me and helped me think in a more positive way about some things in life.

Ummm ok. I must've lent this one to my ex-boyfriend because I just found his list of contacts in it from when I first suggested he go to an AA meeting. Appropriate bookmark? You bet.

Anyway, I must have gotten this when I was nineteen and knew everything because now I'm too afraid to even crack it open. Those noble truths'll get ya.

I started to read this book for my meditation class at the community college, but it became more than an assignment for me. The beginning shook me up because of the reference to "allowing the Buddha to enter your heart"-- it sounded a little close to Christianity. But I took a chance and got past that first chapter. I really like the way the Venerable Monk teaches the basics of Buddhism in this volume. He doesn't stop at the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, which can be expounded on exp More...

I made it only a little over half way before I decided to abandon this book. It starts off engaging and interesting but too quickly dives into mundane lists and vague descriptions of the details of Buddhist thought and practice. As an introduction to the religion (I was not familiar with the Four Noble Truths before beginning this book), I found it simply boring and too factual.

An exact journey through the four noble truths and the eightfold path in a way that only Thich Nhat Hanh can teach. Simplicity and eloquence are his best qualities. From someone who has studied as a Buddhist Monk for almost seventy years and it shows. He defines in detail without complications and questions left unasked.

Possibly one of the best books written about the fundamentals of Buddhism. I find that the explanations give you a good foundation in the terms and tenants of Buddhism. I would recommend this book to anyone who has no background in Buddhism and wants to learn about the basic principles and beliefs of Buddhism.

Excellent book, with it's prime contribution to introductory Buddhist texts being its discussion on the emotional seeds within all of us - anger, compassion, love, hate, etc., and how by choosing specific actions leads to specific personalities - "watering the seeds." The most striking point being all people - the Buddha included - have the seeds of hate, angry, jealousy in them, and that encouraging certain aspects to flourish and others to remain dormant is a primary goal of Buddhist practice. More...

I really, really wanted this book to make an impact. It is clearly a well-written and important book by one of the most prolific Buddhist writers. However, I had some trouble understanding some of the concepts presented. I found some things elusive, and perhaps this is inevitable given the topic. I don't believe this book is for a beginner, which is more what I was expecting. Nhat Hahn doesn't fully explain some terms he uses, and when he does explain, at times I found his writing difficult to More...

Hahn’s overview of Buddhism is one of the most popular and, in contrast to many Buddhist instructors who begin their students with Rapula’s What the Buddha Taught, I suggest this text as the all-in-one guide to introducing Buddhism if the student is intimidated by the size of Awakening the Buddha Within.

I was hoping for a little more basic introduction to Buddhism. The first half of the book was delightful and at just the right level, but I was overwhelmed by a barrage of concepts (with really long names!) in the second half. Everything started to run together. I intend to keep this around a reference book - hopefully once I have more of a clue about basic concepts in Buddhism, this book will make more sense.

I love this book. Anyone who wants to learn about buddhism in more depth should read this. It not only goes into what buddhism is about, but it also gives you things to do in your everyday life. This was my buddhist bible when I first started exploring this path.