Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
313th out of 409 books
—
464 voters
True Love: A Practice for Awakening the Heart
In this little treasure, Thich Nhat Hanh, the renowned Zen monk, offers timeless insight into the nature of real love. With simplicity, warmth, and directness, he explores the four key aspects of love as described in the Buddhist tradition: lovingkindness, compassion, joy, and freedom—explaining how to experience them in our day-to-day lives. He also emphasizes that in ord...more
Paperback, 120 pages
Published
September 12th 2006
by Shambhala
(first published 2004)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
2,282)
this book is good so far it is teaching me thee real meaning of love
The book focuses on the idea that understanding is the essence of love. This involves not just understanding the other person, but on understanding oneself. To gain this understanding, we must practice looking deeply, through meditation, to bring your presence to the present.
The book begins by presenting four mantras that are helpful to developing understanding within a relationship, then goes into a broader discussion of meditation and Buddhist philosophy. The four mantras are as follows:
"'Dear...more
The book begins by presenting four mantras that are helpful to developing understanding within a relationship, then goes into a broader discussion of meditation and Buddhist philosophy. The four mantras are as follows:
"'Dear...more
The first few chapters of True Love are wonderfully and clearly written, providing enlightenment on the four aspects of love in the Buddhist tradition and how you can use them in your own life to surround you and the one you love with feelings of calm, happiness, and belonging. The subtitle reads "A Practice For Awakening the Heart" which I think is quite apt, as reading it made me more aware of the small things I can do to keep my partner happy.
So all this was wonderful and great, and then arou...more
So all this was wonderful and great, and then arou...more
I "stumbled" upon this book about a week before Valentine's Day and thought "wow, that's perfect timing!" I am new to Thich Nhat Hanh but had been wanting to read his books for many years, just never made the time, so as someone new to his voice and only somewhat familiar with Buddhism, I thought this book was well articulated, easy to read, and I found many passages resonating beautifully with what I already knew/understood about life and love. True Love was a wonderful introduction to Thich Nh...more
I enjoyed this little gem very much. A wonderful reminder that love is so much more about what we give out rather than what we recieve. It also touches on the important things that we do forget in our busy lives, like what 'being there' in a relationship is really all about; a reminder of the importance of mindfulness, and my favourite subject at the moment, about breaking down the 'concepts' - the 'stories' we have been told and tell ourselves, that we are so convinced are real and accurate and...more
The book has just as many implications on relationships between friends, colleagues. Thich Nhat Han defines love more as an ability to listen to the deepest concerns of others and relieve the suffering others. Genuine communication is the key to save sufferings from both sides. We shall learn from the shadow lover tragedy.
We shall restore peace within ourselves and care for our pain. We need to suffer just as we need to know what hungry means before we enjoy the food we have.
Four aspects of lo...more
We shall restore peace within ourselves and care for our pain. We need to suffer just as we need to know what hungry means before we enjoy the food we have.
Four aspects of lo...more
First I have to say that I loved this book but I may be somewhat biased because I love all of this author's writing. Thich Nhat Hanh has always, to me, been a great teacher in Buddhist Dharma as well as learning how to be more compassionate and how to love oneself.
Anyway, this book is a short and easy read but the concepts are often difficult to put into practice and that is why Thich Nhat Hanh has a talent for explaning methods of meditation and "returning home" that is a welcome breath of fre...more
Anyway, this book is a short and easy read but the concepts are often difficult to put into practice and that is why Thich Nhat Hanh has a talent for explaning methods of meditation and "returning home" that is a welcome breath of fre...more
This book is clearly written. It's definitely a gem and opened my eyes and heart to what love really is.
This is probably the third time I've read this book and I still really liked it. The chapter on telephone meditation got me thinking of ways to combat my own telephone phobia. It's also one of those books that just generally reminds you to stop from time to time and look around you - really look around you - and appreciate the people in your life and the natural world you live in. A very necessary reminder.
I was really disappointed in his discussion of mental health though, as he claimed that mi...more
I was really disappointed in his discussion of mental health though, as he claimed that mi...more
One of my favorite books of all time. It changed the way I thought about and interacted with my own emotions, my relationships, and loved ones. It's a short read and went quickly for me. Thich Nhat Hanh presents all of his ideas and beliefs so simply that a child could understand, but I found the things he presents in the book profound. Despite it's length, I found myself only reading a chapter at a time and then giving myself several days in between to process and internalize it. I'd recommend...more
This one I will have to read several tines in order to fully appreciate. Very dense little book. What may have struck me most was his definition of meditation as seeing things deeply, as they really are. This gives some direction for Christians, who are told in the Scriptures to meditate, but who don't take the instruction literally because we think it means sitting in a lotus position and thinking about nothing. Hanh helps us understand that meditation is a less formal but more directional proc...more
After reading countless upon countless reviews of this book, I could not wait to get it. Seriously, I could have waited. I should have waited. Maybe it's my allergy to self-help books or maybe I'm just not open enough, but I'm gonna be a rebel and give this book a 1.
Between encouraging words of developing co-dependency, comforting your own bitterness, gladly providing the other cheek when the other side is still pulsating from that last hit and popping into a trance any time anything in life -...more
Between encouraging words of developing co-dependency, comforting your own bitterness, gladly providing the other cheek when the other side is still pulsating from that last hit and popping into a trance any time anything in life -...more
Simple, beautiful, profound. Something I will read again and again, and put into practice.
Lost a star, wanted to give it 5, because many of the mantras he advises saying top your loved ones would be hard to do sincerely. Maybe something got "Dear one, I know that you are here and it makes me happy" a gorgeous sentiment, but who really speaks like that (unless you're a Zen Monk)?
Lost a star, wanted to give it 5, because many of the mantras he advises saying top your loved ones would be hard to do sincerely. Maybe something got "Dear one, I know that you are here and it makes me happy" a gorgeous sentiment, but who really speaks like that (unless you're a Zen Monk)?
The first part of this book was very helpful for me in being mindful in all my relationships, whether it be with friends, family, colleagues, loved ones, etc. The latter half was a more generalized discussion of mindfulness and Buddhist, which was good to read also but seemed to branch off from the initial theme of the book. A brief read and whetted the appetite for his lengthier books.
Has some wonderful nuggets of info. Not my absolute favorite by Thich Nhat Hanh, but definitely an accessible and easy to read book. I like its brief chapters, which allow for a quick reference or reminder when needed. I see myself using this often as a gentle reminder to be compassionate and aware in all aspects of life and relationships.
The first time I read this book I thought it was short and sweet, with with words of wisdom that could help anyone. I read this a second time after taking a 10 day Vipassana course and found it to be even more insightful. The simple truth comes forth only when you start to apply it in your everyday life. Definitely worth the read!
Hanh's description and analysis of the 4 aspects of love.
1) Maitri: Loving kindness
2) Karuna: Sympathy, or the ability to ease others pain
3) Mudita: Joyful loving
4) Upeksha: Freedom through love
Small book that elaborates on the above aspects of love through meditative and self-aware reasoning.
1) Maitri: Loving kindness
2) Karuna: Sympathy, or the ability to ease others pain
3) Mudita: Joyful loving
4) Upeksha: Freedom through love
Small book that elaborates on the above aspects of love through meditative and self-aware reasoning.
This was my first real exposure to Buddhism. I picked it up after reading some of his quotes. It was a little hard to read at first because of translation, I believe. But it really awakened my thinking. The ideas of "being there" and "being mindful" in my relationships were especially enlightening.
Thich Nhat Hanh is one of my true heroes, a luminous being right up there with the Dalai Lama, in my book. All of his books seem to have pretty much the same message: mindful breathing, sitting, walking, eating, living... Reading it over and over drives it home at least a little.
I love this book - I've read it several times, and I'll probably read it again. It's ostensibly about how Buddhism can enhance our romantic relationships, but it's really about basic Buddhist practice. Thich Nhat Hanh is a Zen monk, so the practices are very, very simple and approachable. I'd recommend this book to anyone looking to enhance their relationships with those around them, regardless of religious inclination.
"Dear One, I know that you are here, and that makes me very happy." My new mantra! He quoted the Christian scripture "Give us this day our daily bread" as a thought about mindfulness--the fact that we just need to think about today, not the past or the future.
"together let us look deeply at a wave in the ocean it lives the life of a wave, but it lives the life of water at the same time...nirvana is not something we have to search for, because we are nirvana, just as the wave is already water. the wave does not have to search for water, because water is the very substance of the wave."
This book changed my life. It's better if read constantly; I pick it up, open a page, and start reading. By reading a few pages every day I center myself, feel more calm and present, and really do connect to my partner and myself on a much deeper level.
A simple but valuable reminder of the importance of "presence" in relationships. Presence comes from mindfulness. Of course this principle applies to all relationships and even casual interaction with others, for meaningful connections to be made.
This little book is packed with so much truth and wisdom about love- Love for ourselves and love for those in our lives. The simplicity of Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hahn, resonates with realness. You know that the life he is sharing about with the reader is the life he lives. You know that he shares with us because he believes he can offer some peace. The essential truth that is in being human and loving others, the call to be present and live every moment, the tranquility... it is all so beauti...more
This is a beautiful little book, that I wouldn't mind owning. I found it more accessible than the Dalai Lama's book on love, which was pretty philosophical. This one's more hands on. I liked the mantras and the approach.
Mar 25, 2013
Lisa Bittner
added it
This book is a very handy companion on to how to meditate, how to take life in stride, what's important in life (hint: the present moment!). I will enjoy re-reading it and touching on it frequently.
Clear, daily meditations for practicing mindfulness, and being present in relationships. Also just a great reminder of staying focused in the present moment, while trying to move beyond fear, worry and projection. Thich Nhat Hahn really celebrates the miracles present in daily living, that so often get overlooked by our 'busy' schedules and cluttered minds.
This book is great about how one should treat the one they love and how one should be treated as well. The beginning of the book is about relationships but it ends on looking within. Great Book!
Definitely a good read; This book really opened my mind to the way we should Love, the way we should Live. I've read it several times and it has gotten me through a really rough time in my life.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Thích Nhất Hạnh is a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, teacher, author, poet and peace activist who now lives in southwest France where he was in exile for many years.
Born Nguyễn Xuân Bảo, Thích Nhất Hạnh joined a Zen (Vietnamese: Thiền) monastery at the age of 16, and studied Buddhism as a novitiate. Upon his ordination as a monk in 1949, he assumed the Dharma name Thích Nhất Hạnh. Thích is an honorary...more
More about Thich Nhat Hanh...
Born Nguyễn Xuân Bảo, Thích Nhất Hạnh joined a Zen (Vietnamese: Thiền) monastery at the age of 16, and studied Buddhism as a novitiate. Upon his ordination as a monk in 1949, he assumed the Dharma name Thích Nhất Hạnh. Thích is an honorary...more
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“In true love, you attain freedom.”
—
96 people liked it
“I am determined to practice deep listening. I am determined to practice loving speech.”
—
53 people liked it
More quotes…
Aug 05, 2012 06:59am