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Love Letter to the Earth
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Love Letter to the Earth is Thich Nhat Hanh’s passionate appeal for ecological mindfulness and the strengthening of our relationship to the Earth. While many experts point to the enormous complexity in addressing issues ranging from the destruction of ecosystems to the loss of millions of species, Thich Nhat Hanh identifies one key issue as having the potential to create a
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Paperback, 144 pages
Published
July 16th 2013
by Parallax Press
(first published July 1st 2012)
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Disclaimer: I am not a Buddhist and no expert on Buddhist writings, though I have read several including a few by Thich Nhat Hanh.
That said, this book strikes me as being nearly perfect. Historically, some elements & truths of Buddhism have escaped me. Since I last read Nhat Hanh I have read much on animals and nature. So, returning to him through Love Letter To The Earth everything clicks. The concept of interbeing makes total sense to me now, starting with our relationship with Mother Earth. T ...more
That said, this book strikes me as being nearly perfect. Historically, some elements & truths of Buddhism have escaped me. Since I last read Nhat Hanh I have read much on animals and nature. So, returning to him through Love Letter To The Earth everything clicks. The concept of interbeing makes total sense to me now, starting with our relationship with Mother Earth. T ...more
"If we care about the health and well-being of the planet, we do so for our own sake. We want the air to be clean enough for us to breathe. We want the water to be clean enough so that we have something to drink. But we need to do more than use recycled products or donate money to environmental groups. We have to change our whole relationship with the Earth."
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QUOTES:
○ "The Earth has all the virtues we seek, including strength, stability, patience, and compassion. She embraces everyone. We don't need blind faith to see this. We don't need to address our prayers or express our gratitude to a remote or abstract deity with whom it may be difficult or impossible to be in touch. We can address our prayers and express our gratitude directly to the Earth. The Earth is right here. She supports us in a very concrete and tangible ways. No one can deny that the ...more
○ "The Earth has all the virtues we seek, including strength, stability, patience, and compassion. She embraces everyone. We don't need blind faith to see this. We don't need to address our prayers or express our gratitude to a remote or abstract deity with whom it may be difficult or impossible to be in touch. We can address our prayers and express our gratitude directly to the Earth. The Earth is right here. She supports us in a very concrete and tangible ways. No one can deny that the ...more
I might just binge read the wisdom of Thich Nhat Hanh. Love Letter Earth is just that, a celebration and reminder of the beautiful Mother Earth, the sun, the moon and the world around us. Whether sitting, walking or spending time outside, now is the time to really focus on healing ourselves and this earth which has been impacted by our selfishness and greed but, if we look after ourselves and the earth, time will heal
This book was a great reminder to truly appreciate what our earth had to offer. ...more
This book was a great reminder to truly appreciate what our earth had to offer. ...more
I'm amazed by how simple yet meaningful this book can be. It relates to everyone of us about how we're connected to Mother Earth yet somehow most of us forget about this bonding relation. All came down to the single suggestion of being present and mindful of our existence in this vast being of the Earth and everything on her. If you have already read a number of Thich Nhat Hanh's book, this book might not carry so much new information, but still worth reading. If you are new to Thay's teaching,
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Great book to open your mind about your connection to the Earth and practicing mindfulness!
A beautiful little book about the depth and sacredness of our connection with the Earth.
An easy, all embracing concept if viewed from a higher perspective, that is, if detached from what is known as 'normal' modern life.
Thich Nhat Hanh's writing, as always, is so simple, and full of compassion and insight!
For example: "A bodhisattva is a living being who has happiness, awakening, understanding, and love.... Anyone who cultivates love and offers a lot of happiness to others is a bodhisattva. When we look at our planet, we know that the Earth is the most beautiful bodhisattva of all ...more
Thich Nhat Hanh's writing, as always, is so simple, and full of compassion and insight!
For example: "A bodhisattva is a living being who has happiness, awakening, understanding, and love.... Anyone who cultivates love and offers a lot of happiness to others is a bodhisattva. When we look at our planet, we know that the Earth is the most beautiful bodhisattva of all ...more
Whilst the book gave me a completely new insight into our relationship with Earth, and the need for mindfulness towards it, I can not accept that that is all we need to do to make things different. Those of us that know about Thich Nhat Hanh's teachings in UK will be tiny in number, at least in percentage terms. Meanwhile, radioactive waste is being dumped in waters close to Cardiff, fracking is about to start, industrial farming is completely out of control, badgers are sitting in cage traps wa
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Reading this book was a treat. This wonderful book contains essential and beautiful truths regarding mindfulness. Practices that I have incorporated in my life so much so they are seamlessly woven and ingrained into everything I do. Much of this I have learned from this wise man in previous books and from talks he has given. His simple wisdom is there for us all. It is written in the stars, in our DNA and this fantastic book.
I recommend it. It's simple and gloriously uncomplicated. Fresh and up ...more
I recommend it. It's simple and gloriously uncomplicated. Fresh and up ...more
A great book that reminds us to be mindful of how we interact with our environment. The first chapters are very similar to other books by Thich Nhat Hanh, but they serve as a helpful reminder of how to be in the present moment. The real meat of the book comes in the 10 Love Letters to the Earth. The first two love letters alone are worth the price of admission. Read them and then contemplate your relationship with Mother Earth.
Love Letter to the Earth is a prayer book for the modern age, weaving science, spirituality, and ecology into a harmonious braid--not often these three can be so elegantly brought together!
I've never seen Buddhist thought so directly or so poetically applied to the Earth before. If there is ultimately no self and we are one with everything, naturally we are one with the Earth. Personifying the Earth as a great Bodhisattva and showing the reader how intimately we are connected to this magnificen ...more
I've never seen Buddhist thought so directly or so poetically applied to the Earth before. If there is ultimately no self and we are one with everything, naturally we are one with the Earth. Personifying the Earth as a great Bodhisattva and showing the reader how intimately we are connected to this magnificen ...more
A little book that can be read in one sitting, but I think it's better to read it in small sections. Why? Because it tends to get repetitive; you will find the same ideas being said in different ways. You will get more out of it in small amounts.
From my point of view, it feels like a dharma talk put into written form. It could also be a good introduction to someone who is interested in Thich Nhat Hanh's philosophy and way of seeing the world. On the other hand, this book might do him disservice, ...more
From my point of view, it feels like a dharma talk put into written form. It could also be a good introduction to someone who is interested in Thich Nhat Hanh's philosophy and way of seeing the world. On the other hand, this book might do him disservice, ...more
My first Thich Nhat Hanh book, and it might be a while before I try another.
I found Love Letter to the Earth: Mindless. Oversimplified. Impractical prescriptions. Uses the word "we" way too much. Seems to go on and on about nothing really.
Many fans of TNH will think I've missed the point. I'm OK with that. There are much better writers on the topic of oneness, wholeness, and healing our relationship with the earth. This book is for people who wish to resist thinking deeply about complex problems ...more
I found Love Letter to the Earth: Mindless. Oversimplified. Impractical prescriptions. Uses the word "we" way too much. Seems to go on and on about nothing really.
Many fans of TNH will think I've missed the point. I'm OK with that. There are much better writers on the topic of oneness, wholeness, and healing our relationship with the earth. This book is for people who wish to resist thinking deeply about complex problems ...more
Mindfulness
This started well and continued in the theme of relating mindfulness to the role of the earth and nature and how everything is connected. Th Bhudist view comes through, but not in a heavy way and drew parallels to all religions and how they have developed from a common thread. I found the last two chapters a little superfluous and the others sometimes verbose, as if there was a struggle to fill the pages.
This started well and continued in the theme of relating mindfulness to the role of the earth and nature and how everything is connected. Th Bhudist view comes through, but not in a heavy way and drew parallels to all religions and how they have developed from a common thread. I found the last two chapters a little superfluous and the others sometimes verbose, as if there was a struggle to fill the pages.
I read a little bit at a time, along with Open Heart Sangha, even though I haven’t been attending. I like that I’m still able to be connected to my fellow followers of Thich Nhat Hanh. This is a wonderful, short, read which really shines a light on how we are all interconnected. Artificial, manmade borders will not protect us. Our Mother Earth will eventually recover from the violence we have committed against her, we humans just probably won’t be around to see it. I have peace in knowing that o
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It's a bit difficult to give this a completely fair review. In my haste, I didn't read the description and bought this book based off of the title alone. I wasn't looking for a book on mindfulness. My fault. I know. I did enjoy how it incorporated the idea of how loving the earth is to love yourself bit. But after a while, it all got just a bit too repetitive even for such a small book.
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I want to like books like this more than I actually do. As much as I appreciate the message, I find myself frequently thinking, "Oh, c'mon, get real!" Still, this makes for nice feel-good bedtime reading, though for material with a similar ambiance I prefer Hugh Prather, Khalil Gibran, or Dag Hammerskjold.
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Loved it! What a beautiful way to think about Earth an our relationship to her: we are in her and she is in each of us. While spiritual, it’s grounded in our scientific reality. If we’re willing to be open minded and suspend our human-centered view of the universe, the words of Thich Nhat Hanh are enlightening and we realize just how true they are.
A book I will return to time and time again to remember the inextricable connection between all matter on Earth and beyond. Thich Nhat Hanh has a gift with distilling the seemingly boundless complexities of being a human into simple, profound lessons that feel digestible and leave me with an overwhelming feeling of deep peace and trust.
A really nice book on how to love, care and connect with mother nature. Author says to be mindful everytime we connect ourself to mother earth. Acknowledge and care for everything that mother earth gives us and pledge to protect it always for all that earth has given us always and still provides us with all.
Considered putting the book down after the first third. Repetitive. At least not discouraging for a book addressing how we've abused Mother Earth.
5 stars for the letters at the end (Chapter 6/6); I would benefit from periodically re-reading them. ...more
5 stars for the letters at the end (Chapter 6/6); I would benefit from periodically re-reading them. ...more
Another wonderful book by Thich Nhat Hanh, Love Letter to the Earth is just that. Hanh teaches us about our relationship to the Earth and about having mindfulness and gratitude towards her. Highly Recommended.
Love Letter to the Earth provides an alternative way of thinking about environmental issues. A short read that took less than a day to complete, but still left a big impact on me. It is beautiful, poetic, and describes a feeling in my heart I've never seen written on paper before.
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This book explained everything you need to know about life, mother nature and the cosmos in 140 pages of poetic passages. The author does not deal with superstition, everything is based on insights one can gain by looking deeply into things.
Inspiring and informative, Thay's words are timeless and touching.
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great short read about being mindful of the Earth. Made me feel calm just reading it!
Brilliant, necessary, touching, beautiful. Like all his books, short and easy to digest, packs a hugely meaningful punch. Urgent.
Read it!
Read it!
A beautiful collection of love letters to the earth, inspiring us to change our ways in order to live a life in love with mother earth.
Beautiful book
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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
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