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Mindfulness Essentials #10
How to Smile
The latest book in the bestselling How To simple, refreshing meditations of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh give us inspiration and tools for transforming our suffering and cultivating happiness
In inspiring passages and simple exercises, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh teaches us what he calls “the art of suffering.” He gives us teachings and tools for transforming suffering as well as ways to touch moments of happiness and smile even while suffering is still there.
Written with characteristic simplicity and wisdom, these insightful meditations—born from the Zen master’s lifetime of Zen practice and peacemaking—teach us how to come back to ourselves, calm our body and mind, and not let suffering overwhelm us.
When we’re willing to face our suffering and look deeply into it, we begin to understand its origins. Transformation and healing become possible, and along with it a greater capacity to understand the suffering of others and resolve conflicts in our relationships.
Creating peace and understanding in ourselves and our relationships in this way is essential for helping create true understanding and peace in our communities, society, and the world.
Thich Nhat Hanh offers practices for transforming our own suffering, listening deeply to the suffering of others, and especially how to cultivate our own smile and happiness.
All Mindfulness Essentials books are illustrated with playful sumi-ink drawings by California artist Jason DeAntonis.
In inspiring passages and simple exercises, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh teaches us what he calls “the art of suffering.” He gives us teachings and tools for transforming suffering as well as ways to touch moments of happiness and smile even while suffering is still there.
Written with characteristic simplicity and wisdom, these insightful meditations—born from the Zen master’s lifetime of Zen practice and peacemaking—teach us how to come back to ourselves, calm our body and mind, and not let suffering overwhelm us.
When we’re willing to face our suffering and look deeply into it, we begin to understand its origins. Transformation and healing become possible, and along with it a greater capacity to understand the suffering of others and resolve conflicts in our relationships.
Creating peace and understanding in ourselves and our relationships in this way is essential for helping create true understanding and peace in our communities, society, and the world.
Thich Nhat Hanh offers practices for transforming our own suffering, listening deeply to the suffering of others, and especially how to cultivate our own smile and happiness.
All Mindfulness Essentials books are illustrated with playful sumi-ink drawings by California artist Jason DeAntonis.
127 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 28, 2023
136 people are currently reading
554 people want to read
About the author
Thich Nhat Hanh
973 books12.8k followersThích Nhất Hạnh was a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, teacher, author, poet and peace activist who then lived 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 family name used by all Vietnamese monks and nuns, meaning that they are part of the Shakya (Shakyamuni Buddha) clan. He was often considered the most influential living figure in the lineage of Lâm Tế (Vietnamese Rinzai) Thiền, and perhaps also in Zen Buddhism as a whole.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
June 6, 2024
After enjoying Thich Nhat Hanh’s How to Relax, I picked up How to Smile with high expectations. Unfortunately, it was a letdown. The book felt boring and repetitive, lacking new insights and original content. Much of it consists of quotes from his other books, often unrelated to smiling, making the text feel disjointed and unfocused. How to Smile seems more like a filler publication than a meaningful addition to his body of work. I would recommend skipping this one and exploring his other titles instead.
September 28, 2024
This book helped me to see things from a different perspective and to stay calm when my mind was in chaos.
I’ll probably reread it.
I’ll probably reread it.
September 18, 2025
está bonito
January 3, 2024
A good one sitting read about mindfulness, meditation, and interbeing. The simplicity of the text allows lots of space for your own reflections.
January 30, 2025
If you’ve read the other books in the Mindfulness Essentials series (or other works from TNH) … you can skip this one. It repeats a lot from the other books (sometimes word for word), and I found myself skipping passages I’ve read before. I also felt like the other books in the series tie back closely to the “theme,” but many of these passages were a stretch for the theme of “smiling / happiness” and some were not related at all, in my opinion.
I would only recommend this if you’re new to the concept of mindfulness or Thich Naht Hanh.
I would only recommend this if you’re new to the concept of mindfulness or Thich Naht Hanh.
September 27, 2025
Golden Life Lessons by Thich Nhat Hanh. Short, crisp one-pagers contain wisdom that is essential to leading a fulfilling, peaceful life. He talks about how practising awareness and being present in the moment will help us turn inward and discover the happiness and joy which is already within us.
November 10, 2024
I’m in love!!! Everything Vipassana taught me is compacted in this really small book, totally recommend it. It made me smile everytime
Read
January 6, 2025Smiling is the easiest form of peace work!
January 8, 2025
Great morning read. It's one of those books that can be read again and again .
July 5, 2025
I didn't understand some of the concepts, but for the ones I did understand, I learned that being present and being aware of the now brings happiness.
July 25, 2024
A fantastic little book worth picking up.
September 19, 2024
My poor review of this book originates from the almost complete mismatch between its title and the contents.
If the title had presented the book as a generic commentary on mindfulness, I would have assigned it a full five stars without hesitance. It is representative of the excellence of Thich Nhat Hanh the man -- his guidance played a main role in helping me persevere through and triumph over the illness induced agony of my twenties. Reading it generates the same soothing effect as his other works
Unfortunately, perhaps 2 percent of this book makes any mention of meditative methods for smiling.
Not a high point in the "Mindfulness Essentials Series," which is on the whole supreme. I noticed this book was published in 2023, which happens to be the year Hanh passed from the world. I wonder if the faultiness of this book owes to being an editorial compilation of Hanh's commentary rather than an actual work of his.
If the title had presented the book as a generic commentary on mindfulness, I would have assigned it a full five stars without hesitance. It is representative of the excellence of Thich Nhat Hanh the man -- his guidance played a main role in helping me persevere through and triumph over the illness induced agony of my twenties. Reading it generates the same soothing effect as his other works
Unfortunately, perhaps 2 percent of this book makes any mention of meditative methods for smiling.
Not a high point in the "Mindfulness Essentials Series," which is on the whole supreme. I noticed this book was published in 2023, which happens to be the year Hanh passed from the world. I wonder if the faultiness of this book owes to being an editorial compilation of Hanh's commentary rather than an actual work of his.
September 9, 2024
Lots of great ideas. Easy to pick up and turn to a random page and be reminded of something meaningful.
December 16, 2023
Peace is every smile.
January 11, 2024
This book only has quotes from other Thich Nhat Hanh's books. If you have read other books by him, there's no need to buy this one.
December 8, 2023
Knowing that Thich Nhat Hanh died in 2022 I'm really hoping that he was writing it or had finished before his death. I keep thinking that his followers are going to continue this series and keep putting his name on it like so many other book series with dead authors. Those thoughts were on my mind when I got this to read even though I promised myself no more books on this topic. A quick read self help book like all the others that is geared towards certain types of people. The author did fail because I barely smile and I hate strangers people telling me that I should.
The biggest issue for me is when he brings up the subject of suicide. First off is the use of the term committed which many no longer use due to how hurtful it is. Another is when he says that those who do kill themselves is because of strong emotions and you shouldn't kill yourself because of an emotion. People who die by suicide do so because of many reasons not just from an emotion. Or when he says that you will continue on in many ways after death by suicide and that you will continue to suffer even after you die can you imagine telling this to families going through that loss.
This just shows how dangerous these ideas can be especially with the people who believe it and pass it on.
The biggest issue for me is when he brings up the subject of suicide. First off is the use of the term committed which many no longer use due to how hurtful it is. Another is when he says that those who do kill themselves is because of strong emotions and you shouldn't kill yourself because of an emotion. People who die by suicide do so because of many reasons not just from an emotion. Or when he says that you will continue on in many ways after death by suicide and that you will continue to suffer even after you die can you imagine telling this to families going through that loss.
This just shows how dangerous these ideas can be especially with the people who believe it and pass it on.
December 11, 2025
What a lovely tiny book. I tried to take my time with it. I want to explore more of Tich Nhat Han and the magic of the present moment. So glad I got this tbh top book of 2025 even one page can change the course of your day, your week, your life!
July 10, 2025
Enfatiza en la belleza y transformación que tiene la práctica de sonreír. No quedando atrapado en las quejas, penas y sufrimiento; sino en apreciar la naturaleza, la vida en las actividades cotidianas. ¿Cómo? Sonriendo cada día.
Desde que conocí al autor, me encantan sus enseñanzas.
Lectura imprescindible para quienes buscan enseñanzas prácticas y profundas de Thich Nhat Hanh para su vida diaria.
Citas
■ “Reconocer y aceptar
Si podemos reconocer y aceptar nuestro dolor sin huir de él, descubriremos que aunque el dolor esta ahí, la alegría también puede estar allí al mismo tiempo”. [Pág 12]
■ “Podemos elegir el canal
Un amigo me preguntó una vez: "¿Cómo puedo obligarme a sonreír cuando estoy lleno de tristeza? No es natural". Le dije que debía ser capaz de sonreírle, porque somos más que nuestro dolor. Un ser humano es como un televisor con millones de canales. Si entendemos la conciencia, somos con-ciencia. Si encendemos la tristeza, somos dolor. Si encendemos una sonrisa, realmente somos la sonrisa. No podemos dejar que solo un canal nos domine. Tenemos las semillas de todo dentro”. [Pág 22]
■ “Casa en llamas
Si su casa está en llamas, lo más urgente es volver e intentar apagar el fuego, no correr después de la persona que cree que es el incendio. Si corres después de la persona que sospecha que ha prestado fuego a tu casa, la casa se quemará mientras las persigue. Lo sabio es volver y apagar el fuego. Cuando estás enojado, si continúas interactuando o discutiendo con la otra persona o si intentas castigarlos, estás actuando exactamente como alguien que corre después del incendio mientras todo sube en llamas.
[8/7/2025 08:10] Johanna: La esencia de la felicidad es un cuerpo que no está en dolor y un corazón y una mente que no están oprimidos por la an-siedad, el miedo o el odio. Sentados en la meditación, podemos llegar a un sentimiento estable de alegría, dándonos cuenta de la quietud del cuerpo y la claridad mental”. [Pág 37]
■ “Dentro de cien años
Cuando estés enojado con alguien que amas, respira conscientemente con los ojos cerrados y trae tu mente al futuro lejano. Su cuerpo y el cuerpo de la persona con la que estás enojado se habrán disuelto en polvo. Cuando vemos que nuestras vidas son tan efímeras, no queremos perder nuestro tiempo en enojado el uno con el otro”. [Pág 42]
■ “Como una nube
Mientras su ser querido todavía está vivo y contigo, ten en cuenta que son como una nube. Usted también es como una nube y no está del todo en este cuerpo, porque cada día produce pensamientos, discursos y acciones que continúan independientemente de usted; Son su continuación. Incluso cuando la nube todavía está en el cielo, podemos ver su continuación, como lluvia, nieve o granizo. Debemos meditar para ver que no solo estamos en nuestro cuerpo, sino que también estamos fuera de él. Puedo verme no solo en este cuerpo, sino también en mis amigos, mis discípulos, mi trabajo, en muchas cosas. Si quieres reconocerme, no mires en esta dirección; Este cuerpo es solo una pequeña parte de mí.
Seguiré siendo.
Pero tienes que tener mucho cuidado de verme.
Seré una flor, una hoja o una nube.
Estaré en esos formularios y te enviaré un saludo.
Si eres lo suficientemente consciente, me reconocerás
Y me sonreirás.
Estaré muy feliz”. [Pág 83]
Desde que conocí al autor, me encantan sus enseñanzas.
Lectura imprescindible para quienes buscan enseñanzas prácticas y profundas de Thich Nhat Hanh para su vida diaria.
Citas
■ “Reconocer y aceptar
Si podemos reconocer y aceptar nuestro dolor sin huir de él, descubriremos que aunque el dolor esta ahí, la alegría también puede estar allí al mismo tiempo”. [Pág 12]
■ “Podemos elegir el canal
Un amigo me preguntó una vez: "¿Cómo puedo obligarme a sonreír cuando estoy lleno de tristeza? No es natural". Le dije que debía ser capaz de sonreírle, porque somos más que nuestro dolor. Un ser humano es como un televisor con millones de canales. Si entendemos la conciencia, somos con-ciencia. Si encendemos la tristeza, somos dolor. Si encendemos una sonrisa, realmente somos la sonrisa. No podemos dejar que solo un canal nos domine. Tenemos las semillas de todo dentro”. [Pág 22]
■ “Casa en llamas
Si su casa está en llamas, lo más urgente es volver e intentar apagar el fuego, no correr después de la persona que cree que es el incendio. Si corres después de la persona que sospecha que ha prestado fuego a tu casa, la casa se quemará mientras las persigue. Lo sabio es volver y apagar el fuego. Cuando estás enojado, si continúas interactuando o discutiendo con la otra persona o si intentas castigarlos, estás actuando exactamente como alguien que corre después del incendio mientras todo sube en llamas.
[8/7/2025 08:10] Johanna: La esencia de la felicidad es un cuerpo que no está en dolor y un corazón y una mente que no están oprimidos por la an-siedad, el miedo o el odio. Sentados en la meditación, podemos llegar a un sentimiento estable de alegría, dándonos cuenta de la quietud del cuerpo y la claridad mental”. [Pág 37]
■ “Dentro de cien años
Cuando estés enojado con alguien que amas, respira conscientemente con los ojos cerrados y trae tu mente al futuro lejano. Su cuerpo y el cuerpo de la persona con la que estás enojado se habrán disuelto en polvo. Cuando vemos que nuestras vidas son tan efímeras, no queremos perder nuestro tiempo en enojado el uno con el otro”. [Pág 42]
■ “Como una nube
Mientras su ser querido todavía está vivo y contigo, ten en cuenta que son como una nube. Usted también es como una nube y no está del todo en este cuerpo, porque cada día produce pensamientos, discursos y acciones que continúan independientemente de usted; Son su continuación. Incluso cuando la nube todavía está en el cielo, podemos ver su continuación, como lluvia, nieve o granizo. Debemos meditar para ver que no solo estamos en nuestro cuerpo, sino que también estamos fuera de él. Puedo verme no solo en este cuerpo, sino también en mis amigos, mis discípulos, mi trabajo, en muchas cosas. Si quieres reconocerme, no mires en esta dirección; Este cuerpo es solo una pequeña parte de mí.
Seguiré siendo.
Pero tienes que tener mucho cuidado de verme.
Seré una flor, una hoja o una nube.
Estaré en esos formularios y te enviaré un saludo.
Si eres lo suficientemente consciente, me reconocerás
Y me sonreirás.
Estaré muy feliz”. [Pág 83]
January 13, 2024
A short simple transformative book on the power of mindfulness and smile. Bifurcated in two parts – notes on smiling and practices for smiling. The first part is long that has many short essays or say prose-like notes that encourage us to live a life full of mindfulness. The book presents the simple and the basic mindfulness concepts of Buddhism. Like a friend, it chugs ahead by laying emphasis on the beauty of life that we have on earth. Some concepts that can change our mind are not only soothing but also powerful…for instance how to transform your neutral mood to positive.
The author urges us that we should not be complaining about life’s sorrow and pains. He asks us to look at the sky, feel the Mother Nature, and appreciate life in every movement while walking sitting and in other chores. That can be achieved by smiling every day, every moment…it is like lamp in our heart that keeps us light. Mindfulness is another major message in the book. In fact it’s a Buddhist technique to tackle burdens, grief, and sorrows. Being aware of everything…every moment of life is mindfulness. It lets us live peacefully.
What sets this book apart is its sublime subtle appeal. The author has explained the basics of life in short minute details. In between I loved his teachings and travels and anecdotes that he put on for more profundity. Hedonistic chaos circles our life; however, this book stands out as a beacon of light, offering readers a compelling invitation to embrace the power of mindfulness in their daily lives. It’s a must-read for those seeking practical yet profound teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh in their daily lives.
The author urges us that we should not be complaining about life’s sorrow and pains. He asks us to look at the sky, feel the Mother Nature, and appreciate life in every movement while walking sitting and in other chores. That can be achieved by smiling every day, every moment…it is like lamp in our heart that keeps us light. Mindfulness is another major message in the book. In fact it’s a Buddhist technique to tackle burdens, grief, and sorrows. Being aware of everything…every moment of life is mindfulness. It lets us live peacefully.
What sets this book apart is its sublime subtle appeal. The author has explained the basics of life in short minute details. In between I loved his teachings and travels and anecdotes that he put on for more profundity. Hedonistic chaos circles our life; however, this book stands out as a beacon of light, offering readers a compelling invitation to embrace the power of mindfulness in their daily lives. It’s a must-read for those seeking practical yet profound teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh in their daily lives.
June 19, 2024
How beautiful a book with a simple concept smile..
I truly believe in the power of a smile.. uplifting and peaceful at the same time.
When I go for my walks in the morning and there are people on their own walks who smile.. it makes a great start to my day..
Nowadays I smile when I wake up because I get to see the sunrise. It's a beautiful feeling..
Highlights from the book 📖
True happiness and true power lie in understanding yourself, accepting yourself, having confidence in yourself.
When you are born a lotus flower, be a beautiful lotus flower, don’t try to be a magnolia flower.
BE YOURSELF To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.
Equanimity isn’t cold or indifferent. It means you love without discrimination and include everyone in your love.
This is the art of loving speech. Listening is also a deep practice. We listen in a way that we understand the suffering of others. We empty ourselves and leave space so we can listen well
I truly believe in the power of a smile.. uplifting and peaceful at the same time.
When I go for my walks in the morning and there are people on their own walks who smile.. it makes a great start to my day..
Nowadays I smile when I wake up because I get to see the sunrise. It's a beautiful feeling..
Highlights from the book 📖
True happiness and true power lie in understanding yourself, accepting yourself, having confidence in yourself.
When you are born a lotus flower, be a beautiful lotus flower, don’t try to be a magnolia flower.
BE YOURSELF To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.
Equanimity isn’t cold or indifferent. It means you love without discrimination and include everyone in your love.
This is the art of loving speech. Listening is also a deep practice. We listen in a way that we understand the suffering of others. We empty ourselves and leave space so we can listen well
August 3, 2024
Compact, soothing and wise, just like the other books by Thich Nhat Hanh in the "How to..." series. Whenever I see this book, I will remind myself to smile, as that's the best gift we can give others AND ourselves. What I also learnt from this reading experience that were novel and useful for me are the Buddhist concepts of:
1) "signless-ness" (i.e. looking at each other beyond our external labels),
2) "aimlessness" (i.e. not chasing goals but enjoying the present moment) and
3) "interbeing" (i.e. the interconnectedness of all beings).
Imagine a world where we all slow down and enjoy the present moment, not judge each other, make an effort to understand each other beyond our "labels" and recognize that our pain, suffering and existence are all interconnected with those of others. How much more loving and peaceful would that world be? This book would have garnered a 5 stars rating from me had I not been familiar with most of the contents, as I have read quite a few books by Thich Nhat Hanh. However, for someone unfamiliar with Buddhism or someone who simply wants to live an easygoing life, this is a charming little guide :)
1) "signless-ness" (i.e. looking at each other beyond our external labels),
2) "aimlessness" (i.e. not chasing goals but enjoying the present moment) and
3) "interbeing" (i.e. the interconnectedness of all beings).
Imagine a world where we all slow down and enjoy the present moment, not judge each other, make an effort to understand each other beyond our "labels" and recognize that our pain, suffering and existence are all interconnected with those of others. How much more loving and peaceful would that world be? This book would have garnered a 5 stars rating from me had I not been familiar with most of the contents, as I have read quite a few books by Thich Nhat Hanh. However, for someone unfamiliar with Buddhism or someone who simply wants to live an easygoing life, this is a charming little guide :)
July 8, 2024
Great book by Vietnamese Thìên Buddhist monk and activist, Thich Nhat Hanh! Each page of this compact book has a short paragraph or couple of sentences about mindfulness, how we are all interwoven, compassion, and the power of a smile. There are so many more great things that can be taken from this book as well. I have studied the teachings of many different religions and Buddhism was one that instantly made me want to study it further and begin practicing what I had learned. After 25 years of living life with these practices, I have never felt so at peace with the world around me and with myself. I loved the reminders this book gave about how to deal with hard times and anger or other difficult emotions. I will be looking for more books by Thich Nhat Hanh.
January 14, 2024
I enjoy Thich Nhat Hahn’s works and teachings. I love that he puts everything in such simple terms. I also love his stories. This book was cute and insightful, but I think maybe not meant to read in one sitting. I may have enjoyed it more if I read a few pages at a time and then took the time to really absorb it. I missed the stories. These were bite sized chunks with a few quick stories tossed in. Great for anyone wanting a quick read and with limited time, but I think I was craving his longer writings.
March 17, 2024
This book brings to mind using the breath and meditation to connect with other people, nature and the planet in the whole! He talks about how anger at what someone has said or done is one wound but how if we let our anger continue it becomes a second wound that is self-inflicted.
The breathing exercises at the end of the book are wonderful!
The other thing I love is that every page has one topic (sometimes on two pages). It's wonderful to be able to read the book slowly in little bite-sized pieces!
I will admit that some pages require rereading, though to really get the entire meaning.
The breathing exercises at the end of the book are wonderful!
The other thing I love is that every page has one topic (sometimes on two pages). It's wonderful to be able to read the book slowly in little bite-sized pieces!
I will admit that some pages require rereading, though to really get the entire meaning.
March 13, 2025
This was a nice, small collection of thoughts on mindfulness and happiness (and occasionally on the actual act of smiling). There were some pages that I found worth saving but a lot were fairly repetitive. It took me much longer to read through this than it should have. I would read a couple pages and then set it down for days before picking it back up. I have a number of friends going through difficult times and I read this thinking it might perhaps be worth gifting, but decided it wasn't as good a match as I'd hoped. But it does share many lovely thoughts which are worth sharing.
April 4, 2024
This book is set up great for those little waiting moments like brushing teeth or warming something in the microwave for those that can’t focus on the action at hand without doing something else. Don’t try to read it cover to cover in one sitting, it won’t have enough time to sink in. I did expect a touch more smiling focused thinking and less general good wisdom that can help move you in a smiling direction.
September 21, 2024
Thich Nhat Hanh’s How to Smile is a joyous read that beautifully reminds us of the power of positivity and our innate good nature.
Each page is filled with simple yet profound insights that inspire mindfulness and happiness. The book’s gentle guidance on transforming suffering into moments of joy is both uplifting and practical.
A must-read for anyone seeking to cultivate a more peaceful and compassionate life.
Each page is filled with simple yet profound insights that inspire mindfulness and happiness. The book’s gentle guidance on transforming suffering into moments of joy is both uplifting and practical.
A must-read for anyone seeking to cultivate a more peaceful and compassionate life.
April 9, 2024
I enjoyed this book of mindfulness very much. It really helped with some of the overwhelm I've been experiencing in the last 15 months, the work gave perspective on my problems versus the issues that people globally experience.
Some things I didn't agree with that were written in the book, but most of it was great. 4.5 stars.
Some things I didn't agree with that were written in the book, but most of it was great. 4.5 stars.
April 29, 2024
This book is just full of truths! Written in a way that is easy to understand. I recommend NOT reading this all in one day. Please read a few pages whenever you have the desire to and re-read some of the lines to let the messages sink in.
I love this so much! I needed this book in my collection. I'm going to re-read and write up a whole document summarizing my favorite quotes and key takeaways.
I love this so much! I needed this book in my collection. I'm going to re-read and write up a whole document summarizing my favorite quotes and key takeaways.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews