At Home in the World Quotes

“I Am Not in Here I have a disciple in Vietnam who wants to build a stupa for my ashes when I die. He and others want to include a plaque with the words “Here lies my beloved teacher.” I told them not to waste the temple land. “Do not put me in a small pot and put me in there!” I said. “I don’t want to continue like that. It would be better to scatter the ashes outside to help the trees to grow.” I suggested that, if they still insist on building a stupa, they have the plaque say, “I am not in here.” But in case people don’t get it, they could add a second plaque, “I am not out there either.” If people still don’t understand, then you can write on the third and last plaque, “I may be found in your way of breathing and walking.” This body of mine will disintegrate, but my actions will continue me. In my daily life, I always practice to see my continuation all around me. We don’t need to wait until the total dissolution of this body to continue—we continue in every moment. If you think that I am only this body, then you have not truly seen me. When you look at my friends, you see my continuation. When you see someone walking with mindfulness and compassion, you know he is my continuation. I don’t see why we have to say “I will die,” because I can already see myself in you, in other people, and in future generations. Even when the cloud is not there, it continues as snow or rain. It is impossible for a cloud to die. It can become rain or ice, but it cannot become nothing. The cloud does not need to have a soul in order to continue. There’s no beginning and no end. I will never die. There will be a dissolution of this body, but that does not mean my death. I will continue, always.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh, At Home in the World: Stories and Essential Teachings from a Monk's Life

“Time has much more value than money. Time is life. Money is nothing compared with life. In two hours of drinking tea together, we don’t get money, but we do get life.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh, At Home in the World: Stories and Essential Teachings from a Monk's Life

“The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh, At Home in the World: Stories and Essential Teachings from a Monk's Life

“It is my prayer that nations will no longer send their young people to fight each other, not even in the name of peace. I do not accept the concept of war for peace, nor of a 'just war,' in the same way that I cannot accept the concepts of 'just slavery,,' 'just hatred, or 'just racism.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh, At Home in the World: Stories and Essential Teachings from a Monk's Life

“Nothing exists by itself alone. We all belong to each other; we cannot cut reality into pieces.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh, At Home in the World: Stories and Essential Teachings from a Monk's Life

“This is what the Buddha taught. When conditions are sufficient things manifest. When conditions are no longer sufficient things withdraw. They wait until the moment is right for them to manifest again.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh, At Home in the World: Stories and Essential Teachings from a Monk's Life

“When you plant lettuce, you don’t blame the lettuce if it does not grow well. You look into the reasons why it is not doing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water, or less sun. You never blame the lettuce. Yet if we have problems with our friends or our family, we blame the other person. But if we know how to take care of others, they will grow well, just like the lettuce. Blaming has no positive effect at all, nor does trying to persuade by means of reason or argument. That is my experience. No blame, no reasoning, no argument—just understanding. If you understand, and you show that you understand, you can love, and any difficult situation will improve.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh, At Home in the World: Stories and Essential Teachings from a Monk's Life

“Our true home is in the present moment. To live in the present moment is a miracle. The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green Earth in the present moment, to appreciate the peace and beauty that are available right now. Peace is all around us—in the world and in nature—and within us, in our bodies and our spirits. Once we learn to touch this peace, we will be healed and transformed. It is not a matter of faith; it is a matter of practice. We only need to find ways to bring our body and mind back to the present moment so we can touch what is refreshing, healing, and wondrous, within us and around us.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh, At Home in the World: Stories and Essential Teachings from a Monk's Life

“Each of us needs a reserve of memories and experiences that are beautiful, healthy, and strong enough to help us during difficult moments. Sometimes when the pain in us is so big, we cannot truly touch life’s wonders. We need help. But if we have a strong storehouse of happy memories and experiences, we can bring them to mind to help us embrace the block of pain inside.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh, At Home in the World: Stories and Essential Teachings from a Monk's Life

“We agreed that the true enemy of man is not man. Our enemy is not outside of us. Our true enemy is the anger, hatred, and discrimination that is found in the hearts and minds of man.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh, At Home in the World: Stories and Essential Teachings from a Monk's Life

“You have to be clear-minded. In the context of war, we grew deeper in our practice of nonviolence. Nonviolence is not a set of techniques that you can learn with your intellect. Nonviolent action naturally arises from the compassion, lucidity, and understanding you have within.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh, At Home in the World: Stories and Essential Teachings from a Monk's Life

“There are things we can do. It is very important to come home to ourselves and look deeply to see what we can do every day to help the situation. Taking action helps us not to drown in despair.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh, At Home in the World: Stories and Essential Teachings from a Monk's Life

“This is the nature of war: it turns us into enemies. People who have never met kill each other out of fear. War creates so much suffering—children become orphans, entire cities and villages are destroyed. All who suffer in such conflicts are victims.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh, At Home in the World: Stories and Essential Teachings from a Monk's Life

“True love requires deep understanding. In fact, love is another name for understanding. If you do not understand, you cannot love properly. Without understanding, your love will only cause the other person to suffer.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh, At Home in the World: Stories and Essential Teachings from a Monk's Life

“This body is not me; I am not caught in this body. I am life without boundaries. My nature is the nature of no birth and no death.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh, At Home in the World: Stories and Essential Teachings from a Monk's Life

“It only takes one breath to return to your true home”
― Thich Nhat Hanh, At Home in the World: Stories and Essential Teachings from a Monk's Life

“The past is no longer a prison for me. The future is not a prison either. I am able to live in the here and now and”
― Thich Nhat Hanh, At Home in the World: Stories and Essential Teachings from a Monk's Life