Nhat Hanh

Do not avoid contact with suffering or close your eyes before suffering. Do not lose awareness of the existence of suffering in the life of the world. Find ways to be with those who are suffering by all means, including personal contact and visits, images, sounds. By such means, awaken yourself and others to the reality of suffering in the world.

To think in terms of either pessimism or optimism oversimplifies the truth. The problem is to see reality as it is.

Being rich is an obstacle to loving. When you are rich, you want to continue to be rich, and so you end up devoting all your time, all your energy, in your daily life to stay rich.

You have to learn how to help a wounded child while still practicing mindful breathing. You should not allow yourself to get lost in action. Action should be meditation at the same time.

I clean this teapot with the kind of attention I would have were I giving the baby Buddha or Jesus a bath.

Do not say that I'll depart tomorrow because even today I still arrive.

An oak tree is an oak tree. That is all it has to do. If an oak tree is less than an oak tree, then we are all in trouble.

Understanding means throwing away your knowledge.

You are not an observer, you are a participant.

Those who are without compassion cannot see what is seen with the eyes of compassion.

It is said that God has created man in his own image. But it may be that humankind has created God in the image of humankind.

Smile, breathe and go slowly." - Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese Zen monk, author and peace activist.

Suffering is not enough. Life is both dreadful and wonderful...How can I smile when I am filled with so much sorrow? It is natural--you need to smile to your sorrow because you are more than your sorrow.

To dwell in the here and now does not mean you never think about the past or responsibly plan for the future. The idea is simply not to allow yourself to get lost in regrets about the past or worries about the future. If you are firmly grounded in the present moment, the past can be an object of inquiry, the object of your mindfulness and concentration. You can attain many insights by looking into the past. But you are still grounded in the present moment.

My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground on which I stand.

If you touch one thing with deep awareness, you touch everything.

Breathing in, there is only the present moment. Breathing out, it is a wonderful moment.

By eating meat we share responsibility for causing climate change, the destruction of our forests, and the poisoning of our air and water. The simple act of becoming a vegetarian can make a difference in the health of our planet.

Attachment to views is the greatest impediment to the spiritual path.

If we are not fully ourselves, truly in the present moment, we miss everything.

Until there is peace between religions, there can be no peace in the world.