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“Twice in this book Thich Nhat Hanh puts before us a powerful image of Christian legend: In midwinter, St. Francis is calling out to an almond tree, “Speak to me of God!” and the almond tree breaks into bloom. It comes alive. There is no other way of witnessing to God but by aliveness. With a fine instinct, Thich Nhat Hanh traces genuine aliveness to its source. He recognizes that this is what the biblical tradition calls the Holy Spirit. After all, the very word “spirit” means “breath,” and to breathe means to live. The Holy Spirit is the breath of divine life. —Brother David Steindl-Rast”

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Book:Living Buddha, Living Christ
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“This body is not me. I am not limited by this body, I am life without boundaries. I have never been born, and I have never died. Look at the ocean and the sky filled with stars, manifestations from my wondrous true mind. Since before time, I have been free. Birth and death are only doors through which we pass, sacred thresholds on our journey. Birth and death are a game of hide-and-seek. So laugh with me, hold my hand, let us say goodbye, say goodbye to meet again soon. We meet today. We will meet again tomorrow. We will meet at the source every moment. We meet each other in all forms of life.”

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Author:Thich Nhat Hanh
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“If the bodhisattvas live during a time of armed conflict, they give rise to the mind of compassion, transforming those who are fighting, and causing them to dwell in a land without contention. If there are great wars, the bodhisattvas make the strength on both sides equal. They manifest their spiritual authority and subdue people so that peace is restored.”

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Book:The Bodhisattva Path: Commentary on the Vimalakirti and Ugrapariprccha Sutras
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“the song of a bird, the warm rays of the sun, a cup of hot tea—are manifestations of the dharmakaya. We, too, are of the same nature as these wonders of the universe. We do not have to walk in space or on water to experience a miracle; the real miracle is to be awake in the present moment. Walking on the green Earth, we realize the wonder of being alive. When we make steps like this, the sun of the dharmakaya will shine.”

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Book:The World We Have: A Buddhist Approach to Peace and Ecology
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“Walking on the Earth is a miracle! Each mindful step reveals the wondrous dharmakaya. This poem can be recited right as we get out of bed and our feet touch the floor. It can also be used during walking meditation or any time we stand up and walk. Dharmakaya literally means the “body” (kaya) of the Buddha’s teachings (dharma), the way of understanding and love. Before passing away, the Buddha told his disciples, “Only my physical body will pass away. My dharma body will remain with you forever.” In Zen, the word has come to mean “the essence of all that exists.”

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Author:Thich Nhat Hanh
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“Turning on the Water Water flows from high mountain sources. Water runs deep in the Earth. Miraculously, water comes to us and sustains all life. Even if we know the source of our water, we often take its appearance for granted. But water is what makes all life on Earth possible. Our bodies are more than 70 percent water. Our food can be grown and raised because of water. Water is a good friend, a bodhisattva, which nourishes the many thousands of species on Earth. Its benefits are infinite. Reciting this gatha before turning on the faucet or drinking a glass of water enables us to see the stream of fresh water in our own hearts so that we feel completely refreshed. To celebrate the gift of water is to cultivate awareness and help sustain our life and the lives of others.”

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Author:Thich Nhat Hanh
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“Looking at Your Empty Bowl My bowl, empty now, will soon be filled with precious food. Beings all over the Earth are struggling to live. How fortunate we are to have enough to eat. When many people on this Earth look at an empty bowl, they know their bowl will continue to be empty for a long time. So the empty bowl is as important to honor as the full bowl. We are grateful to have food to eat, and with this gatha, we can vow to find ways to help those who are hungry.”

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Author:Thich Nhat Hanh
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“People think it is impossible to establish a system of ethics without referring to good or evil. But clouds float, flowers bloom, and wind blows. What need have they for a distinction between good and evil? There are people who live like clouds, flowers, and wind, who don’t think about morals, yet many people point to their actions and words as religious and ethical models, and they praise them as saints. These saints simply smile. If they revealed that they do not know what is good and what is evil, people would think they were crazy”

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Book:Fragrant Palm Leaves: Journals, 1962-1966
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“When we practice Right Mindfulness, we see the seed of Buddhahood in everyone, including ourselves. This is Right View. Sometimes it is described as the Mother of All Buddhas (prajna paramita), the energy of love and understanding that has the power to free us. When we practice mindful living, our Right View will blossom, and all the other elements of the path in us will flower, also.”

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Book:The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation
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“we trade our physical labor for the things we think are essential to our happiness and security. we have borrowed this planet from our children... mindfulness, going home to the present moment we know there so many wonders of life there are many conditions of happiness that are available.... we don't need to borrow anymore. the planet cannot take it anymore. our children cannot take it anymore. we cannot take it anymore. stop borrowing, because we don't need it.”

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Author:Thich Nhat Hanh
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“When Gandhi said that love is the force that can liberate, he meant we have to love our enemy. Even if our enemy is cruel, even if he is crushing us, sowing terror and injustice, we have to love him. This is the message of Jesus. But how can we love our enemy? There is only one way - to understand him. We have to understand why he is that way, how he has come to be like that, why he does not see things the way we do. Understanding a person brings us the power to love and accept him. And the moment we love and accept him, he ceases to be our enemy. To "love our enemy" is impossible, because the moment we love him, he is no longer our enemy.”

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Book:Living Buddha, Living Christ
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“The person you love has all kinds of seeds in her: joy, suffering, and anger. If you water her anger, then in just five minutes you can bring the anger out in her. If you know how to water the seeds of her compassion, joy, and understanding, then these seeds will blossom. If you recognize the good seeds in her, you are watering her self-confidence and she will become the source of her own happiness as well as yours.”

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Book:Fidelity: How to Create a Loving Relationship That Lasts
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“Please Call Me By My True Names Don’t say that I will depart tomorrow— even today I am still arriving. Look deeply: every second I am arriving to be a bud on a Spring branch, to be a tiny bird, with still-fragile wings, learning to sing in my new nest, to be a caterpillar in the heart of a flower, to be a jewel hiding itself in a stone. I still arrive, in order to laugh and to cry, to fear and to hope. The rhythm of my heart is the birth and death of all that is alive. I am a mayfly metamorphosing on the surface of the river. And I am the bird that swoops down to swallow the mayfly. I am a frog swimming happily in the clear water of a pond. And I am the grass-snake that silently feeds itself on the frog. I am the child in Uganda, all skin and bones, my legs as thin as bamboo sticks. And I am the arms merchant, selling deadly weapons to Uganda. I am the twelve-year-old girl, refugee on a small boat, who throws herself into the ocean after being raped by a sea pirate. And I am also the pirate, my heart not yet capable of seeing and loving. I am a member of the politburo, with plenty of power in my hands. And I am the man who has to pay his “debt of blood” to my people dying slowly in a forced-labor camp. My joy is like Spring, so warm it makes flowers bloom all over the Earth. My pain is like a river of tears, so vast it fills the four oceans. Please call me by my true names, so I can hear all my cries and laughter at once, so I can see that my joy and pain are one. Please call me by my true names, so I can wake up and the door of my heart could be left open, the door of compassion.”

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Author:Thich Nhat Hanh
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“In the case of Israel and Palestine, it can feel as though the situation is impossible and that the sides are unequal because Israel has more political power, nuclear weapons, and the support of the United States. You may be deceived by appearance. During the Vietnam War everyone saw that America was the big power and the Vietnamese were a tiny nation without weapons, technology, or the huge amount of money that the Americans had. But the Americans had to withdraw from Vietnam. We should not be too sure.”

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Book:Peace Begins Here: Palestinians and Israelis Listening to Each Other
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“Quando ouvimos música, lemos um livro ou abrimos um jornal, quase nunca necessitamos fazer tal atividade ou conseguir tal informação. Em geral, isso é feito de forma mecânica, talvez por estarmos acostumados ou porque queremos "passar tempo" ou preencher uma sensação desconfortável de vazio. Talvez seja apenas para evitarmos um encontro com nós mesmos. Muitos de nós têm medo de se voltar para dentro, pois não sabem como lidar com o sofrimento que carregam em seu interior. Por isso vivemos em busca de novas sensações que possam ser consumidas.”

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Book:Silence: The Power of Quiet in a World Full of Noise
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“[…] el hecho de reflexionar sobre una pregunta – explorar todas sus facetas a lo largo del tiempo – nos pone en contacto con el misterio de la vida. Reflexionar sobre las preguntas nos acostumbra a la naturaleza inabarcable de la vida y nos permite comprender las cosas desde diversos puntos de vista.”

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Book:The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation
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“Gerçekte gelmek ve gitmek yoktur. Su, her zaman dalganın bir parçasıdır. Dalga sudan gelmez ve hiçbir yere gitmez. Dalga her zaman sudur. Gelmek ve gitmek yalnızca zihinsel koşullanmalardır. Dalga hiçbir zaman suyu terk etmez. Bu yüzden dalga sudan geliyor demek tam olarak doğru sayılmaz. Suyu her zaman içinde barındırdığından suya geri döndüğünü de söyleyemeyiz. Dalganın dalga olduğu o anda, zaten aynı zamanda suyun kendisidir. Doğum ve ölüm, gelmek ve gitmek yalnızca birer kavramdır. Doğumdan ve ölümden özgür olan gerçek doğamızla iletişim kurduğumuzda artık korku hissetmeyiz.”

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Book:Korku;Firtinayi Atlatmak Icin Bilgelige Siginmak
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“Certain wondrous phenomena respond to the human need to know the infinite, truth, beauty, goodness. Others, deliberately enigmatic, remain inaccessible to our brains and hearts. Humans are much too accustomed to penetrating the universe with a narrow and limited mind, ignoring the eighty-thousand doors that are always open, at our disposal.”

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Book:Call Me by My True Names: The Collected Poems
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“Guided meditation is not a new invention. It was used in the time of the Buddha, over 2,500 years ago. Even if you enjoy sitting in silence, guided meditation can be beneficial. A guided meditation is an opportunity to look deeply into the mind, to sow wholesome seeds there, and to strengthen and cultivate those seeds so that they may become the means for transforming the suffering in us. A guided meditation can also help us come face to face with suffering we have been avoiding. Seeing it more clearly, we can understand its root causes and be free of its bondage.”

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Book:How to Sit
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“O planeta sofre profundamente por conta da maneira como comemos hoje. Florestas são dizimadas para darem lugar a pastos, e a maneira como os animais são criados polui nossa água e nosso ar. Uma boa quantidade de grãos e água também é utilizada para preparar álcool. Milhares de crianças morrem de fome e má nutrição todos os dias, embora a Terra seja capaz de alimentar a todos. A cada refeição, fazemos escolhas que podem ajudar ou danificar o planeta. “O que eu deveria comer hoje?” é uma questão muito profunda. Pergunte-se isso todas as manhãs. Ao praticar a alimentação consciente, observando com cuidado o que come e bebe, seu desejo por certos alimentos poderá ser alterado. A sua felicidade e a felicidade da Terra estão interligadas.”

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Book:How to Eat
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“Todos nós sabemos que, algumas vezes, abrimos a geladeira e pegamos algo que não é bom para nossa saúde. E somos inteligentes o suficiente para reconhecer tal fato. Porém, seguimos em frente e comemos, tentando nos esquecer do mal-estar que nos invade. Consumimos para nos esquecer de nossas preocupações e ansiedades, e para reprimir energias negativas como medo e raiva. Quando a ansiedade surgir, em vez de consumir, convide a mente atenta a se manifestar. Pratique caminhada e respiração conscientes para gerar a energia da mente atenta e a convide para cuidar da energia que o faz sofrer. Exercitando-se dessa maneira, você terá energia da mente atenta suficiente para vencer seu medo, sua raiva e outras energias negativas.”

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Book:How to Eat
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“As Cinco Contemplações 1. A comida é um presente da Terra, do céu, de inúmeros seres vivos e de muito trabalho, duro e amoroso. 2. Devemos comer com consciência plena e gratidão para merecermos a comida que recebemos. 3. Devemos reconhecer e transformar as formações mentais perniciosas, especialmente a gula, e aprender a comer com moderação. 4. Devemos manter nossa compaixão viva, comendo de maneira a reduzir o sofrimento dos seres vivos, evitando contribuir para a mudança climática, curando e preservando nosso planeta. 5. Nós aceitamos essa comida para nutrir nossa irmandade, construir nossa comunidade e nutrir nosso ideal de servir a todos os seres vivos.”

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Book:How to Eat
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“1. Essa comida é um presente de todo o universo: da Terra, do céu, da chuva e do sol. 2. Devemos agradecer às pessoas que prepararam esses alimentos, sobretudo aos produtores, às pessoas que trabalham nos mercados e aos cozinheiros. 3. Só devemos pôr em nossos pratos a quantidade que somos capazes de comer. 4. Devemos mastigar a comida lentamente, para desfrutar dela. 5. Essa comida nos oferece energia para praticar o hábito de sermos mais amorosos e compreensíveis. 6. Nós comemos essa comida para ficarmos saudáveis e felizes, e para amar uns aos outros como se fôssemos uma família.”

ComidaComer
Book:How to Eat
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“Several years ago I was in Seoul, South Korea. The police had blocked traffic so that we could have a walking meditation in the city. When the time came to lead the walking meditation, I didn't know what to do. I couldn't walk, because hundreds of journalists and people with cameras were closing in. There was no path to walk. So I told the Buddha, "Dear Buddha, I give up, you walk for me." The Buddha came right away. He walked and people made a path for the Buddha to walk.”

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Book:Breathe! You Are Alive: Sutra on the Full Awareness of Breathing
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“The higher our degree of concentration, the greater the quality of our life. Vietnamese girls are often told by their mothers that if they concentrate, they will be more beautiful. This is the kind of beauty that comes from dwelling deeply in the present moment. When a young lady moves inattentively, she does not look as fresh or at ease. Her mother may not use these words, but she is encouraging her daughter to practice Right Concentration”

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Book:The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching : Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy and Liberation
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“We often think of peace as the absence of war, that if powerful countries would reduce their weapon arsenals, we could have peace. But if we look deeply into the weapons, we see our own minds- our own prejudices, fears and ignorance. Even if we transport all the bombs to the moon, the roots of war and the roots of bombs are still there, in our hearts and minds, and sooner or later we will make new bombs. To work for peace is to uproot war from ourselves and from the hearts of men and women. To prepare for war, to give millions of men and women the opportunity to practice killing day and night in their hearts, is to plant millions of seeds of violence, anger, frustration, and fear that will be passed on for generations to come.”

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Book:Living Buddha, Living Christ
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“Nirvana isn’t merchandise for sale. Any religion can sell a paradise, a pure land, or nirvāṇa. But is nirvāṇa a product that the Buddha and ancestral teachers want to sell us? Is it a promised land or paradise up in the sky, which people try to sell us saying: “If you follow our religion, if you become a member of our congregation, then after you die you will have nirvāṇa or the Kingdom of Heaven”? We can see clearly that it is not.”

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Book:Enjoying the Ultimate: Commentary on the Nirvana Chapter of the Chinese Dharmapada
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