Quotessence
Home / Books / Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life

Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life

Book by Thich Nhat Hanh · 2 quotes · Mindfulness, Love, Compassion

Filter quotes by topic

AllMindfulnessLoveCompassionPeaceHappinessIfsJoyLifePeace Is Every StepPresent MomentBuddhistInspirationalKnowsLove IsLove YouOur LovePeace And JoyPresenceSufferingUnderstanding

Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life Quotes

“When we want to understand something, we cannot just stand outside and observe it. We have to enter deeply into it and be one with it in order to really understand. If we want to understand a person, we have to feel his feelings, suffer his sufferings, and enjoy his joy. The word "comprehend" is made up of the Latin roots cum, which means "with," and prehendere, which means "to grasp it or pick it up." There is no other way to understand something.”

UnderstandingCompassionMindfulnessComprehension
Book:Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life
Create image

“We really have to understand the person we want to love. If our love is only a will to possess, it is not love. If we only think of ourselves, if we know only our own needs and ignore the needs of the other person, we cannot love. We must look deeply in order to see and understand the needs, aspirations, and suffering of the person we love. This is the ground of real love. You cannot resist loving another person when you really understand him or her. From time to time, sit close to the one you love, hold his or her hand, and ask, 'Darling, do I understand you enough? Or am I making you suffer? Please tell me so that I can learn to love you properly. I don't want to make you suffer, and if I do so because of my ignorance, please tell me so that I can love you better, so that you can be happy." If you say this in a voice that communicates your real openness to understand, the other person may cry. That is a good sign, because it means the door of understanding is opening and everything will be possible again. Maybe a father does not have time or is not brave enough to ask his son such a question. Then the love between them will not be as full as it could be. We need courage to ask these questions, but if we don't ask, the more we love, the more we may destroy the people we are trying to love. True love needs understanding. With understanding, the one we love will certainly flower.”

HappinessUnderstandingTrue LoveThich Nhat Hanh
Book:Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life
Create image