The third book in the Mindfulness Essentials series by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, How to Love, covers the fundamentals of mindfulness practice. According to Hanh, love is defined by thoughtful listening, empathy, and introspection.
Love vs need, intimacy, reverence, children and family, and making amends with parents are just a few of the love-related subjects that are covered in this book, which is drawn by Jason DeAntonis.
Among these are meditation techniques that improve one’s capacity for love. Regardless of experience level or meditation proficiency, the book is appropriate for practitioners of any spiritual school and provides a thorough introduction to comprehending the different kinds of love.
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About the Author
Thich Nhat Hanh was a well-known peace activist and spiritual teacher worldwide. He was born in Vietnam in 1926, and at sixteen years old, he converted to Zen Buddhism. In addition to teaching for seven decades, he wrote over 100 books, which have sold over four million copies in the US alone.
He brought the mindfulness movement to Western society with his lectures on Buddhism as a means of social and political change, and he was exiled from Vietnam in 1966 for advocating peace.
The largest Buddhist monastery in Europe and the hub of an expanding global network of mindfulness practice centres, the transnational Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism, was founded by him in France. He died in 2022 at the age of 95 in Tu Hieu, his ancestral temple in Hue, Vietnam.
Review
I used to take a strange satisfaction in the fact that I am not the sort of person who reads self-help books. However, I was unable to ignore the disruptions in my life caused by my 12-year partner’s departure last spring. I purchased this book with a great deal of suspicion after a friend recommended it.
I read it quickly the first time, not because the concepts and language were straightforward, but rather because I was trying to find the answers to my questions and solutions to my issues. When I read it again, I took my time and enjoyed the elegant language and surface meanings.
I’m now on my tenth or eleventh reading of this book, and I frequently take it up to read parts anytime I’m feeling low to encourage positive, healthy thinking (I’m so anti-self-help that I still dislike calling it “meditation”).
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You must work hard and learn to be entire; the book alone won’t help you. In the end, you must always be in charge of your own happiness, even while the book offers healthy relationship ideals. I haven’t discovered any shortcuts yet.
The author offers excellent counsel and direction, as well as clear explanations of what a loving relationship ought to entail. The book has many good ideas and heartfelt encouragement, even if I don’t agree with everything in it.
Second Review
“To love without knowing *how* to love wounds the person we love.” It’s a simple phrase that contains a great deal of knowledge. It’s crucial to distinguish between the ability to love and the emotion of love. We all know that, but I have never had a teacher so eloquently explain the distinctions between unhealthy attachments and real love.
And lo and behold, genuine love is about mending and loving oneself first, not about finding and correcting the flaws in other people. When we love from a wounded, desperate heart, we hurt other people a lot and simply make our own pain worse while causing new anguish for others.
And so it continues. In addition to reminding me of easy yet effective ways to demonstrate my love for my spouse and kids, this beautiful book has motivated me to continue working on my own wounds. Pay close attention. Treat an esteemed visitor with the same respect. Experience delight whenever you can.
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Summary
The mindfulness fad is probably familiar to you if you’ve lately picked up a magazine or perused a lifestyle website. It’s really beneficial to be present and truly enjoy every food, walk, and flower you see. You may achieve long-held goals, increase your attention span, and become happier and more productive by practicing mindfulness.
Thich Nhat Hanh, a well-known Vietnamese Buddhist monk and spiritual teacher, had an idea after observing how this age-old Asian method was entering contemporary Western communities. What would happen if you used mindfulness methods to address the most important thing in everyone’s lives—love?
His solution is How to Love. This is a concise book that sheds light on the convoluted routes of the heart and is packed with insightful and practical advice about love.