Thich Nhat Hanh, “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 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 in 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.
* *
People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child — our own two eyes. All is a miracle.”
“Because you are alive, everything is possible.”
“Waking up this morning, I smile. Twenty-four brand new hours are before me. I vow to live fully in each moment and to look at all beings with eyes of compassion.”
“Life is a miracle, and being aware of simply this can already make us very happy.”
“Birth is okay and death is okay, if we know that they are only concepts in our mind. Reality transcends both birth and death.”
“Breathing in, I know I am breathing in.
In this simple statement is the essence of Buddhist practice. You can build a satisfying and fruitful life on it. You can help yourself and others. You can experience the world as pure and joyful. You can even become enlightened.
* At this very moment, the Earth is above you, below you, all around you, and even inside you. The Earth is everywhere. You may be used to thinking of the Earth as only the ground beneath your feet. But the water, the sea, the sky, and everything around us comes from the Earth. Everything outside us and everything inside us comes from the Earth. We often forget that the planet we are living on has given us all the elements that make up our bodies. The water in our flesh, our bones, and all the microscopic cells inside our bodies all come from the Earth and are part of the Earth. The Earth is not just the environment we live in. We are the Earth and we are always carrying her within us.
Realizing this, we can see that the Earth is truly alive. We are a living, breathing manifestation of this beautiful and generous planet. Knowing this, we can begin to transform our relationship to the Earth. We can begin to walk differently and to care for her differently. We will fall completely in love with the Earth. When we are in love with someone or something, there is no separation between ourselves and the person or thing we love. We do whatever we can for them and this brings us great joy and nourishment. That is the relationship each of us can have with the Earth. That is the relationship each of us must have with the Earth if the Earth is to survive, and if we are to survive as well.
If we think about the Earth as just the environment around us, we experience ourselves and the Earth as separate entities. We may see the planet only in terms of what it can do for us. We need to recognize that the planet and the people on it are ultimately one and the same. . . .
Thich Nhat Hanh, Love Letter to the Earth (Berkeley, CA: Parallax Press, 2013), 8–9
* *
Please do not build a stupa for me. Please do not put my ashes in a vase, lock me inside, and limit who I am. I know this will be difficult for some of you. If you must build a stupa though, please make sure that you put a sign on it that says, ‘I am not in here.’ In addition, you can also put another sign that says, ‘I am not out there either,’ and a third sign that says, ‘If I am anywhere, it is in your mindful breathing and in your peaceful steps. - -Thich Nhat Hanh
The seed of suffering in you may be strong, but don’t wait until you have no more suffering before allowing yourself to be happy. - Thich Nhat Hanh
This body is not me.
I am not limited by this body.
I am life without boundaries.
I have never been born,
and I shall never die.
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 good-bye,
say good-bye, 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.
-Thich Nhat Hanh
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 the close of “At Home in the World”
Don’t pretend you’re walking mindfully when in reality you’re planning your grocery shopping or your next meeting.
Walk with your whole body and mind.
Each step contains insight.
Each step has happiness. Each step has love — love and compassion for the Earth and for all beings, as well as for ourselves.
Why do we walk like that? To be in touch with the great Earth, to be in touch with the world around us. When we’re in touch, when we’re fully aware of the wonder of walking on the Earth, each step nourishes and heals us. - Thich Nhat Hanh
Tomorrow I will continue to be. But you will have to be very attentive to see me. I will be a flower, or a leaf. I will be in these forms and I will say hello to you. If you are attentive enough, you will recognize me, and you may greet me. I will be very happy. - Thich Nhat Hanh
Be in touch with what is wondrous, refreshing, and healing inside and around you. Plant seeds of joy, peace , and understanding in yourself in order to facilitate the work of transformation. - Thich Nhat Hanh
Breathing in, I calm my body. Breathing out, I smile. - "Being Peace"
You can see everything in the universe in one tangerine. When you peel it and smell it, it’s wonderful. You can take your time eating a tangerine and be very happy. - "Peace Is Every Step"
Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet. - "Peace Is Every Step"
From time to time we look at each other and smile. It is the smile of awareness. It proves that we are happy; that we are alive. - "The Path of Emancipation"
Sitting is an art. The art of resting first. It’s very important that we learn how to rest. - "Sitting, Resting, and Not Worrying"
If we set aside time each day to be in a peaceful environment, to walk in nature, or even just to look at a flower or the sky, then that beauty will penetrate us and feed our love and our joy. - "How to Love"
Our breath is also like a wave, gently rocking us into a deep peace. In this state of rest, our body and mind can release their burdens. A lot of healing happens just by letting go and sinking into this state of total relaxation. - "Buddha Mind, Buddha Body"
If we take good care of ourselves, we help everyone. - "How to Love"
Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor. - "Present Moment Wonderful Moment"
We are safe… Come with me and be in the present moment. - "Reconciliation"
The first exercise is to identify the in-breath and out-breath. Breathing in, I know this is my in-breath. Breathing out, I know this is my out-breath. - "Chanting from the Heart"
Love is treating your heart with a great deal of tenderness, with understanding, love, and compassion. - "You Are Here"
Go back and take care of yourself. - "Reconciliation"
Silence is something that comes from your heart, not from outside. Silence doesn’t mean not talking and not doing things; it means that you are not disturbed inside. If you’re truly silent, then no matter what situation you find yourself in you can enjoy the silence. - Thich Nhat Hanh, “The Heart of the Matter”
Every day we are engaged in a miracle… a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child — our own two eyes. All is a miracle. - "The Miracle of Mindfulness"
Sitting also can be very enjoyable. Sitting and doing nothing. Just enjoying your sitting, enjoying your breathing. Feel that you are alive. - "Sitting, Resting, and Not Worrying"
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. - From the poem ‘I Am Not in Here’ (2016) by Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh
Breathing in, I calm my body. Breathing out, I smile. - "Being Peace"
You can see everything in the universe in one tangerine. When you peel it and smell it, it’s wonderful. You can take your time eating a tangerine and be very happy. - "Peace Is Every Step"
Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet. - "Peace Is Every Step"
From time to time we look at each other and smile. It is the smile of awareness. It proves that we are happy; that we are alive. - "The Path of Emancipation"
Sitting is an art. The art of resting first. It’s very important that we learn how to rest. - "Sitting, Resting, and Not Worrying"
If we set aside time each day to be in a peaceful environment, to walk in nature, or even just to look at a flower or the sky, then that beauty will penetrate us and feed our love and our joy. - "How to Love"
Our breath is also like a wave, gently rocking us into a deep peace. In this state of rest, our body and mind can release their burdens. A lot of healing happens just by letting go and sinking into this state of total relaxation. - "Buddha Mind, Buddha Body"
If we take good care of ourselves, we help everyone. - "How to Love"
Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.— "Present Moment Wonderful Moment"
We are safe… Come with me and be in the present moment. - "Reconciliation"
The first exercise is to identify the in-breath and out-breath. Breathing in, I know this is my in-breath. Breathing out, I know this is my out-breath. - "Chanting from the Heart"
Love is treating your heart with a great deal of tenderness, with understanding, love, and compassion. - "You Are Here"
Go back and take care of yourself. - "Reconciliation"
Every day we are engaged in a miracle… a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child — our own two eyes. All is a miracle. "The Miracle of Mindfulness"
Sitting also can be very enjoyable. Sitting and doing nothing. Just enjoying your sitting, enjoying your breathing. Feel that you are alive. - "Sitting, Resting, and Not Worrying"
The flower, when it wilts, becomes the compost. The compost can help grow a flower again. Happiness is also organic and impermanent by nature. It can become suffering, and suffering can become happiness again.
No mud, no lotus.
Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy. - Thich Nhat Hanh
We are here to awaken from our illusion of separateness. - Thich Nhat Hanh
Pay attention to the world around you, to the leaves and the flowers, to the birds and the rain. If you can stop and look deeply, you will recognize your beloved manifesting again and again in many forms. - Thich Nhat Hanh, “Free from Fear”
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