The Art of Living: Peace and Freedom in the Here and Now

4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars | 2,819 ratings

Price: 17.32

Last update: 07-15-2024


Top reviews from the United States

Yewen Wu
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book full of wisdom that helps develop my own philosophy
Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2023
Before reading this book, I was developing my own framework to understand life, birth, death, happiness, etc. The insights in this book offers me a different perspective while some ideas and principles resonate with my own. They all contribute to further developing my own philosophy. This will be true for every reader. Never expect your life will be changed immediately or you will be happy forever or you will clearly understand everything after reading one book. Always try to develop your own way to understand this world by absorbing wisdom and insights from others. Keep learning and practicing.
Among others, true happiness is from inside of yourself rather than from goals or expectations set by others like money, fame, social status, etc. In this way, we own our own life and we live deeply with our own life every day.
Melanie Richardson
5.0 out of 5 stars Life changing
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2024
This is one of the best books I have ever read. I could read it over and over and just soak in the beautiful passages like a warm bath
D. Ritts
5.0 out of 5 stars Life Changing
Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2024
Always a pleasure to read Thay's teachings. Precious jewels of wisdom in every page. I will reread this for years to come.
CRISTI A CAVE
5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2024
In his book Thay shares his accumulated wisdom of a lifetime. Half a year later he would be massively disabled by a stroke. This is Thay at the peak of his powers of insight and compassion.
Krystalie
4.0 out of 5 stars Soothed my Difficulty with Grief
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2020
Thich Nhat Hanh's words about impermanence, and its application to death, and how we cope with death, were extremely helpful perspectives for me. I have been dealing with overwhelming emotions in the face of my loss of a loved one, and struggle with finding "purpose," or "comfort" in his death, as I am not religious. I would consider myself agnostic, leaning towards atheist, but lately am trying to open my mind to religion's teachings, even if I cannot get behind organized religion. This is why a non-theistic religion like Buddhism intrigues me, and as a beginner in the teachings, I find TNH's words simple, yet revolutionary. He writes in a way that makes you wonder how you could have overlooked such a simple way of looking at the world, and have over complicated it so often.

The stories are pleasant and made me smile while reading them, the tangible tactics such as walking meditation are useful, and the words offered on enjoying life, are exactly what I needed to hear. Definitely worth picking up the hardcover, because I want to keep this book for a long time.
Joyce
5.0 out of 5 stars Packed with solid wisdom
Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2018
World famous Buddhist monk and peace activist (he coined the phrase “engaged Buddhism”) Thich Nhat Hanh, now 91, entered a monastery in Viet Nam at age 16. During the Vietnam War he came to the United States where he taught comparative religion at Princeton and was a Buddhism lecturer at Columbia. He is fluent in French, Chinese, Sanskrit, Pali, Japanese, and English in addition to his native Vietnamese. He returned to Vietnam in 1963 where he aided his fellow monks in nonviolent peace efforts and established a university. He traveled to the United States to promote peace between North and South Vietnam and was denied reentry into the country which began a long exile. He has since established his home monastery in France and others in the U.S., Australia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, and Germany.

He has authored more than 100 books. This one, edited by his monastic students, sums up the essence of the last lectures he gave before his stroke in 2014, and these lectures sum up the essence of his teachings. He offers deep insight on what it means to be alive and what it means to die. True to his Buddhist roots with numbered lists, he offers liberation from the three “wrong views” and three major practices plus four additional practices. This small 200-page book is jam-packed with solid wisdom. You can sense this teacher’s embodiment of his teachings which gives them added power. Whether speaking, walking, doing calligraphy, engaged in social action, or dealing with a stroke, Thich Nhat Hanh has always walked the walk.
Michael B Wallace
5.0 out of 5 stars Invitation to live in the moments of life.
Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2021
Was looking for a way to re-engage life after a life changing event. Had been raised in the western Christian tradition but always struggled with some of its dogma. After reading The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis and having a conversation about life being lived in the moment, Thich Nhat Han’s books were recommended to me. His way of describing, explaining, and introducing the western mind to the Eastern approach to life is a gift. By practicing with the breath and meditations, I’ve discovered a very healthy path into self care, engaging relationships and managing the hustle of modern life. This book is the second of Han’s that I’ve read and honestly, just pick one up; any of his books is a welcoming read describing the world of Buddhist practice and a fresh view on living a free and inspired life, moment by precious moment.
RG
5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible book everyone should read
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2023
Highly recommended for anyone exploring spirituality and wanting to better themselves and their outlook on existence.

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