The Miracle of Mindfulness: Gift Edition

By Thich Nhat Hanh

A new gift edition of the classic guide to meditation and mindfulness, featuring archival photography and beautiful calligraphy by Thich Nhat Hanh

Since its publication in 1975, The Miracle of Mindfulness has been cherished by generations of readers for its eloquent and useful introduction to the practice of meditation. Readers interested in an introduction to Buddhist thought, as well as those seeking to learn about mindfulness and stress reduction, continue to look to Thich Nhat Hanh’s classic work for guidance and inspiration. This new hardcover gift edition features elegant calligraphic illustrations by Thich Nhat Hanh, as well as a dozen photographs spanning his early days as a peace activist to his life in Plum Village, a spiritual community that he founded in France. Also included in this edition is a historical chronology of Thich Nhat Hanh’s life and work, and a revised afterword by Jim Forest.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Beacon Press
• Release date: Oct 25, 2016
• ISBN: 9780807064924

Thich Nhat Hanh

Thich Nhat Hanh was a world-renowned Buddhist Zen master, poet, author, scholar, and activist for social change, who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was the author of many bestselling books, including the classics Peace Is Every Step and The Art of Living. Through his books and retreats at the monasteries he has founded in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Australia, he became a pre-eminent figure in contemporary Buddhism, offering teachings that are both deeply rooted in ancient wisdom and accessible to all.  Sister Chan Khong is Thich Nhat Hanh’s most senior monastic disciple and lifelong collaborator. A leading force in his engaged Buddhism programs and humanitarian projects, her books include Learning True Love and Beginning Anew. Sister True Dedication is a former journalist and monastic Dharma Teacher ordained by Thich Nhat Hanh. 

Book preview

CONTENTS

Translator’s Preface by Mobi Ho

ONE

The Essential Discipline

TWO

The Miracle Is to Walk on Earth

THREE

A Day of Mindfulness

FOUR

The Pebble

FIVE

One Is All, All Is One: The Five Aggregates

SIX

The Almond Tree in Your Front Yard

SEVEN

Three Wondrous Answers

Exercises in Mindfulness

Thich Nhat Hanh: Seeing with the Eyes of Compassion

by Jim Forest

Selection of Buddhist Sutras

Chronology of Thich Nhat Hanh’s Life

TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE

The Miracle of Mindfulness was originally written in Vietnamese as a long letter to Brother Quang, a main staff member of the School of Youth for Social Service in South Vietnam in 1974. Its author, the Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, had founded the School in the 1960s as an outgrowth of engaged Buddhism. It drew young people deeply committed to acting in a spirit of compassion. Upon graduation, the students used the training they received to respond to the needs of peasants caught in the turmoil of the war. They helped rebuild bombed villages, teach children, set up medical stations, and organize agricultural cooperatives.

The workers’ methods of reconciliation were often misunderstood in the atmosphere of fear and mistrust engendered by the war. They persistently refused to support either armed party and believed that both sides were but the reflection of one reality, and the true enemies were not people, but ideology, hatred, and ignorance. Their stance threatened those engaged in the conflict, and in the first years of the School, a series of attacks were carried out against the students. Several were kidnapped and murdered. As the war dragged on, even after the Paris Peace Accords were signed in 1973, it seemed at times impossible not to succumb to exhaustion and bitterness. Continuing to work in a spirit of love and understanding required great courage.

From exile in France, Thich Nhat Hanh wrote to Brother Quang to encourage the workers during this dark time. Thay Nhat Hanh (Thay, the form of address for Vietnamese monks, means teacher) wished to remind them of the essential discipline of following one’s breath to nourish and maintain calm mindfulness, even in the midst of the most difficult circumstances. Because Brother Quang and the students were his colleagues and friends, the spirit of this long letter that became The Miracle of Mindfulness is personal and direct. When Thay speaks here of village paths, he speaks of paths he had actually walked with Brother Quang. When he mentions the bright eyes of a young child, he mentions the name of Brother Quang’s own son.

I was living as an American volunteer with the Vietnamese Buddhist Peace Delegation in Paris when Thay was writing the letter. Thay headed the delegation, which served as an overseas liaison office for the peace and reconstruction efforts of the Vietnamese Buddhists, including the School of Youth for Social Service. I remember late evenings over tea, when Thay explained sections of the letter to delegation members and a few close friends. Quite naturally, we began to think of other people in other countries who might also benefit from the practices described in the book.

Thay had recently become acquainted with young Buddhists in Thailand who had been inspired by the witness of engaged Buddhism in Vietnam. They too wished to act in a spirit of awareness and reconciliation to help avert the armed conflict erupting in Thailand, and they wanted to know how to work without being overcome by anger and discouragement. Several of them spoke English, and we discussed translating Brother Quang’s letter. The idea of a translation took on a special poignancy when the confiscation of Buddhist publishing houses in Vietnam made the project of printing the letter as a small book in Vietnam impossible.

I happily accepted the task of translating the book into English. For nearly three years, I had been living with the Vietnamese Buddhist Peace Delegation, where day and night I was immersed in the lyrical sound of the Vietnamese language. Thay had been my formal Vietnamese teacher; we had slowly read through some of his earlier books, sentence by sentence. I had thus acquired a rather unusual vocabulary of Vietnamese Buddhist terms. Thay, of course, had been teaching me far more than language during those three years. His presence was a constant gentle reminder to return to one’s true self, to be awake by being mindful.

As I sat down to translate The Miracle of Mindfulness, I remembered the episodes during the past years that had nurtured my own practice of mindfulness. There was the time I was cooking furiously and could not find a spoon I’d set down amid a scattered pile of pans and ingredients. As I searched here and there, Thay entered the kitchen and smiled. He asked, What is Mobi looking for? Of course, I answered, The spoon! I’m looking for a spoon! Thay answered, again with a smile, No, Mobi is looking for Mobi.

Thay suggested I do the translation slowly and steadily, in order to maintain mindfulness. I translated only two pages a day. In the evenings, Thay and I went over those pages, changing and correcting words and sentences. Other friends provided editorial assistance. It is difficult to describe the actual experience of translating his words, but my awareness of the feel of pen and paper, awareness of the position of my body and of my breath enabled me to see most clearly the mindfulness with which Thay had written each word. As I watched my breath, I could see Brother Quang and the workers of the School of Youth for Social Service. More than that, I began to see that the words held the same personal and lively directness for any reader because they had been written in mindfulness and lovingly directed to real people. As I continued to translate, I could see an expanding community—the School’s workers, the young Thai Buddhists, and many other friends throughout the world.

When the translation was completed, we typed it, and Thay printed a hundred copies on the tiny offset machine squeezed into the delegation’s bathroom. Mindfully addressing each copy to friends in many countries was a happy task for delegation members.

Since then, like ripples in a pond, The Miracle of Mindfulness has traveled far. It has been translated into several other languages and has been printed or distributed on every continent in the world. One of the joys of being the translator has been to hear from many people who have discovered the book. I once met someone in a bookstore who knew a student who had taken a copy to friends in the Soviet Union. And recently, I met a young Iraqi student in danger of being deported to his homeland, where he faces death for his refusal to fight in a war he believes cruel and senseless; he and his mother have both read The Miracle of Mindfulness and are practicing awareness of the breath. I have learned, too, that proceeds from the Portuguese edition are being used to assist poor children in Brazil. Prisoners, refugees, health-care workers, educators, and artists are among those whose lives have been touched by this little book. I often think of The Miracle of Mindfulness as something of a miracle itself, a vehicle that continues to connect lives throughout the world.

American Buddhists have been impressed by the natural and unique blending of Theravada and Mahayana traditions, characteristic of Vietnamese Buddhism, which the book expresses. As a book on the Buddhist path, The Miracle of Mindfulness is special because its clear and simple emphasis on basic practice enables any reader to begin a practice of his or her own immediately. Interest in the book, however, is not limited to Buddhists. It has found a home with people of many different religious traditions. One’s breath, after all, is hardly attached to any particular creed.

Those who enjoy this book will likely be interested in other books by Thich Nhat Hanh which have been translated into English. His books in Vietnamese, including short stories, novels, essays, historical treatises on Buddhism and poetry, number in the dozens. While several of his earlier books in English are no longer in print, more recent works available in translation include A Guide to Walking Meditation, Being Peace, and The Sun My Heart.

Denied permission to return to Vietnam, Thich Nhat Hanh spends most of the year living in Plum Village, a community he helped found in France. There, under the guidance of the same Brother Quang to whom The Miracle of Mindfulness was originally addressed years ago, community members tend hundreds of plum trees. Profits from the sales of their fruit are used to assist hungry children in Vietnam. In addition, Plum Village is open every summer to visitors from around the world who wish to spend a month of mindfulness and meditation. In recent years, Thich Nhat Hanh has also made annual visits to the United States and Canada to conduct week-long retreats organized by the Buddhist Peace Fellowship.

I would like to express special gratitude to Beacon Press for having the vision to print The Miracle of Mindfulness. I hope that each new person whom it reaches will sense that the book is addressed as personally to him or her as it was to Brother Quang and the workers of the School of Youth for Social Service.

Mobi Ho

August 1987

ONE

The Essential Discipline

Yesterday Allen came over

Reviews for The Miracle of Mindfulness

[kristykay22 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This classic text on meditation from Buddhist monk and renown peace activist, Thich Nhat Hanh is just as essential and powerful as everyone says it is. Written as a long letter to a fellow monk in Vietnam from his exile in France in 1974, this is a readable mix of practical suggestions and anecdotal teachings with a grounding in traditional Buddhism. It includes exercises and advice on focusing and harnessing your breath, sitting to meditate, washing your dishes and drinking your tea, compassion for others, meditation on death, and (one of my favorites) meditation as a pebble sinking down to rest at the bottom of a pond. Emblematic of Nhat Hanh's focus on "engaged Buddhism," these mindfulness practices are done with the goal of positively affecting change in the world and with other people and not just for the benefit of the practitioner.

Mindfulness practice is mainstream to the extreme these days, and I think if you find a way of digging into meditation and mindfulness that works for you, you should go for it. While I had dabbled in meditation prior to my metastatic breast cancer diagnosis, I've been deliberately digging a little deeper and have become interested in learning more about the Buddhist foundations of the practice. This book is a must read if you are travelling down that same road, and it is one I know I'll return to often.

[Augusto1974 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's always very comforting to read this monk. In this case, it's a letter he writes to his friends. (Translated from Spanish)

[rajivc_18 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is a little gem, and I would be surprised if there is anyone who would give it less than a five star rating. I have encouraged many people, over the years, to read this book.

It is extremely approachable. The principles are indeed easy to read, but require practice to follow.

The way to read the book, is to read one chapter a day. Or even, every few days. Once you read a chapter, you must contemplate what has been written, and then breathe deep.

The principles, if followed, will transform your world.

Buy it. Read it. Meditate upon it. Practise it.

[clara53_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is a gem on the road to mindfulness. I've been on this path for a while now, and still - some aspects of it are yet to be discovered. This book is helping me in that regard tremendously. Each chapter starts with a short quintessential saying by the author, written in his beautiful calligraphic hand. At the end of the book there is a chapter by Jim Forest about Thich Nhat Hanh - this wonderful Buddhist monk and outstanding human being. There is also a sampling of Buddhist Sutras, as well as chronology of Thich Nhat Hanh's life. This book is to be read and re-read: some suggestions are easy enough to implement in your life and some require more understanding: so delving into some chapters again and again is a must. To live in mindfulness seems like a simple proposal, but it carries with itself enormous benefits for oneself and for people surrounding you. One of the essential things to remember from this book is that "the meditative life doesn't require a secluded, greenhouse existence..."

[tootstorm · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

With how widespread Thích Nhất Hạnh's name is in the new age world, I completely misunderstood who he was and what he taught. Hanh's Miracle of Mindfulness is a series of translated letters from 1968 -- written while exiled from Vietnam -- instructing young monks overseas on meditation. His 'mindfulness' isn't the confusing buzzword it is today, but simply a way to inch towards the Buddhist idea of enlightenment.

I expected scam artistry akin to Eckhart Tolle or Deepak Chopra, not legitimate Buddhist teachings. There's still a few lines of woo-woo that don't mean anything (to me, at least), but the majority of Hanh's Buddhist ideas reject the nonsense of religious text and simply want the the reader to be self-aware: Recognize their emotions and the emotions of others; the causes of social strife and personal discomfort; the is-ness of all things.

It's a straight, beautiful series of meditations to wash away one's anxieties, starting with the most basic step in meditation: Be conscious of one's breathing. Focus on the act of breathing. Focus on any act one's doing and enjoy it -- walking, doing the dishes, the laundry -- because all moments in life could and should be enjoyable.

The book concludes with a useful step-by-step guide on each method of meditation without the letters' contexts -- a great reference for when one needs reminders.

Hanh's writing is succinct, and makes the reader feel beautiful without asking for anything in return. Highly recommended.

[vlodko62 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A classic from Thich Nhat Hanh.

[marasgma · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A beautiful classic. This special gift edition contains lovely drawings to begin each chapter, as well as several photographs taken between 1968 and 2009. This is the best book I have ever read on mindfulness, in part, I believe, because it was originally written as a letter to a primary staff member at the School of Youth for Social Service in South Vietnam. It is very personal and there is a sense that the author is sitting with me, saying aloud what is written. The book is filled with stories, but primarily offers very detailed and specific processes for achieving and maintaining mindfulness. The very words on each page create an atmosphere of peace and relaxation. It is easy to move into rest.

[kcshankd · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a wonderful summation of Hanh's thought, and Buddhism in general. I wasn't sure what to expect, but very much appreciated his 'living' meditation - when you are doing the dishes, do the dishes. When you wake, wake. I hope to concentrate much more by not concentrating... breathe in... out. Walk, wash, and breathe. Cook, eat, clean, breathe.

[randy_landes · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have read several books and have been to several conferences on mindfulness. I am no more than a novice on the subject, but I have been exposed to it a lot in the field of mental health. The Miracle of Mindfulness is my new preferred read on the subject matter of mindfulness. It does a wonderful job of taking a beginner through the basic concepts of the topic. Thich Nhat Hanh’s comments on subjective/objective, seed/fruit, and contemplation on interdependence was new to me and his words could not be spoken clearer on these matters. The book was a complete presentation on the basics of mindfulness from instruction to practice. I enjoyed so many of the practical examples which helped to illustrate the points that were being taught. It was an easy read, but if you want to get anything out of it take your time, because there is so much information packed into this tiny package. I was slightly disappointed in the brief 11 page chronology of Thich Nhat Hanh’s Life. I wanted to know so much more about Thich Nhat Hanh the person and how Americans involvement in Vietnam impacted the Vietnamese people, but as the subtitle states this is “An Introduction to the Practice of Mediation”, not the biography of Thich Nhat Hanh. It did inspire me to want to no more about his life and his impact on those that have been inspired to find peace through mindfulness. This is a must read for anybody who has a curiosity for and wants to gain insight as to what this thing called “Mindfulness” is really all about.

[9cee9 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a nicely formatted gift edition. It is definitely a gift to me having won it as a early reviewer's book. The small size is handy. Thich Nhat Hanh's artistic calligraphy enhances each chapter and there are photos included too.

Of course, it's the calming and thoughtful introduction to mindfulness that makes it all so special. Having read it through just once, I feel the need to read it many times more. This little book is packed. If meditation and mindfulness are of interest to you, this is a great place to start.

[carolynschroeder · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a wonderful little book, with real, applicable examples on how to live more mindfully. Every time I read Which That Hanh, I remember how simple that really is, and how hard we work to make life hard on ourselves. I read this many years ago, but this new gift edition was such a wonderful salve to read in and around the turbulent election and uncertain aftermath. It was originally written during the Vietnam war and it remains relevant and helpful today. Highly recommended.

[willszal-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Practical book with some great meditations. Zen Buddhism.

[keebrook · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

this one came into my possession of its own accord. i did not seek it out. in fact, i'd been avoiding writings of this man. but it arrived on my desk one day and seemed to want me to read it. so, i'm giving it a respectful perusal.

later that same iteration: typical but well-written buddhist fare detailing problems of Mind and yogic technique. sags a bit into woo but that's to be expected, especially since the book is from the 1970s. i would recommend this one to people just beginning to explore yoga and meditation and buddhism but also serious students of philosophy because the plain narrative and anecdotes cut through a lot of the pretentious patter and strangulated, over-jargoned prose often found in philosophical treatises.

well worth a good read.

[porch_reader · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I bought this as a Kindle Daily Deal. It is a short book that is more about the philosophy of mindfulness than the actual practice. Thich Nhat Hanh shares a few techniques that may be helpful for those new to meditation or mindfulness, but the power of this book really comes from its arguments for practicing mindfulness. It is a brief treatise from one of the world's experts on mindfulness.

[lisamaria_c · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The subtitle is "an introduction to the practice of meditation." That's a bit misleading. This is a lot more than a value-free manual. The introduction tells us this the main text was originally a long letter from Thich Nhat Hanh to a fellow Buddhist monk in Vietnam in the midst of the war in 1975. Hanh, exiled from Vietnam, worked against the war and was nominated by Martin Luther King for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Translated into English under his supervision by a friend, you can't sever this from it's Buddhist context. There's a lot about Buddhist philosophy here--even a discussion about such issues at the "naive" depiction of the faith in Hesse's Siddharta. The last chapter consists of a "Selection of Buddhist Sutras" (which I found impenetrable). The writing is lucid, but even though written in deceptively simple language, a lot of the concepts are pretty sophisticated and I think take repeated reading to really understand. Mind you, this isn't an introduction to Buddhism per se. This isn't the place to find an overview of the religion and the focus is on meditation and "mindfulness."

Hanh's concept of meditation and mindfulness doesn't necessarily mean what you do in a lotus position while going "ohm." He means by it living in the moment and fully alert even as you drink tea or wash dishes. "Mindfulness frees us of forgetfulness and dispersion and makes it possible to live fully each minute of life." Not that he doesn't see a place for more formal meditation, and he provides several practical exercises, particularly focusing on the breath. "Our breath is the bridge from out body to our mind... it alone is the tool which can bring them both together."

My introduction to meditation actually was in the mandatory Religion class in my Catholic high school. I remember feeling silly as we were directed to go "ohm." Later I'd be reintroduced to the practice when I took Yoga classes. I remember feeling frustrated as I was told to clear my mind of all thought--which I thought impossible. So it was interesting and useful that it's not what Hanh directs. He says rather when you have thoughts during meditation, you acknowledge the thought--or feeling. "The essential thing is not to let any feeling or thought arise without recognizing it in mindfulness, like a palace guard who is aware of every face that passes in the front corridor."

It's an interesting and useful book if you're curious about meditation and Buddhism, written clearly and succinctly--the main text of the book is only about a hundred pages. Although to get much out of it means reading with mindfulness--repeatedly, slowly, taking notes--and practicing the exercises. And in that regard, I think it does help to do it with others rather than just try to work through the book by yourself.

[ransage · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If you like books by Thich Nhat Hanh, then I think this is an excellent book. It is not the best introduction to mindfulness practice, but it provides an excellent feel for the underlying concepts. As described in the forword, this book is translated from materials that Thich Nhat Hanh was sending to monks serving during the Vietnam war while he was exiled. For those from the Christian tradition, it has some of the characteristics of the various "letters", but I think this is far more accessible. I recommend most people skip the second half of the book; I think re-reading the first half is a better experience.

[dalevywasbri · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Miracle of Mindfulness is a good introduction to a very specific thing, unfortunately that thing is a very small part of Buddhism and meditation.

Simply put Zen Buddhism is the radical branch of Buddhism, while the other schools are off debating long doctrines and esoteric practices Zen practitioners will be contemplating Koans like “’What is the Buddha?’ ‘Three pounds of Flax.’” The point of the whole practice of Zen is to bring the Buddha back into the world, Nhat Hanh spends a lot of time on this, which is helpful – if you are trying to understand Zen. Unfortunately, this book is really only an introduction into Zen practice, and not even zen meditative practice at that (one school on Zen, Soto, will literally spend whole sutras on just breaking down sitting meditation).

From what couple chapters I have read “Mindfulness in Plain English” by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana is a far better guide to meditation than this book. Thich Nhat Hanh has written stuff I like, but this is more about Zen practice in general than meditation, hence three stars.

[amsa1959 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have been trying to practice mindfulness for a few years. I started as a way trying to change my way of living after I´ve got ill. I found it very helpful and it opened my mind to a hole new way of leading my life. Unfortunately (and I think very commonly) I started to skip my meditations and my practises and readings, which of course made me begin to loose my mindfulness. Finding and reading this book has been like finding a long gone dear friend. It seems written directly to the reader and the tone is so loving, so humble and so inspiring. It made me stop and listen to myself.

[ionas_7 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Unfortunately, I had to read this book in Danish translation, since the library wouldn't get it for me in English (I can't buy all the books I read). The English version is a translation from the Vietnamese, the author Thich Nhat Hanh being a Buddhist monk who wrote the book in 1974 as a letter to a teacher at a social school in South Vietnam from his exile in France.

The book exhorts the reader to mindfulness, i.e. to live in the "now", as Echart Tolle directs us to do, and explains how to do so. When you do the dishes, you don't do so to get them clean, but just for the sake of doing them. You do them with mindfulness and love for the process.

The author's words (even in translation) are imbued with peace and calm, and I found myself reading the book more slowly than I otherwise might have done.

Thich Nhat Hanh's text is inspiring and useful. Its essence is his advocacy of the importance of breathing exercises in order to obtain mindfulness, and innumerable of these are found in a subsequent section on mindfulness exercises as a whole.

A chapter enlightens us about the author Nhat Hanh who at the time of writing what turned into the book was committed to explaining to the Americans the necessity of stopping the bombings and killings in his country. He is a poet and Zen Master.

The final sections of the book are devoted to a selection of buddhist Sutras, which I couldn't really make head or tail of.

But all in all, an admirable book - a good introduction to mindfulness meditation.

I will now be trying to obtain other works of this author, preferably some that have not been translated into Danish, so I have a better chance of getting hold of them in English, for instance, "The long road turns to joy".

[jwcooper3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A good introduction to meditation and mindfullness. About half the book was written by Hanh, the rest are writings from other sources that may be on interest to those going full blown gonzo into Buddhist Zen practice but adds little for the beginner.

[ovistine · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

A classic book of meditation by a Vietnamese Buddhist monk in exile. This book describes many of the ways to seek mindfulness in daily life.

[frank_oconnor_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It teaches the valuable art of not only how to live well but how to live with acute perception. Simple lessons, huge benefits.

[horacespatoot · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is truly a gem. It teaches a lesson that I have to revisit about every five years. It is not a religious book, and doesn't require a belief in any particular religion. Instead, it is a way of enriching one's life by fully stepping into it instead of watching it, or waiting for it to occur.

[arctic1stranger · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What is going on...RIGHT NOW? How much of our lives do we miss because we not paying attention? (I once stole away from a stressful situation by going to the beach for a few hours. While I was on the beach I day dreamed about...how peaceful it would be to be to be laying on the beach!)

Thich Nhat Hanh gives us a few tools to help us reclaim who we are, right now. Not who we want to be, or who we think we are. This book may take you to a place you have rarely been--the present.

[mamorico · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My favorite book about meditation technique. Accessible and patient, reading this book calms the mind.

[ltrain_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I can't get this book out of my mind, but I suppose that is the point. I read this book on a plane ride to Europe where I travelled alone. Mentally, I was introduced to a practice of applying a new consciousness to all things--beginning with one of the most simple, yet challenging: breathing. I love Thich Nhat Hanh and believe that anything he writes, no matter how concise becomes a manifestation of peace and wisdom. It does not matter which of his texts you choose because the teachings are essential and deepen with experience and meditation on life in light of this text. I find that the miracle of this book is that I continue to return to it as I reflect on everything I learn and experience in this life.

[phoenixterran · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Miracle of Mindfulness is a beautifully personal, simple, and clearly written book by the Vietnamese Zen Master, Tich Nhat Hahn. In it he weaves personal stories, commentary, and instruction together in an easily accessible way, providing a virtual handbook to meditation. He argues that one does not have to sit in full lotus to meditate, though zazen (sitting meditation) certainly has it's placed and shouldn't simply be discarded. But, through the miracle that is mindfulness, a person can transform every action and moment of their life into a form of meditation.

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