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No Death, No Fear [Book]

    No Death, No Fear by Thich Nhat Hanh

    By: Thich Nhat Hanh

    From this Book: 29 Quotes

    Book Overview:  Nominated by Martin Luther King, Jr. for a Nobel Peace Prize, Thich Nhat Hanh is one of today’s leading sources of wisdom, peace, compassion and comfort.  With hard-won wisdom and refreshing insight, Thich Nhat Hanh confronts a subject that has been contemplated by Buddhist monks and nuns for twenty-five-hundred years— and a question that has been pondered by almost anyone who has ever lived: What is death?  In No Death, No Fear, the acclaimed teacher and poet examines our concepts of death, fear, and the very nature of existence. Through Zen parables, guided meditations, and personal stories, he explodes traditional myths of how we live and die. Thich Nhat Hanh shows us a way to live a life unfettered by fear.

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    Post(s) Inspired by this Book:

    1. 15 Thich Nhat Hanh Quotes on Embracing Death and How it Helps Unlock Happiness
    2.  7 Thich Nhat Hanh Quotes on Life and Death from Nature

      “Our consciousness is like a television with many channels.  When we push the button on the remote control, the channel we choose appears.  When we sit by the bedside of a dying person, we have to know which channel to call up.  Those who are closest to the dying person are in the best position to do this.  If you are accompanying someone who is dying, use those sounds and images from the life of the person that will water the seeds of their greatest happiness.  In the consciousness of everyone are the seeds of the Pure Land and of nirvana, of the kingdom of God and of paradise.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh, No Death, No Fear

        “We have to live with peace and joy right away and not wait for the future to do it.  We have to be well right now, right here, peaceful and joyful in the present moment.  There is no way to happiness—happiness is the way.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh, No Death, No Fear

          “When you are about to die, you may not be very aware of your body.  You may experience some numbness, and yet your are caught in the idea that this body is you.  You are caught in the notion that the disintegration of this body is your own disintegration.  That is why you are fearful.  You are afraid you are becoming nothing.  The disintegration of his body cannot affect the dying person’s true nature.  You have to explain to him that he is life without limit.  This body is just a manifestation, like a cloud.  When a cloud is no longer a cloud, it is not lost.  It has not become nothing; it has transformed; it has become rain.  Therefore we should not identify our self with our body.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh, No Death, No Fear

            “Watering the seeds of happiness is a very important practice for the sick or dying.  All of us have seeds of happiness inside us, and in difficult moments when we are sick or when we are dying, there should be a friend sitting with us to help us touch the seeds of happiness within.  Otherwise seeds of fear, of regret or of despair can easily overwhelm us.”

            Thich Nhat Hanh, No Death, No Fear

              “We try to direct the mind toward recognizing reality.  This is a chant that is recited daily in Buddhist monasteries: ‘Breathing in and out, I am aware of the fact that I am of the nature to die; I cannot escape dying.  I am of the nature to grow old; I cannot escape old age.  I am of the nature to get sick.  Because I have a body, I cannot avoid sickness.  Everything I cherish, treasure and cling to today, I will have to abandon one day.  The only thing I can carry with me is the fruit of my own action.  I cannot bring along with me anything else except the fruit of my actions in terms of thought, speech and bodily acts.'” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh, No Death, No Fear

                “If you have difficulties with your son or daughter, you may have the tendency to say: “You are not my daughter.  My daughter would not behave like that” or “You are not my son.  My son would never do things like that.”  If you look deeply at yourself, you will see that these negative seeds are in you also.  When you were young you made mistakes and you learned from your suffering.  When your child makes mistakes, you need to help him understand so he will not do it again.  When you can see your own weaknesses, you can say: “Who am I not to accept my son?” Your son is you.  With this insight into non-duality, you can reconcile with your children.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh, No Death, No Fear