First off, I love Thich Nat Hanh's work and books. I've seen his video seminar and read several of his books. This one is concise, easy to understand, and hits all the right points. Yes, it's a little repetative (like all buddhism books) but that's because the core concepts in Buddhism are so basic that everything will come back to that. Repetition helps reinforce those simple truths.My ONLY complaint about this (and similar) books, is the ease with which the author insists you can banish or control negative emotions. For example, he gives a very simple technique for releasing negative emotions in the book, which I'd learned a while ago. I suffer from depression and fairly moderate/severe anxiety disorder. I get very anxious sometimes, often over very small things or even no reason that I can pinpoint. He says in the book if you do this breathing technique for even 5 minutes a day for a couple of weeks, you'll be able to release negative emotion after that. There are times when I do this for an hour or more and it doesn't even make a dent in my anxiety. So I think these books aren't great at keeping perspective, at times. They've been doing this their whole lives, so it's easy for them. For the rest of us, not so much =)At any rate, this is a quick, enjoyable read and I highly recommend it. Like the author's earlier book "Peace is Every Step," "Peace is Every Breath" is a slim volume of short chapters, written using deceptively simple language and metaphors, that explains deep Buddhist concepts with a clarity that sometimes feels like a revelation. (In particular, when I read the sections on right mindfulness and wrong mindfulness, something clicked and I felt that I understood the concept of mindfulness in a way that I hadn't before.) The book begins with concrete suggestions for cultivating mindfulness and concentration while doing everyday activities, such as waking up, washing your face, and brushing your teeth. The topics then become broader and more abstract, touching on subjects such as breaking out of the prison of the past, contemplating impermanence, and the nature of true love.The book also contains calligraphy by the author and two appendixes -- a selection of short verses ("gathas") that can be recited during daily activities to bring the mind back to the present moment, and an updated version of the "Five Mindfulness Trainings," aka the "Five Precepts," for guidance on "the path of ever deepening wisdom."
Do You like book Adem In, Adem Uit (2011)?
I lot of really profound and down to earth exercises, some very keen insights here.
—bell
I needed this book right now. Amazing how answers flow to you when you are seeking.
—Aditya
EXCELLENT. An easy read and life changing. :-)
—Skyler
