Creating True Peace: Ending Violence in Yourself, Your Family, Your Community, and the WorldCreating True Peace is both a profound work of spiritual guidance and a practical blueprint for peaceful inner change and global change. It is Thich Nhat Hanh's answer to our deep-rooted crisis of violence and our feelings of helplessness, victimization, and fear. As a world-renowned writer, scholar, spiritual leader, and Zen Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh was one of the most visible, revered activists for peace and Engaged Buddhism—the practice he created that combines mindful living and social action. Having lived through two wars in his native Vietnam, he works to prevent conflict of all kinds— from the internal violence of individual thoughts to interpersonal and international aggression. Now, in perhaps his most important work, Thich Nhat Hanh uses a beautiful blend of visionary insight, inspiring stories of peacemaking, and a combination of meditation practices and instruction to show us how to take Right Action. A book for people of all faiths, it is a magnum opus—a compendium of peace practices that can help anyone practice nonviolent thought and behavior, even in the midst of world upheaval. More than any of his previous books, Creating True Peace tells stories of Thich Nhat Hanh and his students practicing peace during wartime. These demonstrate that violence is an outmoded response we can no longer afford. The simple, but powerful daily actions and everyday interactions that Thich Nhat Hanh recommends can root out violence where it lives in our hearts and minds and help us discover the power to create peace at every level of life—personal, family, neighborhood, community, state, nation, and world. Whether dealing with extreme emotions and challenging situations or managing interpersonal and international conflicts, Thich Nhat Hanh relied on the 2,600-year-old traditional wisdom and scholarship of the Buddha, as well as other great scriptures. He teaches us to look more deeply into our thoughts and lives so that we can know what to do and what not to do to transform them into something better. With a combination of courage, sweetness, and candor, he tells us that we can make a difference; we are not helpless; we can create peace here and now. Creating True Peace shows us how. |
From inside the book
Page 3
... young, about twenty, and hungry. He looked thin and pale, as if he had malaria, which I also had at that time. I had to obey his order to carry our heavy bag of rice to the jeep. It was a long distance, and as I staggered under the ...
... young, about twenty, and hungry. He looked thin and pale, as if he had malaria, which I also had at that time. I had to obey his order to carry our heavy bag of rice to the jeep. It was a long distance, and as I staggered under the ...
Page 4
... young people to fight each other, not even in the name of peace. I do not accept the concept of a war for peace, a “just war,” as I also cannot accept the concept of “just slavery,” “just hatred,” or “just racism.” During the wars in ...
... young people to fight each other, not even in the name of peace. I do not accept the concept of a war for peace, a “just war,” as I also cannot accept the concept of “just slavery,” “just hatred,” or “just racism.” During the wars in ...
Page 8
... young people alive today have not endured the great pain of war. They do not remember the horrors brought about by mass violence. We must help our children awaken to the fact that they have within themselves the capacity for violence ...
... young people alive today have not endured the great pain of war. They do not remember the horrors brought about by mass violence. We must help our children awaken to the fact that they have within themselves the capacity for violence ...
Page 9
... young people wanted to help others and to respond to the injustice in our society. Many were attracted by Communism because it seemed that the Communist Party offered a real chance to serve our people. So many young people joined the ...
... young people wanted to help others and to respond to the injustice in our society. Many were attracted by Communism because it seemed that the Communist Party offered a real chance to serve our people. So many young people joined the ...
Page 27
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Contents
| 1 | |
| 11 | |
Peace Begins with Us Taking Your Practice into the World | 54 |
Right Action Comes from Right Understanding | 85 |
Reconciliation Peace Practices for Individuals and Partners | 110 |
To Love Means to Be Truly Present Practicing Peace with Your Child | 141 |
Protecting Peace Community and Sangha Practices | 168 |
A Call for Great Compassion | 182 |
A New Global Ethic Manifesto for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence | 207 |
About the Author | 211 |
Other editions - View all
Creating True Peace: Ending Violence in Yourself, Your Family, Your ... Thich Nhat Hanh Limited preview - 2003 |
Common terms and phrases
abdomen able action Ajatasattu allow ancestors animal nature beautiful become aware Bimbisara Bodhicitta bodhisattva body breathing room bring Buddha nature Buddhist Buddhist flag calm cell child consciousness consume cultivate Earth emotions energy Engaged Buddhism fear feel flowers Four Noble Truths friends happiness hatred heart insight kill king listening and loving live look deeply lotus loving speech meditation Mind of Love mindfully monk mother ness nourish pain parents partner person Plum Village practice mindful breathing practice of mindfulness practice of peace practice peace Pure Land roots sangha Sangha River School of Youth seeds of compassion seeds of violence sexual Sister Chan Khong smile society someone speak spiritual suffering take refuge teach teachers Thich Nhat Hanh things Third Mindfulness tion touch transform true peace Vietnam Vietnam War water the seeds young Youth for Social Zen garden
Popular passages
Page 76 - I am committed to cultivating loving speech and deep listening in order to bring joy and happiness to others and relieve others of their suffering.
Page 77 - I am determined not to use alcohol or any other intoxicant or to ingest foods or other items that contain toxins, such as certain TV programs, magazines, books, films, and conversations.
Page 75 - Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I vow to cultivate compassion and learn ways to protect the lives of people, animals, plants, and minerals.
Page 76 - I vow to ingest only items that preserve peace, well-being, and joy in my body, in my consciousness, and in the collective body and consciousness of my family and society. I am determined not to use alcohol or any other intoxicant or to ingest foods or other items that contain toxins, such as certain TV...
Page 75 - I will practice generosity by sharing my time, energy, and material resources with those who are in real need. I am determined not to steal and not to possess anything that should belong to others. I will respect the property of others, but I will prevent others from profiting from human suffering or the suffering of other species on Earth.
Page 77 - ... films, and conversations. I am aware that to damage my body or my consciousness with these poisons is to betray my ancestors, my parents, my society, and future generations. I will work to transform violence, fear, anger, and confusion in myself and in society by practicing a diet for myself and for society. I understand that a proper diet is crucial for self-transformation and for the transformation of society.
Page 76 - I vow to learn to speak truthfully, with words that inspire self.confldence, joy, and hope. I am determined not to spread news that I do not know to be certain and not to criticize or condemn things of which I am not sure. I will refrain from uttering words that can cause division or discord, or that can cause the family or the community to break. I will make all efforts to reconcile and resolve all conflicts, however small.
Page 141 - I am committed to cultivating responsibility and learning ways to protect the safety and integrity of individuals, couples, families, and society. I am determined not to engage in sexual relations without love and a long-term commitment. To preserve the happiness of myself and others, I am determined to respect my commitments and the commitments of others. I will do everything in my power to protect children from sexual abuse and to prevent couples and families from being broken by sexual misconduct.
Page 106 - ... to prepare to die without hatred. Some had already been killed violently, and I cautioned the others against hating. Our enemy is our anger, hatred, greed, fanaticism, and discrimination against men. If you die because of violence, you must meditate on compassion in order to forgive those who kill you. When you die realizing this state of compassion, you are truly a child of the Awakened One. Even if you are dying in oppression, shame, and violence, if you can smile with forgiveness, you have...
Page 8 - It really boils down to this: that all life is interrelated. We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.