The Five Contemplations

In the weekly book study called the Wisdom Class at my church, we are currently reading Living Buddha, Living Christ by Thich Nhat Hanh. We had a wonderful discussion today about mindfulness and the Eucharist, with even someone asking, "What is the point of taking Communion?" The discussion that followed made me appreciate the openness and acceptance of everyone in the class and the honest sharing that occurs there.

What stood out for me is this prayer that Buddhist nuns and monks say before meals:

The Five Contemplations

"This food is the gift of the whole universe--the earth, the sky, and much hard work. May we live in a way that is worthy of this food. May we transform our unskillful states of mind, especially that of greed. May we eat only foods that nourish us and prevent illness. May we accept this food for the realization of the way of understanding and love." (27)

Someone in the class told me that he is trying to memorize these intentions. In contrast, I am thinking that I'll copy the Five Contemplations on a piece of paper to read before eating. Either way will work, but I don't trust my memory that much!

Quotes from Thich Nhat Hanh

The man Martin Luther King Jr. called "an apostle of peace and nonviolence" has been a teacher, writer and vocal opponent of war. Here, Thich Nhat Hanh shares a few words of wisdom.

~ "Freedom is not given to us by anyone; we have to cultivate it ourselves. It is a daily practice... No one can prevent you from being aware of each step you take or each breath in and breath out." ~

~ "People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar." ~

~ "Enlightenment is always there. Small enlightenment will bring great enlightenment. If you breathe in and are aware that you are alive—that you can touch the miracle of being alive—then that is a kind of enlightenment." ~

~ "Many people are alive but don't touch the miracle of being alive." ~

~ "It is possible to live happily in the here and now. So many conditions of happiness are available—more than enough for you to be happy right now. You don't have to run into the future in order to get more." ~

~ "People suffer because they are caught in their views. As soon as we release those views, we are free and we don't suffer anymore." ~

~ "Mindfulness helps you go home to the present. And every time you go there and recognize a condition of happiness that you have, happiness comes." ~

~ "Life is available only in the present. That is why we should walk in such a way that every step can bring us to the here and the now." ~

~ "When you love someone, the best thing you can offer is your presence. How can you love if you are not there?" ~

~ "To be loved means to be recognized as existing." ~

~ "Every thought you produce, anything you say, any action you do, it bears your signature." ~

~ "We have to continue to learn. We have to be open. And we have to be ready to release our knowledge in order to come to a higher understanding of reality." ~

Read Oprah's full interview with Thich Nhat Hanh

Living Buddha, Living Christ"

Bonnie of Bonnie's Books motivated me to buy (yet) another book: Living Buddha, Living Christ by Thich Nhat Hanh. I finally had time to start reading it today, being captivated by Brother David Steindl-Rast's "Foreword" and Elaine Pagels' "Introduction."

In fact, I am so entranced with the first paragraph on the first page of the book that I am going to quote it below. This is by David Steindl-Rast:

Come alive! Bloom!

"Twice in this book Thich Nhat Hanh puts before us a powerful image of Christian legend: In midwinter, St. Francis is calling out to an almond tree, 'Speak to me of God!' and the almond tree breaks into bloom. It comes alive. There is no other way of witnessing to God but by aliveness. With a fine instinct, Thich Nhat Hanh traces genuine aliveness to its source. He recognizes that this is what the biblical tradition calls the Holy Spirit. After all, the very word 'spirit' means 'breath,' and to breathe means to live. The Holy Spirit is the breath of divine life." (xiii)

Nh'at Hanh, Thich. Living Buddha, Living Christ. NY: Riverhead Books, 2007.