Friday, January 21, 2022

Honoring Thich Nhat Hanh (1926-2022)


Thich Nhat Hanh:

"I am a continuation, like the rain is the continuation of a cloud."

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"Wisdom is a living stream, not an icon preserved in a museum. Only when we find the spring of wisdom in our own life can it flow to future generations."

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“I am often on the verge of tears or laughter. But beneath all these emotions, what else is there? How can I touch it? If there isn’t anything, why would I be so certain that there is?"

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"The moment I met Martin Luther King, Jr., I knew I was in the presence of a holy person. Not just his good work, but his very being was a source of great inspiration for me... On the altar in my hermitage in France are images of Buddha and Jesus, and every time I light incense, I touch both of them as my spiritual ancestors... In Vietnam, we refer to Dr. King as a "Bodhisattva," an enlightened being devoted to serving humanity..."

*

FOR WARMTH

I hold my face in my two hands

No, I am not crying.

I hold my face in my two hands

to keep the loneliness warm--

two hands protecting

two hands nourishing,

two hands preventing

my soul from leaving me

in anger.

*

"Thanks to impermanence, everything is possible."
(From Going Home:  Jesus and Buddha as Brothers, by Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk)

5 comments:

Colette said...

Thank you for all these quotes.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this. I loved reading how he felt about Martin Luther King. Beautiful.

Pixie said...

Wow! Thanks.

Pixie said...

I only just realized that Thich Nhat Hanh had died. I am so thick at times.

37paddington said...

Beautiful compilation of words from a holy man. Thank you, thank you.