THICH NHAT HANH

Longhair Steve’s comment to one of my recent blogs. "How to Stop Channel Surfing" inspired me to think more deeply. I thank him for that.

Thinking on the subject of war made me, for some reason, reach for Thich Nhat Hanh’s book "Living Buddha, Living Christ. The Vietnamese Buddhist monk, who has been protesting violence for more than 30 years, explains my own sentiment so beautifully:

"Touching each part of our body in mindfulness, we make peace with our body, and we can do the same with our feelings. There are many conflicting feelings and ideas within us, and it is important for us to look deeply and know what is going on. When there are wars within us, it will not be long before we are at war with others, even those we love. The violence, hatred, discrimination, and fear in society water the seeds of the violence, hatred, discrimination, and fear in us. If we go back to ourselves and touch our feelings, we will see the ways that we furnish fuel for the wars going on inside. Meditation is, first of all, a tool for surveying our own territory so we can know what is going on. With the energy of mindfulness, we can calm things down, understand them, and bring harmony back to the conflicting elements inside us. If we can learn ways to touch the peace, joy, and happiness that are already there, we will become healthy and strong, and a resource for others."