Thich Nhat Hanh

This past Friday I had the rare opportunity to see the great teacher, wise speaker and renowned author, Thich Nhat Hanh at The Beacon Theater in New York City.  He was there to give a message of peace and hope and to share with others his practices of daily mindfulness.  Sitting in the audience of such a great presence filled me with such newfound energy, I felt so light yet filled with happiness and dare I say even joy at moments.  When Thich Nhat Hanh came into the room after a ten minute guided meditation led by some of his students, the room fell silent, all whispers and fidgeting came to an abrupt halt as he glided across the room and took his place on a raised platform center stage. I have read many of his books and naturally seen his picture before, but to see the light in his eyes and the love in his smile was well worth the 2 hours of traffic I knew that I would be battling home after the nights festivities.  As he spoke about the face of a small child being as fresh as a flower his face became filled with joy, smiling from ear to ear – for me that is true spiritual enlightenment- to be able to be in the present moment as you are and experiencing the feeling as you are having it.  It was mind blowing and it gave me hope, for my own happiness and for the world because if one man can sit in peace and experience joy to that extent just by recalling a memory then I believe in my heart that there is hope for all of us. 

 Community of Mindfulness New York Metro -Inspired by the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh www.mindfulness.org

“Mindfulness is the energy of being aware and awake to the present moment. It is the continuous practice of touching life deeply in every moment of daily life. To be mindful is to be truly alive and present with those around you and with what you are doing. We bring our body and mind into harmony while we wash the dishes, drive the car or take our morning cup of tea.”

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Meditations on First Philosophy