The Art of Living
May. 27th, 2025 09:06 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mickiToday I begin The Art of Living, which is another book by Thich Nhat Hanh, based on lectures he gave in Plum Village a couple of years before his 2014 stroke. The introduction starts off by talking about how astronauts appreciated the beauty of the earth when they were in space.
“Seeing its beauty and wonder, astronauts feel great love for the whole earth. They know billions of people they're living out their lives on this little planet, with all their joy, happiness, and suffering. They see violence, wars, famine, and environmental destruction. At the same time, they see clearly that this wonderful little blue planet, so fragile impressions, is irreplaceable. As one astronaut put it, “we went to the moon as technicians; We returned as humanitarians.”
“Science is the pursuit of understanding, helping us to understand distant stars and galaxies, our place in the cosmos, as well as the intimate fabric of matter, living cells, and our own bodies. Science, like philosophy, is concerned with understanding the nature of existence and the meaning of life. Spirituality is also a field of research and study. We want to understand ourselves, the world around us, and what it means to be alive on earth. We want to discover who we really are, and we want to understand our suffering. Understanding our suffering gives rise to acceptance in love, and this is what determines our quality of life. We all need to be understood and to be loved. And we all want to understand and to love.
“Spirituality is not religion. It is a path for us to generate happiness, understanding, and love, so we can live deeply each moment of our life. Having a spiritual dimension of our lives does not mean escaping life or dwelling in a place of bliss outside the world but discovering ways to handle life difficulties and generate peace, joy, and happiness right where we are, on this beautiful planet. The spirit of practicing mindfulness, concentration, and insight in Buddhism is very close to the spirit of science. We don't use expensive instruments but rather our clear mind and our stillness to look deeply and investigate reality for ourselves with openness and non discrimination.”
“Seeing its beauty and wonder, astronauts feel great love for the whole earth. They know billions of people they're living out their lives on this little planet, with all their joy, happiness, and suffering. They see violence, wars, famine, and environmental destruction. At the same time, they see clearly that this wonderful little blue planet, so fragile impressions, is irreplaceable. As one astronaut put it, “we went to the moon as technicians; We returned as humanitarians.”
“Science is the pursuit of understanding, helping us to understand distant stars and galaxies, our place in the cosmos, as well as the intimate fabric of matter, living cells, and our own bodies. Science, like philosophy, is concerned with understanding the nature of existence and the meaning of life. Spirituality is also a field of research and study. We want to understand ourselves, the world around us, and what it means to be alive on earth. We want to discover who we really are, and we want to understand our suffering. Understanding our suffering gives rise to acceptance in love, and this is what determines our quality of life. We all need to be understood and to be loved. And we all want to understand and to love.
“Spirituality is not religion. It is a path for us to generate happiness, understanding, and love, so we can live deeply each moment of our life. Having a spiritual dimension of our lives does not mean escaping life or dwelling in a place of bliss outside the world but discovering ways to handle life difficulties and generate peace, joy, and happiness right where we are, on this beautiful planet. The spirit of practicing mindfulness, concentration, and insight in Buddhism is very close to the spirit of science. We don't use expensive instruments but rather our clear mind and our stillness to look deeply and investigate reality for ourselves with openness and non discrimination.”
