The Art of living book author Thich Nhat Hanh is someone who takes you to the deeper realms of your consciousness. He has the power to heal you through your own breath. He was a Vietnamese monk and is known as the Father of Mindfulness in the spiritual world.
The Art of Living Book – Core Ideas
He has authored almost 80 books and various aspects of Mindfulness. He has been quoted as The Father of Mindfulness is many publications. One of the first works of his, “The Miracle of Mindfulness\” happens to be one of the most popular books. His writing style is very simple and immediately touches your heart and heals you.
Here I will share my insights on the book The Art of Living by Thay (a Vietnamese term for the Teacher). He has shared the teachings from a 21 days retreat held in 2014 at Plum Village titled \”What Happens When We Die?\”.
Every text by Thay is a healing text and takes you through a deep experience of Mindfulness. His words have the power to intrigue you to think deeper and contemplate on things that really matter.
The book talks about 3 mistakes or wrong views that we all have and takes us through 7 solutions to recover from these mistakes.
The Three Mistakes (Wrong Views)
- The first wrong view we need to liberate ourselves from is the idea that we are a separate self cut off from the rest of the world. We have a tendency to think we have a separate self that is born at one moment and must die at another, and that is permanent during the time we are alive. As long as we have this wrong view, we will suffer; we will create suffering for those around us, and we will cause harm to other species and to our precious planet.
- The second wrong view that many of us hold is the view that we are only this body, and that when we die we cease to exist. This wrong view blinds us to all the ways in which we are interconnected with the world around us and the ways in which we continue after death.
- The third wrong view that many of us have is the idea that what we are looking for—whether it be happiness, heaven, or love—can be found only outside us in a distant future. We may spend our lives chasing after and waiting for these things, not realizing that they can be found within us, right in the present moment.
He takes us through the following seven concentration( 3practices and 4 Concentrations) throughout the book. (more on each below)
The 3 Practices
- Emptiness
- Signlessness
- Aimlessness
The 4 Concentrations
- Impermanence
- Non Craving
- Letting Go
- Nirvana
These four practices can also be found in the Sutra on the Full Awareness of Breathing called Anapanasati Sutta. Its is a wonderful text from early Buddhism.
They are known as the Three Doors of Liberation and are available in every school of Buddhism. These three practices and the four concentrations offer us a deep insight into life. It gives us deep insights as to what it means to be alive and what it means to die. They help us transform feelings of grief, anxiety, loneliness, and alienation. They have the power to liberate us from our wrong views, so we can live deeply and fully, and face dying and death without fear, anger, or despair.
Thich Nhat Hanh