Synopses & Reviews
The Five Mindfulness Trainings to not kill, steal, commit adultery, lie, or take intoxicants are the basic statement of ethics and morality in Buddhism. In this fully revised edition, Zen master and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh argues eloquently for their universal applicability in daily situations. Nhat Hanh discusses in depth the value and meaning of each precept, offering insights into the roles that they could play in our changing society. In a world marked by moral and spiritual emptiness, he says, The Five Mindfulness Trainings offer a path to the restoration of meaning and value. The author calls the trainings a diet for a mindful society” that transcends sectarian boundaries, and he presents simple yet powerful ways that people can come together around them to explore and sustain a sane, compassionate, and healthy way of living.
Review
"A beautiful, wise, sensitive book for Buddhists and those open to learning from other traditions. Highly recommended." Library Journal
Review
"The great and gentle strength of Thich Nhat Hanh's teaching is to show us that a vision of a world in peace is not only possible, but that it begins here, begins now, with each one of us looking deeply within, and honoring our limitless potential." Sogyal Rinpoche
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"Good medicine for our wayward minds and forgetful hearts." Joan Halifax
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"Thich Nhat Hanh's deep understanding of the precepts [trainings] and his actual contact with today's suffering make these rewordings profound." Turning Wheel
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"The insightful and penetrating commentaries on the precepts, by one of the wisest and most compassionate spiritual guides of our times, offer challenging responses to the most difficult moral dielmmas we face." Fellowship in Prayer
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"Thich Nhat Hanh has written a strong version of the Five Buddhist Mindfulness Trainings; it will inspire us and our difficult end-of-the-Twentieth-Century world. His thinking has gone through fire war in and outside of Vietnam, the destruction and building of communities, the conditions of life in the East and in the West. These are the precepts of Buddhism as they have evolved throught the most exacting tests." Maxine Hong Kingston
Review
"This exquisite little book clearly explains the heart of the Buddha's teachings on engagement and responsibility for the individual, and they are as relevant today as they were in the Buddha's time or, for that matter, as they were during the Vietnam War." Chris Faatz, Powells.com (read the entire Powells.com review)
Synopsis
The Five Mindfulness Trainings protecting life, acting with generosity, behaving responsibly in sexual relationships, speaking and listening deeply and mindfully, and avoiding substance abuse are the basic statement of ethics and morality in Buddhism. In For a Future to be Possible, Zen master and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh and fourteen prominent co-authors discuss these Five Mindfulness Trainings and offer insights and challenges for how they might play an important role in our personal lives and in society.
Synopsis
Introduction by Joan Halifax. Afterword by Jack Kornfield.
About the Author
Thich Nhat Hahn, since age sixteen, has been a Buddhist monk, a peace activist, and a seeker of the way. The master of one of the most prominent temples in Vietnam, he has written more than one hundred books of poetry, fiction, and philosophy, and has founded universities and social service organizations. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Martin Luther King Jr. He makes his home in France and Vermont.