Understanding our mind

by Thich Nhat Hanh

Other authorsRachel Neumann (Editor)
Paperback, 2006

Publication

Berkeley, Calif. : Parallax Press : Distributed by Publishers Group West, c2006.

Call number

GT-B-Z / Nhat

Barcode

BK-06830

ISBN

9781888375305

Original publication date

2001

CSS Library Notes

consciousness , psychology

Physical description

251 p.; 23 cm

Description

A finalist for the 2001 Nautilus Award, Understanding Our Mind, is Thich Nhat Hanh's profound look at Buddhist psychology with insights into how these ancient teachings apply to the modern world. Based on the fifty verses on the nature of consciousness taken from the great fifth-century Buddhist master Vasubandhu and the teachings of the Avatamsaka Sutra, Thich Nhat Hanh focuses on the direct experience of recognizing, embracing, and looking deeply into the nature of our feelings and perceptions. Presenting the basic teachings of Buddhist applied psychology, Understanding Our Mind shows us how our mind is like a field, where every kind of seed is planted-seeds of suffering, anger, happiness, and peace. The quality of our life depends on the quality of the seeds in our mind. If we know how to water seeds of joy and transform seeds of suffering, then understanding, love, and compassion will flower. Vietnamese Zen Master Thuong Chieu said, "When we understand how our mind works, the practice becomes easy."… (more)

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User reviews

LibraryThing member ShiraC
This is a very deep book, and I cannot do it justice here. As always, Thich Nhat Hanh's style is clear and compassionate. If you seriously want to get a clue about nonduality, nonself and impermance, by all means savor this book.
LibraryThing member kristykay22
In this book, Thich Nhat Hanh unpacks fifty fifth-century Buddhist verses on the nature of consciousness and relates them to modern life. This is pretty heady stuff, and a lot more technical and philosophical than my other dabblings into Buddhism, but I really enjoyed it. The translations of the
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verses themselves are beautiful, simple, and moving, and Thich Nhat Hanh's usual clear and compassionate writing style makes the complicated nature of reality stuff land more smoothly than it would in the hands of another author. I particularly liked his advice in the introduction to read just a bit each day, don't worry too much if you aren't understanding every word, and to "Allow the teachings to enter you as you might listen to music, or in the way the earth allows the rain to permeate it." By following his advice, I feel like I got a perspective on my own mind and existence that I didn't have before. Maybe don't start here if you have never read anything about Buddhism, but don't be put off by the complexity of the content if this is something you'd like to dig into a little more deeply.
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Rating

(28 ratings; 4.3)
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