Call number
1d
Publication
New York : Riverhead Books, 2003.
Description
"Our biggest fear," says poet and Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, "is that we will become nothing when we die. If we think that we cease to exist when we die, we have not looked very deeply at ourselves. "It is possible to live every day without being afraid of what happens when we die. Through a close examination of who we are, how we exist, and how we live, we can conquer our fear to live a freer and happier life. Through stories and lucid teachings, Thich Naht Hanh brings peace of mind to a difficult subject, and shows is how to live a happier life, free of fear.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Esmeraldus
The first of Thich Nhat Hahn's books I read was No Death, No Fear.
This is from the very beginning of the inside front flap, but so far it's one of my favorite parts.
There is a story about a Zen master whose monastery was overrun by marauding soldiers. When the Zen master did not appear frightened,
When I showed the book to a friend, he said it didn't seem like the sort of thing I would buy. I felt a little put out by that, and at the time I wasn't sure exactly why, but I've worked it out now. The subtitle of the book is "Comforting Wisdom for Life," which sounds much fluffier than it is, and much like some of the self-help books I dislike. (I can't stand fluffy.)
I have just begun to seriously study Buddhism. I've believed in many of the precepts for a long time, and I find that there isn't much in the books that is new to me. It's strange to read it, and have what I've believed be affirmed. And there are parts with which I don't quite agree...a few things about sex, and food, for example.
But then, I don't want to be a monk.
I still don't think of it as a religion, not as I practice it. But if Buddhism is as these books describe it, I have been a devout practitioner for a while now. It's becoming more important to me to be able to talk about it.
I've always found that what Thich Nhat Hahn writes is true, that anger evaporates in the face of understanding. I really can't be angry when I understand that the reason someone has hurt me is beyond their control, or they had good reasons that I can understand and support.
This is from the very beginning of the inside front flap, but so far it's one of my favorite parts.
There is a story about a Zen master whose monastery was overrun by marauding soldiers. When the Zen master did not appear frightened,
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the soldiers' captain said, "Don't you know who I am? I could run my sword through you and not think twice about it." The Zen master replied, "Don't you know who I am? You could run your sword through me and I wouldn't think twice about it."When I showed the book to a friend, he said it didn't seem like the sort of thing I would buy. I felt a little put out by that, and at the time I wasn't sure exactly why, but I've worked it out now. The subtitle of the book is "Comforting Wisdom for Life," which sounds much fluffier than it is, and much like some of the self-help books I dislike. (I can't stand fluffy.)
I have just begun to seriously study Buddhism. I've believed in many of the precepts for a long time, and I find that there isn't much in the books that is new to me. It's strange to read it, and have what I've believed be affirmed. And there are parts with which I don't quite agree...a few things about sex, and food, for example.
But then, I don't want to be a monk.
I still don't think of it as a religion, not as I practice it. But if Buddhism is as these books describe it, I have been a devout practitioner for a while now. It's becoming more important to me to be able to talk about it.
I've always found that what Thich Nhat Hahn writes is true, that anger evaporates in the face of understanding. I really can't be angry when I understand that the reason someone has hurt me is beyond their control, or they had good reasons that I can understand and support.
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LibraryThing member AmronGravett
This book is less for a person seeking comfort and transformation from grief and more for the person who wishes to contemplate what it means to die. Nhat Hahn is a Buddhist monk and brings a spiritual focus to the journey of death so often full of fear and uncertainty.
LibraryThing member kristilabrie
A great resource if you're unsure of the concept of death and what lies beyond. I will be re-reading this as needed!
LibraryThing member danhammang
Thich Nhat Hanh has a gentle, compassionate spirituality. The book is full of a vision that looks deeply into the nature birth and death and offers a comforting, indeed invigorating, view of this life in which we find ourselves. There are beautiful stories culled from a lifetime of helping his
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fellow human beings. You do not have to be a Buddhist or nearing a death to find sage advice on how to live offered in simple, easily digestible stories. Show Less
LibraryThing member Andy5185
very helpful and comforting to me
Language
Original publication date
2002
Physical description
xii, 194 p.; 22 cm
ISBN
1573223336 / 9781573223331