Heart of Buddha's Teaching

If you've been following my blog, you must know that I love various types of books. However, very few actually make it into my personal collections. One book you will find on my shelf is “Heart of Buddha’s Teaching” by Thich Nhat Hanh.

The author is a Vietnamese monk, Zen master and activist for peace. Simply put, he inspires me.

My awakening to spirituality happened in my early teens. I had been brought up in the Lutheran church. My family was not in regular attendance, but around 12, I started to become more interested in learning about the faith. I fed on the idea of being part of something larger than myself. I was virtually unaware of other faiths, as in a small town, Christianity is prevalent.

My disillusionment occurred after my confirmation ceremony, when my pastor tailored a teaching around why the Caucasian race is dominant and actually read bible verses meant to show that other races were put on Earth to serve whites. I was crushed. Absolutely heartbroken. So hurt that this man, someone I trusted, had used the bible to “teach” such ridiculous things. I never went back.

I decided that I needed to find my own truths. I needed to study religion in depth and find what made sense in my own heart. I read the Bible. I read the Koran. I read the Torah. I read the Tao Te Ching. I read the Bhagavad Gita. And my personal beliefs began to evolve and grow in strength. In college I took courses in World Religion and continued to read individual books about each religion. I needed to be on my own spiritual path, not part of an organized group. Christianity was out. Judaism, out. Islam, out. The faith that spoke to me the most was Buddhism.

I had been so uninformed. Like a lot of people, I thought that Buddhists worshipped Buddha. And that they did not believe in God. But neither of these things is true. The Buddhist beliefs allow you to focus on your own spirituality. Buddhism is a guide to finding enlightenment in life. Had I not gone on my own spiritual journey, with help from Buddhist teachings, I feel I would not be the person I am today.

I don’t claim to be a Buddhist. In fact, I make it a point not to claim any religion. I live my life by the moral code that I believe in, justifying myself to no one. I have faith in a higher power and that relationship, to me, is intensely personal.

This book had an impact on my life, at a time when I was still searching for meaning. It acts as a guide for the person interested in Buddhism and also a guide for the person looking to reaffirm their own personal beliefs. Thich Nhat Hanh goes through all the core teachings of Buddhism including the Four Noble Truths, The Noble Eightfold Path and the Seven Factors of Awakening. He is able to take the complex teachings and explain them in simple terminology. The focus, for me, is that suffering in life is self created, training your mind allows you to transform that suffering into peace, joy and liberation.

Overall, this book resonates with the way I strive to live my life. Thich Nhat Hanh is an inspiration amid a world of insanity.