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squrrl_grrrl's review
4.0
I read this on an airplane a week after Airfrance went down over the Atlantic. Inspiring, calming and poignent. Good, easy read.
lindspage's review
5.0
This might have been the book...the one that had such an impact that it changed my life; even if just by a little.
gaelstorm's review
5.0
I found this book very powerful and moving. I loved the examples and metaphors used throughout, and I appreciated that he gave some phrases to try out in our own practice near the end of the book.
This book is best read slowly with an open mind and willingness to contemplate what is being said.
There is a lot of repetition, I recommend using that as an opportunity to further contemplate the ideas from slightly different angles instead of getting frustrated by the repetition. (Somewhere in the middle the repetition of some of the examples was finally starting to frustration me, then the next chapter felt like it had all new stuff! So if it also starts getting to you, hang in there)
Some of the ideas may seem strange if you are not already familiar with buddhist ideas, but you definitely do not need to "be a buddhist" to get something out of this book. You also do not need to be spiritual or religious, and the ideas (and buddhism in general) can work along side any religion and science, not instead of.
You also do not need to believe or understand everything of what he is saying to get something out of this book. It's an opportunity to figure out what you believe and to look inward, while also trusting that he is speaking about what worked for him and has seen it help so many people. Everyone is different and it's OK to figure out what works for you.
The phrases in the beginning of the book might feel a little bit like "just do this and you'll be happy" and you might think "yeah right, it's NOT that easy or simple." But later in the book he does address that this continued practice is NOT easy for many people. The ideas may seem simple but he acknowledges the struggles that people go through that make it difficult to do this, he is not simply ignoring that like it seems in the beginning.
This book is best read slowly with an open mind and willingness to contemplate what is being said.
There is a lot of repetition, I recommend using that as an opportunity to further contemplate the ideas from slightly different angles instead of getting frustrated by the repetition. (Somewhere in the middle the repetition of some of the examples was finally starting to frustration me, then the next chapter felt like it had all new stuff! So if it also starts getting to you, hang in there)
Some of the ideas may seem strange if you are not already familiar with buddhist ideas, but you definitely do not need to "be a buddhist" to get something out of this book. You also do not need to be spiritual or religious, and the ideas (and buddhism in general) can work along side any religion and science, not instead of.
You also do not need to believe or understand everything of what he is saying to get something out of this book. It's an opportunity to figure out what you believe and to look inward, while also trusting that he is speaking about what worked for him and has seen it help so many people. Everyone is different and it's OK to figure out what works for you.
The phrases in the beginning of the book might feel a little bit like "just do this and you'll be happy" and you might think "yeah right, it's NOT that easy or simple." But later in the book he does address that this continued practice is NOT easy for many people. The ideas may seem simple but he acknowledges the struggles that people go through that make it difficult to do this, he is not simply ignoring that like it seems in the beginning.
tommyhousworth's review
3.0
I love and admire Thay, and the essential teaching in this book is a powerful one. In fact, it's a life changer if one can apply the philosophy into regular practice. However, it's a point that is made repeatedly, chapter after chapter, often using the same two or three recurrent metaphors. At 208 pages, I felt the message could've been conveyed in a book half the length...or perhaps the book could have been designed to be read in short, devotional-length chapters. Just the musings of someone who read the book quickly over 2-3 days and felt I was treading over the same content.
Of course, there's the old story about the preacher who gave the same sermon four Sundays in a row, and when questioned by a concerned parishioner, he replied, "Glad you noticed. Once everyone starts putting the sermon into practice, I'll stop giving it." Perhaps that's what Thay is gently offering up here. After all, it's a lesson that can change how we approach the biggest challenge we will ever face: accepting the inevitability of our - and our loved ones' - impermanence.
Of course, there's the old story about the preacher who gave the same sermon four Sundays in a row, and when questioned by a concerned parishioner, he replied, "Glad you noticed. Once everyone starts putting the sermon into practice, I'll stop giving it." Perhaps that's what Thay is gently offering up here. After all, it's a lesson that can change how we approach the biggest challenge we will ever face: accepting the inevitability of our - and our loved ones' - impermanence.
bupdaddy's review
4.0
I'm not in a place to objectively review this - I read this book because I'm processing a loss right now, and it's helped a lot.
leandro_ferreira_2's review
challenging
informative
reflective
2.0
It's the first time I skim a book but, at halfway through it, it had to be done. Waayyy to repetitive. There is good advice and examples to follow but it is too much spirituality for me also. At one point I just wonder if I am not wise enough to wrap my head around this (wich may be true) or if this is a bunch of spiritual bullsh*t "to sell" an utopic ideology, and perhaps it is a bit of both.
averyblue's review
4.0
A calming, patient explanation of life and death from the eyes of a Vietnamese Buddhist monk. Complex ideas are made very easy to follow and have definitely changed how I perceive my life.
davenash's review
4.0
I first met Thay in an intro to Thomas Merton book. Thay lived a remarkable life and this is a good summary of his teachings on death and fear.
I’d you don’t read it this is my favorite quote
“Please take a pen and a sheet of paper. Go to the foot of a tree or to your writing desk, and make a list of all the things that can make you happy right now: the clouds in the sky, the flowers in the garden, the children playing, the fact that you have met the practice of mindfulness, your beloved ones sitting in the next room, your two eyes in good condition. The list is endless.”
I’d you don’t read it this is my favorite quote
“Please take a pen and a sheet of paper. Go to the foot of a tree or to your writing desk, and make a list of all the things that can make you happy right now: the clouds in the sky, the flowers in the garden, the children playing, the fact that you have met the practice of mindfulness, your beloved ones sitting in the next room, your two eyes in good condition. The list is endless.”