I consider myself to be a very on-the-go, type A, and sometimes anxious person. I also have a fear of the unknown and death. So, when I spotted this book poking out of the shelf at my local Barnes and Noble, I thought it was a sign that this could be an important book for me.
I’m so grateful I picked it up. Thich Nhat Hanh lays out wisdom in full and it’s slightly changed my perspective for the better. There are so many gems in this book, but my top takeaways:
-We never truly die, we continue to live in various different ways after physical death. This also applies to loved ones you might miss: It’s a good practice to remember how they’re still here and always will be. We all have impacts on each other. The way your father taught you how to drive, or how your mom shared her favorite recipe with you are examples of how they continue to live through you. I’m not religious, but I really like how he tied in a Bible story about after the death of Jesus, two disciples were awed when they met a man who broke bread with them just like Jesus had. Was the man Jesus? No. But Jesus was with him and the way he broke the bread was an example of his life continuing.
-Because we are all connected, even small positive ways of spreading love and compassion can impact the entire world. We continue after we die and have a choice and obligation to try and ensure that our actions and legacy helped spread love and community. “When we can free ourselves from the idea of separateness, we have compassion, we have understanding, and we have the energy we need to help”
The approach here clashes with individualism. The idea of being a separate self is said to be one of the main agitators of the human soul. We are all connected and have the legacy of everyone and the entire universe represented in us. Do I agree with all of this? Some of it. yes! But I do think individualism plays at some level. We all have individual thoughts and uniqueness. I will be curious to see how the reading I will do on Stoicism in the future stacks up. (I’m a philosophy novice).
This was a fantastic read for me at this point in my life. I find myself taking more small moments in my day to be mindful and appreciate the little things. I feel I fear death a little less. Thank you Thich Nhat Hanh for making me feel a little more comfortable with my place in the universe.
by TelephoneOk3146