|
"The Mindful
Can Find Heaven On Earth"
By Sandi Dolbee, Sign On San Diego, January 29, 2004
--o0o---
Visiting Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh says that "Heaven
is here and now. Don't look into the distance. The kingdom of God is
really available in the here and now."
San Diego, Calif. (USA) -- His head is shaved, his small
frame wrapped in the brown robe of his faith. It is late morning, and
Thich Nhat Hanh is bathed in a sunlit room talking about heaven.
Heaven, he is saying, is here and now. Don't look into the
distance. "The kingdom of God is really available in the here and
now."
This is important, because he believes that if you truly
understand that you're living in the kingdom of God right now, you'll
behave better right now. "If you have the kingdom of God, you'll not
have to search for happiness in sex, wealth or fame anymore."
Thich Nhat Hanh (pronounced tick-naught-han) was only 16
when he joined the monkhood in Vietnam. Now he is 77 and one of the
most popular Buddhist leaders in the world.
A best-selling, and prolific, author, his most popular
books include "Anger," "Creating True Peace" and "Living Buddha,
Living Christ," which draws parallels between Buddhism and
Christianity. He says his newest book will deal with the subject of
power.
He's also a poet, a teacher and a master in Zen Buddhism,
blending the Theravada and Mahayana traditions of an Eastern religion
that dates back 2,500 years and emphasizes
human transcendence over the traditional Western concept of God. He
has built a worldwide
On mindfulness: "Mindfulness is the capacity to live
deeply in the moments of your entire life." Whether it's drinking a
glass of juice or being with a child, mindfulness means treasuring the
present-tense – and not getting caught up in what's going to happen
next or in having to chase after other things. Mindfulness sets people
free, he says. "There is freedom from worries, anger and
forgetfulness. Forgetfulness is the opposite of mindfulness."
On the popularity of Buddhism: "I think, first of all,
Buddha is not a God. Buddha is a human being. He has suffered as a
human being." The strength of Buddha, he says, is that as a role model
"he can offer wisdom, insight and practice." He believes that
followers of other religions can use the practices of Buddhism to
deepen their own faiths. He does not want to convert people. ("We
believe Christians should not be uprooted from their culture," he says
as an example. "It's like a tree without roots.") He compares Buddhism
to a river; each person can take as much as you want. And there is no
single truth, no single way. "Buddhism is inclusive, not exclusive."
On teaching children spiritual practices: It can begin in
the womb of the mother. "You don't hear things that are violent, you
don't eat things that are violent and your husband should treat you
with gentleness," he says. Children have an almost natural affinity
for mindfulness. "They can be in the here and now very easy, more than
adults." During his talks at Plum Village, he says he'll give a short
lesson for the children and then let them go out and play. "They
practice in the form of play."
On Americans: Americans are not as accepting as they used
to be, he says. And he warns that when Americans reach out to other
countries, they need to do it out of compassion, not out of control.
He offers the Middle East as an example. Americans should seek ways to
foster hope and "help them see a future." Peace, he says, would
benefit everyone. "If they have peace, they have trust." And where
there is trust, he suggests, there is an absence of fear and violence.
On the U.S.-led war in Iraq: It was a bad idea, he says.
"I think the war in Iraq has cost a lot." He favors relying more on
the United Nations and thinks America should get more involved with
that international body.
On the war on terrorism: In Buddhism, he says, every
person is looked upon as a potential Buddha. But the war on terrorism
turns that around to regard each person as a potential terrorist.
"When a culture goes like that, it goes wrong," he says. This campaign
has "created more hate and terrorists."
On post-9/ll: After the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, he
believes America would have been better off with dialogue. The key
question: Why would anyone hate us enough to do that? "If we are able
to listen, they will tell us," he says. If other countries have the
wrong impression of the United States, then we should try to explain
ourselves to them. "That kind of dialogue," he says, "is much safer."
On happiness: "The art of happiness is to learn how to be
there, fully present, to attend to your needs and to attend to the
needs of your beloved ones." It's about finding peace and harmony in
your own self, and then helping those you love to do likewise. "And if
you don't do the first step, it's very difficult to do the second," he
says. Happiness is possible. His advice? "Stop running and begin to
make steps."
--o0o--
|
