The 10 Best Thich Nhat Hanh Quotes for More Mindfulness

Thich Nhat Hanh is a mindfulness master and shows us the connection we have with our inner selves and our world around us.

Here are some of his very best quotes from Your True Home*, that remind us how to be more mindful:

1 – “Be there truly. Be there with 100 percent of yourself. In every moment of your daily life. I like to define mindfulness as the energy that helps us to be there 100%. It is the energy of your true presence.”

2 – “Deep listening and loving speech are wonderful instruments to help us arrive at the kind of understanding we all need as a basis for appropriate action. You listen deeply for only one purpose – to allow the other person to empty his or her heart.”

3 – “Breath is the bridge that connects life to consciousness, the bridge that unites your body to your thoughts. Whenever your mind becomes scattered, use your breath as the means to take hold of your mind again.”

4 – “You can naturally stop your thoughts if you focus your attention fully on your in-breath and your out-breath. After one or two minutes of practice, the quality of your in-breath and out-breath will improve.”

5 – “Do you have a problem right now, in this moment? Look at yourself in your physical form, your feelings, your perceptions. Do you have a problem? If we see that we don’t have any problem at all in the presnet moment, we shouldn’t let the ghosts of the past dominate us.”

6 – “When we agonize over questions like “Who am I? Where do I come from? Was I wanted? What is the meaning of my life?” we suffer because we’re caught in the idea of a separate self. But if we look deeply, we can practice no-self. This is the realization that we’re not a separate self; we’re connected to our ancestors and to all beings.”

7 – “Impermanence and selflessness are not negative aspects of life, but the very foundations on which life is built. Impermanence is the constant transformation of things. Without impermanence, there can be no life. Selflessness is the interdependent nature of all things. Without inter-dependence, nothing could exist.”

8 – “We usually try to hold on to life and run away from death. But, according to the teaching, everything has been nirvana from the nonbeginning. So why do we have to grasp one thing and avoid another? In the ultimate dimension, there is no beginning and no end. We think there is something to attain, something outside of ourselves, but everything is already here.”

9 – “Whether we have happiness or not depends on the seeds in our consciousness. If our seeds of compassion, understanding, and love are strong, those qualities will be able to manifest in us. If the seeds of anger, hostility, and sadness in us are strong, then we will experience much suffering. With understanding and love we will know how to water our own beautiful seeds.”

10 – “Mindful living is an art. You do not have to be a monk or live in a monastery to practice mindfulness. You can practice it anytime, while driving your car or doing housework. It is time for being alive. When you practice mindful living, peace will bloom during your daily activities.”

For more Thich Nhat Hanh quotes check out Your True Home: Everyday Wisdom*. HAPPY MINDING!

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