The Art of Living: Peace and Freedom in the Here and Now

Meditations for profoundly reshaping our focus, mindset, and healing journey—discover the freedom and lightness that comes with leading with gratitude over fear and trauma

“The Art of Living offers an exit ramp from the madness of modern-day overdrive, and just might let us grasp the heaven on Earth.” —The Chicago Tribune

A revered spiritual leader’s legacy lives on in this wise and rich spiritual guide that shows us how finding true nirvana—existing deeply and peacefully every day—is more attainable than we ever imagined.

Especially in turbulent times, there is an urgency to understand ourselves and our world. In the process, hushing our internal chatter and anxieties can feel nearly impossible. We exist trapped in a cycle of worry and stress—desperately searching for a cure and for an ounce of calm. In The Art of Living, renowned Buddhist Thich Nhat Hanh shows us that, often, we are in our own way, and that by changing the way we think and process our emotions and experiences can permanently change the way we find joy and meaning in our lives. Containing the essence of the Buddha’s teachings on mindfulness and Nhat Hanh’s poignant, timeless, and clarifying prose, The Art of Living provides seven transformative meditations that open new perspectives on our lives, our relationships, and our interconnectedness with the world around us.

These transformative meditations concentrate on the concepts of:

· Emptiness

· Singlessness

· Aimlessness

· Impermanence

· Non-Craving

· Letting Go

· Nirvana

Through these, Nhat Hanh describes how spirituality is not a religion. It is a path for us to generate happiness, understanding, and love, so we can live deeply in each moment of our life.

“Happiness is not something that arrives in a package in the mail. Happiness does not fall out of the sky. Happiness is something we generate with mindfulness.” —Thich Nhat Hanh

This profound guide to the art of living offers timeless wisdom for a modern world—a path to true peace by transforming the way we experience life.

• The Wonder of Interbeing: Discover how you are interconnected with the entire cosmos, from the clouds in the sky to your own ancestors, and learn why a cloud can never die, only transform.
• The Art of Mindful Living: Master simple, concrete practices for mindful breathing, walking, and sitting that can stop the cycle of anxiety and bring joy and healing into every moment.
• Transforming Suffering: Learn to embrace pain and fear not as obstacles, but as the very mud needed to grow the lotus flowers of understanding, compassion, and love in your life.
• Letting Go of Fear: Contemplate the nature of impermanence to release your fear of death, cherish the life you have, and see that your continuation body exists far beyond your physical form.
• Touching Nirvana Now: Realize that nirvana isn’t a distant heaven, but a state of cool freshness and peace that can be touched in the here and now by extinguishing the flames of your afflictions.