Nhat Hanh Quotes (9 Quotes)

People deal too much with the negative, with what is wrong. Why not try and see positive things, to just touch those things and make them bloom?

Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.

In true dialogue, both sides are willing to change.

The practice of peace and reconciliation is one of the most vital and artistic of human actions.

'In Zen, practitioners use kung-an (koans) as subjects for meditation until their mind comes to awakening. There is a big difference between a kung-an and a math problem the solution of the math problem is included in the problem itself, while the response to the kung-an lies in the life of the practitioner. The kung-an is a useful instrument in the work of awakening, just as a pick is a useful instrument in working on the ground. What is accomplished from working on the ground depends on the person doing the work and not just on the pick. The kung-an is not an enigma to resolve this is why we cannot say that it is a theme or subject of meditation.

We really have to understand the person we want to love. If our love is only a will to possess, it is not love. If we only think of ourselves, if we know only our own needs and ignore the needs of the other person, we cannot love.

In order to rally people, governments need enemies... if they do not have a real enemy, they will invent one in order to mobilize us.

If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work.

Smiling is very important. If we are not able to smile, then the world will not have peace. It is not by going out for a demonstration against nuclear missiles that we can bring about peace. It is with our capacity of smiling, breathing, and being peace that we can make peace.