Being Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh

“Calming, smiling, present moment, wonderful moment.”

I hope each of you are getting some “nuggets” from the short book. I find the book one that I can pick up at any point and find something to ponder. I admit, I have not set up a meditation room and I am not going about chanting Om. Yet the author does introduce the reader to the Buddhist teachings including the 3 gems, Buddha (awakening), Dharma (teachings), and Sangha (community). I have not memorized the 14 tenants of mindfulness training, although there is something to consider from each (with the exception of 14b). On the other hand, the point of Buddhism is that each individual needs to find his or her own inner peace.

In Siddhartha, Hess explains the difference between knowledge and wisdom, the importance of listening and understanding, and the personal journey that each of us needs to take. In Hanh’s book “Happiness” when talking about mindful walking, he mentions the quote “There is no way to peace; peace is the way” and asks the reader why rush “our final destination will only be the cemetery”. Our friend Tim Keenen referred to the concept of “the raft is not the shore”. Hahn points out that Buddha’s teachings are only a raft to help you cross the river and that no ideology is worth killing for.

Buddhism supports my core beliefs in family and community (sangha), protecting the environment, moderate consumption, being anti war, and supporting birth control. It allows the individual to have spiritual awareness without worshiping a god or having a rigid set of doctrines that must be followed.

The Chilean Poet

Thank you Bob for introducing us to a new author and the fascinating and passionate world of Chilean poets. I sense that the book loses some of the elegance of the Spanish language in translation, however some of the poetry makes it way through the story. The passion for language and sex comes through load and clear from Gustavo and Carla, to Vincente and Pru, to the rest of the rest of the cast and characters. The many poets have their own level of brilliance and command of words, yet at the same time they are dysfunctional and unproductive. Nonetheless, I am in awe of their poetic talents, knowledge of literature, and command of language (including foreign languages) that I will never have. The step-father and son relationship is a heart-warming conclusion by reuniting two like souls, Chilean Poets.