by Thich Nhat Hanh -
"How can you uproot terrorism with military force? The military doesn't know where terrorism is. They cannot locate terrorism - it is in the heart. The more military force you use the more terrorists you create, in your own country and other countries as well."_________________________________
"Eighty percent of the corn and ninety five percent of the oats in the United States are fed to animals raised for humans to eat.....The world's cattle alone consume a quantity of food equivalent to the caloric needs of 8.7 billion people, more than the entire human population of Earth.....UNICEF reports that every day 40,000 children die of malnutrition."_________________________________
"If we do not know how to take care of ourselves and to love ourselves, we cannot take care of the people we love. Loving oneself is the foundation for loving another person. If we love someone, the greatest gift we can make to him or to her is our true presence."_________________________________
"I have confidence in the capacity of all beings to attain great understanding, peace and love."_________________________________
"First of all we need to allow ourselves to calm down. Without tranquility and serenity, our emotions, anger, and despair will not go away, and we will not be able to look and see the nature of reality. Calming down, becoming serene is the first step of meditation. The second step is to look deeply to understand. Out of understanding comes compassion."
Thich Nhat Hanh has a fairly simple goal, to teach small groups of people to live mindfully and then send those people into the world to build small communities that will grow over time.
He provides 5 Mindfulness Trainings for his students -
"Aware of the suffering caused by destruction of life, I am committed to cultivating compassion and learning ways to protect the lives of people, animals, plants, and minerals."
"Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation, social injustice, stealing and oppression, I am committed to cultivating loving kindness and learning ways to work for the well-being of all people, animals, plants and minerals."
"Aware of the suffering caused by sexual misconduct, I am committed to cultivating responsibility and learning ways to protect the safety and integrity of individuals, couples, families, and society."
"Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful speech and the inability to listen to others, I am committed to cultivating loving speech and deep listening in order to bring joy and happiness to others and to relieve others of their suffering."
"Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful consumption, I am committed to cultivating good health, both physical and mental, for myself, my family, and my society by practicing mindful eating, drinking and consuming."
It all starts with the simple act of becoming more aware, more mindful of the world around you. Every so often shutting off the noise and reflecting, relaxing, and getting in touch with the humanity you share with every other being on this Earth.
Consuming thoughts, food, books, movies, T.V. wisely, so that you are able to calm down and see we are all in this together. Our survival and happiness is dependent on our ability to listen and speak from heart's filled with compassion. This isn't just an abstract thought but a change of heart leading to a change of life. It's very easy to get started.
Just breathe.
"Coming home to our bodies can bring us relief within just a few minutes. After that, we come home to our feelings and emotions.
Breathing in, I am aware of my feelings. Breathing out, I calm and release the tension in my feelings.
This kind of practice can be done anytime, anywhere, on a train, on an airplane, at work, or at home."
From the book - "Calming the Fearful Mind - A Zen Response to Terrorism" by Thich Nhat Hanh.
