This week I attended a Thich Nhat Hanh event in Dublin titled ‘The Miracle of Mindfulness’. There was a full auditorium of 2000 present, which is testimony to the reputation of this master of mindfulness, and the fact that the benefits of mindfulness are being appreciated by an ever growing number of people. If you have no previous experience of this 86 year old vietnamese Buddhist monk look him up on u tube.My personal takeaways from the event were :
– The importance of compassion for ourselves and being present to ourselves as a daily practice.
– Being mindful is being consciously aware of everything we do, everything in our environment and being appreciative for all life’s gifts.
– Mindfulness is the starting point for resolving life’s challenges [ If you drift away from this place of inner stillness and presence one way of returning is to gently refocus on your breath].
– Believe in your own basic goodness and integrity, and that of others.
– In conflict situations give time to understanding the perspective of the other, but start by being present to yourself and what is going on for you.
– Helping others is about being fully present for them. It is enough to listen deeply with our hearts. It is less about saying the ‘right thing’ and more about our intention. We may say nothing and still provide great comfort and support.
– Lasting happiness does not come from ‘the material’, but from our relationship with ourselves.
Thich Nhat Hanh is proof positive that there is great strength in simplicity and gentleness. It is not necessary to have a ‘power’ personality to be a force for change in the world.
