While drinking, while talking, while writing, while watering our garden, it's always possible to practice living in the here and the now.
Nhat HanhI clean this teapot with the kind of attention I would have were I giving the baby Buddha or Jesus a bath.
Nhat HanhHope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.
Nhat HanhSpiritual practice is not just sitting and meditation. Practice is looking, thinking, touching, drinking, eating and talking. Every act, every breath, and every step can be practice and can help us to become more ourselves.
Nhat HanhWhen we come to the table, we shouldn't negotiate right away. We should spend time walking together, eating together, making acquaintance, telling each other about our own suffering, without blame or condemnation. It takes maybe one, two, three weeks to do that. And if communication and understanding are possible, negotiation will be easier. So if I am to organize a peace negotiation, I will organize it in that way.
Nhat Hanh