Beautiful reflections, as always. This was recorded during the Bush/Cheney/War era - so many of the points shared were in consideration of how to respond.

This was my first time reading any of Thich Nhat Hanh's writings. I found some really impactful chapters. Ones that have helped my meditation and connection practices. Invaluable awareness. And yet through thr majority of the reading I just wanted to rush to thr next page. His flowery prose and numerous stories and r smiles felr disjointed at times. I can imagine them as a dharma talk and having more of an impact, but reading them dragged on. I will definitely read more or his work, and eill reference chapters within here. But I don't see myself returning for a reread for quite some time. Maybe when I'm further on My bodhisattva journy I'll connect with this one more.

A recorded talk from the mid-1990s takes on our inner and outer natures, finding peace, avoiding anger. A significant section addresses the effects of a nationalist and militarist mindset in the wake of the first gulf war. As relevant today as it was 20+ years ago. The peace movement (then and now) knows how to write a protest letter, but it needs to learn how to write a love letter.

Some good stuff in here. Some of the usual mindfulness stuff. A lot of it is anti the second Iraq war, which most people now agree was not a good idea. He’s surprisingly nonjudgmental towards both President Bush and Saddam Hussein. Overall, not a book I’d recommend. There’s a lot of better material out there on any of the topics covered.