Delve into the timeless wisdom of Thich Nhat Hanh quotes about love, peace, mindfulness, and compassion.
Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, poet, and peace activist is widely regarded as one of the most influential spiritual teachers of our time.
Known as the “father of mindfulness“, Thich Nhat Hanh was a major influence on Western practices of Buddhism.
Born in 1926 in central Vietnam, Nhat Hanh became a monk at a young age and dedicated his life to promoting mindfulness, compassion, and peace.
Thich Nhat Hanh was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Martin Luther King Jr. in 1967 for his peace activism during the Vietnam War.
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Although he did not win the prize, his nomination highlighted his significant contributions to peace and reconciliation.
Moreover, in a fast-paced and turbulent world, Thich Nhat Hanh’s profound quotes serve as a guiding light, reminding us to slow down, be fully present, and embrace life with love, compassion, and understanding.
Top 10 Thich Nhat Hanh Quotes
1.“Smile, breathe, and go slowly.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh 
2.“Our own life has to be our message.” ―Thich Nhat Hanh 
3.“Understanding means throwing away your knowledge.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
4.“You must love in such a way that the person you love feels free.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh 
5.“Many people are alive but don’t touch the miracle of being alive.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
6.“We have more possibilities available in each moment than we realize.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
7.“The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
8.“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
9.“To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
10.“Your purpose is to be yourself. You don’t have to run anywhere to become someone else. You are wonderful just as you are.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
11. “Enlightenment is when the wave realizes that it is the ocean.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
Best Quotes Of Thich Nhat Hanh
11.“Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
12.“Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
13.“The wave does not need to die to become water. She is already water.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
14.“What you are looking for is already in you… You already are everything you are seeking.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
15.“If you love someone but rarely make yourself available to him or her, that is not true love.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
16.“A true partner or friend is one who encourages you to look deep inside yourself for the beauty and love you’ve been seeking.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
17.“Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment I know this is the only moment.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
18.“The mind can go in a thousand directions, but on this beautiful path, I walk in peace. With each step, the wind blows. With each step, a flower blooms.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
19.“Hope 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.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
20.“When we are mindful, deeply in touch with the present moment, our understanding of what is going on deepens, and we begin to be filled with acceptance, joy, peace and love.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat Hanh Quotes On Healing
21.“We are here to awaken from our illusion of separateness.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
22.“Many of us have been running all our lives. Practice stopping.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
23.“If you love someone, the greatest gift you can give them is your presence.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
24.“Feelings come and go clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
25.“The practice of peace and reconciliation is one of the most vital and artistic of human actions.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
26.“Take my hand. We will walk. We will only walk. We will enjoy our walk without thinking of arriving anywhere.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
27.“Keeping your body healthy is an expression of gratitude to the whole cosmos — the trees, the clouds, everything.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
28.“Meditation can help us embrace our worries, our fear, our anger; and that is very healing. We let our own natural capacity of healing do the work.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
29.“You have to learn how to help a wounded child while still practicing mindful breathing. You should not allow yourself to get lost in action. Action should be meditation at the same time.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
30.“By eating meat we share the responsibility of climate change, the destruction of our forests, and the poisoning of our air and water. The simple act of becoming a vegetarian will make a difference in the health of our planet.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat Hanh Quotes On Life
31.“Life is available only in the present moment.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh 
32.“Because you are alive, everything is possible.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
33.“Life is a miracle, and being aware of simply this can already make us very happy.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
34.“I promise myself that I will enjoy every minute of the day that is given me to live.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
35.“People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
36.“Birth is okay and death is okay, if we know that they are only concepts in our mind. Reality transcends both birth and death.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
37.“Life is available only in the present. That is why we should walk in such a way that every step can bring us to the here and the now.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
38.“Be Yourself. Life is precious as it is. All the elements for your happiness are already here. There is no need to run, strive, search, or struggle. Just Be.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
39.“Waking up this morning, I smile. Twenty-four brand new hours are before me. I vow to live fully in each moment and to look at all beings with eyes of compassion.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
40.“Suffering is not enough. Life is both dreadful and wonderful… How can I smile when I am filled with so much sorrow? It is natural – you need to smile to your sorrow because you are more than your sorrow.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
Inspirational Thich Nhat Hanh Quotes
41.“For things to reveal themselves to us, we need to be ready to abandon our views about them.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
42.“Fearlessness is not only possible, it is the ultimate joy. When you touch nonfear, you are free.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
43.“Many people think excitement is happiness… But when you are excited you are not peaceful. True happiness is based on peace.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
44.“The seed of suffering in you may be strong, but don’t wait until you have no more suffering before allowing yourself to be happy.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
45.“Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves – slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
46.“Don’t do any task in order to get it over with. Resolve to do each job in a relaxed way, with all your attention. Enjoy and be one with your work.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
47.“If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
48.“I would not look upon anger as something foreign to me that I have to fight… I have to deal with my anger with care, with love, with tenderness, with nonviolence.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
49.“Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child—our own two eyes. All is a miracle.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
50.“Without suffering, there’s no happiness. So we shouldn’t discriminate against the mud. We have to learn how to embrace and cradle our own suffering and the suffering of the world, with a lot of tenderness.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
Famous Quotes By Thich Nhat Hanh
51.“My actions are my only true belongings.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
52.“There is no way to happiness — happiness is the way.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
53.“In order to rally people, governments need enemies… if they do not have a real enemy, they will invent one in order to mobilize us.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
54.“People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
55.“I will practice coming back to the present moment… not letting regrets and sorrow drag me back into the past or letting anxieties, fears, or cravings pull me out.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
56.“Most people are afraid of suffering. But suffering is a kind of mud to help the lotus flower of happiness grow. There can be no lotus flower without the mud.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
57.“Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness. If, in our heart, we still cling to anything – anger, anxiety, or possessions – we cannot be free.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
58.“The present moment is the substance with which the future is made. Therefore, the best way to take care of the future is to take care of the present moment. What else can you do?” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
59.“The source of love is deep in us and we can help others realize a lot of happiness. One word, one action, one thought can reduce another person’s suffering and bring that person joy.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
60.“When another person makes you suffer, it is because he suffers deeply within himself, and his suffering is spilling over. He does not need punishment; he needs help. That’s the message he is sending.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
Thích Nhất Hạnh Life And Facts
- Thich Nhat Hanh is one of the pioneers of Engaged Buddhism, a movement that emphasizes the application of Buddhist teachings to social and environmental issues. He actively promotes peace, social justice, and environmental sustainability.
- Thich Nhat Hanh founded Plum Village, a Buddhist community and meditation center located in France. It serves as a spiritual retreat and training center, attracting people from around the world.
- Due to his efforts for peace during the Vietnam War, Thich Nhat Hanh was exiled from Vietnam in 1966. He lived in exile for over four decades and continued his work internationally, promoting peace, mindfulness, and compassionate action.
- Nhất Hạnh died at his residence in Từ Hiếu Temple on 22 January 2022, at age 95, as a result of complications from his stroke seven years earlier.
Thich Nhat Hanh has authored numerous books
- “The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation”
- “Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life”
- “The Art of Power”
- “True Love: A Practice for Awakening the Heart”
- “Being Peace”
His writings are known for their simplicity, clarity, and ability to resonate with readers from various backgrounds and traditions.
Conclusion
Whether you are a practicing Buddhist or simply seeking guidance on your personal journey, Thich Nhat Hanh’s quotes offer a wealth of wisdom and inspiration.
They have been passed down through generations and continue to be relevant and meaningful to people of all cultures and beliefs.
