Touching the Footsteps of the Buddha: the Indian Teachings

Few spiritual teachers have touched the modern world as profoundly as Thich Nhat Hanh. Thay (as Thich Nhat Hanh is called by his followers) made several trips to India, the birthplace of Buddhism, and was inspired and invigorated by the country. In 2008, his trip would become one of the most significant teaching journeys of his life. Speaking to educators, doctors, parliamentarians, journalists, spiritual seekers, and thousands of ordinary people, he shared a simple yet revolutionary message: peace begins with mindful living. This book brings together, for the very first time—on the glorious occasion of Thay’s birth centenary—the essence of his teachings while in India. The opening section, ‘The Buddha and the Buddhist Way’ brings to readers the essential foundations of Buddhist philosophy. It explains the Three Gems, the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, and the understanding of interbeing, presenting the acceptance of suffering as the starting point of liberation, and that all life is deeply interconnected. In the second section, ‘The Importance of Mindfulness’, Thay addresses the importance of relationships, healing, mindful consumption, and emotional well-being, and how mindful breathing, awareness, and compassionate attention allow the Buddha nature within each person to manifest. The third section, ‘How to Live Mindfully’, introduces the Five Mindfulness Trainings and demonstrates how ordinary activities can become opportunities for awakening. In the fourth section, on ‘Being Alive in the Present Moment’, Thay challenges the common belief that happiness lies somewhere in the future and encourages readers instead to recognize the many conditions for joy already available in the here and the now. The final section, ‘India, Indians, and the Way of the Dharma’ applies Buddhist wisdom to the social, cultural, and ethical challenges of contemporary India. With an illuminating introduction by Dharmacharya Shantum Seth, who organized and accompanied Thay on his historic India tour, this volume provides the reader with new and important insights into Buddhism, and how to walk the Buddha’s path—one mindful breath and one compassionate step at a time.