Present Moment Wonderful Moment (Revised Edition): Verses for Daily Living-Updated Third Edition

Beloved Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh offers 79 meditations to help you through your daily routines in a peaceful and mindful way and connect to the joy of the present moment

Waking up this morning, I smile. Twenty-four brand new hours are before me.

This beautifully illustrated book shares a simple verse with an enlightening commentary that will give you the space and heart to live each day in a connected and calm way. Developed during a summer retreat in Plum Village, Thich Nhat Hanh's meditation center in France, these poetic verses were collected to help people practice mindfulness. The result is a handbook of practical, down-to-earth verses. These gathas, or mindfulness verses, are poetic verse designed to turn ordinary daily activities such as washing the dishes, driving the car, or standing in line, into opportunities to return to a natural state of mindfulness and happiness.

Reciting these poetic yet practical verses can help us to slow down and enjoy each moment of our lives.

ISBN-13: 9781952692222

Media Type: Paperback

Publisher: Parallax Press

Publication Date: 10-11-2022

Pages: 120

Product Dimensions: 5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.41(d)

Thich Nhat Hanh was a world-renowned spiritual teacher and peace activist. Born in Vietnam in 1926, he became a Zen Buddhist monk at the age of sixteen. Over seven decades of teaching, he published more than 100 books, which have sold more than four million copies in the United States alone. Exiled from Vietnam in 1966 for promoting peace, his teachings on Buddhism as a path to social and political transformation are responsible for bringing the mindfulness movement to Western culture. He established the international Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism in France, now the largest Buddhist monastery in Europe and the heart of a growing community of mindfulness practice centers around the world. He passed away in 2022 at the age of 95 at his root temple, Tu Hieu, in Hue, Vietnam. Known to many as the "Matisse of Japan," artist Mayumi Oda was born to a Buddhist family in Japan in 1941. Oda graduated from Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Pratt Institute in New York. Since 1969, Oda has exhibited over 50 one-woman shows throughout the world and her work is part of the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art (New York, NY), The Museum of Fine Arts (Boston, MA), Yale University Art Gallery (New Haven, CT), Library of Congress (Washington, DC), among many others. Oda has also spent many years participating in anti-nuclear campaigns worldwide. She lives with her family at Ginger Hill Farm and Retreat Center in Hawaii, teaching workshops in creativity and self-realization.

Table of Contents

Foreword to the 2022 edition ix

Introduction 1

Verses for Starting the Day

1 Waking Up 7

2 Stepping out of Bed 9

3 Taking the First Step of the Day 10

4 Turning on the Light 12

5 Making the Bed 13

6 Opening the Window 14

7 Turning on the Water 15

8 Washing Your Face 17

9 Brushing Your Teeth 18

10 Rinsing Your Mouth 20

11 Looking in the Mirror 21

12 Using the Toilet 23

13 Washing Our Hands 24

14 Bathing 25

15 Getting Dressed 27

16 Greeting Someone 28

Verses for Meditation

17 Following the Breath 32

18 Morning Meditation 36

19 Placing Your Shoes 37

20 Entering the Meditation Room 38

21 Lighting a Candle 39

22 Offering Incense 42

23 Praising the Buddha 44

24 Sitting Down 45

25 Inviting the Bell 46

26 Listening to the Bell 48

27 Letting Go 50

28 Adjusting Your Posture 52

29 Cleaning the Meditation Room 54

30 Walking Meditation 55

Verses for Eating Mindfully

31 Washing Vegetables 58

32 Looking at Your Empty Bowl 60

33 Serving Food 61

34 Looking at Your Plate 64

35 The Five Contemplations 66

36 Beginning to Eat 68

37 Finishing Your Meal 70

38 Washing the Dishes 71

39 Drinking Tea 73

Notes on Eating Mindfully 74

Verses for Daily Activities

40 Touching the Earth 80

41 Looking at Your Hand 81

42 Going Up and Down Stairs 83

43 Hearing the Bell 84

44 Using the Telephone 85

45 Turning on the Television 88

46 Turning on the Computer 89

47 Cleaning the Bathroom 91

48 Sweeping 93

49 Watering the Garden 95

50 Plantings 97

51 Picking a Flower 98

52 Arranging Flowers 99

53 Smiling to Your Anger 100

54 Washing Feet 102

55 Driving the Car 104

56 Recycling 106

57 Hugging Meditation 107

58 Ending the Day 108

Verses for Entering the Ultimate Dimension

59 Urinating 113

60 Putting on Clothes 114

61 Walking with Your Feet 115

62 Walking and Touching Eternity 116

63 Sitting in the Historical Dimension 117

64 Sitting with Anxiety 118

65 Weeding 119

66 Raking Leaves 120

67 Washing Dishes 121

68 Washing Dishes in Freedom 122

69 Sharing the Dharma 123

70 Eating with Ancestors and Descendants 124

71 Eating with Compassion 125

72 Being Angry 126

73 The Impermanence of Anger 127

74 Resting 128

75 Taking Out the Compost 129

76 Lonely 130

77 Sitting Meditation 131

78 Watering the Garden 132

79 Mending My Clothes 133

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