Friday 18 March 2011

Thich Nhat Hanh’s letter to friends in Japan













Dear friends in Japan,
As we contemplate the great number of people who have died in this tragedy, we may feel very strongly that we ourselves, in some part or manner, also have died.The pain of one part of humankind is the pain of the whole of humankind. And the human species and the planet Earth are one body. What happens to one part of the body happens to the whole body.An event such as this reminds us of the impermanent nature of our lives. It helps us remember that what's most important is to love each other, to be there for each other, and to treasure each moment we have that we are alive. This is the best that we can do for those who have died: we can live in such a way that they can feel they are continuing to live in us, more mindfully, more profoundly, more beautifully, tasting evey minute of live available to us, for them.Here in France and at our practice centers all over the world, our brothers and sisters will continue to chant for you, sending you the energy of peace, healing and protection. We are praying for you with our heart, our breathe and our daily actions with more compassion, more understanding and mutual interactions in beauty.

Thich Nhat Hanh

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

D&T - what beautiful words and sentiment. How wonderful would our world be if we lived always with love and appreciation for our lives - how wonderful if we were always conscious of how finite life is, and that we didn't have to endure tragedies in the world in order to recall the importance of living in the moment. Beautiful letter!