Websites

For detailed teachings, talks, videos, retreat information and otherwise, these are places to look.

Plum Village App

The Plum Village App for Android, iPhones and iPads is well organised and user friendly. It contains various meditation practices, recordings of teachings and other resources. A great support for daily practice.

Download the Plum Village app from Google Play
Download the Plum Village app from iTunes
Visit the website

Books

Thay has written many books. Here are some suggestions to get you started:

HAPPINESS Essential mindfulness practices The wide range of practices offered in Happiness encourages us to learn to do all the things we do in daily life with mindfulness; to walk, sit, work, eat, and drive, with full awareness of what we are doing. It is about practicing mindfulness in every moment of the day and not just while 'formally' meditating.

THE PATH OF EMANCIPATION Compilation of dharma talks The book is made of the Dharma talks given by Thich Nath Hanh on the 21-day retreat in 1998. It is a wonderful combination of the basic Buddhist teachings, stories from the Buddha’s life and mindfulness practices leading to inner peace and true happiness. It gives the reader the flavour of being on a retreat with Thay.

CREATING TRUE PEACE Ending conflict in yourself, your family, your community and the world Thay wrote: “The teachings of this book are offered to help anyone who aspires to lead a life of nonviolence. These practices are the living legacy of the Buddha and of my ancestral teachers. They are as powerful today as thet were at the time of the Buddha.” The book is easy to read and very practical, providing many practices, guided meditations and other exercises to help us calm and transform our emotions, develop understanding and compassion and learn the ways of reconciliation.

PATH OF COMPASSION Stories from the Buddha’s life This book is a vibrant retelling of the story of Prince Siddhartha, who left his family and renounced his privileged life to become the Buddha. Thay describes the Buddha as a human being like us, capable of human emotions and concerns. Far more than the description of an unusual life story, it serves as an enjoyable, compelling, and informative introduction to Buddhism by conveying its most important teachings in a compact and accessible format. The book is a condensed version of Old Path White Clouds.

TEACHINGS ON LOVE True love from a Buddhist perspective The true love that Thay describes is very different from the Western cliché of romantic love. True love has to contain four elements - loving kindne ss, compassion, joy, and equanimity and it starts with loving yourself. The teachings in this book apply not only to romantic relationships but to all areas of our lives. There are meditations on love, ways to heal our relationships with our family and our own spiritual traditions, and methods for resolving conflicts. Teachings on Love is the resource you can return to again and again for spiritual guidance, wisdom, and personal renewal.

NOTHING TO IT Ten ways to be home with yourself — By Brother Phap Hai, a monastic dharma teacher This is a marvellous book. Written with humour and a down to earth style but full of essential teachings. Based on a series of talks given by Phap Hai at a retreat in 2013, it explores the many different gates to transformation offered by Buddhism. There are fifty-eight gates, arranged in the book into ten traditional groups, with one chapter exploring each gate. Each chapter includes questions for reflection, additional reading suggestions on the topic, and writing exercises. The book is equally valuable when read through at leisure or used as the text for a ten-week self-guided course.

HOW TO SIT Introduction to the power of sitting quietly at peace with ourselves Part of a charming series of mini-books exploring the essential foundations of living zen practice day-to-day. Others are How To Walk, How To Relax and How To Eat. In How to Sit, Thich Nhat Hanh provides explicit yet simple guidance on posture and breathing, along with instructions for achieving an awakened, relaxed state of mind, with the cultivation of clarity and compassion.