Inside the Now: Meditations on Time

Thich Nhat Hanh

Oct 2015 · Parallax Press

About this ebook

Never-before-published commentaries and personal reflections of the great Zen master on living in stillness and timelessness

Thich Nhat Hanh shares the essence of his lifetime of spiritual seeking in this intimate and poetic work, inspired by the classic text Being Time by thirteenth-century Japanese Master Dogen. Inside the Now begins with an autobiographical reflection in which we hear the voice of the young monk, poet, and community-builder struggling in war-torn Vietnam to develop a Buddhism relevant to the suffering of his time. These early experiences lay the groundwork for Thich Nhat Hanh’s insights into the nature of time and interbeing.

In part two, we hear the clear, direct voice of the Zen master challenging us to open our hearts, seize the moment, and touch the now. A beautifully designed and personal book that will be cherished for generations, Inside the Now is interspersed with poetry from other Zen masters as well as the author’s own verse and calligraphy.

About the author

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.