Tich Nhat Hahn Interview with Oprah Winfrey

This is a beautiful Tich Nhat Hahn Interview with Oprah Winfrey. Tich Nhat Hahn is one of the great Teachers of our time. For those who do not know of him,  Tich Nhat Hahn has been nominated for the Nobel Prize for Peace and an anti-war activist during the Vietnam War, which is his native land. He has taught many in meditation and mindfulness. He has several monastic communities around the world with the head Temple named Plum Village in Southeast France. Martin Luther King Jr. called Tich That Hahn “an apostle of peace and nonviolence”.

In 1991 when I was first learning and practicing meditation, I found Tich Nhat Hahn’s book Peace Is Every Step. Books on meditation were very hard to find at the time. I had no idea what a jewel this book was when I started reading it. I was struggling mightily with practicing sitting meditation. My mind would not “sit still”. I read the chapter on washing dishes, and I thought, “I can do this. I can pay attention while washing dishes. I will commit to this.” And I did it! I was so excited that I was able to practice meditation without it feeling like a tug of war each day. This was the beginning of my practice of meditation feeling successful. Having a practice that I felt confident about allowed me to continue pushing forward with my sitting practice with a new, more solid approach. It was not long after that my sitting practice became more grounded and focused too! Here is a passage from Peace Is Every Step.

 

Peace Is Every Step
By Thich Nhat Hanh

“Washing Dishes
To my mind, the idea that doing dishes is unpleasant can occur only when you aren’t doing them. Once you are standing in front of the sink with your sleeves rolled up and your hands in the warm water, it is really quite pleasant. I enjoy taking my time with each dish, being fully aware of the dish, the water, and each movement of my hands. I know that if I hurry in order to eat dessert sooner, the time of washing dishes will be unpleasant and not worth living. That would be a pity, for each minute, each second of life is a miracle. The dishes themselves and the fact that I am here washing them are miracles!

If I am incapable of washing dishes joyfully, if I want to finish them quickly so I can go and have dessert, I will be equally incapable of enjoying my dessert. With the fork in my hand, I will be thinking about what to do next, and the texture and flavor of the dessert, together with the pleasure of eating it, will be lost. I will always be dragged into the future, never able to live in the present moment.

Each thought, each action in the sunlight of awareness becomes sacred. In this light, no boundary exists between the sacred and the profane. I must confess it takes me a bit longer to do the dishes, but I live fully in every moment, and I am happy. Washing the dishes is at the same time a means and an end–that is, not only do we do the dishes in order to have clean dishes, we also do the dishes just to do the dishes, to live fully in each moment while washing them.”

Tich Nhat Hahn Interview – War and Terrorism

There are many aspects of the Tich Naht Hahn interview that moved me. The piece on mindful, compassionate listening as a means for erasing terrorism is a long-held belief of mine that was comforting to hear a Teacher like him confirm. It also matches what a Former Undercover CIA Officer Talks War And Peace shares on terrorism. She speaks of her experience negotiating with “terrorists and enemies” and how listening to their story was the most effective way of achieving peace.

Tich Nhat Hahn Interview – Mantras for Relationships

My favorite part of the Tich Naht Hahn interview were his “mantras” on building positive, loving relationships. If we each practice these statements in all our relationships, especially intimate relationships, we will have incredible peace and joy in our lives! I have written them below for you. I encourage you to make them part of your daily practice of life and love. Imagine the responses from people in your life if you are committed to practicing these “mantras” and statements on a daily basis!

Darling I’m here for you.

Darling I know you are there. And I am so happy.

Darling I know you suffer. That is why I am here for you.

Darling I suffer. I am trying my best to practice. Please help me.

The Tich Naht Hahn Interview with Oprah Winfrey

I am interested in hearing about your experience of the Tich Naht Hahn interview. What moved you the most from the Tich Naht Hahn interview? Did the piece on “mantras” in relationships resonate with you as it did for me in the Tich Naht Hahn interview?

Other posts you may enjoy:

Open Up – School of Life

It’s Never Too Late To Be Amazing

Number One Reason Most Relationships Struggle

Listening as an Art and Skill to Improving Relationships

Does Kindness Make You More Attractive? Research Says Yes

Stop saying sorry if you want to say thank you: A seriously insightful cartoon

Michael swerdloff

Providence Holistic Counseling Services

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