Thich Nhat Hanh was a Buddhist monk and peace activist who strived to find peaceful resolutions to conflicts. He was known for practicing meditation, publishing many books, and founding non-profit organizations to help provide education and healthcare services.
Additionally, Thich Nhat Hanh introduced mindfulness to the world, helping everyone find peace in their lives. This new way of thinking and reflecting worked as a guide to living a meaningful life. He peacefully passed at the age of 95, on January 22, 2022 and will always be remembered for his wisdom and ways he changed the world.
Twenty Thich Nhat Hanh Quotes About Living Life to the Fullest
Thich Nhat Hanh also traveled extensively to give spiritual speeches. From his powerful words, people across the world have learned to live life to the fullest. His quotes are enlightening, inspirational, and profound.
1. “People suffer because they are caught in their views. As soon as we release those views, we are free, and we don’t suffer anymore.”
When you are caught in your ways and won’t change your views even as the world changes, you will suffer. To truly live life to the fullest, you must release your old views and let go of things that weigh you down. Free yourself from your current way of thinking, and everything else will change for you.
2. “It’s very important that we re-learn the art of resting and relaxing. Not only does it help prevent the onset of many illnesses that develop through chronic tension and worrying; it allows us to clear our minds, focus, and find creative solutions to problems.”
When you can spend time resting and relaxing, you will live a fulfilled and meaningful life. As Thich Nhat Hanh explains, it will prevent illnesses, tension, and worry. Then, you can think clearly, stay focused, and experience increased critical thinking skills.
3. “Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful.”
When you smile, the world is a more beautiful place. You will experience increased happiness, and you will notice the small wonders of the world around you.
4. “We fear that this moment will end, that we won’t get what we need, that we will lose what we love, or that we will not be safe. Often, our biggest fear is the knowledge that one day our bodies will cease functioning. So even when we are surrounded by all the conditions for happiness, our joy is not complete.”
If you experience the type of fear that Thich Nhat Hanh explains, you won’t live life to the fullest. Release your fear of the future and death, and live in the moment instead.
5. “Every breath we take, every step we make, can be filled with peace, joy, and serenity.”
Remember these wise words, and you will live a meaningful life. When you remember that you can choose to fill your life with these positive feelings, you will make a conscious effort to do it.
6. “When we recognize the virtues, the talent, the beauty of Mother Earth, something is born in us, some kind of connection, love is born.”
Recognize and acknowledge the greatness of the earth. When you do, you will feel connected to it, allowing love to flow freely within you.
7. “Fear keeps us focused on the past or worried about the future. If we can acknowledge our fear, we can realize that right now, we are okay. Right now today, we are still alive, and our bodies are working marvelously. Our eyes can still see the beautiful sky. Our ears can still hear the voices of our loved ones.”
You must release fear if you want to live life to the fullest. Remind yourself that you are alive and safe right now, and then look for the beauty all around you.
8. “Breathe in deeply to bring your mind home to your body. Then look at, or think of, the person triggering this emotion: With mindfulness, you can see that she is unhappy, that she is suffering. You can see her wrong perceptions. You can see that she is not beautiful when she says things that are unkind.”
When you experience an intense negative emotion, try what Thich Nhat Hanh describes in this quote. Focus on your breathing and bring your mind back to your body. Then, use mindfulness to think of the person involved and the reality of the situation.
9. “If you truly get in touch with a piece of carrot, you get in touch with the soil, the rain, the sunshine. You get in touch with Mother Earth and eating in such a way, you feel in touch with true life, your roots, and that is meditation. If we chew every morsel of our food in that way, we become grateful, and when you are grateful, you are happy.”
Eating whole foods that come from the earth is a powerful way to connect with the world. Think of this fact every time you eat, and you will become more grateful and happy because of it.
10. “Changing is not just changing the things outside of us. First of all, we need the right view that transcends all notions, including of being and non-being, creator and creature, mind and spirit. That kind of insight is crucial for transformation and healing.”
Change is inevitable in life, and it doesn’t have to be a bad experience. Focus on changing yourself for the better by adopting a positive mindset and gaining insight into the connections mentioned here.
11. “Meditation can help us embrace our worries, our fear, our anger, and that is very healing. We let our own natural capacity of healing do the work.”
As Thich Nhat Hanh explains, meditation is powerful in healing your soul. As you embrace the negative feelings, you will find that the healing happens naturally.
12. “To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself. When you are born a lotus flower, be a beautiful lotus flower, don’t try to be a magnolia flower. If you crave acceptance and recognition and try to change yourself to fit what other people want you to be, you will suffer all your life. True happiness and true power lie in understanding yourself, accepting yourself, having confidence in yourself.”
You must always stay true to who you are if you want to live life to the fullest. Accept yourself just as you are, and embrace the things that make you different.
13. “When you love someone, the best thing you can offer is your presence. How can you love if you are not there?”
Spend time with the people that mean the most to you. Nurture your loving relationships, and embrace every moment spent together.
14. “When you look at the sun during your walking meditation, the mindfulness of the body helps you to see that the sun is in you; without the sun, there is no life at all, and suddenly you get in touch with the sun in a different way.”
Go for walks outside and meditate as you walk, allowing the sun into your body. It will leave you feeling fulfilled, enlightened, and connected to the universe.
15. “In order to heal others, we first need to heal ourselves. And to heal ourselves, we need to know how to deal with ourselves.”
Self-healing is essential if you want to live life to the fullest. You can’t spend all of your time trying to heal others while ignoring your needs and desires. Learn how to deal with yourself so that the healing process can begin.
16. “If we are peaceful, if we are happy, we can smile, and everyone in our family, our entire society, will benefit from our peace.”
If you want your family to be happy and at peace, you must be that way yourself. Everyone around you benefits when you are joyful and can genuinely smile.
17. “We will be more successful in all our endeavors if we can let go of the habit of running all the time and take little pauses to relax and re-center ourselves. And we’ll also have a lot more joy in living.”
Take breaks and slow down your daily pace. Give yourself time to relax and enjoy life, or you will never be able to live life to the fullest.
18. “Every thought you produce, anything you say, any action you do, it bears your signature.”
Your thoughts, words, and actions all contribute to who you are. Remember this quote so that you can work to better yourself in these areas.
19. “Fear, separation, hate, and anger come from the wrong view that you and the Earth are two separate entities, the Earth is only the environment. You are in the center, and you want to do something for the Earth in order for you to survive. That is a dualistic way of seeing.”
When you realize your connection to the world, you will experience fewer feelings of fear, separation, hate, and anger. Stop the negative way of thinking described in this quote, and you can live a fulfilling life.
20. “Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.”
Never lose hope because it can get you through the hardest days. Always tell yourself that tomorrow is another chance for a good day, and you will experience more happiness.
Final Thoughts on Thich Nhat Hanh Quotes About Living Life to the Fullest
Thich Nhat Hanh’s powerful words can teach you so much about living life to the fullest. Remember these quotes, and embrace yourself and the world around you.
Never miss a moment to appreciate the earth and your connection to it. Embrace the things and people that you love, and focus on enjoying every moment of your life.
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