Customer Reviews

Chanting from the Heart: Buddhist Ceremonies and Daily Practices

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This book is excellent for those who are cultivating a personal, at home Buddhist practice in the Vietnamese Zen tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. It can also be used for group practice, as part of a Sangha (Buddhist group).

I begin with 20 minutes of sitting mediation, then walking meditation, then I use the book to begin with "Sutra Opening Verse", then i might read a sutra or discourse, then close with "Sharing the Merit" and another 20 minutes of sitting mediation. It's all here, when to ring the bells, etc.

Besides providing form for your personal practice the book also includes ceremonies such as reciting the 5 Mindfulness Trainings (precepts), 14 Precepts of the Order of Interbeing, Weddings, Funerals, etc.

There is a companion CD called "Breath by Breath" that provides the tone, sound, etc of the chanting and recitations of many of the ceremonies described in "Chanting from the Heart: Buddhist Ceremonies and Daily Practices".

A Lotus for You, A Buddha to Be,

David Lee
Mindfulness Community of Puget Sound, Seattle, WA

I purchased this book and the accompanying CD on a retreat with Thich Nhat Hanh this summer. They have helped me keep the retreat alive for myself. Nice ways to weave Buddhist practice through daily life.

However, I'm not sure whether this book will be very interesting or useful for someone who is not committed to Buddhist practice. I would direct those buyers to "Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life".

Isolated? Without guidance or assistance into your/our future? This has become a much needed resource, to further an internal need of . . .life. Inspirational! Exceptional in its daily practices. - BE -

No disappointments in this text. It is a complete everyday how-to guide for anyone interested in learning to chant. Grab your tingsha and order this book. It's one of the best I've ever purchased anywhere.

This book is full of great information and easy to follow. If you follow Thay online from Plum Village's Online Monastery on Vimeo you'll love this and I use it to add to my daily practice. My 12 year old also uses the mantras and prayers from this book. It gives several variations on breathing, meditation, etc. I'm grateful for the amount of information being available in one book.

This book is a complete guide for daily personal practice and/or group practice. It is the only book I've found that offers an outline for everyday practice as well as an explanation and outline for ceremonies, which may be conducted throughout the year. Everything is explained in simple, easy-to-understand English, which is so typical of Thich Nhat Hahn's style.

The book begins with a brief explanation of basic exercises. Next is a section on daily practice, which includes an outline of exactly what to do on a daily basis, and choices of recitations so you can change your routine periodically. Then the book has a section on ceremonies which is almost two-hundred pages in length. Instructions include ceremonies on the basics - refuge and mindfulness, the Buddha's birthday, New Year's ceremony, aspiration and praise ceremony, and a complete section on death, cremation and burial ceremonies. (A blessing ceremony and wedding ceremony are also included.) A section of discourses is next, and last is a section of music. It is a beefy book - 431 pages to be exact, and a nice ribbon marker is included in the binding.

Even though Thich Nhat Hanh is a Zen Master, I have easily incorporated many of these practices into my daily Tibetan Buddhist routine.

This is a great resource for the beginner or well-seasoned practitioner. Thank you Master for filling a void which has existed until now in western practice. I bow to you in great reverence for bringing easy-to-practice and understand Buddhism to the west. Thank you!