Living Buddha, Living Christ [Hardcover]

Thich Nhat Hanh (Author), Elaine Pagels (Introduction), David Steindl-Rast (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 12, 1995

A widely followed Vietnamese monk and Buddhist teacher explores the common ground of Christianity and Buddhism on such subjects compassion and holiness and offers inspiration to believers in both religions to renew their spiritual calling.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

If you have always assumed that Christianity and Buddhism are as far apart philosophically as their respective founders were geographically, you may be in for a bit of a surprise. In this national bestseller, Zen monk and social activist Thich Nhat Hanh draws parallels between these two traditions that have them walking, hand in hand, down the same path to salvation. In Christianity, he finds mindfulness in the Holy Spirit as an agent of healing. In Buddhism, he finds unqualified love in the form of compassion for all living things. And in both he finds an emphasis on living practice and community spirit.

The thread that binds the book is the same theme that draws many Christians toward Buddhism: mindfulness. Through anecdotes, scripture references, and teachings from both traditions, Nhat Hanh points out that mindfulness is an integral part of all religious practice and teaches us how to cultivate it in our own lives. Nhat Hanh has no desire to downplay the venerable theological and ritual teachings that distinguish Buddhism and Christianity, but he does cause one to consider that beyond the letter of doctrine lies a unity of truth. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

In this popular work Hahn, a Vietnamese Zen monk, offers some parallels between Eastern and Western spiritual practice in an accessible style that will please general readers.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Riverhead (September 12, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573220183
• ISBN-13: 978-1573220187
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 4.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (81 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #67,198 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Thich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese monk, a renowned Zen master, a poet, and a peace activist. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize by Martin Luther King, Jr., in 1967, and is the author of many books, including the best-selling The Miracle of Mindfulness.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

109 of 116 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unparallelled eloquence, insight, October 25, 1998

By 

Frederick M. Segrest (Huntsville, AL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Living Buddha, Living Christ (Hardcover)

When you begin to read it you can see it is written by a Zen master because Thich Nhat Hanh is able to say much with few words. I am a Christian and this book introduced me to Buddhism. Nearly every sentence would cause me to stop in my tracks and think. I was introduced to many completely new ideas and philosophies through the course of this book. Although I will never be a Buddhist and I do not agree with everything Thich Nhat Hanh believes, I have a great respect for their beliefs as well as others. It also helped me to understand Christianity and Christ's message, and shaped my own beliefs. You will gain a lot of cultural and philosophical insight if you read this book.

45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Introduces the Christian to Buddhism., June 13, 2005

By 

Aaron W "PhilosopherA" (Ridgecrest, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Living Buddha, Living Christ (Mass Market Paperback)

This book was largely my introduction to Buddhism. I was a Christian who was losing my faith and became interested in Buddhism. This book helped me come to terms with the two faiths and showed me how their core teachings are compatible.

Thich Nhat Hanh's language is always compassionate and patient. He is more like a friendly uncle than a spritual master. I think that the two major themes of this book (indeed of any of his books) are love and awareness. This book will show you how to awaken both love and awareness within yourself while also helping to restore your faith while understanding the faith of others.

67 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "Christ-like" View of Christianity, July 25, 2001

By 

W DUANE WESLEY (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Living Buddha, Living Christ (Mass Market Paperback)

This is an excellent book for anyone whose mind is open and not mired in dogma. No book can convince anyone who insists on being stubbornly dogmatic. I am a Christian. I practice meditation. The objective of meditation, Christian or Buddhist, is not to empty your mind of everything. The objective is to learn to see.

Hahn does view Christ as a living person and a historical figure. In fact, he very pointedly remarks that most Christians seem to be more interested in Christian dogma than in what Christ actually did-the example he lived for all of us. By the way, "Living Christ" is part of the title.

"Traditional" Christianity has much in common with the Pharisees of Jesus' day. Now that Hanh is living and speaking in a Christ-like way, it's not surprising that he's encountering resistance, misunderstanding, and intolerance.

"Traditional" Christianity is what it is, not because of being true to itself, but because of being true to Western Civilization's ethos of valuing material things, exploiting nature, and controlling the masses for political gain. Christianity and Science (the modern religion) both struggle with the problems that arise from the presumed existence of an objective world. "Traditional" Christianity diverged from the teachings of Christ within the very first century of the Church. Hanh exposes this quite convincingly, as long as you're not afraid to see it. Some reviewers have suggested that a Buddhist such as Hanh has no authority in defining what Christianity is or what it means to be a Christian. Who does? The very labels "Buddhist" vs. "Christian" cause a divisiveness that is as unfortunate as it is unnecessary. Each one of us is a human being on a spiritual journey. Ultimate Truth is self-evident and cannot be expressed in any system of thought, language, or symbols. Does the Universe conform to a Buddhist view or a Christian view? Is a photon a wave or a particle? Authority ultimately resides with the observer.