Customer Reviews

Love in Action: Writings on Nonviolent Social Change

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This collection of writings by Thich Nhat Hanh spans over two decades of his reflections on nonviolence, peace, and reconciliation. The voice of a poet is mixed with the inner strength found in the works of Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and the Dalai Lama. It is an important resource for anyone working for social change, or searching for strength from within.

Of Thich Nhat Hanh's more than sixty books, this one would be one of my picks of his "top ten," following closely behing PEACE IS EVERY STEP and BEING PEACE. Highly recommended.

Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh is one of the planets greatest resources.He has given his life to teaching and the eradication of suffering[or perhaps the transformation of suffering]. I first encounterd Nhat hanh in a jewel of a book, THE RAFT IS NOT THE SHORE,a dialogue with Daniel Berrigan,S.J.[soon to be reprinted]Sine then, i have read as much of Thich hat hanh as I can.This book is a group of essays and statements to the press covering a period form early in the vietnam war{Nhat Hanh has been in exile since the mid 1960's]up to the gulf war. The opening is a play {a short one] that takes place in vietnam. The other essays[very well written] cover like minded subjects: Buddhism in Vietnam, on simplicity,refugees{boat people,specifically] and the title piece.Along with Maha Ghosananda,{called the Gandhi of cambodia, the patriarch of Cambodian buddhism] nhat hanh is a boddhitsatva,a living saint. we are graced by his presence,and his writings.

Please read carefully in prayer this excellent account of strong loving action stemming from the time of the Vietnam War and continuing today, as the author also speaks of healing the veterans of that war. This healing power we will need mor and more in our own naiton as thousands of deeply damaged young people return from Iraq and Afghanistan.

We need this book now in our lonely search for peace in a time of ovrwhelming and unavoidable warmongering, to read of the courageous and true spirit of peace in time of the Vietnam War, standing for peace despite all the madness around. Read this book carefully and find a true friend, a guide, a good soul, and hope for real and lasting peace through love in action.

The introduction by the Reverend Father Daniel Berrigan sets the context and ambience for the true poetry which follows. Thich Nhat Hanh in turn wrote a few pages for Father Berrigan's great Uncommon prayer: A book of Psalms. This author also wrote the famous The Raft Is Not the Shore: Conversations Toward a Buddhist/Christian Awareness, A Guide To Walking Meditation and several other spiritual guides as a quick search here of the amazon reveals.

Highly recommended and may your personal and spiritual library of this author open widely with this beginning book.

I bought this book for a class and didn't start reading it until recently because it was the last book on our schedule. I don't know if the seller knew this but there is a repeated section that leaves a big chunk of the continuation missing. Other than this mix-up, the price and service were pretty good.