Customer Reviews

Old Path White Clouds: Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha

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If you read only one book on Buddhism, let it be this one. Thich Nhat Hanh is one of the world's great teachers, and this life of Shakyamuni Buddha is his masterpiece. Every chapter is a perfect gem, every idea put forth bears witness not only to the noblest spiritual tradition, but to the purity of heart of its author. I have read this book many times over; it has never failed to move me, never ceased to nourish within me immense avenues of hope and understanding. I think it is an extraordinary literary accomplishment, however efficacious its spiritual impact. Conversely, it is clear that it derives at least some of its literary merit from the profundity of the ideals which it transmits. It is a clear, often surprising, reverent and humane book, a classic of religious literature in the finest tradition of a universal humanist aesthetic. The breadth of Nhat Hanh's gifts is apparent from the outset; the chapters on young Gautama's princely early life, his marriage, the nascent inward understanding that is his even before taking up the search for life's hidden meaning, are so exquisitely composed that one finds oneself already in possession of the truth to come, already one knows intimately the thirst that takes the Buddha from the life he has known and loved, against the wishes of his father's heart, against his love for and committment toward his own wife and child. This is literature of an everlasting kind. The art of narrative found here really has no equal in all of contemporary religious literature. Beautifully delicate line drawings accompany every chapter like a faint temple bell, the language is as constant and profound as a child's, able to encompass the sophisticated searching of the most ardent doubter and the simple heart of the believer alike. It is a truly great book. Art of this kind is surely what Gutenburg's invention was intended for. A perfect treasure. Read it, and live.

Old Path White Clouds
Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha
by Thich Nhat Hanh
Drawings by Nguyen Thi Hop

This beautiful book is perhaps the best biography of the Buddha available in English. Comparisons with Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha are probably inevitable because both books employ a lyrical, literary style, but actually this book is quite different. Hesse's novel is an exploration of Siddhartha's motivations and the search that led to his enlightenment; Thich Nhat Hanh's book is a biography covering all eighty years of the Buddha's life based on Pali, Sanskrit, and Chinese sources, which are assiduously notated in the book's appendix.

The story throughout is told very simply and in a tone that may be described as devotional. Chapters are short and usually illustrate a particular concept or event, and the text throughout is illustrated with many beautiful drawings. It is not a short book but its structure and style maintain the reader's interest over the course of story, and one may be tempted to say that it reads like a novel.

The length of the book is due to the fact that beyond being a history of the life of the Buddha, it is an exposition of his teachings, which are presented clearly and with increasing depth as the story of the foundation of the Sangha unfolds. Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike will benefit from this summation of the many concepts inherent in the Buddhist tradition, presented as they were to Buddha's first disciples.

One of the most interesting aspects of the story for this reader was to see clearly how the teachings of the Buddha were encapsulated from the very beginning as a monastic tradition. For Western Buddhists, who for the most part are lay practitioners, this monastic foundation is something to be clearly understood as one one tries to formulate one's own practice which is inevitably a compromise with the way of life originally presented by the Buddha.

Highly recommended.

A couple of years ago on retreat I asked a nun from Plum Village what her favorite Thich Nhat Hahn title would be. She named this hefty tome which I purchased but did not read for quite awhile, assuming that it would be tedious and difficult going. (I have no idea why, none of Thay's books are anything but lovely and engaging...) What a wonderful surprise I received as I started reading vignette after vignette from the Buddha's life. In breathtakingly beautiful prose, Thay brings this great historical figure to life in a way that just makes you wish you had been there. The stories also explain and illustrate some of the more esoteric teachings in ways that are simple and easy to grasp, especially for those of us not raised in this tradition. Don't be put off by the size of the book as I was. Keep it on your bedstand and read a few stories a night. You'll be sorry when you are done!

Of all the religious books I have read over the years, this is the one book that I will always treasure. The simple yet elegant style of Thich Nhat Hanh's writing is a joy to read. The book not only provides a wonder narration of the Buddha's life but also many parables that teach the Dharma. A definite recommendation for those who want a nice introduction to what Buddhism is about without taking the scholarly approach.

Old Path, White Clouds is a wonderful book for anyone wanting to learn more about the life of Buddha, whether they be experienced with Buddhism or completely ignorant. The simplicity of this book makes it readable by a scholar or a junior high school student. Many popular books on Buddhism overlook the role of this historical Buddha. This book changed the way I thought about life and helped me experience mindfulness. Don't let the large size of this book deceive you. It is so engrossing and easy to read that you seem to quickly slide through it wishing for more when it is done. A book I would strongly recommend for the Buddhist and non-Buddhist alike.

Agreeing with the superlatives of the reviewers who have already written about "Old Path, White Clouds", i would also emphasize that the book is a condensation of hundreds of Pali suttas and Mahayana sutras, all listed in the notes at the end. I am not aware of any other book that provides such a rich resource and in such a pleasurable way. So, to get a broad picture of what the Buddha said or, even if you are not particularly interested in that but would like to find out about a wonderful point of view that says it can reduce human dissatisfaction - suffering - angst, you may wish to consider reading this book.

Of all that I have read, OLD PATH, WHITE CLOUDS is the one book I would pick if I could only read one book for the rest of this life.

I first read it through twice, like any other book, like any story. Since picking it up again these past few months, I read a chapter a night (short chapters) -- limit myself to one chapter -- and contemplate its wisdom the following day. "Finished" with the book and start over at the beginning.

Some parents from our sangha share it with their children each night, but I'm guessing that with really young children, all the explanations a parent would have to provide along the way might interrupt the story and the little ones' enjoyment of it.

Thich Nhat Hanh leads us along the Old Path White Clouds the Buddha walked during his long and eventful life. This book might be called a teaching biography for it is Hanh's purpose to share with us the Buddha's message from his enlightenment under the bodhi tree to his death almost fifty years later.

Hanh is a good story teller. He gives us many of the interesting facts about the life of Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha or awakened one). The India of the 6th century B.C. was marked by an iron clad caste system under which people knew their place. The young Siddhartha was a prince sheltered from the rigors of this system and the suffering of the common man. When he learned that his life of luxury and convenience was not shared by most people, he decided to leave the royal palace and discover the true meaning and condition of life.

Hanh underplays somewhat the extraordinary nature of the Buddha, who was one of the two or three greatest people who have ever lived. His powerful intellect was matched by an equally powerful love and compassion for people. Hanh weaves the important parts of the Buddha's teaching into the story of the Buddha's life. Those readers more interested in a biography uncluttered by extensive renderings of the Buddha's teaching will wish to look elsewhere, perhaps Hesse's famous treatment, Siddhartha, which I also recommend. The Buddha's teachings form the heart of the book, yet never overwhelm the story, at least in my opinion.

The teachings are truly magnificent and put the Buddha in the same company with Socrates and Jesus Christ. The Parallel Sayings of Jesus and the Buddha illustrate just how similar the teachings of these two great masters can be. Monks like Thomas Merton show us the value of learning from the Buddha to deepen our understanding of what it means to be Christian. We can expect interest in the Buddha to continue to develop and Thich Nhat Hanh continues to be one of the truest and most accessible sources for us to discover the power of the Buddha's life and work.

I may be biased, I have read many books on the Buddha and the Dharma in my life and I find Thich Nhat Hanh's writing style and poetic flow to be the greatest in all of Buddhism. I recommend all of his books, they all are most excellent. In Old Path White Clouds we find a simple masterpiece, much like practicing the Dharma itself. This book is the history of the Buddha's life and the begining of the practice he started. It is excellent in both its approchablity and powerful message. This book is worth every penny, buy it and improve your life.

This is a beautiful book. It's very easy to read, and tells a wonderful story filled with meaning and significance. I found it very hard to put down, and on numerous occasions, burst out into tears at the sheer beauty and wisdom of it. If you want to find out more about buddhism, this is a good way to go. Non-intimidating, it tells a story, not expecting you to know anything, but taking you along it's path effortlessly. It will highlight the basic principles with ease, without confusing you with terminology, ritual or rules. A definite keeper! Once I'm done reading it through for the first time, I'll go back to highlight passages and refer to it on a regular basis.