The World We Have: A Buddhist Approach to Peace and Ecology [Paperback]

Thich Nhat Hanh (Author), Alan Weisman (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2008

In this provocative book, noted Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh offers a dramatic vision of the future of a planet overheated by rapidly disappearing fossil fuels, degraded by massive overconsumption, and besieged by unsupportable population growth. Hanh finds answers to these critical problems in the Buddhist teaching of the impermanence of all things. He demonstrates how this teaching can offer inner peace and help us use our collective wisdom and technology to restore the Earth's balance. Mixing inspiring insights with practical strategies, Hanh cites projects his own monastic community has undertaken that can serve as models for any community. Both his “ No Car Day,” observed once a week, and the “Earth Peace Treaty Commitment Sheet” can impact our ecological footprint on the Earth. Above all, he shows how acceptance of problems is that first critical step toward a deeper understanding of the best way to care for our Earth.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Past the age of 80 now, the indefatigable Vietnamese Buddhist monk Nhat Hanh continues teaching. As peace flows from Buddhist teachings, so too does an environmental ethic rooted in awareness and interrelatedness. Nhat Hanh's engaged Buddhism, a Buddhist school that emphasizes social responsibility, takes on the task of preserving and protecting the earth. A special bodhisattva (enlightened being)—Dharanimdhara, the Earth Holder—will guide human efforts to guard and restore the natural world. No effort is too small; an Earth Peace Treaty Commitment Sheet in an appendix lists nearly 60 easy behaviors to minimize ecological impact. The Zen monk's often poetic voice redeems what might otherwise seem repetitive writing or simplistic views; seeing with the eye of the elephant queen provides deep insight. A foreword by environmental journalist Alan Weisman (The World Without Us) adds a fresh framework for understanding Nhat Hanh's Buddhist insights about interrelationships with the natural world. This is an urgent call from a revered spiritual teacher about the moral imperative to treat the earth with respectful awareness. (Oct.)
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Product Details

• Paperback: 110 pages
• Publisher: Parallax Press (September 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1888375884
• ISBN-13: 978-1888375886
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 4.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #272,766 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

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thoughtful open letter to all of humanity, highly recommended to readers of all faiths and backgrounds, October 9, 2008

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The World We Have: A Buddhist Approach to Peace and Ecology (Paperback)

Buddhist monk, scholar, and human rights activist Thich Nhat Hanh presents The World We Have: A Buddhist Approach to Peace and Ecology, a thoughtful, almost pocket-sized guide to the spiritual dimension of environmentalism, as seen from a Buddhist perspective. Hanh argues that the impermanence of all things should not be used as an excuse to turn one's back on the world, instead emphasizing that being fully engaged with the world is critical to individual and collective survival. "The wisdom offered by the Buddha is that we accept impermanence - our own death and the inevitable death of our civilization. And afer having accepted that, we will have peace and strength and an awakening that will bring us together. No more hate, no more discrimination. Then we'll have the opportunity to make use of the technology that is available to us in order to save our beloved planet." A thoughtful open letter to all of humanity, highly recommended to readers of all faiths and backgrounds.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Timely, important book calling on us all to live with mindfullness in regards to living on this finite, fragile planet, April 5, 2009

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C. Fitzgerald "CathyArt" (Ireland) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The World We Have: A Buddhist Approach to Peace and Ecology (Paperback)

Timely, important book calling on us all to live with mindfullness in regards to living on this finite, fragile planet. Great to see buddishim and ecology so clearly linked for the peace and survial for all species on this planet.

A beautiful small book, with profound short essays on working towards a 'global ethic', 'diet for a mindful planet' and an 'earth peace treaty' for us all to sign individually and email into a monastery!- an innovative invitation to inidicate and emphasise all our individual reponsibility to this planet.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book on union between Environmentalism and Buddhism., July 1, 2009

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Mark Weber "Excalibur21371" (St. Petersburg, FL USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The World We Have: A Buddhist Approach to Peace and Ecology (Paperback)

This is an EXCELLENT book on the union between Environmentalism and Buddhism. Thich Nhat Hanh explains in simple language the necessity of our shared existence with our environment and therefore the importance of caring for it.