Path of Compassion: Stories from the Buddha's Life

by Thich Nhat Hanh

Overview

Path of Compassion is a collection of key stories from Thich Nhat Hanh’s classic Old Path White Clouds, a book celebrating its 20th publishing anniversary this year. It tells the fascinating life story of Prince Siddhartha, who left his family and renounced his carefully guarded life, and after many years of spiritual seeking became the Buddha, the Enlightened One. Far more than the description of an unusual life story, it serves as an enjoyable, compelling, and informative introduction to Buddhism by conveying its most important teachings in a compact and accessible format.

Thich Nhat Hanh’s ability to show the Buddha as a person who deals with the same life issues as we do is unique and unsurpassed. Written in language accessible to readers of all ages and levels of experience Thich Nhat Hanh combines the description of the major life stages of the Buddha with his most important teachings. Reaching far beyond the biography genre Path of Compassion is a highly readable and informative introduction to Buddhism.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781937006136
Publisher:	Parallax Press
Publication date:	02/28/2008
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Thich Nhat Hanh was a world-renowned spiritual teacher and peace activist. Born in Vietnam in 1926, he became a Zen Buddhist monk at the age of sixteen. Over seven decades of teaching, he published more than 100 books, which have sold more than four million copies in the United States alone. Exiled from Vietnam in 1966 for promoting peace, his teachings on Buddhism as a path to social and political transformation are responsible for bringing the mindfulness movement to Western culture. He established the international Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism in France, now the largest Buddhist monastery in Europe and the heart of a growing community of mindfulness practice centers around the world. He passed away in 2022 at the age of 95 at his root temple, Tu Hieu, in Hue, Vietnam.

Table of Contents

Preface 9

1 Beneath a Rose-Apple Tree 11

2 The Path of Compassion 17

3 Unborn Child 27

4 Kanthaka 35

5 Beginning Spiritual Practice 41

6 Crossing the Ganga 49

7 Forest Ascetic 55

8 Pippala Leaf 65

9 The Morning Star Has Risen 69

10 The Lotus Pond 75

11 Turning the Wheel of Dharma 81

12 Dharma Nectar 87

13 The Finger is Not the Moon 111

14 Reunion 117

15 A New Faith 124

16 Cover the Land in Gold 131

17 Everyone's Tears Are Salty 141

18 The Elements Will Recombine 147

19 Opening the Door 154

20 The Treasure of Insight 159

21 Dwelling in the Present Moment 169

22 The Raft is Not the Shore 177

23 All the Way to the Sea 135

24 Three Wondrous Gates 191

25 Where Will the Buddha Go? 197

26 The Fruits of Practice 203

27 Stars in Your Eyes 215

28 Be Diligent! 223

29 Old Path White Clouds 229

Afterword 235