Silence: The Power of Quiet in a World Full of Noise

by Thich Nhat Hanh

Overview

The Zen master and one of the world's most beloved teachers returns with a concise, practical guide to understanding and developing our most powerful inner resource—silence—to help us find happiness, purpose, and peace.

Many people embark on a seemingly futile search for happiness, running as if there is somewhere else to get to, when the world they live in is full of wonder. To be alive is a miracle. Beauty calls to us every day, yet we rarely are in the position to listen. To hear the call of beauty and respond to it, we need silence.

Silence shows us how to find and maintain our equanimity amid the barrage of noise. Thich Nhat Hanh guides us on a path to cultivate calm even in the most chaotic places. This gift of silence doesn't require hours upon hours of silent meditation or an existing practice of any kind. Through careful breathing and mindfulness techniques he teaches us how to become truly present in the moment, to recognize the beauty surrounding us, and to find harmony. With mindfulness comes stillness—and the silence we need to come back to ourselves and discover who we are and what we truly want, the keys to happiness and well-being.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062224712
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	01/27/2015
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	623,789
File size:	335 KB

About the Author

Thich Nhat Hanh was a world-renowned Buddhist Zen master, poet, author, scholar, and activist for social change, who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was the author of many bestselling books, including the classics Peace Is Every Step and The Art of Living. Through his books and retreats at the monasteries he has founded in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Australia, he became a pre-eminent figure in contemporary Buddhism, offering teachings that are both deeply rooted in ancient wisdom and accessible to all. 

Sister Chan Khong is Thich Nhat Hanh’s most senior monastic disciple and lifelong collaborator. A leading force in his engaged Buddhism programs and humanitarian projects, her books include Learning True Love and Beginning Anew.

Sister True Dedication is a former journalist and monastic Dharma Teacher ordained by Thich Nhat Hanh. 

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

1 A steady diet of noise 19

2 Radio non-stop thinking 45

3 Thundering silence 67

4 Deep listening 93

5 The power of stillness 115

6 Paying attention 141

7 Cultivating connection 165

About the author 191

Editorial Reviews

01/12/2015
Each of Nhat Hanh's many books tweaks his simple but profound message—mindfulness—to address an acutely perceived need in contemporary society. Here the famed Vietnamese Zen master and activist (perhaps best known for Peace Is Every Step) addresses physical and mental noise, fostered in particular by dependence on technology—smartphones, email, video games, television, social media. "Our need to be filled up with one thing or another all the time is the collective disease of human beings in our era," he writes. The alternative of cultivating inner silence addresses the hunger for real connection that electronic devices promise but fail to provide. Nhat Hanh's always inspiring wisdom is conveyed skillfully through clear explanations, stories, and practices. However, he includes a startling four pages on a Vietnamese colleague's self-immolation in the 1960s ("I tell this story not because I think you should do something this drastic, but simply to illustrate the power of silent action") that could be troubling for some who pick up this book for encouragement in the face of suffering or despair. The text's wide spacing and distracting pull quotes set in large type bump up the page count of a very short book. Despite these flaws, the book is a compelling presentation of Nhat Hanh's core teaching. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

How do we practice mindfulness? As we have come to expect, Hanh’s instructions are accessible and concise: ‘You stop, you breathe, and you clear your mind.’” — Publisher's Weekly

“In his new book, Thich Nhat Hanh offers tips on finding some internal and external silence so we can hear the call of beauty. We discover how to pay attention, how to listen deeply, and how to be still. Silence, says Thich Nhat Hanh, is profoundly joyful and nourishing.” — Shambhala Sun

“How do we practice mindfulness? As we have come to expect, Hanh’s instructions are accessible and concise: ‘You stop, you breathe, and you clear your mind.’” — Sam Mowe, Spirituality & Health

“While not intended to be a reader’s first guide to Buddhism, Hanh’s newest title is a graceful contribution to contemporary Buddhist literature and one of the author’s finest works.” — Library Journal

“A powerful piece from an insightful and gentle guide who understands how to reach a broad Western audience through social media. Thich Nhat Hahn again shows how his brilliance shines in writing by demonstrating the eloquence of simplicity.” — Booklist

From the Publisher

A powerful piece from an insightful and gentle guide who understands how to reach a broad Western audience through social media. Thich Nhat Hahn again shows how his brilliance shines in writing by demonstrating the eloquence of simplicity.

Booklist

In his new book, Thich Nhat Hanh offers tips on finding some internal and external silence so we can hear the call of beauty. We discover how to pay attention, how to listen deeply, and how to be still. Silence, says Thich Nhat Hanh, is profoundly joyful and nourishing.

Shambhala Sun

How do we practice mindfulness? As we have come to expect, Hanh’s instructions are accessible and concise: ‘You stop, you breathe, and you clear your mind.’

Sam Mowe

A powerful piece from an insightful and gentle guide who understands how to reach a broad Western audience through social media. Thich Nhat Hahn again shows how his brilliance shines in writing by demonstrating the eloquence of simplicity.

Booklist

05/15/2015
This offering is the latest from popular and beloved Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk and writer Hanh (Peace Is Every Step and The Miracle of Mindfulness). Here he acknowledges the buzz of noise, internal and external, that fills our lives, interfering with mindfulness and insight. He offers numerous techniques and meditations that aim to cultivate silence and stillness, even in the most chaotic settings. This silence, he says, will help seekers to hear the "true sounds" that come from the Bodhisattva (one who is on the path to enlightenment) trait of deep listening, bringing personal freedom and truer connection with others. VERDICT While not intended to be a reader's first guide to Buddhism, Hanh's newest title is a graceful contribution to contemporary Buddhist literature and one of the author's finest works.

Library Journal

Narrator Dan Woren adopts a conversational style to deliver Nhat Hanh's philosophy that happiness, peace, and well-being, favored by Buddhist monks, are found in the practice of silence—not silence as the absence of sound but as targeted listening that leads to the quieting of the mind. In a firm, evenly modulated tone, Woren guides listeners through Nhat Hanh's breathing techniques and mindfulness exercises into the "stillness" that the author considers a necessary aspect of silence. Nhat Hanh explores other characteristics of inner calm such as learning to listen for the sounds of leaves rustling in the wind, the wondrous sounds of birds chirping, and other sounds found in nature. Woren captures Nhat Hanh's practical and simple-to-implement guide, which teaches listeners the power of quiet and how to live in the present moment. G.D.W. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

MAY 2015 - AudioFile