Cultivating the Mind of Love

In Cultivating The Mind Of Love Thich Nhat Hanh gives a most unusual dharma teaching: the story of his first love. When Thich Nhat Hanh was a 24-year-old monk, devoted to the dharma and to working for peace and justice in Vietnam, he fell in love with a nun of 20. The love struck him like lightning. He couldn't sleep; he stayed up all night writing poetry. What is special about this particular book is that the author interweaves two narratives. One recounts the beautiful love he experienced as a young monk, and how the innocence of his love, and that of the young nun whom he encountered, was transmuted into boddhichitta. The other is formed of his insightful commentaries on such powerful classic Buddhist teachings as The Diamond, Lotus, Avatamsaka and Vimalkirit Sutras. Written in the clear unaffected language Thich Nhat Hanh is known for, this will not only lead to a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Buddhist sutras, but his sharing of the moving story of his first love will allow the readers to experience and to appreciate what is human and wonderful in all of us. With masterful simplicity and clarity, Thich Nhat Hanh shows us how to cultivate our own "mind of love" and bring joy and hope to all of us.

Thich Nhat Hanh is one of the most revered Zen teachers in the world today. His best-selling books include Happiness, The Miracle of Mindfulness, and Peace Is Every Step. In 1967, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Martin Luther King, Jr. He lives in Plum Village in southwest France, where he teaches the art of mindful living at his meditation and retreat center.