Silence The power of quiet in a world full of noise

With his hallmark accessibility, Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh (Peace Is Every Step, 1991; You Are Here, 2010) guides readers through the attributes and restorative powers of seeking and caring for silence. Brief chapters offer snippets of his daily life in a French monastery and events recalled across a life that goes back to Vietnam along with practical guidance for finding and maintaining daily silence in the contemporary world. In addition to addressing the issues of maintaining online connections, technology's noises, and urban life's demands, he focuses readers on the need for and how to achieve silence in the mind. Practicing mantras in lieu of discursive thinking is described as offering inner peace and a reconnection to the body in its physical engagements, such as walking, eating, and talking. A powerful piece from an insightful and gentle guide who understands how to reach a broad Western audience through social media. Thich Nhat Hanh again shows how his brilliance shines in writing by demonstrating the eloquence of simplicity. For all collections.--Goldsmith, Francisca Copyright 2016 Booklist

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. © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.