Book Review:

The Art of Power by Thich Nhat Hanh

I have strong reservations about this book. There are times the beauty and peace of Thich Nhat Hanh’s words tingle with the joy and profound peace in walking a path of love and reconciliation on this earth.

The author is at his best when he talks about meditation, especially walking meditation you can feel the peace and love of the moment.

Here is a quote I used in my daily newsletter.

“When you drink your tea, just drink your tea. Enjoy drinking your tea. Please don’t drink your suffering, your despair, your projects. “

He often refers to “Your projects” a term I came to love, for it apply applies to all those things we have going on in our lives, that we pay constant attention too and which distract us from truly being here in the present.

I think this is an important book to read.

What I felt disturbing about the book was the application of force to achievements of collective awakening.

Perhaps this is the limitation of language, I am not sure what language Thich Nhat Hanh writes in.
I do not agree with the author’s idea of a collective awakening. Awakening comes to each individual at a time of their choosing; it cannot be forced or rushed. Saying that, as more and more people reach a point of awakening, the sheer number of awakened people would start to have an impact on the health of the entire planet.

Awakening is like the stars that wink on at night, first only a few, then more and more until the heaven is full of light. There is no way to do this on a collective basis.

In his chapter “Sparking a Collective Awakening” the text begins to be sprinkled with words like “we have to” . At one point he suggests a law that “gives parents the chance to go to a workshop or retreat…”

Unfortunately, creating a law is like an application of force, to get people to do what they might not naturally do on their own. He talks glowingly of the old times when young men were sent to spend one year in a temple to receive spiritual training, “they had mandatory spiritual service…”
There is no proof that this created a more enlightened population.

These words make no sense beside the gentle philosophy he puts forth.

I think you can learn much about how to live a more fully formed life from reading this book, but keep in mind that the journey to spiritual awareness is an individual journey, each journey different and unique.

Take from the book what resonates with you and you will be left with a feeling of loving gentleness which I think is this books greatest gift.

Nick Grimshawe

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