"The Miracle of Mindfulness": Be Present In All That You Do

This post is part of a series in which Influencers describe the books that changed them. Follow the channel to see the full list.

The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh, the celebrated Vietnamese Buddhist monk, is a book I turn to on a regular basis for inspiration and insight.

My mother, a Neo-Confucian philosopher, gave me this book more than two decades ago. The great value of this book for me is the clarity and simplicity of its message about being mindful and present in all that you do.

The lessons begin in the first chapter, in which Thay, as the author is known, has a conversation with a friend about not having enough time for himself. In particular, the friend says on weekends his time is spent with his children and doing their activities. For a long time, he found himself wishing that he had more “time for himself.” But then he realized that all of his time was indeed “time for himself” and that simply being present for his children was another opportunity to practice mindfulness and grow as a human being. Thay was thrilled that he had come to this profound revelation that is at the core of the teaching in this wonderful book.

Thay also writes about the importance of doing menial tasks and uses washing dishes as an example. When washing the dishes, he writes, think about washing the dishes, and nothing else. Just stay in that moment, and wash the dishes with as much attention and focus as you can muster. Don’t get distracted and instead use the opportunity to build your own capacity for mindfulness. When you’re washing the dishes, just wash the dishes!

Mindfulness meditation has been practiced for ages, and it is getting a lot of attention in the media these days. In his book, Thay explains how to get yourself in the proper frame of mind, how to get in the proper position, and how to breathe properly during meditation.

His words are wise and the benefits are deep. When he wrote this book in the 1960s, science hadn’t yet uncovered the benefits of meditation. But now dozens of studies have shown how meditation can have major physiological and psychological benefits to our well-being.

For instance, long-term meditation can result in changes in both the physiology and the anatomy of the brain that is associated with attention and sensory processing. Even brief mindfulness training has been found to improve mood, visuospatial processing, working memory and executive functioning; and reduce fatigue and anxiety.

Just a few months ago, I had the privilege of meeting Thay when he came to the World Bank Group for a day-long event on mindfulness. During our conversation, I asked him what advice he would have for me in terms of balancing my job, which has a great deal of responsibility, and continuing to strive toward becoming a better human being.

Thay answered that there are only three kinds of power:

There is the power to let go, the power to understand, and the power to love.

The simplicity and profound depth of Thay’s message that day had a powerful impact on me. I try to keep the lesson in my heart. I am a very inconsistent practitioner of his teachings, but whenever I need a reminder, I think about his lesson on power and I pick up, once again, The Miracle of Mindfulness.

(Photo: Brian Smith / Flickr)