Book Reviews - The Art Of Healing Pain

by Namrata Gulati

The art of healing pain Peacemaker, poet and spiritual master, Thich Nhat Hanh, in this captivating 2008 volume, explores the path of happiness, freedom and mindfulness. In his compassionate style, the Buddhist teacher shows how simple practices like breathing, walking meditation, effective communication can help overcome sorrows, fears and anxieties. Using concepts from Buddhist psychology, the Nobel Peace Prize nominee reveals how acceptance of dukha through the five contemplations, namely "I cannot avoid old age", "I cannot escape death", "I cannot escape sickness", "Everything that I cherish today, I will have to abandon when I die" and "I am the sum of my actions, karma" can weaken our fears. Happiness, he suggests, is available to all of us, seated deep within us. To access it, we must meditate and look deeply within ourselves in order to identify the source of nutriment that is responsible for our depression. The next thing to do is to cut it off from its roots so that the pain goes away slightly. Continual practice of this kind of meditation will completely relieve us of the pain we feel. Under the Banyan Tree offers a treasury of precious messages from the Buddhist monk and invaluable mantras, regular recitations of which will surely lead you to the path of inner peace and spirituality.