You Are Here: Discovering the Magic of the Present Moment Hardcover - 2009

Excerpt

The heart of Buddhist practice is to generate our own presence in such a way that we can touch deeply the life that is here and available in every moment. We have to be here for ourselves, we have to be here for the people we love, we have to be here for life with all its wonders. The message of our Buddhist practice is simple and clear: “I am here for you.”
In our daily life, we are often lost in thoughts. We get lost in regrets about the past and fears about the future. We get lost in our plans, our anger, and our anxiety. At such moments, we cannot really be here for ourselves. We are not really here for life.
Practice makes it possible for us to be free—to rid ourselves of these obstacles and establish ourselves firmly in the present moment. Practice gives us methods we can use to help us be here in the present moment. Practice makes it possible for us to say “I am here for you.”
The Buddha said, “The past no longer exists, and the future is not here yet.” There is only a single moment in which we can truly be alive, and that is the present moment. Being present in the here and now is our practice.

Media reviews

“Thich Nhat Hanh shows us the connection between personal inner peace and peace on earth.”—His Holiness the Dalai Lama 


“This book, slender as a breviary, elegantly describes the very act of breathing as an art."—<st1:place w:st="on"> <st1:city w:st="on"> Los Angeles </st1:city> </st1:place> Times  

“Recommended as a thought-provoking contribution to the literature of modern Buddhism.”—LibraryJournal.com


“Thich Nhat Hanh’s writing is marked by a combination of accessibility, depth, and immediacy.”—Rain Taxi Review of Books