Thich Nhat Hanh: Essential Writings - A Commentary

Introduction
Sister Annabel Laity recounts the life of "Thay" and the suffering he endured in his search of peace. During the Vietnamese war, he was regarded as an enemy of both sides for not declaring preference for either side, for being a pacifist. (How can a pacifist be considered an enemy? For encouraging peace, I would call anyone a friend.) Thay was exiled from Vietnam, his students and friends were killed, while some others immolated themselves to protest the treatment of Buddhists and Buddhism in Vietnam. Thay has dedicated hi,self to a life of helping others which I believe is a tremendous achievement considering the things he has lived through.

Life is a Miracle
"Our true home is in the present moment. To live in the present moment is a miracle." (19) the present is where we are and where we belong despite where we are geographically. The present holds our body, mind, thoughts, and feelings, everything that makes us ourselves.
"The more we have suffered in the past, the stronger a healer we can become. We can learn to transform our suffering into the kind of insight that will help our friends and society." (23) I imagine this is why Thich Nhat Hanh has so much to offer: he has suffered much and yet has managed to transform that suffering into wisdom for others to learn from. Thay writes that humans tend to focus on the negatives instead of the positives. While sick, we focus on how much it sucks that we are sick, instead of focusing on the positives of the sickness: at least there is no headache, cramping, or worse symptoms. In a moment of sickness, one can focus on the relief of not being in a worse condition. Transforming the negative into positive maybe more difficult in a more extreme case of suffering, such as losing a family member; however, any experience of suffering can be used to deepen understanding and compassion. With that experience you gain the knowledge of how to help others in similar situations.

Suffering is not Enough
          "Calming, Smiling, Present moment Wonderful moment." (26)