 "Simple, yet very profound" | 2008-08-14 |
| - Reviewed By User: A179ZQIZ3V9EWQ |
| I recently lost my boyfriend to cancer. After his death I was given "no death, no fear". Great book! It helped ease the pain. I wish I would have had this book before he died so we could have read it together. It is a simple book with very profund messages and helps take the fear away from the idea of death. Life continues... |
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| "a must have! this book has saved me!" | 2008-04-22 |
| - Reviewed By originalmitsukatsu |
I first thought the book was simple and repetitive. But when I experienced a loss and re-read the book, I finally realized how profound this book really is.
I had been dealing with the subject of death for quite a few years. (I started with the book HAGAKURE, by Tsunetomo Yamamoto. You may or may not like to check that out. It's a more stoic approach to similar subjects). Anyway, I wanted to conquer the idea of my own inevitable mortality, so that when the time comes, I will handle it with grace. So, my approach was to prepare beforehand.
As I said, I was working on my OWN mortality. It never occured to me that I might also apply it to someone else. Someone I love recently died. That was the 1st real loss that I've encountered, so I was devastated. All those years of preparing myself didn't really mean much (though at the time, I thought I was ready and that I knew it all). I had already owned a copy of this book and read it several years ago. Feeling in the pits, I decided to pull the book out and read it again, as this time it is much more applicable (since I'm experiencing loss).
The book seemed so simple beforehand. It was a quick read. Thich Nhat Hanh also seemed repetitive; I felt bored several times. This, as it turns out, was my fault, not his. He is such a good teacher that he makes everything seem so simple. However, after someone I loved very much died, I re-read this book, and I realized how profound it really is. The reason why Thich is so repetitive, is because you need to drill it into you head so that you really understand it. It's like learning how to count to ten. No one is born knowing how to count to ten. But you drill it until the day when you know it all by heart. Trust me, this book is more profound than it seems; do not just read through it and think that it's all obvious and that you already know it. Reading and learning is not good enough; you have to experience it!
It's like this: death is not real. You cannot create something out of nothing, and you cannot become nothing from something. It's not the reality of things. (Physics will agree with that, for you scientists out there). The problem is that we're deluded. This delusion creates in us a false sense of reality, and that leads to our suffering. We fear death because we think we become nothing. We fear death, because we do not understand it. The problem is that we've learned the wrong way; we need to unlearn our delusions and see death as it really is: simply a change in form. Basically, it's moving on. We want to stay in one place, but the fact of the universe is that it is always changing. We are deluded into remaining stagnant in a universe that, let's face it, is not going to stop and wait for us.
This book helped me immensely in my loss. But it's neverending; you can't just reach a certain point and then stop; you'll lose it. You have to keep going. It's one of those books I will always keep with me. Get this book beforehand, and slowly introduce it into your life and try to apply it. Don't wait until you experience a loss. You will be too devastated. It's never too late to prepare youself for what's inevitable. It will greatly diminish your sense of despair. That much I can gaurantee. |
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| "Life changing wisdom" | 2008-01-31 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3NIZC7L28F7MX |
| This has been one of the most powerful books I've ever read. It helped me through the death of my father. My mother is now nearing the end of her life in this body and I'm re-reading it. I suspect that I will revisit it many times . . . |
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 "When dealing with such a fear filled topic, this is calming" | 2007-06-21 |
| - Reviewed By bookbuyingdude |
Hanh quickly grabs the reader's attention and mindfully drifts off in euphamism and metaphor as he meanders over, under and through this difficult topic (difficult for most people).
Calming in his approach to death, life, beginning (no beginning) and end (no end), the author seems to have an excellent hold on his spiritual beliefs and his desire to share. For those of any and all faiths, death is a frightening subject, but Hanh paints a wonderful picture of immortality through all that a person touches in his/her life.
The only, and I stress only, misgiving I found with this short read are the over-used metaphorical analysis between human life and that of an oceanic wave. I wish the author could draw similarities shared by all breathing life organisms, rather than something as translucent as water (although I think I understand WHY he often describes life in terms of water).
I would certainly recommend this book. |
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| "No Death, No Fear" | 2007-06-13 |
| - Reviewed By darzs |
| I read this book after the passing of my Grandparents and it helped me deal with their passing. I recommend this book to anyone who is searching for answers about life and death. Great book! |
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| "The best book for grief!" | 2007-05-30 |
| - Reviewed By thinkpeace |
This is an incredible book. If one is not familiar with Buddhism, one must
read past some aspects of it that most of us might not fully believe, mainly, reincarnation, which Thich Nhat Hahn and other Buddhists do believe. That said, the prayers to recite for the dying, and the philosophy that nothing ever dies is invaluable. It's hard to let go of loved ones, so to think of it as simply returning to our physical elements, dissolving into the earth, evaporating to become the clouds, can give one some comfort. If you haven't read other works by Thich Nhat Hahn, I don't know if this book will be as powerful for you, but I think that anyone can gain great insight from it, and hopefully, some inner peace. I have given many copies as gifts. |
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| "Nothing To Be Afraid Of" | 2007-04-10 |
| - Reviewed By drgettis |
"Nothing to be afraid of." R.D.Laing once stated that that line was both the ultimate terror and the ultimate reassurance. In "No Death, No Fear"
Thich Nhat Hanh helps us come to terms with our undeniable fear of death. As usual, he asks us not to bury our proverbial heads in the proverbial sand, but rather to look deeply and mindfully into our lives and how we typically live in the automatic pilot mode. He teaches us what produces our dissatisfaction with our lives, such as living in the past, worrying about the future, and creating prerequisites for our happiness that are really quite arbitrary and unnecessary.
The book is about death, but more to the point, it is about life. Thich Nhat Hanh's wisdom helps assuage our fears and enables us to get out of our own way. This is an important book. |
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| "Slow, but meditative read" | 2007-03-09 |
| - Reviewed By aroberts136 |
| I have read at least five of this auther's books. This one seems to be a little more slow going than the others, but none the less challenges the reader to as always think deeply about the most painful and frightening aspect of human Life - Death. |
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| "Best audiobook on impermanence" | 2007-03-06 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2IYUDSBURHV4I |
| This audio book, read by Ken McLeod, is a joy to listen to over and over. Impermanence is a crucial concept that must be understood if you are to become free from suffering. Buddha rejected the concepts of annhilation and of a permanent self. Thich Nhat Hanh really drives this point home through extensive stories. The repetition helps but some phrases and ideas are repeated so much I began wondering if I put the wrong CD in. |
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| "another enlightened work from thich nhat hanh" | 2007-02-28 |
| - Reviewed By boz@pcu.net |
| this is yet another exceptional book from author and zen master thich nhat hanh. he gives us his beautiful teachings on death, and how to come to terms with loss and change. he writes in a way that most readers can understand. this book would be especially valuable to any one dealing with death and working with grief. the wisdom of this man is a gift to us all. any one of his many books is a gem. |
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