Books in Brief: Thich Nhat Hanh’s “The Blooming of a Lotus”

Claire Heisler reviews the revised edition of The Blooming of a Lotus, by Thich Nhat Hanh (translated by Annabel Laity).

Claire Heisler20 August 2009

Claire Heisler reviews the revised edition of The Blooming of a Lotus, by Thich Nhat Hanh (translated by Annabel Laity).

To internationally renowned monk Thich Nhat Hanh, the meditation practitioner is like a lotus flower in the process of unfolding. It’s perhaps not surprising, then, that his The Blooming of a Lotus is a skillful success, designed to further our own blossoming.

Hanh offers guided exercises to bring practitioners into greater harmony with themselves and their world. The text includes music to aid our memories in helping us learn simple principles. The many meditations focus on guiding sentences that glide along with the breath, such as the following:

In touch with the snow on the mountain, I breathe in.
Smiling with the snow on the mountain, I breathe out.

This revised edition includes five new meditations: They show us how mindful consumption and mindful actions can help prevent suffering and water the seeds of compassion; how to be in touch with our Buddha nature; and how to see our parents more deeply. These meditations will deepen the practice of advanced practitioners, as well as start beginners on the path. The Blooming of a Lotus is straightforward in style and technique, and filled with Hanh’s poignant wisdom.

You can order the book directly from its publisher, Beacon Press.