In a relatively compact book Nhat Than knows how to explain some essential thoughta of Buddhism. It introduces the fundamental principles (the four noble truths, etc) and goes into quite some detail when presenting them. Most of the times Nhat Than knows how to maintain an objective point of view, though at times stressing what is important in his interpretation. This makes a quite direct approach on the topic possible, and due to this he is able to present the reader with an abundance of information. Which leads to my two criticisms of this book. Firstly, the information in the second part if the book is not put into a clear order; How do the skandhas related to the twelve chains, and what is different about the three doors to detachment compared to the Noble truths? The answers are probably somewhere hidden in the book, but the relations between the concepts are not always explaiNed explicitly. This may be due to the limited length of the book, but for me it made it harder to get the whole picture. My second point of ccriticism is that Nhat Than can get emotional sometimes, abruptly breaking the gentle objective flow of the book. he has lived through terrible things, and it is no wonder that he sometimes wants to stress the meaning of some of the those events. But this book was not the place for that. for example: How can making a human torch of yourself be seen in the light of the Road of Moderation? It is more a political than a Buddhist act, and anecdotes like these (for the record: Thich didnt make a torch out of himself, he mentioned another monk here) Do not fit well into the otherwise detached tone of the book. ( )

With poetry and clarity, Thich Nhat Hanh imparts comforting wisdom about the nature of suffering and its role in creating compassion, love, and joy – all qualities of enlightenment.

In The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching, now revised with added material and new insights, Nhat Hanh introduces us to the core teachings of Buddhism and shows us that the Buddha’s teachings are accessible and applicable to our daily lives.

Well meaning with brief moments of insight, but largely tedious. It felt like an endless amount of lists and repetitive phrasings. I really tried to give this text every benefit of the doubt, but I kept putting it down in boredom. There are better ways to teach than this pedantic method. Perhaps the monk is a better speaker than writer? ( )

The author imparts wisdom about the nature of suffering and its role in creating compassion, love, and joy – all qualities of enlightenment. He introduces us to the core teachings of Buddhism and shows us that the Buddha’s teachings are accessible and applicable to our daily lives covering such significant teachings as the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, the Three Doors of Liberation, the Three Dharma Seals, and the Seven Factors of Awakening.

In The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching, now with added material and new insights, Thich Nhat Hanh introduces us to the core teachings of Buddhism and shows us that the Buddha’s teachings are accessible and applicable to our daily lives. With poetry and clarity, Nhat Hanh imparts comforting wisdom about the nature of suffering and its role in creating compassion, love, and joy – all qualities of enlightenment. Covering such significant teachings as the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, the Three Doors of Liberation, the Three Dharma Seals, and the Seven Factors of Awakening, The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching is a radiant beacon on Buddhist thought for the initiated and uninitiated alike.