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A review by deearr
The Heart of Understanding: Commentaries on the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra by Thích Nhất Hạnh, Peter Levitt
5.0
I realized early on this is not a book to be read at one sitting (even though it is not large). Nor is it a book that can be read and then laid on the shelf, allowed to collect dust. To gain the knowledge it contains, one must be willing to consider the teachings until assimilated. I learned that many chant or recite the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra on a daily basis.
I was amazed at the number of highlights I had created by the time I reached the last page. Normally I quickly devour a book, but this was a book I read slowly, repeating passages until I felt I had at least a layman’s grasp of what author Thich Nhat Hanh was instructing. “Buddhism is a clever way to enjoy life,” he says early on, and I found myself smiling. I understood him to mean this was not a trick, but learning a different way of thinking.
The book breaks the Heart Sutra into small sections. The author first offers an overview of the lines to be taught before giving examples to enable understanding. While the examples are clear, one is forced to suspend reading and think in order to assimilate the knowledge before moving on. There are concepts presented that are counter to what most of us have been taught. The author talks of obstacles, which I likened to getting out of our own way in order to discover something new.
The last chapter talks about meditation, advising the Buddhist meditation is practiced to bring about immediate results. “If we sit for twenty minutes, these twenty minutes should bring us joy, life.” Meditation is meant to bring about understanding, and “…peace and happiness in your daily life means peace and happiness in the world.” Recommended for all. Five stars.
I was amazed at the number of highlights I had created by the time I reached the last page. Normally I quickly devour a book, but this was a book I read slowly, repeating passages until I felt I had at least a layman’s grasp of what author Thich Nhat Hanh was instructing. “Buddhism is a clever way to enjoy life,” he says early on, and I found myself smiling. I understood him to mean this was not a trick, but learning a different way of thinking.
The book breaks the Heart Sutra into small sections. The author first offers an overview of the lines to be taught before giving examples to enable understanding. While the examples are clear, one is forced to suspend reading and think in order to assimilate the knowledge before moving on. There are concepts presented that are counter to what most of us have been taught. The author talks of obstacles, which I likened to getting out of our own way in order to discover something new.
The last chapter talks about meditation, advising the Buddhist meditation is practiced to bring about immediate results. “If we sit for twenty minutes, these twenty minutes should bring us joy, life.” Meditation is meant to bring about understanding, and “…peace and happiness in your daily life means peace and happiness in the world.” Recommended for all. Five stars.