Chapter Summary Of The Living Buddha Living Christ By David Hahnh

In the Living Buddha, Living Christ Thich Nhat Hanh presents the reader with a convergence between ideas from the the Buddhist and Christian religions. We see a reinvention of the Christian ideologies turned into more of a Buddhist perspective. Christ and Buddha were two of the most influential figures in history. These two major figures influenced the lifestyle of billions of people from all over the world. Throughout the book Hanh shows a deeper connection between Christianity and Buddhism by renewing the reader's understanding of the main importances of the two religions. Hanh also highlights the importance of being open minded about other religions and emphasizes that people need to be open to the commonalities and or similarities seen

In Chapter Two, Hanh describes mindfulness as being in the moment and conversely, knowing what is going on within our inner being and our surroundings. Mindfulness, in the Buddhist tradition, is learned through experiential learning and not through teachings. To be mindful is to know of your actions and to know what it is that you are living in the moment. For example, if you you are praying, then you know you are praying or if you are standing, then you know you are standing. These activities are performed through habit and are done without thinking, but Buddhist teachings would take the time to understand the purpose behind such actions. Hanh compares the idea of mindfulness to that of the Holy Spirit in an attempt to show us the similarities in both religions. He describes mindfulness and the Holy Spirit as being representative of the healing powers and spiritual peacefulness found in the teachings of Christ and the Buddha. Mindfulness allows one to have full understanding and love. It gives us the ability to contemplate and heal wounds within our own minds, while the Holy Spirit has the ability to heal us through the power and love of Christ and God, the