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The Heart of Understanding: Commentaries on the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra
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Customer Reviews
Rating:  - Excellent commentary
This is one of the most simple, clear, concise and understandable commentaries on this very important buddhist sutra. I have read several throughout the years, and consider this one of the most important books in my library. Highly recommended!
Rating: - "Wave is Water. Water is Wave"--everything co-exists.
This 54-page book is compiled from a series of talks that Thich Nhat Hanh presented to large groups of Americans at retreats and lectures in the United States. A master and enlightened communicator the author explains the aphorisms of the famous ancient Buddhist teacher, Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara and his five elements that comprise a human being--form, feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness.
Thich simplifies would-be difficult topics in a flowing easy to follow manner. He takes the time to translate and define foreign terms and provides vivid examples to help the reader visualize concepts. He skillfully shows how all things, life, and thought are part and parcel to one another.
While this book was short, it was well-worth the price. It's not often that a truly enlightened person has the ability to transcend culture and relay the essence of such great works in such a succinct and enjoyable manner.
I recommend this book to all people who want to better understand themselves and their relationship to their environment, life and death. For an equally enlightening book by this author, I recommend Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life.
Buy this book now. You will not be sorry.
Rating: - Alive
When I first read the heart sutra I didn't understand. After reading and studying with TNH's commentary, it is alive.
Rating: - Simplicity - Short in stature, long in wisdom.
We chant the Heart Sutra several times a day at our center. I never really understood the complete thing. Initially I read a book by Red Pine and that was an amazing in-depth discussion of the minutia of the sutra. However, my thick skull could not wrap itself around Red Pine's discussion.
Venerable Thich Nhat Hahn presents the material in common-sense beautifully simple writing. If you are at all wondering about the emptiness of form please check out this wonderful book.
Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bhodisavha!
Rating: - Svaha! I finally got it!
This is THE book that made me call myself a Buddhist with confidence.
I'm a Japanese who was born to a Zen Buddhist family.
Although I naturally memorised the Heart Sutra growing up listening to it being recited by monks often, I'd never really understood what it meant.
I've read several commentaries on this sutra (by Japanese monks and nuns)but none of them helped me. Some didn't make sense, others left me pessimistic. Let alone allowing me to adapt the teaching to my real life.
Now, with this Thich Nhat Hanh's little book, I finally got the "A-ha!" moment.
The Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra is not an enigma any more to me because this fantastic teacher explained it in the warmest way possible.
I will recommend this book to anyone who has been questioning the significance of this sutra (or even Buddhism generally).
One more thing...
Thich Nhat Hanh's approach towards Buddhism wouldn't give any atheist a yuk. It's got nothing to do with supernatural power or anything, like some denominations' do.
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