The Art of Communicating

I love the work of Thich Nhat Hanh, a Zen Buddhist monk now in his 80s. He writes with simplicity and directness, applying simple and timeless insights to our current situation. His fundamental message is one of mindfulness, especially mindful breathing that can be practised anywhere and everywhere. The challenge, as practitioners will recognise, is maintaining this sense of awareness for more than a few moments as I was attempting in my walk with the dogs only this afternoon. The book begins with chapter on communicating with oneself, then with others. The author offers six mantras of loving speech, advice on difficulties, the use of mindful communication at work and practices for compassionate communication. In practising compassion, we can lessen the sufferings of others, whether close or distant. The message of mindfulness is particularly important in an age of disembodied digital communication when we can be constantly distracted. It does not take long to become present and listen more deeply. He points out that as we connect with ourselves, we can begin connecting more deeply with other people. Truly understanding ourselves and others and communicating our thoughts and feelings compassionately could not be more important, and this book can be highly recommended as part of your contemplative reading for 2014.