This is another admirable book by Thich Nhat Hanh.

The author tells us that this is a beautiful world but if our mind and body are full of noise then we can’t hear beauty’s call.

He tells us there’s a radio playing in our head – Radio Non-Stop Thinking. Our mind is filled with noise.

Mindfulness is the practice that quiets the noise inside us. Breathing in and out mindfully, paying attention only to the breath, we can quiet all the noise within us.

The late author lived in a retreat centre in Southwest France, where they practised a kind of silence called “noble silence”.

If they ate, walked or worked, then they did just those things. They didn’t talk too. They did these things in “joyful noble silence”.

When Thich rang the bell of mindfulness, they breathed in and out mindfully and stopped thinking. Their collective silence generated a strong field of energy, This silence can be called ”thundering silence”.

Bodhisattva is the Buddhist term for someone with great compassion whose life work is to end people’s suffering.

There was a bodhisattva named Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Deep Listening. The name Avalokiteshvara means “the one who listen deeply to the sounds of the world”.

“The practice of mindfulness is very simple. You stop, you breathe, and you still your mind.”

Thich tells us that many of us are afraid of silence.

What are we so afraid of? We may feel an inner void, a sense of isolation, of sorrow, of restlessness, We feel desolate and unloved.”

Luckily, I’m not afraid of silence. I live in a very silent place opposite a wood. I don’t have many thoughts, which is helpful.

We are given a guided meditation, which we can practise when we sit or walk. With the first in-breath say the first line of the meditation below silently to yourself, and with the out-breath say the second line. With the following in- and out-breaths, you can use just the key words.

Breathing in, I know I’m breathing in.

Breathing out, I know I’m breathing out.

(In.Out.)

Breathing in, my breath grows deep.

Breathing out, my breath grows slow.

(Deep. Slow.)

Breathing in, I’m aware of my body.

Breathing out, I calm my body.

(Aware of body. Calming.)

Breathing in, I smile.

Breathing out, I release.

(Smile. Release.)

Breathing in, I dwell in the present moment.

Breathing out, I enjoy the present moment.

(Present moment. Enjoy.)

Walking is a wonderful way to clear the mind without trying to do so.You just walk, and while you’re focusing on the walking, joy and awareness come naturally.

Allow your mind to completely let go of any worry or plan. You can take one step with each in-breath and one step with each out-breath. If your attention wanders, gently bring it back to your breathing.

During the time of stopping your thinking, your body and mind are able to heal themselves.

When we eat, we practise giving all our attention to eating. “There’s no thinking: we just bring our awareness to the food and to the people around us.”

“Not talking, by itself, already can bring a significant degree of peace. If we can also offer ourselves the deeper silence of not thinking, we can find, in that quiet, a wonderful lightness and freedom.”

We should realize that silence comes from our heart and not from the absence of talk.

With regard to relationships, we are given four mantras:

The first is “”Darling, I am here for you”.

The second is “Darling, I know you are there, and I am very happy”.

The third is “Darling, I know you suffer: that’s why I am here for you”.

The fourth is “”Darling, I suffer: please help”.

All Thich Nhat Hanh’s books are wonderful, and this one is too. It contains much wisdom and practical advice about mindfulness.

Reading each of Thich’s books helps me greatly, and I recommend that you read this one too.

P.S. Thich wrote some verses he used in his practice of walking meditation.

“Let the Buddha breathe

Let the Buddha walk.

I don’t have to breathe,

I don’t have to walk.

The Buddha is breathing.

The Buddha is walking.

I enjoy the breathing.

I enjoy the walking.

There is only the breathing.

There is only the walking.

There is no breather.

There is no walker.” ( )

Is it oddly ironic that I opted to listen to an audiobook recording of a book titled "Silence: The Power of Quiet in a World Full of Noise"? Regardless, Thich Nhat Hanh confirms what I was already aware of, but too "hooked" to let go of, and that is the fact that we - as individuals and as a society - are perpetually inundated by noise. Not just sound, but the "head traffic" of texts, emails, social media, alerts and reminders, and more. We're approaching a point when we are incapable of being comfortable with the notion of pure silence, now more agitated by the absence of noise than the presence of it.

This book serves as a gentle and positive reminder that silence is always available to us, and our best opportunity for reconnecting with True North, with a sense of sanity and goodness, is to unplug and be fully present.

The book is not just for Buddhist practitioners, by any means. Like much of Thay's work, it is designed for you to apply to any spiritual journey, or the lack of one. It's just a guidebook for embracing the discomfort of silence, so that it no longer remains uncomfortable. So that we can clear our minds and liberate ourselves from the distractions and detours that we allow and are imposed upon us.

It's a book that will make you want to experience a meal without the distraction of your favorite magazine or Facebook on your phone. It'll make you want to take a walk in nature without your iPod, and perhaps devote one full day - or at least a few hours each week - to Noble Silence, a practice which allows you to drop the shackles of society and social behaviors and just be present with yourself and the natural sounds around you, rather than the veneer of protection that our chosen distractions and noises so often represent.

This is an invitation to restore a bit of sanity into our 21st century lives. I hope to accept that invitation. ( )

There are a few insightful stories here, including some context on Thich Quang Duc, the monk who poured gasoline on himself and sat in lotus position in perfect stillness while he burned to death. The book was both boring and fascinating for me. ( )

This is an absolutely brilliant book. I would go so far as to say that not one word is superfluous.

This is an essential book for modern living and, is especially relevant in todays times, which are full of noise and chaos.

Having and treasuring those moments of silence is very important for clear thinking, building relationships, having a calmer disposition.

Very simple to read. Extremely relevant, as I have said. The lessons are timeless. ( )

The "silence" is both internal and external. Mindfulness as a remedy to "Radio NST" -- Non-Stop Thinking. A powerful reminder of the need for quiet and meditation throughout the day. ( )