Book Cheat and Review: No Mud No Lotus by Thich Nat Han
It seems like every day, I get a new book recommendation from another therapist. Most titles sound so great, but who has got the time to read them all? Where’s the Cliff’s notes versions? So, I’ve decided to make my own version, so, I’ll read the book, give you just enough information that it discusses, then, you can say, “oh, I have read that one” with confidence (and it’ll be our little secret that you didn’t).
Thich Nat Han’s No Mud No Lotus: The Art of Transforming Suffering
Thich Nat Han’s No Mud No Lotus: The Art of Transforming Suffering is serotonin in book form. In Thich Nat Han’s world, we accept suffering just as we accept happiness. Thich Nhat Hanh describes how suffering is not avoidable, and to avoid suffering means to avoid happiness.
The book is broken up into six chapters. Each chapter provides many golden nuggets of Thich Nhat Hanh’s ideas surrounding happiness.
Chapter 1: The Art of Transforming Suffering
In chapter one, Thich Nhat Hanh discusses what we as DBT clinicians know as dialectics: two truths. A situation may cause suffering for one, but happiness for another.
The book, of course, explains the iconic No Mud No Lotus story. Thich Nat Han explains that beauty, such as the Lotus, only comes from something unpleasant, like mud. Lotus flowers only can grow in the mud.
Thich Nat Han then defines suffering. Suffering can happen:
In our body, this can look like pain.
In our minds, like jealousy or anger.
Thich Nat Han’s suggestion for healing our suffering, is mindfulness. Mindfulness is the best way to visit our suffering without being overwhelmed by it. Mindfulness is the capacity to dwell in the present moment to know what's happening in here and now,” (pg. 17).
Chapter 2: Saying Hello
Acknowledging suffering is not something on my daily to-do list. Thich Nhat Hanh suggests that the more we run from suffering the more it increases.
To acknowledge our suffering, he gives us his first mindfulness meditation suggestion.
Breathing in, I know suffering is there
Breathing out I say hello to my suffering.
Once we can recognize our suffering, we can then work to relieve it. It is important that we do not judge our suffering, as it creates more suffering. This reminds me of the phrase; if you can name it, you can tame it. Once we have acknowledged our suffering, we can then manage it and try to work forward.
Chapter 3: Looking Deeply
What I appreciated about this chapter was Thich Nhat Hanh’s idea behind inherited trauma. Everything that our ancestors have been through, has been passed down to us. Thich Nhat Hanh normalizes that our ancestors may not have been able to heal their traumas, it's not their fault. And it's not your fault you inherited it.
Death and our humanistic fear of dying is touched on in this chapter. In a strange way, he comforts us letting us know that we are always dying. If this is the case, dying, which is also to live, is actually pretty pleasant.
Compassion leads to the least suffering when it comes to others. If we have the ability to speak, listen. Do not to add punishment if someone does us wrong. More than likely, the other person is punishing themselves already. We will eventually butt heads with another person. If we enter the situation with a mindset of: I want to help this person suffer less, we may navigate the situation skillfully and lesson our suffering as well as theirs.
Chapter 4: Ease
Thich Nhat Hanh discuss is a Buddhist teaching known as the arrow. Long story short, there is suffering, the first arrow, and then there is the suffering we instill on ourselves, which is the second arrow. The second arrow hits the same spot and penetrates deeper because it is our own judgements toward ourselves.
Thich Nhat Hanh’s remedy for this is to stop comparing our situations and ourselves to others. Just by respecting others and ourselves, we can free ourselves from the second arrow. We can do this through mindfulness.
Chapter 5: Five practices for Nurturing Happiness
Mindfulness also nourishes our happiness. He calls it savoring. Thich Nhat Hanh firmly believes that we have everything at our fingertips to make us happy, right now, we just have to be mindful of them.
Two other benefits to mindfulness are concentration, which reaps the benefit of being able to pierce through any distraction. And insight, which gives us the ability to see what is truly there without the clouds of judgment blurring our vision.
Chapter 6: Happiness is Not an Individual Matter
Thich Nhat Hanh introduces how to interact in our relationships mindfully. He suggests that if we genuinely love someone, just being in their presence is the most precious thing that we can offer.
He also brings attention to the power of a collective whole. Thich Nhat Hanh encourages us to try to lessen the world of suffering. When we practice compassion for those outside of us, we are cultivating the seeds of joy within our own selves.
Practices for Happiness
Thich Nhat Hanh provides sixteen mindfulness exercises. These exercises bring the mind towards healthy bodies, taking care of our minds, and the idea of impermanence, nothing lasts forever.
What I enjoyed about this chapter is that line by line he explains what the purpose is behind each of the exercises see you know exactly why you are breathing.
Thich Nhat Hanh defines a mantra as magic. With his six suggested mantras, he suggests that mantras have ability to instantly change a situation, as long as you are mindful when you say it. He shares each mantra and goes on to explain the importance of each.
This book would be incomplete without a mention of Loving Kindness. In DBT we also practice this meditation. Thich Nhat Hanh calls this Metta, which means to first look deeply at ourselves then others. To perform this love meditation, we must first look inward to find the river of emotion and find what is preventing us from being happy. When we find what we are looking for, then we can spread happiness to others.
My takeaway:
I cannot hype this book enough. I am not exaggerating when I say that this book has been a wonderful journey to take. The book is easy to read and professionally written in a way that doesn’t come off as too existential. I would almost recommend reading one passage each day for best digestion. I felt lighter as a person as I finished this book. It’s passages are contagious.
I fully recommend Thich Nat Han’s No Mud No Lotus as a wholesome must read.