Near the end of his life, the Buddha declared, “during forty-five years, I have not said anything.”\u00a0 to encourage his disciples not to get caught by words or ideas. Thich Nhat Hanh calls this “the roar of a great lion, the thundering silence of a Buddha”. The attitude of openness, non-attachment from views, and playfulness offered by the Buddha in this sutra is an important door for us to enter the realm of Mahayana Buddhist thought and practice. These teachings can liberate us from the prisons of our mental constructions and allow us to enjoy life fully and be a resource for others.<\/p>\n
In Thundering Silence<\/i> Thich Nhat Hanh presents the early teachings of the Buddha on not becoming so attached to his teachings that we don\u2019t see reality clearly anymore, and become stuck in notions and ideologies, however noble they may be.<\/p>\n
In Thich Nhat Hanh’s commentaries he makes use of such classic Buddhist allegories, as The Raft is not the Shore, and The Finger Pointing at the Moon and demonstrates the practical applications of these teachings in everyday life.<\/p>\n