The Art of Power Main Text

Hello, this is AJ, welcome to our next lesson. This lesson is called "The Art of Power"

and it comes from a book. The topic comes from a book with the same name. The

book is called The Art of Power by Thich Nhat Hanh.

Thich Nhat Hanh is a Buddhist Monk, he is a Vietnamese Buddhist Monk and really

one of my favorite writers, one of my favorite people, one of my favorite teachers. And

I've been reading Thich Nhat Hanh's books and listening to his audio teachings for

many, many years and he's a very special guy.

Thich Nhat Hanh, again, he's Vietnamese, a Vietnamese Buddhist Monk, and during

the Vietnam War he created an organization and he created a movement for peace.

So I believe he was in South Vietnam during the War and he did not support either

side. He was not supporting the Communist North. He was not supporting the United

States-backed South. He was just trying to end the War. He was trying to get peace

in Vietnam and the Buddhist Monks that were in his group were doing the same. They

were just trying to help people and trying to stop the War, stop the killing.

Well, unfortunately, as happens in the world, because he would not join either side

both sides didn't like him. So the Americans and the South Vietnamese, they thought

he was bad because he was trying to stop the fighting and the North Vietnamese

Communists, they didn't like him either because he was trying to stop the killing and

the fighting.

And, so, Thich Nhat Hanh, he had to leave Vietnam. His life was in danger from both

sides. And, eventually, he had to leave Vietnam and he could not return. I think he

just recently returned a couple years ago. The Vietnamese Government allowed him

to come back because I guess he's still quite popular in Vietnam.

But, anyway, he moved to France and he started to teach and write books and tapes.

And he created a monastery in France where he teaches people about peace and

about making your life better and about helping other people. And while he is a

Buddhist, many of his students are Christians or Muslim or Jewish or not religious or

Hindus, it doesn't matter. He's not like a strict Buddhist like you must be a Buddhist,

he just wants to teach the principles of peace and understanding and love.

So he's a wonderful person and he's got many great books, this book is called The Art

of Power. And, of course, the power he's talking about is the power to be good, the

power to control your own life and to have a good life and to help other people. So it's