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The present moment is the only time over which we have dominion.

Thich Nhat Hanh, The Miracle of Mindfulness (1975)

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The story behind the card

Thich Nhat Hanh (1926–2022) was a Vietnamese Zen monk who worked for peace during the Vietnam War and was barred from returning home in 1966, an exile that lasted almost forty years. He wrote The Miracle of Mindfulness in 1974 as a long letter to Brother Quang, a colleague at the School of Youth for Social Service, which sent young volunteers to help war-damaged villages. The line comes from the book's last chapter, where he retells Leo Tolstoy's story 'Three Questions', whose answer is that the most important time is now.

Türkçe oku
Üzerinde söz sahibi olduğumuz tek zaman, içinde bulunduğumuz andır.
Thich Nhat Hanh, Farkındalığın Mucizesi (1975)

Thich Nhat Hanh (1926–2022), Vietnam Savaşı sırasında barış için çalışan Vietnamlı bir Zen keşişiydi; 1966'da ülkesine dönmesi yasaklandı ve sürgünü neredeyse kırk yıl sürdü. Farkındalığın Mucizesi'ni 1974'te, savaşta zarar gören köylere genç gönüllüler gönderen Toplumsal Hizmet Gençlik Okulu'ndaki çalışma arkadaşı Quang'a uzun bir mektup olarak yazdı. Bu cümle kitabın son bölümünden; orada Tolstoy'un “Üç Soru” öyküsünü yeniden anlatır. Öykünün yanıtı şudur: En önemli zaman, şimdidir.

Sources and further reading

Background reading: Thich Nhat Hanh
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