14 Meditation Prompts from Thich Nhat Hanh
Each week, as I work through the material in The Living School, presented by the Center for Action and Contemplation, I discover profound ideas that are meaningful to me and that I think would be meaningful for others, so I want to share them with attribution.
Here are a few meditation prompts to sit with in your practice if you find them helpful. If so, select one of these to read through and meditate on during your sit or throughout your day. Brian McLaren developed these prompts in his book The Great Spiritual Migration, based on Thich Nhat Hanh’s "Fourteen Precepts of Engaged Contemplation."
Humility: Do not be idolatrous about or bound to any doctrine, theory, belief, or ideology, even Christian ones. Christian systems of thought or belief are guiding means, a pathway rather than a destination.
Lifelong Learning: Do not think the knowledge you presently possess is changeless, absolute truth. Avoid being narrow-minded and bound to present views. Be open to the Holy Spirit and practice childlike humility, demonstrating curiosity about others’ viewpoints. Truth is found in life and not merely in conceptual knowledge. Be ready to learn throughout your life and observe reality in yourself and the world.
Gentleness: Do not force others, including children, to adopt your views, whether by authority, threat, money, propaganda, or education. However, through compassionate dialogue, help others renounce fanaticism and narrow-mindedness, and be willing to gently and humbly share what gives you life when it is appropriate.
Compassion: Do not avoid suffering or close your eyes before suffering. Do not lose awareness of the existence of suffering in the life of the world. Find ways to be with those who are suffering and to be an agent of comfort and healing. Awaken yourself and others to the reality of suffering in the world. And do the same regarding joy, so you can weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice.
Generosity: Do not accumulate wealth while millions are hungry. Do not take as the aim of your life fame, profit, wealth, or sensual pleasure. Live simply and share time, energy, and material resources with those in need.
Love: Do not maintain anger or hatred. Learn to penetrate and transform them when they are still seeds in your consciousness. As soon as they arise, turn your heart toward God to see and understand the nature of your hatred so it will not be translated into word or deed. Make love your highest goal.
Serenity: Do not lose yourself in dispersion and in your surroundings. Dwell in the presence and peace of God to come back to what is happening in the present moment. Be in touch with what is wondrous, refreshing, and healing, both inside and around you. Plant seeds of joy, peace, and understanding in yourself to facilitate transformation in the depths of your consciousness.
Reconciliation: Be careful with your words. Do not utter words that can create discord and cause the community to break. Make every effort to reconcile and resolve all conflicts, however small.
Communication: Do not say untruthful things for the sake of personal interest or to impress people. Do not utter words that cause division and hatred. Do not spread news that you do not know to be certain. Do not criticize or condemn things of which you are not sure. Always speak truthfully and constructively. Have the courage to speak out about situations of injustice, even when doing so may threaten your own safety.
Justice: Do not use the Christian community for personal gain or profit or transform your community into a political party. A religious community, however, should take a clear stand against oppression and injustice and should strive to change the situation without engaging in partisan conflicts.
Vocation: Do not live with a vocation that is harmful to humans and nature. Do not invest in companies that deprive others of their chance to live. Select a vocation that helps realize your ideal of compassion.
Nonviolence: Do not kill and do no harm, and do not stand by when others seek to do so. Find creative, just, and nonviolent ways to prevent or end conflicts, promote and strengthen peace, and protect life and prevent war.
Property: Possess nothing that should belong to others. Respect the property of others but prevent others from profiting from human suffering or the suffering of other species on Earth.
Body: Do not mistreat your body. Learn to treat it with respect. Practice self-control. Sexual expression should not take place without love and corresponding commitment. In sexual relations, be aware of future suffering that may be caused. To preserve the happiness of others, respect the rights and commitments of others. Be fully aware of the responsibility of bringing new lives into the world. Meditate on the world into which you are bringing new human beings. Be aware of the ways your body connects you to all creation, and be grateful for every meal, every heartbeat, and every breath.