No Death, No Fear – by Thich Nhất Hạnh – independent book review – Non-fiction

A series of short, profound, beautifully written, and inspiring nuggets of prose that together illustrate how to live a rich and worthwhile life, while living in harmony with the world around us. From the internationally renowned and prolific Zen Master, the late Thich Nhất Hạnh (1926-2022), or “Thay”, the name by which the author is known to his followers (translation: “teacher”). Awarded four stars on Goodreads.

NO DEATH, NO FEAR is a primer on the religion/philosopy of Buddhism, valuable to both beginning and experienced practitioners, from one who lived up to the its beliefs for most of his long life. And whether you can adjust your own thinking and outlook to accept his tenets winds up being beside the point. I promise you that you will WANT to think as Thay does, you will WANT to believe what he believes, and you will WANT to live the way he lived.

In fewer than 200 pages, “Thay” explains how each one of us can recognize and internalize a bigger picture of life in this world, not just in the present moment, but also in connection with the past and future. As the book title suggests, he argues that we can all live without fear, guilt, anxiety, and sadness — if we are able to see THE larger truth that everything is connected and each of us is a continuing part of our universe at all times. Even after death.

The language is beautiful. Each passage is a gem that merits deep reflection. If I had to choose a favorite part, it would be the last chapter, “Accompanying the Dying”, in which Thay provides specific and concrete ways to comfort someone who is the final days or hours of life. The book would make worthwhile reading for this section alone.

My only criticism of NO FEAR NO DEATH is that because it appears to be a collection of Thai’s thoughts and teachings, it begins to feel a bit repetitious reading it as a whole. Much of his wisdom is repeated multiple times. It might be better to read the book slowly, over a long period, taking the time to consider each passage individually. Perhaps with a partner to enrich discussion.

Bottom Line: if only everyone read this book and followed Thay’s path, the world would be in a much better place than it is.

More about Thich Nhất Hạnh.