By Anne Woods on
In his new book, Short Journey Home: Awakening to Freedom with Thích Nhất Hạnh, Dharma Teacher Richard Brady offers a precious gift.
Recounting pivotal life moments, large and small, Richard’s gift for storytelling shines through. With openness and vulnerability, he draws clear lines between life experiences and his dedicated practice,
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By Anne Woods on
In his new book, Short Journey Home: Awakening to Freedom with Thích Nhất Hạnh, Dharma Teacher Richard Brady offers a precious gift.
Recounting pivotal life moments, large and small, Richard’s gift for storytelling shines through. With openness and vulnerability, he draws clear lines between life experiences and his dedicated practice, between deep understanding of the teachings and profound insights. As a reader, my heart opened over and over, inviting me more deeply into my own journey of healing and transformation while providing support for examining some of the stickier life questions that inevitably arise.
Linking personal struggles, joyful memories of Thầy and retreats at Plum Village, and understanding of Thầy’s teachings gleaned from deep practice, Richard provides a beautiful road map for applying Plum Village teachings and practices to our own life journeys. As he writes, “The line between life events and formal practice dissolves as we water the seeds of becoming who we are.”
Exploring questions of connecting to our ancestors and root religious traditions, practicing in family, facing loss, and bringing the practice into the world, Richard welcomes us into intimate moments of spiritual discovery, healing, and acceptance. We join him on his journey of learning to accept things as they are, to ask “Am I sure?” and to let the Buddha take over. Richard invites us into the unfolding of awakening to his true self through dedication to the practice, therapy, and the love of family and friends. Drawing on Thầy’s orientation toward well-being, he shares the insight that “wellness has as much to do with strengthening the best in me as it does with transforming the worst”—an essential reminder for us all. Through all of this, Richard’s place in the world as a tremendously gifted teacher shines through.
This book is both an ode to our beloved teacher, Venerable Thích Nhất Hạnh, and a masterful guide to applying Plum Village teachings and practices to the joys and struggles that comprise our human journey. It is a true manifestation of continuation, and a must-read for anyone on the path of healing and transformation.
