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No Coming, No Going

By Thich Nhat Hanh on August 3, 2022

This body is not me.

I am not limited by this body.
I am life without boundaries.
I have never been born,
and I have never died.

Look at the ocean and the sky filled with stars,

manifestations from my wondrous True Mind.

Since before time, I have been free.
Birth and death are only doors through which we pass,

sacred thresholds on our journey.
Birth and death are a game of hide-and-seek.

So laugh with me,

hold my hand,
let us say good-bye,
say good-bye, to meet again soon.

We meet today.
We will meet again tomorrow.
We will meet at the source every moment.
We meet each other in all forms of life.

Thích Nhất Hạnh sitting on Vulture Peak, India, 2008; photo courtesy of monastic Sangha

This is an excerpt from The Energy of Prayer: How to Deepen Your Spiritual Practice by Thích Nhất Hạnh, published by Parallax Press.

Author

Thich Nhat Hanh

Thich Nhat Hanh was a world-renowned spiritual teacher and peace activist. Born in Vietnam in 1926, he became a Zen... Read more at parallax.org

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The Mindfulness Bell is a journal of the art of mindful living in the Plum Village tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. It offers inspiration and resources for those practicing mindfulness in daily life and a connection to a community of people who aspire to live life deeply and in harmony with all beings. Subscriptions to The Mindfulness Bell support the work of Thich Nhat Hanh and the worldwide Sangha, as we offer methods for healing and transformation.