What is the main message of The Art of Living?

The main message of The Art of Living is to find peace and happiness through mindfulness and living in the present moment.

How long does it take to read The Art of Living?

The reading time for The Art of Living varies depending on the reader's speed. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.

Who is the author of The Art of Living?

The author of The Art of Living is Thich Nhat Hanh.

Religion & Spirituality

The Art of Living Book Summary - The Art of Living Book explained in key points

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The Art of Living summary

Name: The Art of Living
Rating: 4.7 (471 reviews)
Author: Thich Nhat Hanh

Thich Nhat Hanh

Peace and Freedom in the Here and Now

4.7 (471 ratings)

23 mins

Brief summary

The Art of Living by Thich Nhat Hanh is a guide to living in the present moment, cultivating mindfulness, and achieving peace and happiness in everyday life. Hanh offers insights on mindfulness practices, meditation, and communication to help readers achieve a more fulfilling and compassionate life.

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Spirituality Self-Help Meaningful Living Emotional Intelligence

Table of Contents

The Art of Living
Summary of 7 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 7

What’s in it for me? Learn how to make the most of your life’s every moment.

No one wants to reach the end of life only to realize they haven’t fully lived. And yet our frantic lifestyles are leading us to exactly that outcome. By rushing from place to place, or by staying glued to our screens, we’re robbing ourselves of the present moment.

But the present moment is all we have. The past is behind us, and the future is yet to come. So why do we let ourselves stay busy or distracted instead of connecting with the here and now?

These blinks shine a light on why we engage in this hurtful behavior – and offer a new perspective on what it means to exist. They also provide mindfulness practices that can help you discover how to truly be alive.

In these blinks, you’ll learn

what really makes you so busy;
why being aimless is healthy; and
how to reach nirvana before you die.

There is no such thing as a separate self.

What is a flower made of? The obvious answer is a stem, leaves, and petals – things you can easily see. But, in reality, there’s much more to it than this.

A flower is also the soil that nurtured it, the rain that watered it, and the sun that gave it light. Even space and time are part of its existence. If you removed any of these “nonflower” elements, the flower wouldn’t exist.

Humans are no different. Your body is made of trillions of nonhuman cells that keep you alive. In fact, you have the whole cosmos inside you, from the air you breathe and the food you eat to the education and culture that shape who you are.

And then there are your ancestors – generations of them spanning back through time. If you removed any of these elements from yourself, you simply wouldn’t be.

The key message here is: There is no such thing as a separate "self."

Human beings are not separate entities. Instead, every person is an interbeing – a combination of elements drawn from sources that exist across time and space.

Children showcase this interbeing clearly. A child won’t just look like her parents; she’ll speak and act like them, too. Similarly, if you look at her parents, you’ll find traces of the child. So, neither the child nor her parents are a separate “self.” They are too deeply connected to exist independently.

It’s not only our genes that make us interbeings. In fact, it doesn’t even require personal contact. Just look at Zen master and author Thich Nhat Hanh. He doesn’t have genetic children, but if you observe his students, you’ll see that they move and speak like him. Even students who have only read his books embody traces of him.

If you visualize your ancestors or the presence of your teachers while you go about your daily activities, you can connect to all existence. Reminding yourself that you’re not alone can be a great comfort, no matter what you’re going through.

So whether you’re washing the dishes, working on a project, or practicing a skill, you have an opportunity to acknowledge that you are part of the living, breathing cell we call the world. And not only that – the world is part of you, too.

You have always existed, and you will always exist.

Imagine looking up at a cloud drifting overhead. After turning away for a moment, you look back at the sky and notice that the cloud is gone. You conclude that the cloud no longer exists. But, of course, this isn’t true. The cloud didn’t disappear. It simply changed into something else, like mist or rain.

This is in line with the first law of thermodynamics, which states that energy cannot be created or destroyed – it can only be transformed. Similarly, a cloud can never stop being. Instead, the cloud you saw yesterday might end up being water you’ll someday drink.

Peace is born of stillness.

Our ancestors developed the ability to run so they could escape danger and hunt animals for food. Although most humans no longer need to run in the same way to survive, the impulse to hunt is still hardwired into our cells. All that’s changed is our target. Instead of chasing wildlife, we pursue money, love, health, and even helping others.

But in our effort to achieve these goals, we sacrifice the wonders of the present moment because our eyes are fixed on the future. We tell ourselves that there’s a reward for all our effort – that one day we’ll reach our version of heaven and be happy. But heaven is already available to us. And if we stopped running, we could enjoy it right now.

Impermanence is a blessing.

As the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “You can never bathe in the same river twice.” The water you first swam in will have moved on by the time you come back for a second dip. Similarly, you’re not the same person you were yesterday because cells in your body have died and been replaced.

People tend to fear change. We think it signals difficult times, forgetting that it also has the potential to bring happiness. Thanks to change, diseases are cured and tyrannical regimes come to an end. Even in terrible times like war, when it seems like there’s no end in sight, we can take comfort in knowing that nothing lasts forever.

To regain freedom, you must let go of your cravings.

Picture a fish swimming in a river and coming upon a delicious piece of bait. The fish, of course, snaps up the bait in an instant, without realizing there’s a hook inside. And just like that, the fish has lost its freedom.

Cravings are just like that fish bait. They resemble everything we dream of, but we can’t see how deeply they hook us. And instead of making us happy, all they ultimately do is cause suffering. So, if we want to feel content, we have to stop chasing the bait.

You can’t live in the moment unless you face your suffering.

When a newborn baby cries, his mother will hurry to the crib and gently take him in her arms. This very act of holding the baby eases his suffering, even though his mother doesn’t yet know the cause of his pain. If the baby’s mother left him alone as he cried, he would only become more upset.

The pain we carry is like that baby – it’s crying out for comfort. But unlike a loving mother, we often turn our back on it. Instead of tending to our pain, we distract ourselves with busyness. We use our phones, our work, and our cravings to block out the sound of our pain.

Nirvana isn’t a destination you reach after death; it’s a state of life.

When Thich Nhat Hanh was in Kuala Lumpur on a teaching tour, he saw billboards advertising a company called Nirvana, which provided Buddhist funeral services. He didn’t think it was a good choice of name because the Buddha never associated nirvana with death.

Western Buddhist scholars have misleadingly defined nirvana as the eternal death that occurs after the final cycle of reincarnation. But this definition doesn’t align with the Buddha’s teachings; you can’t have eternal death if existence is continuous.

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What is The Art of Living about?

The Art of Living (2017) offers wisdom on how to fully experience every moment of every day. Many of us are consumed with fears or busyness that prevent us from engaging with the wonder of life. But by expanding our understanding of existence and embracing mindfulness practices, we can overcome the obstacles that stop us from truly living.

The Art of Living Review

The Art of Living (2012) by Thich Nhat Hanh is a poignant exploration of mindfulness and the pursuit of happiness. Here's why this book is worth reading:

Illustrating the power of living in the present moment, it offers practical guidance on finding joy and peace in everyday life.
Through relatable stories and profound insights, the book helps readers cultivate compassion, gratitude, and interconnectedness with the world.
With its refreshing perspective on mindful living, it introduces readers to transformative practices that can lead to a more fulfilling and meaningful existence.

Best quote from The Art of Living

To lose the present moment is to lose our only chance to encounter life.

—Thich Nhat Hanh

Who should read The Art of Living?

Stressed-out individuals longing for peace
Ambitious people seeking stillness
Anyone interested in Buddhism

About the Author

Thich Nhat Hahn was a Buddhist monk, peace activist, and the author of over 100 books. His titles, including the best seller Anger, range from manuals on meditation to children’s stories and poetry. In 1967, Thich Nhat Hahn was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Martin Luther King Jr.

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