This collection brings together the core teachings and remarkable autobiographical stories of global peace activist and Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. Collected here for the first time are the pivotal moments from his childhood in rural Vietnam, his years as a teenaged novice monk, and his coming-of-age as a teacher standing for peace in a country torn apart by war. Weaving through years of exile and prolific activism, Thich Nhat Hanh reveals an astounding journey in which his true home remains in the here and now.

This deeply personal collection, selected and told with care, teaches in a tradition that goes back to the time of the Buddha. On his eightieth birthday, when asked if he planned to retire, Thich Nhat Hanh said: “Teaching is not done by talking alone. It is done by how you live your life. My life is my teaching. My life is my message.”