Bestselling author and Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh is one of the most respected peace activists in the world. Having lived through two wars in his native Vietnam, he strives to prevent conflict of all kinds, from the internal violence of individual thoughts to interpersonal and international aggression. For the first time, in Creating True Peace, he tells vivid, deeply affecting stories of his and his students' wartime experiences in Vietnam and how they were able to remain nonviolent and work for peace in the face of the most stressful, dangerous, life-threatening circumstances.
The same teachings and practices that Nhat Hanh and his students use every day can help us, too, to create peace in our own lives, in every moment. With a combination of courage, sweetness, and candor, Nhat Hanh brings to life the ancient wisdom and stories of the Buddha and other sages and reveals a clear, practical blueprint for living nonviolently today- no matter what your circumstances. For anyone who sincerely desires to create peace, here are practices to improve all our relationships - friendships, partnerships, marriages, even our relationships with our elected representatives. Here, too, are beautiful, simple meditations and mindful practices for individuals, couples, and parents, along with ways to teach children how to create peace in their daily lives and to improve family communications. From this book, we can all draw the determination and inspiration to do the right thing, to make a difference. We are not helpless; we can create peace here and now. Creating True Peace shows us how.

Creating True Peace : Ending Violence in Yourself, Your Family, Your Community, and the World, Thich Nhat Hanh, Paperback, 208 pages, Free Press, 2003, $13.00

Thich Nhat Hanh has survived three wars, persecution, and more than thirty years of exile. A Buddhist monk, he is the master of a temple in Vietnam, the lineage of which is traceable across two centuries to the Buddha himself. Hanh has written more than 100 books of poetry, fiction and philosophy, wit over a million copies in print. He lived in France and Vermont, He is the author of Living Buddha, Living Christ and Anger.

What Is True Peace?	1
Turning Arrows into Flowers: Practicing Inner Transformation	11
Peace Begins with Us: Taking Your Practice into the World	54
Right Action Comes from Right Understanding	85
Reconciliation: Peace Practices for Individuals and Partners	110
To Love Means to Be Truly Present: Practicing Peace with Your Child	141
Protecting Peace: Community and Sangha Practices	168
A Call for Great Compassion	182
Epilogue: A New Global Ethic: Manifesto for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence	207