In Thundering Silence Thich Nhat Hanh presents the early teachings of the Buddha on how to see reality clearly without becoming stuck in notions and ideologies, however noble they may be. These teachings can liberate us from the prisons of our mental constructions and allow us to enjoy life fully and be a resource for others. Near the end of his life, the Buddha declared, "During forty-five years, I have not said anything," to encourage his disciples not to be caught by words or ideas. Thich Nhat Hanh calls this "the roar of a great lion, the thundering silence of a Buddha." The attitude of openness, non-attachment from views, and playfulness offered by the Buddha in this sutra is an important door for us to enter the realm of Mahayana Buddhist thought and practice.

Thundering Silence: Sutra On Knowing the Better Way to Catch a Snake, Thich Nhat Hanh, Parallax Press, Paperback, 1993, 59 pages, $7.00

Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese Zen master, poet, and peace activist, has been a monk for 50 years. In 1967, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Martin Luther King Ir. He lives in southwestern France where he teaches, writes, gardens, and works to help those in need. He travels regularly leading retreats on "the art of mindful living." He is author of Being Peace, Peace is Every Step, Old Path White Clouds, The Sun My Heart, and many other books.

	Contents: THUNDERING SILENCE: Sutra on Knowing the Better Way To Catch a Snake
	Introduction	ix
	Sutra on Knowing the Better Way to Catch a Snake	3
	Commentaries
1.	The Purpose of this Sutra	19
2.	Circumstances Under Which the Sutra was Delivered	20
3.	The Title	20
4.	Arittha's Misunderstanding	20
5.	Sense Pleasures as Disasters	24
6.	The Danger of Misunderstanding the Teachings	26
7.	Catching a Snake	28
8.	The Raft is not the Shore	30
9.	The Finger Pointing at the Moon	33
10.	The Pheasant	34
11.	Breaking the Bonds	35
12.	Thundering Silence	37
13.	No-Self	39
14.	Ditthi-Nissaya (View-Refuge)	42
15.	The Way to Practice the Teachings of No-Self	45
16.	The Non-Achieved and the Non-Expressed	47
17.	Nirvana	49
18.	Tathagata	52
19.	Treating Wrong Understanding	54
20.	Conclusion	58