“Birds' songs express joy, beauty, and purity, and evoke in us vitality and love.”

— Thích Nhất Hạnh, Love in Action, 1993, p. 131

About Thích Nhất Hạnh

1926 – 2022

Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk, teacher and peace activist.

“We have to accept death; it makes life possible.”

“If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it.”

“When you feel anger arising, remember to return to your breathing and follow it.”

“There is no happiness in love, except at the end of an English novel.”

“If music be the food of love, play on.”

“Love the little trade which thou hast learned, and be content therewith.”

“If you sing of beauty though alone in the heart of the desert you will have an audience.”

“They who know the truth are not equal to those who love it, and they who love it are not equal to those who delight in it.”

“Music is the universal language of mankind—poetry their universal pastime and delight.”