No Mud, No Lotus
by Thich Nhat Hahn

Most of you, whether you know it or not have been exposed to the teachings of Thich Nhat Hahn. His quotes are used across various medias of all types.

"Because you are alive, everything is possible."

He is one of the most famous Zen Buddhist teachers in the world today, authoring many books focusing on mindfulness, meditation and most importantly how to find your happiness.

No Mud, No Lotus uses the lotus imagery to help get its point across. A beautiful lotus flower sits on top of the water, while its roots go deep into the murky water sprouting from the mud below. Thich Nhat Hahn uses this to express that to have balance you can not be happy all the time. To enjoy contentment you must also know suffering. No light without darkness, no darkness without light. You must have balance.

All of his writings are done in a light hearted way that I find truly relatable and very easy to process. He not only writes about how to achieve happiness but also gives practices that can help you get there.

"Most people are afraid of suffering. But suffering is a kind of mud to help the lotus flower of happiness grow. there can be no lotus flower without the mud."

I would absolutely recommend this book for anyone, whether they are exploring mindfulness or just wanting an inspirational read. I hope you enjoy this or any of his other books!