This is a talk given by Thich Nhat Hanh about falling in love when he was a young Buddhist monk.  If you have ever experienced any romantic issues (who hasn’t?) then I highly recommend this book.  In it he talks about his own struggle with romantic feelings, and his understanding of the interconnectedness that made his love both powerful and impossible at the same time.  It was, for me, a revelation in understanding love on a deeper level.

Although I have read translated works by the Dalai Lama I found the explanations very hard for me to follow.  Reading Thich Nhat Hanh’s work is, for me, much easier, effortless and allows me to focus much more on the underlying messages.  It’s also wonderfully refreshing to know that even a Buddhist monk can find romantic love a challenge.

Thich Nhat Hanh is one of the most respected teachers of Buddhism today; this Vietnamese Buddhist monk is a Zen Master, a nominee for the Noble Peace Prize.  But I didn’t know any of that when I first read this book.  Instead I read the story of a young man who seemed to understand the pain in my own heart, and who has helped me to change that pain into a joy and wonderment about the true nature of love.