I almost always have a digital copy of Thich Nhat Hanh’s How to Sit open on my laptop. It’s part of the Mindfulness Essentials Series—easy to read, with each page presenting a single concept in an accessible manner. I often read a passage at work or during quick breaks to recenter myself.
My child recently saw the title and, missing the metaphor entirely, said, “But you already know how to sit.” I found this adorable. To get a reaction, I looked up another title, How to Smile, and showed it to them with a contorted, fake smile, asking if I should borrow it. The “WTF” look on their face was priceless.
The humor reminded me of my own journey into Buddhist philosophy. At my child’s age, my own father was deeply immersed in Buddhist texts. His way of introducing me to the Dharma was through the Heart Sutra. I had to use a calligraphy brush to copy out the Sutra daily during summer break. This was meant to cultivate mindfulness, but I resented the long, dry process of writing complex traditional Chinese characters.
Eventually, my father took the time to explain the Sutra’s meaning on weekends. The Heart Sutra is a text of immense depth, and while I only glimpsed its full meaning, the core concepts of impermanence and emptiness took root, allowing me to appreciate life’s ephemeral nature—a theme that runs through many of the Japanese literary works I love.
In retrospect, I can’t say I enjoyed my introduction to philosophical Buddhism. Yet, it did fundamentally shape me, giving me the philosophical tools to cope with adversity. I realize I am the most mindful precisely when things are not going right.
My child is being raised in a secular environment, and I won’t force them to copy Buddhist texts. However, I want them to have access to these philosophical tools for the inevitable adversities of life.
Perhaps the simple solution is to have the physical copies of Thich Nhat Hanh’s accessible “How to” books lying around. If not for the philosophical wisdom, perhaps they can at least learn to appreciate the poetic device of the titles.