Rating: 
Summary: Intolerance to Christ's Truth
Review: Unfortunately, we live in such relativistic times where there is no objective truth, just "what's truth for me may not be truth for you." Therein lies the problem. When peoples of different faiths start mingling their beliefs, you get confusion.Buddha said, "Do not worship me, for I am not a god." Christ said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life."
To mingle Buddha's man-made teachings with Christ's, the son of God, who said "be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect," who very definitely through Tradition and in the bible left dogma to be followed in order to strive for holy perfection, is silly and politically correct drivel. And of course there will be those yelling "intolerance!" and "offensive!" but Christ was killed for offending people -- he claimed he was the son of GOD!
I'll take God's word over Siddhartha Guatama's, also known as "Buddha."
Rating: 
Summary: A buddhist view of christianity. Or is it?
Review: If God is the ground of all beings then we humans should neither conceptualizing God nor naming God. Getting caught in the concepts, ideas, or names of God will only separate us from the true God, the living God within and without. By breaking the barriers of concepts and names, Thich Nhat Hanh breaks the boundary between Christianity and Buddhism, and leads us into a deeper understanding of both religions. He encourages people to go deeper into their own religious traditions by practicing the teachings of their spiritual ancestors (i.e. Jesus and Buddha), instead of spending useless energy to attack and criticize each other's concepts and ideas. If we can follow this advice with our heart, God will be truly alive inside of all of us. I strongly recommend this easy-to-read book that touches the deepest issues.
Rating:
Summary: A Path Back to Christianity
Review: I, like many others that I know, have become distant from the Church, Christ, Christianity and its traditions and values. I hear so many say they are practicing Catholics and attend Church every Sunday, but it appears they are no closer to Christ or the Kingdom of God than I. Although my belief in God, the Creator, is as certain as my own existence, I have spent a significant amount of time and energy attempting to obtain the same level of comfort with Jesus as Christ our Lord. This book has made me rethink my approach in discovering/substantiating Christ. Thich Nhat Hanh, makes me realize that I may have spent too much time attempting to find evidence of Christ and not enough time living the message of Christ. Hahn writes "it is important to look deeply into every act and every teaching of Jesus during His lifetime, and to use this as a model for our own practice. Jesus lived exactly as He taught, so studying the life of Jesus is crucial to understanding." "If you only satisfy yourself with praising a name, even the name of Jesus, it is not practicing the life of Jesus. We must practice living deeply, loving and acting with charity if we wish to truly honor Jesus." After reading this, I'm sure everyone will say "I knew that." Seems simple and it is. The problem folks have today is walking the walk. A perfect example are those priest that betrayed all of humanity by molesting children. I'm sure these priest all praised the name, but that was not enough to stop them from committing these horrible, criminal acts. A recurring message throughout the book (much too simply stated) is "Stop your talking and get to walking." If these priest would have spent more time living the life of Jesus rather than preaching about it, the outcome may have been different. [The preceding statement is not intended to spark a debate about why abusers abuse. It is made only to stress how important I feel, after reading this book, it is to practice, or live the life of Jesus.] Hahn has encouraged and motivated me to go back to my tradition and rediscover the values that are there. I've always felt that living the life of Jesus was more important than believing in His resurrection, but it is only until reading this book that I feel comfortable with that philosophy. I did not expect a Buddhist monk to renew in me the spirit of religon, open my eyes to the life/message of Jesus or explain to me the purpose/importance of the Church and Community. Hanh has done that for me and I am grateful. Again, there is so much more to this book than what I have covered here. -----------
Hahn's writing is warm and inviting. I felt "good" reading this book. He does not lose the reader in jargon or in an attempt to show the reader how smart he is. His writing seems simple on the surface, but when you look deeper (one of the messages of the book) there is so much more. I have only read the book once, but know my appreciation and understanding will grow each time I read it. However, I think Thich Nhat Hanh might advise me to skip the reread and start living.
Rating: 
Summary: A lifestyle guide, but not a guide to truth
Review: I was very excited to read this book because I am a Christian whose life was enriched by Thich Nyat Hanh's other writings.
I found this book, like his others, to be helpful in creating a lifestyle in which the Holy Spirit can be present and active. I think his suggestions for bringing meditation and mindfulness into every aspect of life will be very helpful for Christians, and everyone.
However, I was disappointed that he denied the resurrection of Christ, which in essence says that religions can co-exist as long as none of them make any claims that are too grand. His displeasure with Christ's own statement (attributed to John Paul II, but found in John 14:6) that "No one comes to the Father except through me [Christ]," is understandable. Yet I would think that Thich Nyat Hanh could be broad-minded enough to embrace this statement since all things are interconnected. Christ spoke of himself as light; then light is Christ. If anyone has trodden the way, Christ was the way, whether or not he was recognized.
If Christians are guilty of tugging on one side of a tautology, I'm disappointed that Thich Nyat Hanh could not resist the temptation to tug back on the other side.
As for the talk about creating tolerance for other religions, I can only suspect that Christ and Bhudda would say that toleration is a very poor substitute for love.
In conclusion, this book has helped me open myself to the influence of the "Holy Spirit" and be free from the tyranny of distractions, negativity, and a clouded mind. Yet I prefer Hanh's teachings on meditation to his theological writings.
Rating:
Summary: What Buddha wishes Jesus had taught.
Review: Truth matters in religion. It has mattered for every religion and for every founder of every religion--Jesus and Buddha and all the rest. Hanh shows respect for Jesus, yet it is the wrong Jesus--a Jesus of his own imagination. This book can be summarized as a Buddhist attempt to impose alien, Buddhist philosophical categories on Jesus' identity and teachings. These categories do not fit the remarkable man described in the Four Gospels and the rest of the New Testament. (These are the most ancient and best records available to us.) Hanh places Jesus on his Procustean bed--and praises what is left. It is more honest to admit that Jesus and Buddha taught two irreconciable worldviews and two irreconciable ways of spiritual liberation. Both cannot be right. This is a matter of simple history and logic. Jesus was a theist; Buddha an agnostic. Jesus believed humans were creatures of God; Buddha did not speculate. Jesus taught the reality of sin against a holy God; Buddha taught a method--the Four Noble Truths--to free people of the experience of suffering in this world. Jesus taught resurrection; Buddha taught repeated rebirth (and a way to escape it). Most importantly, Jesus called people to follow him to find forgiveness and eternal life. Buddha gave the Dharma, refused worship, and never claimed any knowledge of God. He instead offered nirvana (the "blowing out" of the self). Jesus and Buddha simply cannot both be correct in these affirmations, however much we may wish otherwise. ... --Douglas Groothuis, Ph.D.
Rating:
Summary: True faith is living faith
Review: Thay's ultimate message in this book is that true faith is living faith. If people do not practice their faith in their everyday lives, their faith is reduced to an inactive mental concept. The connections between Christianity and Buddhism are not as important as are the similar usages of things like the Holy Spirit and mindfulness. The idea Thay puts forth is that both Buddhism and Christianity utlize concepts to reach the ultimate goal. Christians often forget that Christianity is ultimately concerned with how to get to heaven. Christianity proposes that getting to heaven first requires worshipping various idols and ideas. Buddhists similarly need to remember that Buddhism is ultimately concerned with living in a state of mindfulness. Meditation and mindful techniques are simply tools to get there. Thay is basically saying, "we have our goals and they are both peaceful goals. If we truly want to reach these peaceful goals, why would we ever consider fighting over them?" It's important to remember that Thay is intensely concerned with peacemaking efforts. Aside from the big comparisons between the two great faiths, Thay also gives his customary tips for living happily from day to day. Christians need not be afraid of his advice. It revolves around eating techniques and mindful walking. This book was a revelation and I am happy somebody thought to write something so thoughtful.
Rating:
Summary: Understanding and Unity is What This Book is About!
Review: Like many Americans and readers who have written reviews of this work, I was also raised in a Christian home. It is easy to see that there is a bridge which most Christians are afraid to cross... that is the bridge to understanding, or more specifically, the way to compassion and understanding of our connection with ALL life and even those people within our own community (Sangha)! The message is that both Christ and the Buddha gathered quite a faithful following (millions strong and counting...) and that following was based upon love, unity and compassion for our fellow man. We should be forever grateful for their teachings. Niether man as he walked the earth was judgemental of others. Jesus and the Buddha befriended prostitutes and monks alike! Their love was for everyone and not biased. They spoke of peace the ease of suffering. They preached how love and compassion can ease the pain that we all encounter just by default of our birth. And when Christ and the Buddha's words were manipulated by those who truly didn't and don't understand them, the message is lost! Thus, we must make every effort in our lives that of which is worthy of the love and deeds performed Christ and the Buddha.
Rating: 
Summary: Slow start, excellent finish
Review: Although this book is hindered in the beginning by various saccharine comments about how life can be beautiful when one discovers an Ultimate truth, Thay (as Hanh is known to his friends and admirers) quickly falls into an appropriately pragmatic guide book for bridging the gap between the seemingly disparate worlds of Buddhism and Christianity.
I, as a Catholic who is currently making the oft-painful jump from that worldview to Buddhism, was concerned at charges I'd heard that Thay delves too much into criticism of Christianity and that he is not ecumenical enough. However, I discovered that the concerns he raised about how Christians see the world (especially the "one true way to God" conundrum) were handled delicately by Thay as he demonstrated that some Christians precepts were just as important to him as a Buddhist as the basic tenets of his own worlview. He knows Christianity as well as he knows Buddhism, and it is in this fact that he proves that "knowledge is power". In fact, the questions he raises about Christianity are legitimate concerns that Christians should face on their own. The acknowledgement that people find peace in both Buddhism and Chritianity is to me one of the most pleasing aspects of the book. I cite a story from the book, in which Thay eases the alarm a Christian friend has about experiencing a "fruit salad" of beliefs. He says, simply, "Fruit salad can be delicious!" It is this emphasis on dialogue and compassion for the "other side" that I found refreshing in this book.
Rating:
Summary: The Heart of Compassion that lies at the heart of us all
Review: Thich Nhat Hanh is a respected humanitarian as well as an insightful and intelligent author. The readability of this book is excellent for all people who seek to understand the contemplations that stir within his beautiful mind. The way in which Thich Nhat Hanh can describe such joy and inner peace almost makes the reader share his peace for a time. For the Christian or the Buddhist this is a must-have book, if you don't have it yet get it now, no really, right now, I'll wait. Jesus and siddartha have always been recognized as very similar and their must be a hunred books out there that compare them. This book doesn't do that; instead it compares both of the religions they founded and the common positive goal between them. Understandibly Thich Nhat Hanh uses many mor Buddhist metaphors but this should not imply that he has no knowledge of Christianity. It is obvious that Thich Nhat Hanh (I continue to use his full honorary as a sign of respect) has a breadth of understanding in reference to Christianity that some Christians fail to grasp. Definitely read this book. It is a work of beauty and tranquility. I recommend it to everyone.
Rating:
Summary: Humbug.
Review: There is a grave problem with the theories in this book. Namely, all religions are the same. They will follow the same basic "laws" and such. If you've heard one savoir or read about one religion, you've read about them all.
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