10 Things I Learned About Thich Nhat Hanh and Parallax Press

by Kiki

Oakland–Recently I had disappointments through the United States Postal Service.  My uncle passed on 12/22, the holiday card I sent him got sent back to me as undeliverable; I ordered Kwanzaa stamps, Hanukkah stamps came quickly, I returned for exchange and the correct order which was received 1/12, 11 days after Kwanzaa’s conclusion; I also sent my late uncle a word search book, the empty envelope came back 1/13 after I mailed it 12/22; and finally I overnighted something on 1/9 and it had not arrived as of 1/12.

But today I was pleasantly surprised with a box from UPS that contained numerous books published by Parallax press:  Fear, Illustrated Transforming What Scares Us by Julie M Elman; Sleep Wise:  How to Feel Better, Work Smarter, and Build Resilence by Daniel Jin Blum, Phd; Things I Did When I Was Hangry:  Navigating a Peaceful Relationship with Food by Annie Mahon and three separate books by Thich Nhat Hanh and a boxed set on How to Live including How to Eat, How to Love, How to Relax, How to Sit, and How to Walk.

Here are 10 Things I Learned about Thich Nhat Hanh and Parallax Press:

1.  Parallax Press is a nonprofit publisher based in Berkeley, California founded in 1986 and inspired by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh.  There are 125 active titles in 35 languages.
2. The mission is to “publish books on mindfulness in daily life and they are committed to making these teachings accessible to everyone and preserving them for future generations.  We do this work to alleviate suffering and contribute to a more just and joyful world.”
3.   One can get a free e-book for joining their newsletter.
4. “To be beautiful means to be yourself.  You don’t need to be accepted by others.  You need to accept yourself”–Thich Nhat Hanh
5.   Thich Nhat Hanh founded the Unified Buddhist Church in Vietnam in 1969.
6.   When Thich Nhat Hanh was exiled from Vietnam in 1975 the Unified Buddhist Church established its first practice community in the West.
7.   His Holiness the Dali Lama is one of the authors published by Parallax Press.
8.   Pass the Book program gifts mindfulness books to folks in schools and incarcerated across the United States.  18,000 books have been donated to date.
9.   Plum Village, established in 1982 is Thich Nhat Hanh’s primary residence and monastic retreat in southwestern France near Bordeaux.
10.   Parallax Press offers a free live webinar on 1/19 11am Pacific Time The Voyage from Despair to Hope with Heather Lyn Mann.  Parallax Press for more information.

Peace, love, gratitude, compassion, and blessings.