I’m participating in the #AtoZ April Blogging Challenge 2025 and this will be my third year of joining the vibrant community that loves this one-of-a-kind creative challenge.
This year, my theme is—BOOKS THAT CHANGED MY LIFE—which means they are not just my favourite books, but they’ve also left a deep and lasting impact on me and continue to do so until this day. If you are stopping by this blog for the first time, please do leave your blog link, I’ll be happy to visit yours too. 🙂
Old Path White Clouds by Thich Nhat Hahn
Today, I’m writing about a very favourite book of mine – Old Path White Clouds, by Thich Nhat Hanh that was my third book in the series on Buddhism by the same author.
Old Path White Clouds is a fascinating read. It narrates the life of The Buddha, tracing his journey over the course of eighty years. It is based on meticulous historical research—and the story flows, partly as seen through the eyes of Svasti, the buffalo boy, and partly through the eyes of the Buddha himself.
To me, the book comes across as an extremely soothing read, that isn’t just a biography and a compilation of the Buddha’s teachings; but it is also a social study of ancient India, a work of comparative religion and an epic tale, all rolled into one!
The book took me along a path in history to watch the story unfold, and led me on to take a deep dive into myself and question my perception of things.
As the Buddha says, enlightenment is attained when one is free from entanglements of the past and future, and understanding that life and death are mere states. We transcend all suffering; it might seem difficult but it is entirely possible to control our thoughts and mind, eventually helping us to lead a peaceful life.
The feeling that one has while reading the book is, as if we are walking alongside the Buddha—it is a very beautiful feeling—one can almost feel the gentle, graceful and wise presence of the Enlightened One, through every word and every line!
If you are interested in mindfulness and spirituality, do consider reading this book. It is considered a classic in that genre.
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If you’d like to read the rest of my A to Z posts written for the #AtoZAprilChallenge2025, then please click here to read on.
Thich Nhat Hanh was such a wise and beloved teacher, and I’ve read many of his books but not this one. I’ll be adding it to my list.
I haven’t heard about this book earlier. Glad to have introduced to it by your blog post. The life of The Buddha always fascinates me and now am intrigued to read this book.
I have always found the writings of Thich Nhat Hanh to be incredibly inspiring but I have not read this one yet! I will add it to my wishlist, thank you. I think his most profound book for me in my earlier years was Living Buddha, Living Christ.
https://boldandqueer.com/a-to-z-challenge-orvetta/
Noted.