The Sun My Heart is one of ThichNhatHanh’s most beloved books. It was written as a sequel to Miracle of Mindfulness and contains the journey, on the path of everyday practice, from mindfulness to insight in an informational, conversational manner. Using the objects and events of everyday life in his hermitage in Plum Village—the gradual settling of the pulp in a glass of apple juice or the wind blowing into the room and scattering papers about—ThichNhatHanh draws from Buddhist psychology, epistemology, and the world of contemporary literature and science to guide the reader along the path of clarity and understanding.
This book can be read straight through, but is also designed to be opened randomly and experienced chapter by chapter, paragraph by paragraph. ThichNhatHanh suggests in the Introduction that The Sun My Heart “prefers to be a friend rather than a book. You can take it with you on the bus or subway as you do your coat or your scarf. It can give you small moments of joy at any time.”
Communication on the spiritual level that Siddhartha exists in transcends the written or spoken word. The student must find their own way as well as feel their own way to enlightenment. The teacher's presence is often enough to function as gentle energy to guide a student and help a student ask questions of himself.