Book Endorsements: Both down-to-earth and profound, this book explains how to be mindful of the garden of your life—and then out of kindness to yourself and others, pull weeds and plant flowers. Deceptively simple, it is actually a comprehensive guide to the seeds of true happiness and loving relationships. A lovely, wise, encouraging, first-rate book.
- Rick Hanson, Ph.D., author of Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom
I knew after only a few pages of Jerry Braza’s book that I was being led into the world of spiritual gardening by a person who had deeply integrated in his daily life the practice of mindfulness, as taught by Thich Nhat Hanh. With years of experience as a teacher, Jerry shows us how to tend the inner garden of our lives with gentleness and loving-kindness. Sometimes our garden needs some refreshing water, while at other times it hungers for some good, nourishing mulch. And then there are the times when our heart and soul just need some time to rest and lie fallow, to be lazy and free, dwelling fully in the present moment. His book is the work of a gentle, master gardener – on every level. As I read Jerry’s words, I could not help but be reminded over and over of the words of St. John of the Cross, the great Spanish mystic and disciple of St. Teresa of Avila, who said: “Where there is no love, sow love and you will harvest love.” I look forward to using Jerry’s book in my own practice and teaching.
-Dominican brother Brian J. Pierce, OP, author of We Walk the Path Together: Learning from Thich Nhat Hanh and Meister Eckhart
Nothing is more precious than our loving relatedness with each other. In The Seeds of Love, Jerry Braza explores how the practice of mindfulness can awaken our hearts. Inspired by the rich and deep teachings of Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, this book is filled with beautiful quotes, reflections and meditations.”
- Tara Brach, Clinical psychologist and founder of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, author of Radical Acceptance
A relationship cannot be twisted into some preconceived idea or manipulated according to one’s ego demands. But it will naturally and inevitably grow into a beautiful plant if given the proper nutrients. Jerry Braza has written a wise and gentle book on mindful relationships that shows how this natural development occurs. He avoids simplistic answers and offers deeply felt observations based on his own journey into the wonder of the present moment. He illustrates some of the true miracles that grow from mindfulness. He builds his gentle suggestions for nurturing relationships on the solid foundation of awareness of the present –moment—in one’s own being and in one’s interconnected being
- William Martin, Author of The Tao of Forgiveness and The Caregiver’s Tao Te Ching
Put on your walking shoes and prepare yourself for a lovely time in the garden of love. Take Jerry’s hand as he invites you into the rich landscape of the inner garden. Jerry is a wise and gentle guide. The sun is out, there is a warm breeze on your face, and you are in the company of an elegant teacher. Savor each step as well as each page. This is a wonderful book.
-Peggy Rowe Ward, Ed.D. and Larry Ward, Dharma teachers and authors of Love’s Garden
“Love is a verb as well as a noun.” This book provides an intimate account of how Buddhist teacher Jerry Braza has integrated the teachings of Thich Nhat Han into the everyday simple events of his life, work and family relationships. He inspires us with generous and practical advice about how to cultivate the many aspects of love, so that love can become woven into the fabric of our life, remaining in the world as our legacy after we die.
– Jan Chozen Bays, Dharma Teacher at the Great Vow Monastery and author of Mindful Eating: A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful Relationship with Food and How to Train a Wild Elephant: And Other Adventures in Mindfulness
Long time friend and dharma brother, Dr Jerry Braza’s first book Moment by Moment made the practice of mindfulness as taught by Master Thich Nhat Hanh easily understandable and applicable to people in all walks of life. With his new book, The Seeds of Love: Growing Mindful Relationships, Jerry shows us how this moment-by-moment practice can help us “see” and taste the wonderful fruits of Interbeing with deeper insight and wisdom by watering seeds of love and transforming seeds of suffering. The Seeds of Love beautifully weaves together the most complicated Buddhist deeper teachings on the subject of consciousness and translates them into simple, easily understandable and directly applicable practices.
— Chan Huy, Dharma Teacher and Mindfulness Consultant
I appreciate very much your bringing together so many wise voices, and the supportive practices you offer, as well as the many fine stories you use to illustrate your points. I am impressed by the beauty of the gardener and the seeds. Particularly because I love gardening myself, the metaphor speaks to me. So I see this book as being most helpful to many people in many walks of life.
- Eileen Kiera, Dharma Teacher at Mountain Lamp Retreat Center
This is a fruitful tour through the “garden of our consciousness” – a delightful flower born of Jerry Braza’s deep practice. Jerry offers practical tools for how to transform the seeds of habitual behavior that need healing, and water the joyful and positive seeds that need nurturing. In the process, he teaches us how to create and live a more meaningful, kind, and loving life.
- Cheri Maples, Center for Mindfulness & Justice
http://www.mindfulnessandjustice.org
The Seeds of Love is a down to earth book about developing loving, kind understanding about yourself and others by living a mindful life. It explains how to do this by developing or watering these seeds in us with methods that are more than 2,600 years old, which are brought to life in the book by teachers like Thich Nhat Hanh. These teachings are explained with insightful quotes, examples of growth and blooming, and the use of mantras and other practices. The personal struggles and transformation revealed by the author make what the book has to say very real on an intuitive-visceral level. This is
good reading for both new and seasoned students because it explains so well how to nourish the good in us.
– William Menza, Dharma teacher in the Plum Village Tradition, Sarasota, Florida
The Seeds of Love: Growing Mindful Relationships is a treasure, an extraordinary book full of insight and wisdom for letting those seeds blossom into everyday loving relationships. Dr. Braza brings to the book refreshing originality and imagination, and a broadly inclusive perspective that makes the book a rewarding experience for all spiritual seekers. In so doing, it opens a window to how we can grow to be master gardeners and water the path to a happier and peaceful life.
— Nathaniel Cordova, Ph.D., Associate Professor at Willamette University