Practicing and enlightened Zen monk Thich Nhat Hanh unites what is most spiritual with what’s practical and bridges this gap with a compelling how-to narrative on becoming present and happy in his book “You are Here.”

Hanh became a monk at 16 and was at the forefront for maintaining peace in his homeland, Vietnam, while the war raged on in the early ‘60s.

He stresses that compassion is the basis of living a happy, healthy life and without it, there’s no attaining it. He uses examples with real people and their shortcomings throughout life to better portray a realistic picture of the suffering that we’re all so fond of. Hanh translates the fundamental meaning of Pali words, sacred texts in Therevada Buddhism, in a context any reader can understand. The words describe varying emotions, states of mind-body interaction and the many afflictions that arise with it.

Hanh’s short read will delight you, leave you in awe and most importantly translate what is considered sacred to what’s life-changing. “A feeling or a perception is very real, but you cannot find anything permanent in it. You cannot detect a permanent presence in anything whatsoever. You will never find anywhere a self, or a soul, that lasts,” Hanh writes.

Hanh writes for the thirsty spiritual reader, as well as for the unknowingly lost one. His emphasis expressing how one can be happy, in the moment, and free of false perceptions is beyond recognition and deserves people’s time.

Amid the never-ending complexities and up and downs of life, Hanh’s spiritual and realistic advice on meditation, living in the moment and acknowledging universal truths will leave you empty. This emptiness will then be filled with his deeply empowering wisdom on being happy.

“You are Here” is perhaps the most practical book on spiritual wisdom that you will ever pick up. The book can be read cover-to-cover in about two hours. Thich Nhat Hanh’s words will grab you emotionally, steer you physically and ground you in a truth that is, in essence, infallible.