Haemin Sunim is one of the most influential Zen Buddhist
teachers and writers in the world. Born in South Korea, he came to
the United States to study film, only to find himself pulled into
the spiritual life. Educated at UC Berkeley, Harvard, and
Princeton, he received formal monastic training in Korea and taught
Buddhism at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. He has
more than a million followers on Twitter (@haeminsunim) and
Facebook and is one of Spirituality & Health's Top 10 Spiritual
Leaders of the Next 20 Years and one of Greatist's 100 Most
Influential People in Health and Fitness. His books--The Things You
Can See Only When You Slow Down, which has been published in more
than thirty languages, and Love for Imperfect Things--have sold
more than four million copies and are popular as guides not only to
meditation but also to overcoming the challenges of everyday life.
When not traveling to share his teachings, Haemin Sunim lives in
Seoul, where he founded the School of Broken Hearts, a nonprofit
that offers group counseling and meditation for people experiencing
challenges in life.
Deborah Smith (translator) is the translator of Han Kang's
The Vegetarian, which won the Man Booker International Prize in
2016.
Lisk Feng (illustrations) is an award-winning illustrator
whose work has appeared in such publications as The New Yorker, The
New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, the
Los Angeles Times, Monocle, and Travel + Leisure.
“The struggle for self-compassion can be difficult for even the
most enlightened among us. . . . As Haemin Sunim explains
throughout his book, self-compassion does not mean being selfish.
It’s only when we take care of ourselves, he explains, that we can
care for others.” —The New York Times
“A real treasure. It teaches us that compassion is at the heart of
healing . . . starting with ourselves. I highly recommend this
book.” —Christiane Northrup, MD, #1 New York Times bestselling
author of Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom
“A treasure! I don’t have to be perfect? What incredible news. This
book hit me like a ton of bricks and made many anxieties melt
away.” —Neil Pasricha, New York Times bestselling author of The
Book of Awesome and The Happiness Equation
“You can be the most amazing human being in the world and everyone
sees rays of light, love, and genius when they look at you, but if
you yourself don’t know it, all of that external admiration doesn’t
matter one bit. Haemin Sunim teaches you ways to love yourself
first, instead of loving the idea of other people loving you. It
makes a world of difference.” —Marc and Angel Chernoff, New York
Times bestselling authors of Getting Back to Happy
“Haemin Sunim is the real deal. The simplicity and beauty of his
teachings go straight to the heart. Keep this book close by—it
will awaken wisdom and deepen your love of life.” —Tara Brach,
bestselling author of Radical Acceptance and True
Refuge
“A wonderful book to accompany The Things You Can See Only When You
Slow Down. Zen teacher Haemin Sunim describes with great clarity
the suffocating effect of perfectionism—how damaging it is to think
your worth as a person is solely dependent on how you perform.
Then, page by page, he shows you how to reclaim your freedom and
your life.” —Mark Williams, co-author of Mindfulness: An
Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World
“Heartwarming, calming and . . . filled with wisdom and powerful
truths.” —Héctor García, co-author of Ikigai: The Japanese Secret
to a Long and Happy Life
“The Buddha, somewhat rebelliously, declared that, instead of a god
or guru, the starting point of our path to awakening is our very
own imperfections. I’m so happy to see Haemin Sunim giving fresh
voice to practices that help us befriend ourselves, so that we can
become our own best caregivers.” —Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, author
of Emotional Rescue and Rebel Buddha
“Beyond all barriers of culture and religions, Love for
Imperfect Things speaks to every human heart, because Haemin
Sunim speaks from the innermost heart—the heart of
compassion.” —Brother David Steindl-Rast, OSB, author of
Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer
“An invaluable gift for all of us . . . Haemin Sunim has hit
it out of the park again by offering sound pragmatic advice in an
insightful, accessible manner. . . . This book needs to be at
every bedside so that we can all go to sleep with a smile.” —Allan
Lokos, founder and guiding teacher, Community Meditation Center,
NYC; author of Through the Flames,
Patience, and Pocket Peace
“Beautifully wise insights into how we’re all perfectly imperfect.
A masterclass in letting go. As soothing to my whirring ‘must do
better!’ mind as slipping into a hot bath when I’m cold.”
—Catherine Gray, author of The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober
“Haemin Sunim writes beautifully and simply so these vital life
lessons resonate easily and deeply.” —Miranda Hart, author of Is It
Just Me?
“Relatable and valuable . . . Zen Buddhist teacher Sunim looks
tantalizingly at essential yet everyday aspects of the human
experience in this lively book of reflections. . . . In addition to
stories from Sunim’s own life, the book contains thought-provoking
aphorisms. . . . A breezy book with generally helpful reminders,
wise advice, and pithy sayings to soothe the challenges of hectic
life.” —Publishers Weekly
“Wisdom to apply to everyday life . . . Quick, easy lessons for
developing and increasing our practice of empathy toward ourselves
and others.” —Library Journal
“Sunim . . . writes with an inviting and gentle voice that is akin
to a warm embrace. . . . Although many self-help books preach
triumphal purpose-seeking, Sunim astonishes by saying, ‘I don’t
think life has something grand in store for me.’ . . . The
book is worth repeated readings on a commuter train, at bedtime, or
as part of a morning routine.” —Booklist
“A treasure . . . A beautiful guide to being kinder, more polite
and along the way even unlocking higher thoughts . . . This is one
[book] that you want to linger over, hold onto, keep on the
nightstand. It can, and should, be opened regularly.” —NJ Advance
Media
“[A] gentle, kindhearted guide to inner peace.” —BookPage
“In these snark-saturated times, it’s cheering that a voice as
quietly friendly as Haemin’s can make you a mega-celebrity. . . .
Haemin is especially eloquent on life’s smaller dissatisfactions,
and how they can sometimes be trickier to deal with than the
bigger, more dramatic ones.” —The Guardian
“Brimming with brilliant spiritual advice, maxims, and wisdom.
Laden with life lessons about how to embrace the imperfect—because
our flaws are what make us unique—this book is ideal for those who
are too tough on themselves.” —Bustle
“Bite-size Buddhism—mindfulness for the modern age.” —The
Observer
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