When I finally got to interview him, I could hardly wait to ask: “Aren’t there enough relationship gurus?” I was thinking of Dr. Phil, John Gray, Oprah and others who impart their “truth” to us between commercial breaks, in books, on books-on-tape, on DVDs and videos ad nauseam. “Aren’t there more important issues to discuss?”

“Such as wear, violence, death, economic and environmental problems, terrorism?” he asked rhetorically. My tape recorder seemed to strain as much as me to hear his softly spoken and carefully chosen words. “The conflict in the Middle East, tension between religious groups — these are all about relationships. We create ignorance through poor communication. Misunderstanding begins in the microcosm, between two people. It creates fear and fear creates violence. When you act with violence and anger, you only create more violence and anger. The majority of people who come here suffer from relationship, health and money problems. But if your relationships are good, then you are happy, your health improves, and you’ll be more successful in your enterprise.”

Perry Garfinkel: Thich Nhat Hanh’s “Relationships For Dummies” – Living on The Huffington Post