Jina Van Hengel is a monastic nun, who began her journey in 1985. She is well known in the Buddhist community, receiving her ordination and authorization from Thich Nhat Hahn in 1992. She practices
Engaged Buddhism mainly from the Mahayana perspective as taught by Nhat Hahn. Serving as an abbess for sixteen years she resides in the Plum Village located in France.

Moments of Joy is a collection of 150 contemplative poems written over a period of time that capture the joy and insight from the natural world while deeply engaged in the practice of meditation. Each section of the book relates to the seasonal observations, accompanied by introductory calligraphy. Inspired by a retreat where Sister Van Hengel wished to in her words: "Gladden the mind by being aware of the body and the breath, and to 'brighten' her mind. Her aspiration was to find peace and joy in every step. The result of her deep concentration allowed her to become more clearly aware of the present moment, without being swept away by issues from the future or the past.

Her recordings of these moments in time became the foundation of this work. Sister Jina voices a loving connection to a present moment in her daily life. She gives us the insight into the calm peaceful world of Plum Village. The poems/observations can serve as a starting point for any who follow the practice of meditation, or simply be enjoyed for the lovely snapshots of nature.

Highly recommended.


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I don't think this was my cup of tea. It was basically lines of what I guess was supposed to be soothing but it didn't work for me.

Catching up with reviews that have caught up with me.
This book was great at being the reader into the moment and makes the reader reflect on their own emotions. A really strong and needed book in this day and age.
Thank you to Netgalley for sending me a free copy to review.

This is a book that I would like to have a notebook beside me while I read. I liked poetry and love reading about mindfulness and ways to bring more joy into life. So I liked this book! However, sometimes when things are so broad (like these poems) I find it helpful to write out what I really thought and felt about it right after. This isn't a book that should just be flipped through, but to be able to really feel, understand and appreciate this book I think there needs to be writing pages/reflection pages. Or readers should have their own notebook.

How frustrating is it to be told by all the different sources the things you must do to be successful in life? This book definitely does NOT do that. It instead takes an empathetic approach and gives bite size approaches and allows you to have kindness and patience with yourself. This is so necessary for everyone to read in life. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

E-Galley provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.


This short little book is comprised of a series of “poems" by Sister Jina, Chan Dieu Nghiem a Buddhist practitioner.

Though it’s technically classified as poetry it reads more as short meditations on daily life throughout the seasons.

It’s main accomplishment was its ability to draw the reader to the present moment of observation.

While it’s main downfall was that it was not particularly memorable.

I will say, however, that this would be an excellent book to read if one is seeking to ground themselves in the present moment.

**I received an e-copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

I found this book to be quite disappointing. I was hoping for poems on the wisdom of staying in the moment and how to be mindful. Maybe some thing about how mindfulness can change with the seasons. That's not was I got. What is there is 3-4 line poems about what it was like at the nunnery during different times of the year. I just did not find it very interesting nor helpful in cultivating my own mindfulness.

This poetry collection was not bad but it was not good either. The poems all seemed to run together to the point where it was just overall hard to understand much. Besides that though the poetry was enjoyable enough that i am giving this three stars.

Some of the poems fit the seasonal titles, but many lacked the visual and descriptive nature of the season. Could have been more depth.

I savored every page and meted these poems out slowly at night before bed, making them last as long as I could. Part of the reason is that the poems are written in a style similar to my own ragged, haphazard poetry – not haiku, but short (4 lines in Sister Van Hengel’s case – she’s much more disciplined than me), and Zen to the bone, meaning they capture a single instant in time, like a photo. I have so much to learn from these poems – they are deceptively simple and not at all as easy to write as they look. It’s because they not only capture a moment in time, but they capture a feeling that connects the reader with the moment.

The book may not be for everybody, kind of like how some of Thich Nhat Hanh’s writing can feel too precious for those coming to it fresh. (The author is a senior nun and Dharma teacher at Thich Nhat Hanh’s Plum Village community in France.) But, for me, the book is pure joy and, as any student of the Dharma will tell you, the present moment is the source of joy.

Only after I finished did I realize that the poems – perhaps coincidentally, but I don’t think so – seem constructed like the gathas Thich Nhat Hanh teaches. These are short sayings to recall as one does repetitive tasks in order to maintain mindfulness. So this book inspired me to reread the collection of these called “Present Moment Wonderful Moment.”

Example of poem by Sister Jina van Hengel:

This morning
My little yellow teapot
Fell, broke and turned into
Sweet memories

#MomentsofJoy #NetGalley

This is a short collection of observations in nature that make your heart smile.

This collection is divided into four sections, each for a season. They all describe simple but very beautiful moments that one has to pay attention to in order to find true bliss.
Simple phenomenon like the wind blowing or the flowers blooming.
It encourages mindfulness and appreciation.

This book has a lot of vivid imagery. I loved the Nature inspired aspect of the poems. Wasn't my favorite poem book, a s I usually like my poems to thrust a knife into my heart. But this was a very peaceful, calming poetry book.

Moment of joy is a collection of poetry divided into 4 sections named after the seasons : Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring. Well, this book is 160 pages long but every page contains 4 lines so one can read it quickly. The poems are simple and calming but some lines seems too generic.

Looking at the title, I was expecting a lot. But unfortunately, the lack of uniqueness slightly disappointed me. Fortunately, the poems had calming effect on me, so that's great.

Overall, it was not what I was expecting. Although, beginners can give it a shot.

A collection of short poems that illustrate the calmness of being. It didn't feel like poetry, to be honest, it was a really light book, exploring the changes in seasons and the things that occur in association with that. It was a quick read and I was hoping it would be longer.

This is a beautiful meditation - simple verses that nonetheless evoke such clear, powerful images. Most verses refer to the weather, the landscape, the outdoors and demand a slow consideration of the seasons and of nature's bounty and beauty. Because each verse is just a couple lines, it can be considered one at a time, inviting reflection and meditation, or inhaled a few pages at a time for a clear and calming immersion in van Hengel's perceptions. I found this incredibly beautiful and was inspired myself to slow down and notice the abundant, if small, ever-present moments of joy available at any given moment - most often out of doors.

This book is a collection of zen poetry and zen it is indeed! It is so calming and relaxing and every short verse brought a smile to my face.
I am not a follower of Buddhism (or any religion really) but this book drove me to search for more books with similar poetry. It was a truly meditating experience.
It poems are divided into seasons and every short verse brings every aspect of that season to life one-by-one. It isn’t the kind of poetry you read once, it’s the kind you read again and again in silence and drink it till the last drop.
I loved it! It left me craving for more of it.