peace is every breath: a practice for our busy lives

apracticeforourbusylives

peaceiseverybreath

THICHNHATHANHcalligraphybythichnhathanh

Wakingupthismorning,Ismile.

Twenty-fourbrand-newhoursarebeforeme.

Ivowtolivefullyeachmoment

andtolookatallbeingswitheyesofcompassion.

Contents

CoverTitlePageEpigraph

introductionwakingupeachmorningrunningwater,washingyourfacebrushingyourteethshoweringandgettingdressedsittingandbreathingpreparingbreakfasteatingbreakfasthandlingnegativehabitsbreakingoutoftheprisonofthepastwalkingmeditationtakingrefugebloomingasaflower,freshasthedewsolidasamountainwaterreflectingridingoutthestormhavingspaceunderstandingandlovingmyfatherinme,mymotherinmeawarenessofthestoreconsciousnessinappropriateattentionthatold,familiar,muckypondappropriateattentionmindfulconsumptionshoppingforhappinessdwellinghappilyinthepresentthekingdomofgodisnow—orneverconcentratingthemindcontemplatingimpermanence

contemplatingno-selfandemptinesscontemplatingsignlessness,no-birthandno-deathcontemplatingaimlessnesscontemplatingwishlessnessboundlesslovedeep,compassionatelisteninglovingspeechtakingcareofangeryoureverybreath

gathasfordailypractice

thepathofthebuddha1.reverenceforlife2.truehappiness3.truelove4.lovingspeechanddeeplistening5.nourishmentandhealing

author’snotealsobythichnhathanhCopyrightAboutthePublisher

introduction

All of us need to have a spiritual dimension in our lives. We need spiritualpractice. If that practice is regular and solid,wewill be able to transform thefear,anger,anddespair inusandovercomethedifficultiesweallencounter indailylife.Thereallygoodnewsisthatspiritualpracticecanbedoneatanytimeofthe

day; it isn’t necessary to set aside a certain period exclusively for “SpiritualPractice”withacapitalSandcapitalP.Ourspiritualpracticecanbethereatanymoment,aswecultivatetheenergyofmindfulnessandconcentration.Nomatterwhatyou’redoing,youcanchoosetodoitwithyourfullpresence,

with mindfulness and concentration; and your action becomes a spiritualpractice.Withmindfulness,youbreathein,andthereyouare,wellestablishedinthe here and the now.Breathing in, touching your full aliveness, is a spiritualpractice.Everyoneofusiscapableofbreathinginmindfully.Ibreathein,andIknowIambreathingin—that’sthepracticeofmindfulbreathing.Thepracticeofmindfulbreathingmaybeverysimple,but theeffectcanbe

great.Focusingonourin-breath,wereleasethepast,wereleasethefuture,wereleaseourprojects.Werideonthatbreathwithallourbeing.Ourmindcomesbacktoourbody,andweare truly there,alive, in thepresentmoment.Wearehome. Just one breath, in and out, can make us fully present and fully aliveagain, and then the energy of mindfulness is there in us. Mindfulness is theenergythatmakesusfullypresent,fullyaliveinthehereandthenow.Ifwegohometoourselves,andifwenoticethatourbodyiscarryingsome

tensionorpain,itismindfulnessthatletsusknowaboutit.Mindfulnessiswhatbrings us back in touch with what’s happening in the present moment in ourbody,inourfeelings,inourthinking,andalsoinourenvironment.Itenablesustobe fullypresent in thehere and thenow,mindandbody together, awareofwhat’s going on inside us and around us. And when we are very mindful ofsomething,weareconcentratedonit.Mindfulnessandconcentrationarethecoreenergiesofspiritualpractice.We

candrinkourteainmindfulness,makeourbreakfastinmindfulness,andtakeashowerinmindfulness,andallofthatbecomesourspiritualpractice,andgivesusthestrengthtohandlethemanydifficultiesthatcanariseinourdailylifeand

inoursociety.Whereveryouare,simplybecomingawareofyourbodyandwhateverstateof

relaxation, tension, or pain (or even all of them at once, in different areas) isthere, you already are realizing some understanding, some awakening, someawareness—someenlightenment.Andwhenyouknow there’s some tensionorpaininyourbody,youmayliketodosomethingtohelprelieveit.Wecansaytoourselvesaswebreatheinandout:“Breathingin,Iamawareofsometensionorpain in my body; breathing out, I allow the tension and pain in my body torelease.”Thisisthepracticeofmindfulnessofthebody.So spiritual practice is possible for all of us.You cannot say, “I’m just too

busy,Ihavenotimeformeditation.”No.Walkingfromonebuildingtoanother,walking from the parking lot to your office, you can always enjoy walkingmindfully,andenjoyeveryoneofyoursteps.Eachstepyoutakeinmindfulnesscan help you release the tension in your body, release the tension in yourfeelings,andbringabouthealing,joy,andtransformation.

You have lots ofwork to do, and you like doing it. It’s interesting, and youenjoybeingproductive.Butworking toomuch, takingcareofsomany things,tiresyouout.Youwanttopracticemeditation,soyoucanbemorerelaxedandhavemorepeace,happiness,andjoyinyourlife.Butyoudon’thavethetimefordailymeditationpractice.It’sadilemma—whatcanyoudo?Thisbookisyouranswer.

wakingupeachmorning

The moment you wake up, right away, you can smile. That’s a smile ofenlightenment.Youareaware thatanewday isbeginning, that life isofferingyou twenty-four brand-new hours to live, and that that’s themost precious ofgifts.Youcanrecitethefollowingpoemtoyourself,eithersilentlyoroutloud:Wakingupthismorning,Ismile:Twenty-fourbrand-newhoursarebeforeme.Ivowtoliveeachmomentfullyandtolookatallbeingswitheyesofcompassion.

Youmayliketosaytheverseasyouliethereinyourbed,withyourarmsandlegscomfortablyrelaxed.Breathingin,yousaythefirstline;breathingout,yousaythesecond.Withyournextin-breath,yourecitethethird;andbreathingout,thefourth.Thenwithasmileonyourfaceyousitup,slideyourfeetintoyourslippers,andwalktothebathroom.

runningwater,washingyourface

Youcanbeintouchwithalotofhappinessduringthetimeyou’rewashingyourface, brushing your teeth, combing your hair, shaving, and showering, if youknowhowtoshinethelightofawarenessontoeachthingyoudo.Forexample,whenyouturnonthetap,youcanenjoybeingintouchwiththewaterrunningoutof thefaucetandalsowithwhere thewater’scomingfrom.Youcanrecitethefollowingpoem:

Waterflowsfromhighmountainsources.WaterrunsdeepintheEarth.Miraculously,watercomestous.Iamfilledwithgratitude.

Thisversehelpsyou tobeawareof thewhole journeyof thatwater,all theway from the source to your bathroom sink. That ismeditation.You also seehowfortunateyouaretohavewaterflowingeasilyforyouwithjustthetwistofaknob.Thisawarenessbringsyouhappiness.That’smindfulness.Mindfulness is attention; it’s the capacity to recognizewhat’s happening in

eachmoment.What’shappeninghereis,youareturningonthetapandthewaterisflowingoutforyou.InPlumVillage,inFrance,ourwatersupplyoccasionallygetscutoff.Everytimethathappens,we’reremindedthatit’sahardshipwhenwedon’thavewater,andahappinesswhenwedo.Wecanrecognizehappinessonlywhenwerememberthetimesofsuffering!I always like to turn the water on slowly; cup the fresh, cool water inmy

hands;andsplashitonmyeyes.HereinFrance,inwintertimethewaterisreallycold. Feeling the cold water on my fingers, my eyes, and my cheeks is sorefreshing.Pleasebepresentsoyoucanreallygetthatsensation.Letitwakeyouup.Delight in it.Youarehappy,becauseyouknowhowto treasure thegiftofwaterandhowtonourishyourowngratitude.It’sthesamewithpouringwaterintothebasintowashyourface.Beawareof

every movement; don’t go off thinking about lots of other things. The mostimportantthingforyoutodointhismomentistoexperiencejoyineachofyourmovements.Don’thurrytofinishandgodosomethingelse.Thatismeditation!

Meditation isofferingyourgenuinepresence toyourself ineverymoment. It’sthecapacitytorecognizeclearlythateverymomentisagiftoflife,agiftfromtheEarthandsky.InZen,thisisknownasthe“joyofmeditation.”

brushingyourteeth

Here’sachallengeforyou.You’regoingtospendonetotwominutesbrushingyourteeth.Howcanyoudoitsothatyoureallyhavehappinessthroughoutthatbriefcoupleofminutes?Don’trush.Don’ttrytobrushyourteethasquicklyaspossibleandbedonewithit.Focusallyourattentiononyourbrushing.Youhavethetimetobrushyourteeth.Youhaveatoothbrush,toothpaste,and

teeth to brush. I’m eighty-four years old, and every time I brush my teeth, Ialwaysfeelhappy—youknow,atmyage,stillhavingalltheseteethtobrushisawonderfulthing!Sothechallengeistobrushyourteethinsuchawaythatyouhavethateaseandhappinessduringthewholeonetotwominutesofbrushing.Ifyoucandothat,youhavesucceeded;you’remeditatingrightthere.Here’sapoemyoucanenjoywhilebrushingyourteeth:

Brushingmyteethandrinsingmymouth,Ivowtospeakpurelyandlovingly.Whenmymouthisfragrantwithrightspeech,aflowerbloomsinthegardenofmyheart.

The verses are meant to help us to bring our awareness back to what’shappeninginthepresentmoment.Wedon’tgetcaughtinrecitingthelines;ifwealready have mindfulness and concentration, if we really know how to dwellpeacefully in the presentmoment already,wemay be just as happy not usingthematall.

showeringandgettingdressed

While showering, shaving, combing our hair, and getting dressed, we canpracticejustaswhenwebrushourteeth.Wegiveallourattentiontowhatwe’redoing.Wedoitinalightandleisurelymanner,forourownhappiness;andweknow that in thatmoment,washing, shaving, or combing our hair is themostimportantthingwehavetodoinlife.Don’tlethabitualthinkingcarryyouofftoeventsofthepastorthefuture,ortrapyouinworries,sorrow,oranger.Simplypracticemindfulnesslikethis,andinthreedaysyouwillseeprogress;

it’sjustlikewhenyoupracticeanything—playingamusicalinstrument,singing,orplayingping-pong.Practicelivingeverymomentofyourdailylifedeeplyandinfreedom.Ifthat’swhatyoureallywant,thenwhatyouneedtodoisletgoofpursuingthepast,thefuture,andallyourworries,andcomebacktothepresentmoment.

sittingandbreathing

Somepeoplepracticesittingmeditationforhalfanhour, forty-fiveminutes,orlonger.HereIonlyaskyoutositfortwoorthreeminutes.Afterthat,ifyoufindyoursittingmeditationistooenjoyabletostop,youcanjustcontinueforaslongasyoulike.Ifyouhaveanaltarinyourhome,youmayliketositnearit.Ifnot,sitinany

suitablespot,suchasinfrontofawindowlookingoutside.Sitonacushionwithyour legs comfortably crossed in front of you and your knees resting on theground;thisgivesyouaverystablepositionwiththreepointsofsupport(yourseatonthecushionandyourtwoknees).Sittingsolidly,atease,youcansitforalong time without your legs going numb. You may want to experiment withcushions of differentwidths and heights until you find the one that best suitsyourbody.Ifyoulike,youcanburnastickofincenseforasacredatmosphere.Holdthe

incenseinyourhandsserenely,andconcentrateyourentirebeingonlightingtheincense andplacing it into theholder.Light the incensewithmindfulness andconcentration.Yourwholeselfisthere,fullypresent,asyoulighttheincense.Sittingdown,allowyourbackandnecktobeinastraightline,butnotrigidor

tense.Focusyourattentiononthebreathasitflowsinto,andthenoutof,yourbellyandchest.

Breathingin,Ifeelmybreathcomingintomybellyandchest.Breathingout,Ifeelmybreathflowingoutofmybellyandchest.Breathingin,Iamawareofmyentirebody.Breathingout,Ismiletomyentirebody.Breathingin,I’mawareofsomepainsortensionsinmybody.Breathingout,Ireleaseallthepainsandtensionsinmybody.Breathingin,Ifeelwell.Breathingout,Ifeelatease.

Youcanpracticewith thisversemany times throughout theday, atworkoranytime,tobringbackafeelingofspaciousness,relaxation,andrefreshment.

preparingbreakfast

Preparingbreakfastisalsoameditationpractice!Boilingwater;makingacupofteaorcoffee; fixingabowlofoatmeal; toastingbread;cuttingupfruit;settingthe table—all these actions can be donewithmindfulness. Doing things withmindfulness means you perform each action with clear awareness of what’shappeningandofwhatyou’redoinginthepresentmoment,andyoufeelhappyas you do it.Mindfulness is the capacity to shine the light of awareness ontowhat’sgoingonhereandnow.Mindfulnessistheheartofmeditationpractice.Whenyoupreparea cupof tea,youare fullyaware thatyou’repreparinga

cupof tea.Not thinkingbackover thepast,not thinkingahead into thefuture,yourmindisdwellingfullyintheactionofmakingthetea:youaremindful.Mindfulnesshelpsuslivedeeplyeverymomentofourdailylife.Weallhave

the capacity to bemindful, but thosewho know how to practice it develop amuch more powerful energy of mindfulness and a greater capacity to dwellpeacefullyinthepresent.Youcanmake the timeofmakingbreakfastameditation,veryenjoyable. If

anotherfamilymemberorhousemateisalreadyinthekitchenstartingtopreparebreakfast,youcangoinandhelp.Workingtogetherinmindfulness,practicingtoliveinthepresentmoment,youturnthetimeofbreakfastmakingintoajoy.

eatingbreakfast

Let breakfast be a time of relaxed and quiet happiness. Don’t read thenewspaper; don’t turn on the television; don’t listen to the radio. Sit upbeautifully,andlookat thefoodonthetable.Lookateachpersonsittingtherewithyou,breathe,andsmileasyouacknowledgeandappreciatethem.Youcan say a fewwords to thepeople at the tablewithyou.For example:

“It’sgreattohaveyousittinghereatbreakfastwithme,Mom!”or,“Theweatherisbeautiful today,Dad,soremember togooutsideandlie in thehammockforme,”or,“Sweetheart,I’mgoingtofinishworkalittleearliertoday,soIcanbeheretohelpyoufixdinner.”Thesekindsofcommentsacknowledgethepreciouspresence of the people you love; they are a practice of mindfulness. Withmindfulness, thewholeexchangeduringbreakfast timecanhelpyouandyourlovedonestorecognizeandcherishthemanyconditionsofhappinessthatyoudohave.Afterbreakfast,cleaningthetableandwashingyourbowlcanbeajoybeforeyoumoveintotherestofyourday.

handlingnegativehabits

Wehavenegativementalhabits thatcomeupoverandoveragain.Oneof themost significant negative habits we should be aware of is that of constantlyallowing our mind to run off into the future. Perhaps we got this from ourparents.Carriedawaybyourworries,we’reunabletolivefullyandhappilyinthepresent.Deepdown,webelievewecan’treallybehappyjustyet—thatwestillhaveafewmoreboxestobecheckedoffbeforewecanreallyenjoylife.Wespeculate, dream, strategize, and plan for these “conditions of happiness” wewanttohaveinthefuture;andwecontinuallychaseafterthatfuture,evenwhilewesleep.Wemayhavemanyfearsaboutthefuturebecausewedon’tknowhowit’s going to turn out, and these worries and anxieties keep us from enjoyingbeingherenow.Yourmeditationpracticehere is tobringyourmindback to thepresent and

justrecognizethehabiteverytimeitpullsyouaway.Youonlyneedtobreathemindfullyandsmiletoyourhabitenergy:“Oh,Igotpulledawaybythatagain.”Whenyoucanrecognizehabitenergiesthisway,theylosetheirholdonyou,andyou’refreeonceagaintolivepeacefullyandhappilyinthepresent.

When you first start to practice, you’ll catch yourself following this habitmany timesaday.Dwellinghappily in thepresent is anotherkindofhabit—agood habit. It takes a little training to acquire a new, positive habit. Whilebrushingyourteeth,washingyourhair,gettingdressed,walking,driving,andsoon,putyourfullattentionintowhatyou’redoing,andfindthepeaceandjoyinthatverymoment.Whenyoupractice consciousbreathing,youhaveagreaterabilitytorecognizeyourhabit,andeverytimeyoudo,itspowertopullyououtof the moment diminishes. It’s the beginning of your liberation, your truefreedom,yourrealhappiness.Thismeditation practice is known as “simple (or bare) recognition.” “Dear

habitenergyofmine,Iseeyou;Iknowyouaremanifesting.”Youdon’tneedtodobattlewithit,andyoudon’tneedtosuppressit;youonlyneedtorecognizeit.Mindfulness is the energy that can recognizewhatever is occurring, includingyourownnegativehabitenergiescomingup.

breakingoutoftheprisonofthepast

Somepeopleareconsumedwith thoughtsandmemories fromtheirpast.Theirmourning, regretting, rehashing, and begrudging doom them to lifeimprisonmentintheirpainfulpast.Theycannotlivethepresentmoment,asfreepersons.Therealityisthatthepastisgone;allthat’sleftofitnowisimpressionsor images lingering in thedepthsofourconsciousness.Yet these images fromthepastcontinuetohauntus,blockus,andotherwiseinfluenceourbehaviorinthepresent,causingustosayanddothingswedon’treallywant.Weloseallourfreedom.Mindfulbreathingletsusseeclearlythattheabuse,threats,andpainwehad

toendureinthepastarenothappeningtousnow,andwecanabidesafelyherein the present. Breathingmindfully, we know the events playing out in thesemental movies are not real, and simply remembering that fact removes theirpowertopushusaround.It’slikewhenyou’reflyinginanairplane.Wheneversevereturbulencecomes

along, the seatbelt keeps you from getting thrown around the cabin.Mindfulbreathingisyourseatbeltineverydaylife—itkeepsyousafehereinthepresentmoment.Ifyouknowhowtobreathe,howtositcalmlyandquietly,howtodowalkingmeditation,thenyouhaveyourseatbeltandyou’realwayssafe.You’refree to be here, in touchwith life, notmanipulated by the ghouls of sufferingfromeventsthatareoveranddone.If in thepastyouwerebrutalized, abused,orotherwisemade to suffer, you

shouldknowtheway topracticesoyoucansee thatalthough those thingsdidhappen,nowyouaresafe;you’renot inanydangeranymore.Recognizing theghostsof thepastforwhat theyare,youcantell themdirectly that they’renotreal,andliberateyourselffromtheprisonofthepast.Ifyoupracticebreathing,walking,sitting,andworkinginmindfulnessforafewweeks,youwillsucceedatthis,andthoseoldtraumaswon’tdragyoudownanymore.

walkingmeditation

Walking meditation is a wonderful practice that helps us be present for eachmoment.Everystepmadeinawarenesshelpsusgetintouchwiththewondersof life that are here, available to us right now.You can coordinate your stepswith your breathing as you walk very normally along a sidewalk, a trainplatform,orariverbank—whereveryouare.Asyoubreathein,youcantakeastepandcontemplate,“Ihavearrived;Iamhome.”“Ihavearrived”meansIamalreadywhereIwanttobe—withlifeitself—and

Idon’tneedtorushanywhere,Idon’thavetogolookingforanythingmore.“Iam home”means I’ve come back to my true home, which is life here in thepresentmoment.Only this presentmoment is real; the past and the future areonlyghoststhatcandragusintoregrets,suffering,worries,andfear.Ifeachofyourstepsbringsyoubacktothepresent,thosephantomshavenomorepoweroveryou.Breathingout,youmayliketotakethreestepsandcontinuetosaytoyourself,

“I have arrived; I am home.” You have arrived at your true home and thewondersoflifethatarethereforyou;youdon’tneedtowanderaroundlookingforsomethingmore.Youstoprunning.InZen,thisiscalledsamathameditation,whichmeans“stopping.”Whenyoucanstop,yourparents,yourgrandparents,andallyourancestorsinyoualsocanstop.Whenyoucantakeastepasafreeperson,allyourancestorspresentineverycellofyourbodyarealsowalkinginfreedom.Ifyoucanstoprunningandtakeallyourstepsfreelylikethat,youareexpressing themost real and concrete love, faithfulness, and devotion to yourparentsandallyourancestors.

Ihavearrived,Iamhomeinthehere,inthenow.Iamsolid,Iamfree.IntheultimateIdwell.

This meditation verse helps you be able to dwell solidly in the presentmoment.Holdfasttothesewords,andyou’llbeabletoestablishyourpresencesolidlyinthepresent,justaswhenyouholdontoarailingwhileclimbingstairs,

youneverfall.

“Inthehere,inthenow”istheaddressoflife.It’stheplacewecomebackto—ourtruehome—wherewefeelpeaceful,safe,andhappy,theplacewherewecan be in touch with our ancestors, our friends, our descendants. Meditationpracticeisforustokeepcomingbacktothatplace.Eachstepbringsusbacktolifeinthepresentmoment.Please try practicing slowwalkingmeditation and see for yourself. As you

breathein,takeastepandsay,“Ihavearrived.”Wehavetoinvest100percentofourbodyandourmindinourbreathingandourstep,tobeabletosaywehavearrivedandwearehome.Ifyourmindfulnessandconcentrationaresolid,youcanarrive100percentandbecompletelyathomewhereveryouare.Ifyouhavenotyetreallycomebackhome100percenttothehereandnow,

thendon’ttakeanotherstep!Juststayrightthereandbreatheuntilyoucanstopthewandering of yourmind, until you really have arrived 100 percent in thepresentmoment.Thenyoucansmileasmileofvictory,and takeanotherstep,withthephrase“Iamhome.”Solid steps such as these are like impressions of the royal seal on a king’s

decree. Your foot is imprinting, “I have arrived; I am home” on the Earth.Walkinglike thisgenerates theenergiesofsolidityandfreedom.Itputsyouintouchwiththewondersoflife.Youarenourished;youarehealed.Iknowpeople

whohavebeenabletohealanumberofillnessesjustthroughpracticingwalkingmeditationwholeheartedly.“Iamsolid;Iamfree”meansyou’renotbeingpulledbackbyghostsfromthe

pastandyou’renotbeingdraggedintothefuture;youarethemasterofyourself.Tosaythesewordsisnotautosuggestionorwishfulthinking.Whenyou’reabletodwellinthepresent,youtrulydohavesolidityandfreedom.You’refreefromthepastandthefuture,notrushingaroundlikesomeonepossessed.Solidityandfreedomarethefoundationofrealhappiness.

takingrefuge

TheBuddhataughtthatthere’saverysafeplacewecancomebackto,nomatterwherewe are and anytimewewant. That place is the island of our true self.Withinourselvesthereisasafeislandwecancomebackto,wherethestormsoflife cannot shake us. One of the Buddha’s most widely quoted phrases isattadipasaranam,whichmeanstakingrefuge(saranam)intheisland(dipa)ofself(atta).Whenyoucomebacktoyourmindfulbreathing,youcomebacktoyourself,

andyoutouchthesafeislandinsideofyou.Inthatplaceyoufindyourancestors,your true home, and theThree Jewels. TheThree Jewels are theBuddha (theteacherwhoshowsusthewayinlife—itcanbeJesus,Muhammad,orwhoeveryouconsidertobeyourguidinglight),theDharma(theteachingsandthewaytounderstanding and love), and the Sangha (our spiritual community of friendswhosupportusonourpath).Breathingmindfully,youarealreadyfindingarefugeinyourbreath,andyou

becomeawareofwhat’sgoingoninyourbody,yourfeelings,yourperceptions,yourmentalformations,andyourconsciousness.InBuddhism,theseareknownas the five skandhas (“aggregates”), or elements, thatmakeupwhatwecall aperson.Mindfulbreathingbringsallthedifferentaspectsofyourselfbacktogetheras

one. As you breathe, your body, your feelings, your perceptions, mentalformations,andconsciousnessallconnectwiththatbreathing,justasifyouweretoliftyourvoiceinsongandeveryoneinyourfamilywouldstoptheirchatteringandlisten!Thebreathcalmsandunifiesyourbodyandmindandharmonizesthefive skandhas of your person. In that moment, the island of your true self ismanifestingasasafespaceforallfiveskandhas.Thefullpoemforthispracticeishere.InPlumVillage,wehaveputthispoem

tomusicandweenjoyrecitingitasasong:Beinganislanduntomyself,Buddhaismymindfulness,shiningnear,shiningfar.Dharmaismybreathing,guardingbodyandmind.Iamfree.Asanislanduntomyself,Sanghaismyfiveskandhasworkinginharmony.Takingrefugeinmyself,comingbacktomyself,Iamfree.

Breathingin,breathingout,Iambloomingasaflower,Iamfreshasthedew.Iamsolidasamountain,IamfirmastheEarth.Iamfree.Breathingin,breathingout,Iamwaterreflectingwhatisreal,whatistrue;AndIfeelthereisspacedeepinsideofme.

Iamfree.

Youcanpracticewith thisverse in timesofdifficultyanddanger,whenyouneed to keepyour cool to knowwhat to do andwhat not to do.For instance,supposeyou’resitting inanairplane,andsuddenlyyouhearanannouncementthattheplaneisbeinghijacked.Ratherthanpanickinganddoingthingsthatmaymakethesituationevenmoredangerous,youcomebacktoyourbreathingandstarttopracticethefirstlineofthispoem.Thepresenceofmindfulness is thepresenceof theBuddha illuminating the

situation,soyoucanknowwhattodoandwhatnottodo.Mindfulbreathingisthe presence of the Dharma, guarding your body and your mind. Your fiveskandhas are taking refuge in the Buddha and the Dharma, receiving theirprotection,and representing theSangha, serene,atpeace,harmonized intoonerealitybyyourbreath.WiththeBuddha,theDharma,andtheSanghaprotectingyou, you have nothingmore to fear. In this calm and focused state, you willknowwhatactionstotakeinordertostabilizethesituation.Inmoreordinarymoments,practicingwith thispoem increasesour solidity,

peace,andhappiness.ThisistheconcretepracticeoftakingrefugeintheThreeJewels, because when we practice, the energies of the Buddha, Dharma, andSangha are genuinely there for us.There can be no greater security than that.Evenfacingdeath,wecandiepeacefully.

bloomingasaflower,freshasthedew

Tobehappyweneedtohaveacertainamountoffreshness.Ourfreshnesscanmakeothershappyaswell.Wereallyareflowersinthegardenofhumanity.Weonlyneedtolookatachildplayingorsleeping,andwecanseeheisaflower.Hisfaceisaflower;hishandisaflower;hisfoot,hislipsareflowers.Wetooareflowers, just likehim;butperhapswe’veallowedourselves togetweigheddownbylife’shardshipsandlostmuchofourfreshness.Thesixteenth-centuryVietnamesesageNguyenBinhwrote:

Nomorecrying,nomorecomplaining,Thisisthelastbroodingpoem.Whenyouquitcomplaining,yoursoulwillberefreshed.Whenyoustopcrying,youreyeswillbeclearagain.

Pleasebreathein,relaxyourbody,andgiveyourselfasmile!Theworrylineson your face soften, and the smile on your lips brings your flowerness backagain. Sculptors across the centuries have striven to portray a fresh smile ofgentlecompassiononthefacesoftheirBuddhastatues.On your own face are dozens ofmuscles, and every time you getworried,

upset,orangry,thosemusclescancontortortenseup;otherpeopleseethatandmaybe scared off.Breathing in, you can bring a nonjudgmental awareness tothose tensions,andbreathingout,youcanrelax thema littlebitandsmile.Asyoucontinue,thetensionswilldissolveintheebbandflowofyourbreath,andyou’llbeabletorestorethefreshnessofthehumanflowerthatisalwaysthere,available,withinyou.Calming,relaxing,andrefreshing:thesearethepracticesof“stopping”inZenmeditation.

Breathingin,Iseemyselfasaflower.Breathingout,Ifeelfresh.

solidasamountain

Wecan’thavepeaceandhappinesswithoutsomestability.Whenourbodyandmindareunstable,wegetrestlessandagitated,andotherpeopledon’tfeeltheycan take refuge in us or rely on us. So the practice of bringing stability andsoliditytobodyandmindisessential.Breathingmindfully,sittingcalmly,youcanreestablishsolidityinside.When

you sit in either the full-lotus or half-lotus position, your body andmind arestable,especiallyasyoureunifyyourfiveskandhasthroughconsciousbreathing.(The five skandhas, once again, are the body, feelings, perceptions, mentalformations,andconsciousness.)Ifyoucankeepyourattentionfocusedonyourbreathing,youhaveafirmfoundationforrecognizingeverythingthat’sgoingoninside, and for accepting and embracing it. Using your intelligence and yourcompassion,you’llbeable tofindyourwayoutofanydifficulty thatarises indailylife.Thisgivesyougreaterconfidenceinyourowncapability,makingyouevenmoresolid.

Breathingin,Iseemyselfasamountain.Breathingout,Ifeelstableandsolid.

Practicing to come back and take refuge in the island within helps yougenerate greater stability. You have a spiritual path, and you know you’rewalkingit,soyouhavenothingmoretofear—andthishelpsyoubeevenmoresolid.Yourpathisthepathofdevelopingmindfulness,concentration,andinsight—thepathoftheFiveMindfulnessTrainings.Thesefivetrainings,orprecepts,guide us toward protecting life, sharing with those in need, refraining fromengaging in unwholesome sexual activities, listening deeply and using loving

speech, and consuming mindfully with compassion for body and mind (seeAppendix).

waterreflecting

The image of a reflecting pool ofwater represents a tranquilmind.When themindisnotdisturbedbymentalformationslikeanger,jealousy,fear,orworries,it is calm.Visualize a clear alpine lake reflecting the clouds, the sky, and themountains around it so perfectly that, if you were to photograph its surface,anyonewould think you had taken a photo of the landscape itself.When ourmindiscalm,itreflectsrealityaccurately,withoutdistortion.Breathing,sitting,andwalkingwithmindfulnesscalmsdisturbingmentalformationssuchasanger,fear,anddespair,allowingustoseerealitymoreclearly.In the Sutra on the Full Awareness of Breathing, one of the exercises

recommendedbytheBuddhaiscalled“calmingmentalformations.”Inthiscase“mentalformations”specificallymeansnegativestatesofmindsuchasjealousy,worry, and so on. “Breathing in, I recognize themental formations present inme.” We can call the mental formations we see by their names: “This isirritation”;“thisisanxiety”;andsoforth.Wedon’tseektosuppressthem,judgethem,orpushthemaway.Simplyrecognizingtheirpresenceissufficient.Thisisthepracticeofbarerecognition;wedon’thangontoanythingpassingthroughourmind,andwedon’ttrytogetridofit,either.“Breathingout, I calm thesemental formations.”Breathingmindfullyaswe

recognizeandembracethementalformations,we’reabletogivethemachancetocalmdown.This is similar to theexercisepresentedearlier in thisbook forcalmingthebody,i.e.,releasingthetensionsandpainthatarethereinthebody,which also was taught by the Buddha in the Sutra on the Full Awareness ofBreathing.Youareameditationpractitioner,whichmeansyouactuallypracticelooking

deeplyandcontemplating,andnot just learningaboutZenasan intellectualortheoretical object of study. So you should train yourself to calm disturbingmentalformationsandemotionswhentheymanifest.Onlyinthiswaywillyoube able to master your body and mind and avoid creating conflicts withinyourselfandwithyourlovedonesandothers.

ridingoutthestorm

Someyoungpeopleareunabletocopewiththestormsofemotionthatriseupinthem, like rage, depression, despair, and so forth, and they want to killthemselves. They’re convinced that suicide is the only way to stop theirsuffering. In the United States, approximately 9500 young people commitsuicide every year, and the rate is even higher in Japan. It seems no one isteachingthemthewaytohandletheirstrongemotions.Ifwecanshowthemthewaytocalmdownandfreethemselvesfromthegrip

ofsuicidalthinking,they’llhaveachancetocomebackandembracelifeagain;butweneedtogetthepracticedownforourselvesbeforewetrytoshowothers.We don’t wait until we’re overwhelmed by some emotion to start practicing.Startnow,sothatthenexttimeawaveofemotioncomesup,you’llknowhowtotakecareofit.Firstofall,youneedtoknowthatanemotionisonlythat—anemotion—even

thoughitmaybeabig,strongone.Youaresomuchbigger,somuchmorethanthis emotion. Our person—the territory of our five skandhas (body, feelings,perceptions,mentalformations,andconsciousness)—isimmense.Emotionsarebut one category of themany differentmental formationswe can have. Theycome,theystayforawhile,andthentheygo.Whyshouldwehavetodieforanemotion?Look at strong emotions as a kind of storm. If we know weatherproofing

techniques,wecancomeoutofitintact.Astormmaylastanhour,severalhours,oraday.Ifwemasterthewaysofcalmingandsteadyingourmind,wecanpassthroughthestormsofemotionwithrelativeease.Sittinginthelotuspositionorlyingdownonyourback,beginbreathinginto

yourbelly.Keepyourmindentirelyonthebellyasitriseswitheveryin-breathandfallswitheachout-breath.Breathedeeply,maintainingfullattentiononyourabdomen.Don’tthink.Stopallyourruminating,andjustfocusonthebreathing.When trees get hit by a storm, the treetops are thrashed around and run thehighestriskofbeingdamaged.Thetrunkofatreeismorestableandsolid;ithasmanyroots reachingdeep into theEarth.The treetopsare likeyourownhead,yourthinkingmind.When a storm comes up in you, get out of the treetop and go down to the

trunk for safety. Your roots start down at your abdomen, slightly below the

navel,attheenergypointknownasthetantieninChinesemedicine.Putallyourattention on that part of your belly, and breathe deeply. Don’t think aboutanything,andyou’llbesafewhilethestormofemotionsisblowing.Practicethiseverydayfor justfiveminutes,andafter threeweeks,you’llbeabletohandleyouremotionssuccessfullywhenevertheyriseup.Seeingyourself pass through a stormunharmed, yougainmore confidence.

Youcantellyourself,“Nexttime,ifthestormofemotionscomesback,Iwon’tbe scared or shaken, because now I know the way to overcome it.” You canteach this to kids aswell, so they too can enjoy the sense of safety that bellybreathingcangivethem.Takethehandofyourchild,andtellhertobreathewithyou,puttingallherattentiononherabdomen.Thoughshemaybeonlyachild,shecanhaveverystrongemotions,andshecanlearntobreatheherwaythroughthem.Atfirst,shewillneedyourassistance,butlateronshe’llbeabletodoitherself. Ifyou’reaschoolteacher,youcanteachabdominalbreathingtoall thestudents in your class. If at least some of your students use the practice, thenlater,when thewhirlwind of strong emotion starts churning inside them, theywon’tbedriventocommitsuicide;andyouwillhavesavedlives.Practicinginthesittingpositionisbest,butyoucanalsopracticewhilelying

down.Ifyou’repracticingwhilelyingdown,youmayliketoplaceahot-waterbottleonyourabdomenasanaddedsourceofcomfort.

havingspace

Spacerepresentsfreedomandease.Withoutfreedom,howcanwebehappy?So:Whathasmadeyouloseyourfreedom?Gettingcaughtupinworries,overwork,jealousy...?Maybe you believe that being successful in attaining power, wealth, and

recognition is what will make you happy. But if you pause to examine thatnotion, you’ll see there are people who have plenty of money, fame, andinfluence,butstillaren’thappy.Why?Becausetheydon’thaverealfreedom.Youhavemanythingstodo,andyouwanttosucceedineveryarea.There’s

nothingwrongwith that. But you should arrange your life so that your worktrulybringsyouhappinesseachday.Don’t loseyourself inworkand let itgetyouworried,irritated,ordown.Workinfreedom.Youshouldstillhaveenoughtimeforyourselfandforthepeopleclosetoyou.Youshouldhavetimetolove.By“love”hereI’mnottalkingabouttheexcitationofsensualdesire;I’mtalkingabouthavingthetimetocareforothers,todothingsthatmakethemhappyandhelprelievetheirsuffering.The most precious gift you can offer to the people you love is a sense of

spaciousness—spacearound,andspaceinside.Don’tgetcarriedawayfromreallife by busyness, troubles, and disappointments. Know how to shake off theworriesandlivejoyfully.Thisisanart.Practicetoletgoofunimportantthingsthatdon’tbringanyhappiness.Whenyoucanletgo,youhavemorespace.Imagineafellowwhogoestoafleamarket,seesabargain,andbringsithome

eventhoughhedoesn’tneedit.Heseesalowprice,andhejustbuys.Inafewweeks his house is so filled with all this stuff, he can hardly get in or out.Anytime he tries to move around the place, he bumps into another item hebroughthomefromthemarket.Hehasnomorespacetolive.Thesameistrueofourmind.Ifwehavetoomanyworries,fears,anddoubts,wehavenoroomforlivingandloving.Weneedtopracticelettinggo.

Breathingin,Iseemyselfasspace.Breathingout,Ifeelfree.

Buddhism teaches that joy and happiness arise from letting go. Please sit

downandtakeaninventoryofyourlife.Therearethingsyou’vebeenhangingon to that really are not useful and deprive you of your freedom. Find thecourage to let them go. An overloaded boat is easily capsized by wind andwaves.Lightenyourload,andyourboatwilltravelmorequicklyandsafely.Youcanofferthepreciousgiftoffreedomandspacetoyourlovedones,butonlyifitistrulythereinyourownheart.

understandingandloving

The practice method known as contemplating with loving-kindness andcompassion can bring great ease and happiness. Loving-kindness is bringinghappinesstootherpersons;compassionmeansrelievingtheirsuffering.Thekeythat opens the door to loving-kindness and compassion is our capacity tounderstandourownsufferinganddifficulties,andthesufferinganddifficultiesofothers.Ifwecanseeandunderstandourownsuffering,thenweeasilycanseeandunderstandthedifficultiesoftheotherperson,andviceversa.This is the practice of looking deeply into the first and second of the Four

Noble Truths, the four sacred and wonderful truths of Buddhism. The FourNobleTruthsare: first, there is suffering; second, there isapathora seriesofconditions that has produced the suffering; third, suffering can be ended—happiness is always possible; and fourth, there is a path that leads to thecessation of suffering, to happiness. Recognizing and acknowledging ourdifficulties(thefirstNobleTruth),thenlookingdeeplyintothemandtheirrootcauses(thesecondtruth),weareabletoseethewayout,thepathofliberation(thefourthtruth);thetransformationandcessationofsufferingaccomplishedbytakingthatpathisthethirdNobleTruth.Here’s an example of how the practice works. A father is making his son

suffer. The father doesn’t see that he’s causing suffering to his son, and tohimselfaswell.Hereallybelieves that thewayhe’s treatinghisson is for thebest.Inreality,itisnotso.Therealityisthatthefatherhasalotofdifficultiesandhurts,buthehasyetto

seethem(thefirstNobleTruth:theacknowledgmentofsuffering)andlookintotheir rootcauses (thesecondNobleTruth: thepath that leads tosuffering).Hedoesn’tknowhowtodealwithhisownsuffering,hemakeshissonsuffer,andhebelieveshissonistheonecausingalltheunhappiness.Perhapsfromaveryyoungagethefatherwassubjectedtocruelmistreatment

byhisownfather,thegrandfather.Thegrandfatherpouredoutallhisangerandsuffering on this father; and now the father is doing as the grandfather did,pouringouthisangerandpainonhisson.Thewheelofsamsaraturnsagainandagain, as the sufferinggetspasseddown fromonegeneration to thenext.Thefatherdoesn’tseethesecondNobleTruth,thesourceofhissuffering.Nowisthetimeforthesontopractice:

Breathingin,Iseemyselfasafive-year-oldchild.Breathingout,Ismiletothefive-year-oldchildstillaliveandpresentinme.Breathingin,Iseethefive-year-oldchildinmeisfragile,vulnerable,wounded.

Breathingout,Iembracethefive-year-oldchildinmewithallmyunderstandingandlove.

Thisisthefirstpartofthepractice,comingbacktoyourselftorecognizeandembracethelittlechildinsideofyou.Forsolongnow,you’vebeentoobusytodothis.Nowyoucomebacktotalkwith,listento,andembracethatchild.Thehealingprocesscanbegin.

myfatherinme,mymotherinme

When you have practiced the first part successfully, you can move on to thesecondpart:Breathingin,Iseemyfatherasafive-year-oldchild.Breathingout,Ismiletomyfather,fiveyearsold.

Perhapsyouneverhaveimaginedyourownfatherasatenderlittleboy.Thetruth is that your fatherwas once fragile and vulnerable, easily hurt, just likeeveryotherlittlechild.

Breathingin,Iseemyfather,fiveyearsold,fragile,vulnerable,wounded.Breathingout,Ilookatthiswoundedchildwithallmyunderstandingandlove.

Many people have had painful difficulties in the relationships with theirparents.Youmaynot have realizeduntil now that the five-year-old childwhobecameyour father is still here today, present in you, aswell as in him.Bothyourfatherandyourmotherhavetransmittednothinglessthantheirentireselvesto you.As amatter of fact, you and your father are not two entirely differentpeople, even though you’re not exactly one and the same person either. Thesameistrueofyouandyourmother.Thiswonderfulinsightmaybecalled“Notone,nottwo”—neitherexactlythesamenorentirelydifferent.Ifyoucanembracethefive-year-oldchildinsideoneofyou,youcanembrace

the child inside the other as well, and then the transformation of yourrelationshipcanhappenveryquickly.Ifonlyyourfatherhadhadthechancetolearn thiswhen hewas young, hewould not have caused himself and you tosuffer.Buthewasnotsofortunate;soyouhavetopractice,foryourselfandalsoforyourfather inyou.Whenyoucantransformyourfather insideofyou,youwillbeable tohelpyour fatheroutsideofyou to transformmuchmoreeasily.Practicinginthiswaywecaneffectatransformationinourselvesaswellasinourparents,andavoidrepeatingthesamemistakeswithourownchildren.Thewheelofsufferingisbroughttoastopatlast.This deep understanding of suffering and its root causes gives rise to

acceptanceandlove.Whenwecanloveandaccept,wefeelmuchbetter,andwe

alsowillbeabletohelpotherpeopletransform—anuncleoraunt,abrotherorsister,acolleagueorafriend.In you there is the seed of a mental formation called prajna, “insight.” It

means profound understanding. When profound understanding is there, thesituationchanges immediately.Prajna is, firstof all, seeingandunderstandingwhatever suffering is there, and the nature, the source, of that suffering.Practicinglookingdeeplyusingtheaboveexercises,weincreaseourcapacityfordeepinsight.Weshouldinvitethatcapacitytobepresentwithalltheactivitiesofourmind;butsometimesweforgetorwedon’treallyapplyourselvesinusingit,especially when the passions are inflamed. At that moment, we need theintervention ofmindfulness.Mindfulness is themental formation that ismostessential and needed for our practice. We should remember that mindfulnessalways brings insight. When we have insight, we very naturally are moreaccepting,forgiving,loving,andhappy.Whenwelackinsight,weveeroffinthedirectionofanger,jealousy,hatred,andsuffering.

awarenessofthestoreconsciousness

Everythingwesee,hear,think,andexperiencegetsstoredawayinthedepthsofour consciousness. TheBuddha called this our store consciousness. Our storeconsciousness—comparabletowhatWesternpsychologistscallthesubconscious—receives,processes,andretainsallkindsofdata.Ourjoys,worries,fears,andfrustrations are all retained in this great archive. It’s like the hard disk of ourmentalcomputer.Mentalformationslikeconcernsandexpectationsmaynotbeapparentormanifestingataparticularmoment,buttheyareeverpresentinthedepthsofconsciousness in theformofdormantseeds. InBuddhistpsychologythementalformationsareknownasanusaya.These seeds, thoughsleeping, arealways ready to reactivate, sproutup, and

take over your mind. They pull data out from the archive and replay pastexperiencesonthescreenofyourconsciousness,draggingyoubackthrougholdeventsanddeprivingyouofreallifeinthepresentmoment.Thingsyoureallydoseeorhear in thepresentmaybe the initial trigger,butonce thoseold storieshavebeenaccessed,haverisenupandtakencenterstageinyourmind,youlosetouchwiththethingsyouactuallyareseeingandhearing.Eventuallyyouendupliving most or all of your life inside the virtual world of your own memoryinsteadofintherealworld.Theworldinsideyourheadisfarremovedfromtheworldasitreallyis;yetyouarequiteconvincedthatyourillusoryworldistherealone.Thosefilmsfromthestoreconsciousnessareoftenreplayedinyourdreamsat

night. The dormant seeds aremany and varied, and the contents of the filmslikewisemayvary,eventhoughallcomefromthesamearchive.Indreamsyouexperience apprehension, anxiety, love, hatred, expectation, achievement,disappointment, and so on. You move about in that dream world just like innormal life, and you believe it’s all real. Then, waking up, you discover youactuallyhavebeenlyinginyourbedasleepthewholetime.Thosedreamworldsand the person moving through them are the products of your ownconsciousness,assembledfromthearchivesofyourmind.Duringthedaytime,althoughyou’rewideawake,youstillcanslipfrequently

intotheillusoryworldofthesubconscious—sometimesforjustafewseconds,sometimesforawholehour.Infact,yourarelytrulyliveintherealworld,andyourviewsoftherealworldarestronglyinfluencedbyyourstoreconsciousness.

Practicingtowalkandbreathemindfullyhelpsyoudwellmoreintherealworld,so you can get in touchwith thewonders of life in the presentmoment, andnourishandhealyourbodyandmind.

Eachstepisamiracle.Eachstepishealing.Eachstepisnourishing.Eachstepisfreedom.

inappropriateattention

There is rightmindfulness, and there iswrongmindfulness.Weknow alreadythatrightmindfulnessistheenergythatcanbringusbacktothepresentmomentinordertorecognizewhat’sgoingon.Ontheothersideiswrongmindfulness,the energy that pulls us into dwelling on the painful past, into focusing andclinging to pain, worry, suffering, craving, fear—the toxic items in the storeconsciousness.Whenyoucanseeclearlythatyou’vegottencaughtinanegativestoryfromthepast,rightmindfulnesshasalreadybeguntooperate.Ittellsyouwhat’s going on: you’re getting carried away by a story from the past. Yourawareness instantly freesyou from themirageandbringsyouback to the realworld.In dreams, the things you see, the objects of your consciousness, are only

images; they have no substance. It’s likewhen you snap a photo of your dogwithadigitalcamera.Fromthemomentyoupressthebuttononthecamera,theimageofyourdogisrecordedonthememorycard,frozenintime,whileyourrealdogcontinues to jump,play,andbark.Thepictureyoutookisn’t thedog;it’s just a recorded image. In reality your dog could have grownold and diedalready, but your image remains forever fixed and unchanging, in your storeconsciousnessjustasinyourcamera.Whenyou’reintouchwithreallife,whatyoudirectlysee,hear,andtouchis

takeninbyyoursenseorgans,formingsenseimpressions.Theseimpressionsarestillrelativelyclosetoreality,thoughtheyalsomaybecoloredsomewhatbythecontents of your store consciousness. But if you close your eyes and call theimagesbackupinyourmind,atthatpointtheywillbeexperiencedonlyaswhatwecall“mereimages.”Yoursubconsciousisfilledwithimages,andyoumayfindyourselfreturning

tosomeof themasakindofsecurityblanketorcomfortzone,even if they’repainfulmemories.It’sthesamekindofmorbiddesirethatmakespeoplewanttolistenoverandoveragaintotragicsongsofmourningoverlossandgrief.It’sahabitthatisn’thealthyorproductive.

thatold,familiar,muckypond

Somepeopleareunabletoleavetheirpainfulpastbehind, tolivefreelyandateaseamongthewondersoflifeinthepresent.Themoonandstarsareglowingbrightly, the mountains and streams are delightful, the four seasons revealthemselves tousby turns;but someneverget in touchwithanyof that.Theyfeelmorecomfortablehangingaroundthecellaroftheirpainfulmemories.Liberationmeans,firstofall,breakingoutoftheprisonofourpast.Weneed

to summon the courage to pull ourselves back up out of the rut of our old,familiarhabits andcomforts.These thingsdon’t reallybringushappiness;butwe’vegottensousedtothem,wethinkwecan’tletthemgo.Whymustwe,asthe Vietnamese expression goes, always come back to swim in the same oldpond, even though it’s mucky, simply because it’s “ours”? Why depriveourselves of the crystal clear lake, of the refreshing blue sea with a beachstretchingallthewaytoanewhorizon?Thejoysoflifearenoless“ours.”Weneedtotrainourselvesinrightmindfulness,sothatwrongmindfulnessdoesn’tkeepondraggingusbackintothepast,keepingusstuckintheslimyoldpondofsorrow,nostalgia,andregret.Weknowthemindcanhavethat“homingpigeon”tendencyofalwaysgoing

back to old, familiar haunts of pain and misery. Mindfulness—recognition—helps us drop that habit of continually reliving the past. Tell yourself, “No: Idon’twant togoback into thatagain. Idon’twant tokeep lullingmyself intomelancholy with those old songs.” As soon as we light up the lamp of rightmindfulness,wrongmindfulnessretreats.Meditationincludescultivatingawarenessofmentalformationslikeyearning,

sadness, self-pity, resentment, and so on. If we recognize and embrace thesementalformationswhentheycomeup,theynolongercancarryusaway.Theygo back down again, a little bit weaker than before, to their original state asseedsorimagesinthestoreconsciousness.

appropriateattention

Wehavesixsenseorgansthatcanbeincontactwiththeworldoutside,andwithallthe“worlds”inside.Thesixorgansareoureyes,ears,nose,tongue,body,andmind.Theseorgansarelikesensorshookeduptoacomputer.Whenyougetintouchwithanimage,asound,asmell,ataste,atouch,orathought,yourmindreceives that signal and immediately goes through material stored in thesubconscious, searching for any connection to the sensory input. Almostinstantaneously the archivedmaterial you access becomes the actual object ofyourmind,producingmentalformationssuchasworry,suffering,fear,craving,oranger.“Attention” is directing ourmind to an object of one of our six senses.We

should direct our attention only to sense objects that connect uswith archivesproducing positive mental formations such as freedom and ease, joy,brotherhood/sisterhood, happiness, forgiveness, and love.This iswhat’s called“appropriateattention.”When,ontheotherhand,wefocusonsenseobjectsthatcall up images and experiences of pain, sorrow, fear, and craving, that isinappropriateattention.Theenvironmentinwhichweliveandworkplaysaveryimportantroleinthis

practice.When we choose wholesome living and working environments (andthatincludesthethingswehear,see,smell,andtouch),theyhelpusgetintouchwith what’s beautiful and healthy in us and in the world, and we will benourished,healed,andtransformed.Weshoulddoeverythingwecantochoose—or create—wholesome environments for ourselves, our children, and ourgrandchildren.Ifyouareapoliticalleader,ifyouworkinaministryofculture,orifyouareateacheroraparent,pleasereflectonthispoint.

mindfulconsumption

Mindful consumptionmeans choosing to consume things that bringpeace andhappiness,ratherthanagitationandharm,toourbodyandmind(seethefifthofthe Five Mindfulness Trainings in the Appendix). When we look deeply, weknow how to nourish our body and mind with wholesome foods and avoidtaking inharmfulones. InBuddhism,we speakof fourkindsof food thatourbody and mind may take in: edible food, sense impressions, volition, andconsciousness.Ediblefoodisfoodthatentersthroughourmouth.Wereallyarewhatweeat!

InAsiathepeoplesay,“Illnessentersthroughthemouth.”TheFrenchsay,“Wedigourgraveswithourteeth.”It’swellknownthatalargepercentageofdeaths,whetherfromheartattack,diabetes,orotherdiseases,aredirectlyrelatedtothewayweeat.Whenweeatanddrinkmindfully,wedon’tputunhealthythingsinourbody justbecause they’re tasty,becauseweknow themomentarypleasurewill lead tobigger suffering later on.Wecan recite oneormoreof these fivecontemplationsbeforeeating:

Thisfoodisthegiftofthewholeuniverse:theEarth,thesky,numerouslivingbeings,andmuchhardwork.

Mayweeatwithmindfulnessandgratitude,soastobeworthytoreceivethisfood.

Maywerecognizeandtransformunwholesomementalformations,especiallyourgreed,andlearntoeatwithmoderation.

Maywekeepourcompassionalivebyeatinginsuchawaythatwereducethesufferingoflivingbeings,preserveourplanet,andreversetheprocessofglobalwarming.

Weacceptthisfoodsothatwemaynurtureoursisterhoodandbrotherhood,buildourcommunity,andnourishouridealofservingalllivingbeings.

At least once a week, we should remind ourselves of our desire to eatmindfullybyrecitingthesefivecontemplationsatourfamilymeal.Sense impressions are the kind of food thatwe take inwith our eyes, ears,

nose,tongue,body,andmind.Certainkindsofmusic,newspaperarticles,films,

websites, electronicgames, and even conversations can contain a lot of toxinslikecraving,violence,hatred,insecurity,fear,andsoon.Consumingthesekindsofpoisonsharmsourmindandalsoourbody.Volitionisourdeepmotivation,ourdeepestdesires;it’stheenergythatmoves

usdayandnighttodothethingswedo.Meditationincludeslookingdeeplyintothenatureofthesedeepestdesires.Ifadesireiscomingfromabeautifulideal,likeendingpoverty,hatred,anddivisionamongindividuals,groups,andnationsor promoting liberty, democracy, human rights, and social justice, that is awholesomevolitionthatcanbringhappinesstousandtotheworld.Thedesireto practice to transform afflictions in us such as violence, hatred, and despair,and generatemore love, understanding, and reconciliation, is a good desire tohave.Whenweareabletorealizesuchaspirationsinourownlife,wecanhelpotherpeopleinsocietytodothesame.Thisisawholesomekindofvolition.If,instead,we’rebeingdrivenbyanurgetopunishandtakerevengeonthose

who’ve hurt us or to destroy those we believe to be our enemies, that is aharmfulvolition.Ifourmotivationis just toget lotsandlotsofmoney,power,fame, and sex, this type of volition will also bring suffering. Our happinessdepends largely onwhat kind of volitionwe’re picking up on and acting out.Runningafterobjectsofcravingcandoalotofdamagetoourbodyandmind.Consciousness, the fourth category of food, here refers to the collective

consciousnessinwhichweliveandwhichwetherebyconsumethroughakindofosmosis.Ourconceptsofhappinessandofbeautyandourviewsonmattersofethics, morality, and manners are largely the product of the collectiveconsciousness that surrounds us. We may have cultivated good taste andbeautifulidealsinourselvesandourfamily,butwecouldlosethemifwegotoliveinaplacewhereeveryonehastastesandhabitsthataredifferentfromours.Atfirstwefeeluncomfortable,butafterawhilewebecomeaccustomedtotheideas of themajority, and in the endwe’re following the crowdwithout evenrealizingit.The widowed mother of the future philosopher Mencius woke up to this

reality one day when she saw her son pretending to do violent acts with hisfriends in the street, and she made the effort to move to a more wholesomeenvironmentforherson.Livingamongpeoplewhohavewholesomeminds,wecannourishandprotect thebestqualities inourownminds,andwithastrongcollective consciousness like that we can help to change and transform oursociety.TheSutraontheFourKindsofFood(sometimescalledtheSutraontheSon’s

Flesh)isanexcellentsutraandverymuchneededinoursocietytoday.Itshowsusthewayoutofthesicknessandsufferingofoursociety,whichisconsuming

fartoomanytoxicthings,likeviolence,hatred,anddespair.1

shoppingforhappiness

Mindfulness is themostpreciousassetwecanhave; itmakes love,happiness,andsomanyothergiftstoourselvesandtootherspossible.Butit’snotforsaleinanyshop,nomatterhowmuchmoneywe’repreparedtopayforit.Wehavetoproduceitourselves.Wecan’tjustgotothestoretobuysomemindfulnessandbringithomewith

us; but we can and do want to take our mindfulness with us when we goshopping.Wealreadyknowwewanttoconsumeonlythingsthatbringjoyandhealth toourselvesandour society, andweneed theenergyofmindfulness tokeepusontrackaswepassbyoneenticingdisplayafteranother.Mindfulnesshelps us to recognize—more andmore clearly the longerwe practice—whichthingswereallyneedandwantinourlife,andwhichthingswecandoverywellwithout.We’reabletospendfarlessmoneyon“stuff”withoutsacrificinganyofour happiness. In fact, we have more happiness, because we can take a lessstressful, more enjoyable job when we’re not under the financial pressure ofconstantly having to buy newer, bigger, and fancier houses, cars, and otherthings.So: you need to buy some things, and you don’t have lots of time to do it.

Howcanyoustaypresentandnotbeseducedbycleveradvertising?Howcanyouchooseproductsthatdon’tcompromiseyourownhealthanddon’tpromoteexploitationofhumanworkers,ofanimals,ofourplanet?Whether you’re shopping in a store or online, try not to do itwhen you’re

hungry, tired,ordistracted.Makealist inadvanceof thethingsyouneed.Theshort time it takes to do this will bemore than compensated for by the timeyou’llsavebynothavingtodebatewhethertobuyadditional thingsyoudon’tneedandmaybedon’tevenreallywant.Beforeyoucheckout,takeamomenttolookbackoverthethingsinyourbasketandaskyourselfhonestly:“DoIreallyneedthis?Willbuyingthisbringmemorehappinessthangivingthatmoneytohelprelievethesufferingofanotherlivingbeing?”

dwellinghappilyinthepresent

Breathingandwalkingwithawarenessgeneratestheenergyofmindfulness.Thisenergybringsourmindbacktoourbodysothatwe’rereallyhereinthepresentmoment,sowecanbeintouchwiththewondersoflifethatarethereinsideusand around us. If we can recognize these wonders, we have happinessimmediately.Fullyavailabletothepresentmoment,wediscoverthatwealreadyhaveenoughconditionstobehappy—morethanenough,infact.Wedon’tneedtogolookingforanythingmoreinthefutureorinsomeotherplace.That’swhatwecallabidingordwellinghappilyinthepresent.TheBuddhataughtthateveryoneofuscanlivehappilyrighthereandnow.

Whenwehavehappinessinthepresentmoment,wecanstop;wedon’tneedtorunafteranymoreobjectsofdesire.Ourmindiscalm.Whenourmindisnotyetcalm,whenit’sstillagitated,wecan’treallybehappy.Ourhappinessorlackofhappinessdependsmostlyonthestateofourmind,notonanythingexternal.It’sourownattitude,thewaywelookatthings,ourapproachtolife,thatdetermineswhetherwe’rehappyornot.Wehaveplentyofconditionstobehappyalready,sowhyshouldwehavetogosearchingformore?Weneedtostopandnotgochasingafteranotherlure—that’sthewisercourse.Otherwise,wekeeppursuingthisgoalorthatone,buteverytimeweattainit,wefindwestillaren’thappy.Onedaywhen theBuddhawasgoing to speakat theJetaGrovemonastery,

theBuddha’slaydiscipleAnathapindika,abusinessman,broughtafewhundredcolleagues with him to hear the Buddha speak. The Buddha taught them thepractice of dwelling happily in the present. Of course we can go on doingbusiness,andwecancontinuetorealizeincreasingsuccessinourcareer;butwealsoshouldcommitourselvestolivingmindfully,sowecanenjoybeinghappyrightnow, andnotmissouton thepreciousopportunities life ishandingus toloveandcareforournearanddearones.Ifwespendallourtimejustthinkingaboutourfuturesuccesses,wecompletelymissoutonlife,becauselifecanonlybefoundinthepresentmoment.

thekingdomofgodisnow—ornever

Weshouldbeabletoenjoythewondersoflifeinusandeverywherearoundus.Thewhispersofrustlingpineboughs.Flowersblooming.Thebeautifulbluesky.Fluffywhiteclouds.Thesmileofaneighbor.Eachoftheseisasmallmiracleoflifethathasthecapacitytonourishandhealus.They’rethereforusrightnow.Thequestion is: arewe there for them? Ifwe’re constantly runningaround, ifour mind is caught up in endless planning and worrying, it’s as if all thesewondersdon’tevenexist.TheKingdomofGod,thePureLandoftheBuddhaisrighthere.Weshould

practicetoenjoytheKingdomwitheverystepwetake.Weoughttoenjoyourhappiness right now, today; tomorrowmay be too late. There’s an old Frenchsong that asks, Qu’est-ce qu’on attend pour être heureux? Qu’est-ce qu’onattendpourfairelafête?(“Whatarewewaitingfortobehappy?Whywait tocelebrate?”)Meditation is the practice of living deeply eachmoment of dailylife.Todoit,weneedtobeabletogeneratemindfulnessandconcentrationwithourbreathingandoursteps.Mindfulness is being aware of what’s happening in the present moment;

concentrationismaintainingthatattention.Withmindfulnessandconcentration,we can look deeply into and understandwhat’s happening.We can pierce theveilofignorance,seeclearlythetruenatureofreality,andbeliberatedfromtheanxiety, fear, anger, and despair in us. That is insight. Mindfulness,concentration,andinsightaretheveryessenceofmeditation.

concentratingthemind

IntheSutraontheFullAwarenessofBreathing,theBuddhaofferedaseriesofsixteendeepeningexercisestopracticewithourbreathing.Theeleventhexerciseis“concentratingthemind.”Whenourmindfulnessiswellestablished,wecangodeeplyintoconcentration.Concentrationisthefocusingofthemind.Itistheenergy that helps us look really deeply into whatever we’re contemplating,whetherit’saflower,acloud,apebble,alovedone,anenemy,orafeelingsuchashopeordespair.Concentrationempowersustoseeintothetruenatureandtheoriginsoftheobjectofourcontemplation.Whenwecanreallyfocusourmind,itbecomeslikeamagnifyingglassinthesunlight,capableofburningawaymanywrongviewsthatarefuelinganger,anxiety,craving,anddespair.To help us succeed in liberating ourselves through this practice of looking

deeply, theBuddha offered as tools the contemplations on impermanence, no-self and emptiness, signlessness and no-birth/no-death, aimlessness, andwishlessness,amongothers.Wecanchooseoneortwocontemplationstobeginpracticingwith—forexample,impermanenceandno-self.

contemplatingimpermanence

Youmayhavealreadyunderstoodtheconceptofimpermanenceandaccepteditasreality,butisthattakingplaceonlyontheintellectuallevel?Inyoureverydaylife, do you still act as if things are permanent? Understanding the notion ofimpermanence is not enough to change theway you experience and live yourlife. Only the insight can truly emancipate you, and that insight cannot ariseunless you really practice looking deeply into impermanence. That meansmaintainingyourawarenessofimpermanenceallthetimeandneverlosingsightof it, in everything you do. It means concentrating on impermanence, andkeeping that concentration alive throughout the day. As the awareness ofimpermanence pervades your being, it illuminates your every act in anextraordinarynewwayandbringsyourealfreedomandhappiness.Forexample,youknow thepersonyou love is impermanent,butyougoon

actingasifthatpersonispermanent,expectingheorshewillbethereforeverinthesameform,withthesameoutlookandthesameperceptions.Meanwhile,thereality is just the opposite: that person is changing, in appearance as well asinside.Someonewho’stheretodaymightnotbetheretomorrow;someonewho’sstrongandhealthytodaymightfall ill tomorrow;someonewho’snotverynicetodaymaybecomeamuchnicerpersontomorrow;andsoon.Onlywhenwe’vetakenthisrealityfullyintoourbeing,canweliveourlives

really skillfully and appropriately. Seeing that the people we know areimpermanent,we’lldowhateverwecantodaytomakethemhappy,becausewenevercanknowif they’llstillbetheretomorrow.They’restill thererightnow,butifwearenotkindtothem,perhapsonedaytheywillleave.Ifyou’reangryatsomeoneforhavingmadeyousuffer,andyou’reabout to

sayordo somethinghurtful in retaliation,pleasecloseyoureyes,breathe inalong,deepbreath,andcontemplateimpermanence:

Feelingtheheatofangerrightnow,Iclosemyeyesandlookintothefuture.Threehundredyearsfromnow,wherewillyou,wherewillI,be?

This is a visualization practice.You seewhat both you and the person youwanttopunishwillbethreehundredyearsfromnow:dust.Touchingdeeplytheimpermanence of yourself and the other person, seeing clearly that in threehundredyearsbothofyouwillbedust,youknowrightawaythatgettingangrywitheachotherandmakingeachothersufferisafoolish,tragicwaste.Youseethatthepresenceofthatpersoninyourliferightnowisatreasure.Yourangerdissolves;andwhenyouopenyoureyes,younolongerwanttopunish.Allyouwanttodoishugthatpersonclose.Contemplatingimpermanencehelpsyoubreakfreefromthechainsofanger.

Byconcentratingyourmind,youcanliberateit.

contemplatingno-selfandemptiness

In the section entitled “My Father in Me, My Mother in Me” above, wecontemplatedthepresenceoftheparentinthechild,seeinghowthechildisthecontinuationoftheparent,howthechildistheparent,andhowthehappinessofthe child is also thehappinessof theparent, and the sufferingof theparent isalsothesufferingofthechild.Whenwecanmaintainawarenessofthis,wearecontemplating no-self. There is no entity separate and apart from everythingelse;whatwecallour“self”ismadeentirelyof“non-self”elements.Emptiness likewise refers to the absence of a self that exists apart from

everythingelse—thewayaflower,forexample,cannot“be”byitselfalone,butrather is made of non-flower elements such as the seed, fertilizer, rain, andsunlight. If you take the non-flower elements out of the flower, the flower nolongercanexist.Emptinessdoesnotmeannothingnessornonexistence;itonlymeansthereisnosuchthingasaseparate“self”entity.Allphenomenarelyonallotherphenomenatomanifest.Thisis,becausethatis;thisisnot,becausethatis not.To contemplate emptiness is also to contemplate interbeing (sometimescalled “interdependent co-arising”). This is in that, and that is in this. This isthat.Thisdoesnotexistwithoutthat.

contemplatingsignlessness,no-birthandno-death

Thepurposeofcontemplatingsignlessnessistohelpusavoidgettingcaughtinthe trapof external appearances.Where there is a sign, there isdeception; theBuddha spoke about this in theDiamond Sutra. Water vapor, for instance, isthereinfrontofusrightnow;justbecausewecan’tseeit,thatdoesn’tmeanitdoesn’texist.Whenacloudturnsintorain,wecannotrightlysaythecloudhasgonefrombeingtononbeing.Wedon’tseewatervapor,butassoonasitmeetsupwithsomecoldair,itwillturnintofogorfrostthatwecansee;andwecan’tsay that that fog or frost has come into a state of “being” from one of“nonbeing.”Ithassimplychangeditsform,thesignbywhichwelabelit.No-birthisanotherwaytodescribethetruenatureofreality,thenatureofall

thatis.Whenwelookattheouterappearancesofthings,weseebirthanddeath,successandfailure,beingandnonbeing,comingandgoing.Butwhenwelookmoredeeply,weseethetruenatureofthingsisunbornandundying,notcomingfromanywhereorgoinganywhere,neitherbeingnornonbeing,notallonesingleentityyetnotreallyseparateandapart.

Theclouddidnotbecomesomethingfromnothing.Beforeitmanifestedinitscurrent form, itwas already there aswater in the rivers and oceans.With thesun’sheatitbecamewatervapor,andthenthosetinydropletscametogetherasacloud. Itdidn’tpass from“nonbeing” into“being.”This is themeaningofno-birth.Later,thecloudmayceasethatmanifestationandassumeotherforms,suchas

rain,snow,hail,fog,oralittlecreek.Thecloudwillnothavegonefrom“being”to“nonbeing.”Itsnatureisnotonlyunborn,butalsoundying.Therealnatureofthecloudandofallthatis,includingyouandme,isunbornandundying.

Once the insight of no-birth and no-death has arisen in you, you willexperience fearlessness and a tremendous freedom. That is truly the mostpreciousfruitofmeditation.

contemplatingaimlessness

Contemplatingaimlessnesshelpsusstopfeelingcompelledtogoaroundseekingafter this and that, exhausting ourselvesmentally and physically. Aimlessnessmeans not chasing after anything, not setting any more objects in front ofourselves to runafter.Happiness isavailable right in thispresentmoment.Wealreadyarewhatwewanttobecome.It’slikeawavewhogoeslookingtogetintouchwiththevastnessofwater.

Whensherealizeswateralreadyisherowntruenature,herverysubstance,shenolongerneedstogolookingelsewhereforit.Everywhereyouturn,lifeisfullofwonders.TheKingdomofGod,thePureLandoftheBuddha,isalreadyrighthere,withinandallaroundus;andthesameistrueofhappiness.Contemplatingaimlessnesshelpsusbeabletostopourrushingaroundandexperienceasenseofcontentmentandjoy.

contemplatingwishlessness

Contemplating wishlessness means looking deeply into the objects of ourdesires.Whenwe do this,we can see the dangers, disasters, and distress thatchasingafterdesirescanbring.Whenafishseesafat,juicywormwrigglinginfrontofhis face, ifheknowsthere’sasharphookburied inside thatworm,hewillnotbite into it, andhis lifewillbe saved.Whenwe remember thatwe’remuch more, much greater, than our cravings, we can tap into the part ofourselves that knows we already have all we really need. Contemplatingwishlessnesspreservesourfreedom,sothatweneverhavetobecomevictimsoftheobjectsofcraving.Thankstothatfreedom,wecanliveatease,inpeaceandhappiness.

boundlesslove

Truelovebringsonlyhappiness;itnevermakesyousuffer.InBuddhism,weseethatit’sunderstandingthatgivesrisetotruelove.Whenwedon’tunderstandtheperson towhomwe’re offeringwhatwe think is love, themorewe love, themorewemakethatpersonsuffer.Aswehaveseenalready,understandingisfirstofallbeingable to see the sourcesofpainandsuffering inoneself and in theotherperson.Afatherwhohasn’tunderstoodthedifficultiesandsufferingofhischildrencannot really love themandmake themhappy.Hewillkeepscoldingand trying to control them,making them suffer.Whenwe thinkwe’re lovingsomeonebutwedon’treallyunderstandhim,weenduphurtinghim.Weshouldaskourselves:HaveIbeenabletounderstandthedifficultiesand

the suffering of that person yet? Have I been able to see the sources of thatsuffering?Iftheanswerisnotyet“yes,”thenweneedtomakemoreofaneffortto understand. “My son, my daughter, do you think I’ve understood yourdifficulties, your stresses, and suffering well enough? If not, please help meunderstandyoubetter.IknowthatifIhaven’treallyunderstoodyou,thenIcan’treally love you and make you happy. Please, help me. Tell me about thedifficultiesandthepaininsideofyou.”Thisisthepracticeoflovingspeech.InBuddhism,welearnthatifwecanunderstandourownsuffering,weeasily

willbeable tounderstand the sufferingofothers.Sowe shouldcomeback toourselvesfirstandgetintouchwiththesufferinginsideofus,andnotgiveintotheurge to runawayfrom itornumbourselves into forgettingabout it. In theBuddha’smostfundamentalteachingontheFourNobleTruths,thefirsttruthisaboutrecognizingthesufferingthatisthere,andthesecondtruthislookingintothenatureandtherootsourcesofthatsuffering.Oncewe’vebeen able to see into the roots of the suffering,we can see the

waytotransformit,thatis,thepathleadingtotransformationandendingofthesuffering.Thatisthefourthtruth.Thethirdtruthreferstotheresult, theactualcessation of the suffering—or, in otherwords, the presence of happiness. Theabsenceofsufferingishappiness,justastheabsenceofdarknessisthepresenceoflight.TheteachingontheFourNobleTruthsisacoreteachinginBuddhismandawonderful,highlypracticalone. It’s theBuddhistmethodfordiagnosingandhealingwhatailsus.Buddhismalsoteachesthatwehavetoloveourselvesbeforewetrulycanlove

anyoneelse.Onlywhenwe’vebeenabletorelieveourownsufferingwillwebeabletohelprelievesomeoneelse’s.Weneedtohavesomehappinessbeforewecan offer it to others to help them be happy too. The French have a saying:Charitébienordonnéecommenceparsoi-même(“Therightcharitybeginswithoneself”).Offeringhappiness is thepracticeof loving-kindness, the firstof thefourelementsoftrueloveinBuddhism.The second of the four elements, compassion, is about relieving suffering.

Loving-kindness and compassion are boundless.Through our practice, loving-kindnessandcompassionarenourished, and theycanembraceourwhole self,thenanotherperson,andultimatelyallbeings.Loving-kindnessandcompassionare sometimes called “immeasurableminds” and are two elements of the lovethatknowsnobounds.Theother twoof the four immeasurableminds,or fourelementsoftruelove,arejoyandnondiscrimination(equanimity).True love brings joy, a sense of delight and fulfillment. If your love feels

stifling,ifitmakesyouoryourlovedonecryallthetime,thatisnottruelove.Our presence, ourwords, our actions, and evenour thoughts should bring joyanddelight.Theotherperson’s joyisourownjoy;herdelightandsatisfactionareourowndelightandsatisfaction.Wearehappyforherhappiness;hersuccessisourownsuccess;herfreedomandeaseareourownfreedomandease.

Practicingmindfulness,wecanrecognizealltheconditionsofhappinessthatare there, the many happy moments we are living, and this brings us quitenaturally into a state of joy. Mindfulness brings us happiness. Concentrationmakesthathappinessevengreater,stronger,andmoresolid.Equanimitymeansnotdrawinglines,nottakingsides,notdiscriminating,not

rejecting.Truelovehastobelikethat—notdiscriminatingbasedonskincolor,race,orreligion;notexcludinganyone.Thisisthehighestlove,thelovethatcanembraceeveryhumanandeverylivingthing.ItistheloveoftheBuddha.Whenweloveinthisway,weseenoboundarybetweentheloverandtheonewhoisloved;weandourbelovedarenotseparateentities.Withequanimity,our lovebecomestrulyboundlesslove.

deep,compassionatelistening

Deeplisteningisameditationpracticethatcanbringmanymiraclesofhealing.Thinkofapersonwithdifficultiesandsuffering inhisheartwhichnoonehasbeen able to listen to or understand. We can be the bodhisattva, the personanimatedbygreatcompassionforallbeings,whositsandlistensdeeplyinordertorelievethesufferingofthatperson.Weshoulduseourmindfulnesstoremindourselves thatwhenweoffer someoneourpracticeofdeep listening,wedo itwiththesoleaimofhelpingthememptytheirheartandreleasetheirpain.Whenwecanstayfocusedonthataim,wecancontinuetolistendeeply,evenwhentheother person’s speech may contain a lot of wrong perceptions, bitterness,sarcasm,judgment,andaccusation.Listening deeply with all of our heart, with all our loving-kindness and

compassion,wedon’tgetirritatedbyanythingtheotherpersonsays.Wesaytoourselves: “Poorhim,hehasa lotofwrongperceptions,he’sburningupwithrageandhurt.”Wekeep listening;and then lateron,whenagoodopportunitypresentsitself,wecanprovidetheotherpersonwithmoreaccurateinformationto help him see the reality more clearly. Anger and suffering are born fromwrongperceptions;whenwecangetamoreaccuratepictureofreality,theblackcloud of anger and suffering dissolves. Knowing this, we can sit calmly andcontinuelisteningattentively.

Weallowtheotherpersontosayeverythingthat’sonhermind;weencouragehertopoureverythingout,andwedon’tinterruptherortrytocorrectherinthatmoment. One hour of deep listening like this can reduce the other person’ssufferingagreatdealandhelpherfeelmuchlighter.Patienceisoneofthemarksoftruelove.Weshouldwaitandfindtherightmomentlaterontobeginofferingsomeinformationthatwillhelptheotherpersoncorrectherwrongperceptions.Andwedon’ttrytogivetheinformationallatonce,becauseshemaynotbeabletodigestallthatinonebigchunk,andmightrejectitentirely.Weshouldoffertheinformationinmeasureddoses,smallenoughthatshecantaketheminandeventually be released from the grip of all thosewrong perceptions.Listeningnonjudgmentally alsogivesus anopportunity todiscover andcorrectourownwrongperceptions,andwhenthishappens,wecanapologizetotheotherpersonstraightaway.InBuddhism, thebodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (also known asQuanYin in

Chinese,KannoninJapanese,orQuanTheAminVietnamese)isthespecialistin listeningwith loving-kindness and compassion.Here is a recitation for thispractice,fromthedailychantingbookweuseinPlumVillage:

Weinvokeyourname,Avalokiteshvara.Weaspiretolearnyourwayoflisteninginordertohelprelievethesufferingintheworld.Youknowhowtolisteninordertounderstand.Wewillsitandlistenwithoutanyprejudice.Wewillsitandlistenwithoutjudgingorreacting.Wewillsitandlisteninordertounderstand.Wewillsitandlistensoattentivelythat

wewillbeabletohearwhat’sbeingsaidandalsowhat’sbeingleftunsaid.Weknowthatjustbylisteningdeeply,wealreadyalleviatemuchpainandsufferingintheotherperson.

lovingspeech

Loving speech is also a meditation practice. We have the right and theresponsibilitytotellthewholetruth,allourthoughtsandfeelings,includingourdifficulties and our suffering. But we don’t use words of judgment, blame,bitterness,orirritation;weusethelanguageoflove.Wespeakonlyofourowndifficulties and suffering, so the other person can understand and help us.Weacknowledge thatwe probably have somewrong perceptions, andwe ask theother person to help us to see them and provide us with the more accurateinformation that we lack. This practice of loving speech, together with thepractice of compassionate listening, has the capacity to reestablishcommunication and build deep, nourishing relationships.Writing a letter withmindful,lovingwordscanbringagreatdealoftransformationandhealing,notonlytothereceiver,buttothesenderaswell.

takingcareofanger

When the energy of irritation or anger arises, as practitioners we shouldimmediatelycomebacktoconsciousbreathinganddosomewalkingmeditation,toproducetheenergyofmindfulnesssowecanrecognizeandtakecareofthatanger.

Breathingin,Iknowangerismanifestinginme.Breathingout,I’mtakinggoodcareofthisenergyofangerinme.

We continue practicing in this way to generate the energy of mindfulness, torecognizeandembracetheenergyofanger.We should never let the energy of anger go on swelling up all by itself,

unattended;weneedtocallupourenergyofmindfulnesstocomeandtakecareofit.Mindfulnessislikeamotherwhocomestoembracehersuffering,cryingbaby. Our anger is just like a crying baby. When the mother picks up thedistraughtbabyandtenderlyholdshiminherarms,thechildstartstofeelbetteralready.Whenangerisembracedbymindfulness,ittoobeginstocalmdown.Anytimeyourangerrisesup,pleasepracticeinthisway,anddon’ttrytosay

or do anything about the situation yet. Imagine you’ve been away from yourhouse, doing some errands, and now you’ve just come back and found yourhouseonfire.Thefirst thingyouneedtodoisnottotakeoffrunningthroughtheneighborhoodtofindthearsonist,beratehim,andbringhimtojustice.Thefirstthingyouneedtodoisdealwiththeburningfireinyourhouse,soitdoesn’tgoontodestroyeverything.Whenangerisflashingupinyou,don’tgiveintothe urge to start speaking and acting it out.Comeback to your breathing andtakecareofyouremotionsfirst.As theangerstarts tocalmdown,wecanbegin looking into its rootcauses.

Perhaps a wrong perception has triggered it. Maybe we’re convinced thatsomeonedeliberatelydidorsaidsomethingtoupsetus,wheninfacttheydidn’tmean to. After some reflection we may recognize our wrong perceptions,dissipating theanger. If,after twenty-fourhoursofpracticing like this,westillhavenotfoundourwayout,weneedtolettheotherpersonknowwhat’sgoingon.Ifwe’renotabletodothiscalmlyinperson,wecanwriteanote.Weshould

saythreethings:

1.I’mangrywithyou,andIwantyoutoknowit.

2.Iamdoingmybesttopractice.

3.Pleasehelpme.

Already after writing down these three sentences, even before the note isreceived,ourangerwillgodownalittlebit.Whenwe’reupset,wehavearesponsibilitytolettheotherpersonknow.The

other person may be our father or mother, our sister or brother, our son ordaughter, our friend, colleague, or co-worker. When the other person knowswe’reupset,shewilllookbackandthink,“WhathaveIdone?WhathaveIsaidtoupsethim?”Soourthreesentencesalsoactasaskillfulinvitationfortheotherpersontotakethisopportunitytopractice,too.Andthatpersonwillappreciateandrespectyoufornotactingoutyouranger,asmanyotherpeoplemightdo,and for knowing how to practicewhen you’re angry, taking the time to comebacktoyourmindfulbreathingandreflectonthesituation.The third sentence is the most difficult one to say or write, because when

we’re angry, we have the tendency to want to punish the other person byshowingthatwedon’tneedheratall.Insteadofdoingthat,weshouldfindthecouragetoaskfortheotherperson’shelp.Weknowthetruth—wedoneedher—andwemustn’tletprideblockourwayforwardthroughdifficultsituations.Sowheneveryoumanage to sayorwrite that third sentence,youalreadycan seeyoursufferingstarttogodown.Pleasewritethesethreesentencesdownonapieceofpaperthesizeofacredit

card and put it in your wallet.When you get angry, and especially if you’reangrywith thepersonyou love themost, take it out and read it.Theneven ifyou’restillinthegripofanger,you’llknowexactlywhatyouwanttodo—andnotdo.Thousandsofpeople arenowdoing thispractice and, through it, havebeenabletoreconcilemanydifficulties.Iwishyoueverysuccess!

youreverybreath

Asyoubreathein,youtakeafewsteps;andduringthosesecondsyounoticethatyouarealive,thatyourlegsandfeetarestillstrongenoughtowalk(andclimb,and run).You realize that to be alive, andwalking on this beautiful planet, isalreadyamiracle.Andyoucandelight in thatmiracleasyouwalk.That’s themiracle ofmindfulness and concentration. In anymoment, you can touch themiracleoflife,andbecomejoyfulandhappyrightwhereyouare.Whenwecanrecognizethemanyconditionsofhappinessthatarethere,inus

and around us, we realize that we don’t need to be searching for happinessanywhere else, or hoping it will arrive on some future day. This is veryimportant, toknow thathappiness ispossiblehere andnow.Withmindfulnessyou can recognize all the conditions of happiness that are already in you andaroundyou,morethanenoughforyoutobehappy.IthinkthesameinsightmaybefoundintheBibleandothersacredscriptures.Ifyouknowhowtobehappywiththewondersoflifethatarealreadythere

foryoutoenjoy,youdon’tneedtostressyourmindandyourbodybystrivingharderandharder,andyoudon’tneedtostress thisplanetbypurchasingmoreandmore stuff.TheEarthbelongs to our children.Wehave alreadyborrowedtoomuch from it, from them; and theway things have been going,we’re notsurewe’ll be able to give it back to them in decent shape. Andwho are ourchildren,actually?Theyareus,becausetheyareourowncontinuation.Sowe’vebeenshortchangingourownselves.Much of ourmodernway of life is permeated bymindless overborrowing.

Themoreweborrow,themorewelose.That’swhyit’scriticalthatwewakeupandseewedon’tneedtodothatanymore.What’salreadyavailableinthehereandnowisplentyforustobenourished,tobehappy.Onlythatkindofinsightwillgetus,eachoneofus, tostopengaginginthe

compulsive, self-sabotaging behaviors of our species. We need a collectiveawakening.OneBuddha is not enough.All of us have to becomeBuddhas inorderforourplanettohaveachance.Fortunately, we have the power to wake up, to touch enlightenment from

momenttomoment,inourveryownordinaryand,yes,busylives.Solet’sstartrightnow.Peaceisyoureverybreath.

gathasfordailypractice

Gathasareshortversesthatwecanreciteduringourdailyactivitiestohelpusreturn to the present moment and dwell in mindfulness. As exercises in bothmeditation and poetry, gathas are an essential part of Zen Buddhist tradition.Usingagathadoesn’trequireanyspecialknowledgeorreligiouspractice.Somepeople like tomemorizea favoriteverse that they find theycancomeback toagain and again. Others just like to write the verse down in a place they arelikelytoseeitoften.Theuseofgathasgoesbackovertwothousandyears.WhenIenteredtheTu

HieuMonasteryinVietnamasanovicein1942,IreceivedacopyofGathasforEverydayUse,compiledbytheChinesemeditationmasterDuTi.DuTi’sbookoffiftygathaswaswrittenformonksandnunsofformertimes.AtPlumVillage,whereIliveinFrance,wepracticegathaswhenwewakeup,whenweenterthemeditationhall,duringmeals,andwhenwewash thedishes. Infact,werecitegathassilentlythroughouttheentiredaytohelpusattendtothepresentmoment.One summer, inorder tohelp the childrenandadults atPlumVillagepracticemindfulness,webeganassemblinggathas relevant for life today.The result isthiscollectionofpractical,down-to-earthverses.Weoftenbecomesobusythatweforgetwhatwearedoingorevenwhowe

are.Iknowpeoplewhosaytheyevenforgettobreathe!Weforgettolookatthepeopleweloveandtoappreciatethem,until it is toolate.Evenwhenwehavesome leisure time,we don’t knowhow to get in touchwithwhat is going oninside and outside of ourselves. So we turn on the television or pick up thetelephone,asifwemightbeabletoescapefromourselves.Tomeditate is tobeawareofwhat isgoingon—inourbodies,ourfeelings,

andourmindsandintheworld.Whenwesettleintothepresentmoment,wecanseebeautiesandwondersrightbeforeoureyes—anewbornbaby,thesunrisinginthesky.Wecanbeveryhappyjustbybeingawareofwhatisinfrontofus.Recitinggathasisonewaytohelpusdwellinthepresentmoment.Whenwe

focusourmindonagatha,we return toourselvesandbecomemoreawareofeach action. When the gatha ends, we continue our activity with heightenedawareness.Whenwedriveacar,signscanhelpusfindourway.Thesignandtheroadbecomeone,andweseethesignallalongthewayuntilthenextsign.Whenwepracticewithgathas,thegathasandtherestofour lifebecomeone,andweliveourentirelivesinawareness.Thishelpsusverymuch,andithelpsothersaswell.Wefindthatwehavemorepeace,calm,andjoy,whichwecansharewithothers.

Whenyoumemorizeagatha,itwillcometoyouquitenaturallywhenyouaredoingtherelatedactivity,whetherit’sturningonthewaterordrinkingacupoftea.Youdon’tneedtolearnalltheversesatonce.Youcanfindoneortwothatresonatewithyouandlearnmoreovertime.Aftersometime,youmayfindthatyouhavelearnedallofthemandareevencreatingyourown.WhenIwrotethegathasforusingthetelephone,drivingacar,andturningonthecomputer,IdidsowithinthetraditionthatIinheritedfrommyteachers.Youarenowoneoftheinheritors of this tradition. Composing your own gathas to fit the specificcircumstancesofyourlifeisonewonderfulwaytopracticemindfulness.Ihopeyoufindthiscollectionofgathasasteadyanddelightfulcompanion.

WakingUpWakingupthismorning,Ismile.Twenty-fourbrand-newhoursarebeforeme.Ivowtolivefullyeachmomentandtolookatallbeingswitheyesofcompassion.

TakingtheFirstStepoftheDayWalkingontheEarth

isamiracle!

Eachmindfulsteprevealstheultimatedimension.

OpeningtheWindowOpeningthewindow,Iencountertheultimate.Howwondrousislife!Attentivetoeachmoment,mymindisclearlikeacalmriver.

TurningontheLightForgetfulnessisthedarkness,mindfulnessisthelight.

Ibringawarenesstoshineuponalllife.

TurningontheWaterWaterflowsfromhighmountainsources.WaterrunsdeepintheEarth.Miraculously,watercomestous.Iamfilledwithgratitude.

BrushingYourTeethBrushingmyteethandrinsingmymouth,Ivowtospeakpurelyandlovingly.

Whenmymouthisfragrantwithrightspeech,aflowerbloomsinthegardenofmyheart.

LookingintheMirrorAwarenessisamirrorreflectingthefourelements.Beautyisaheartthatgeneratesloveandamindthatisopen.

UsingtheToiletDefiledorimmaculate,increasingordecreasing—theseconceptsexistonlyinourminds.Therealityofinterbeingisunsurpassed.

WashingYourHandsWaterflowsoverthesehands.MayIusethemskillfullytopreserveourpreciousplanet.

BathingUnbornandindestructible,beyondtimeandspace—bothtransmissionandinheritanceofthisbodyreflecttheonenessofallthatis.

WashingYourBodyRinsingmybody,myheartiscleansed.Theuniverseisperfumedwithflowers.Actionsofbody,speech,andmindarecalmed.

GettingDressedPuttingontheseclothes,Iamgratefultothosewhomadethemandtothematerialsfromwhichtheyweremade.

Iwisheveryonecouldhaveenoughtowear.

GreetingSomeoneAlotusforyou,aBuddhatobe.

FollowingtheBreathBreathingin,Icalmmybody.Breathingout,Ismile.Dwellinginthepresentmoment,Iknowthisisawonderfulmoment.

MorningMeditationTheDharmabodyradiatesthismorning.Inconcentration,myheartisatpeace.Ahalf-smileisbornuponmylips.Thisisanewday.Ivowtogothroughitinmindfulness.Thesunofwisdomhasnowrisen,shiningineverydirection.

EnteringtheMeditationRoomEnteringthemeditationroom,Iseemytrueself.

AsIsitdown,Ivowtocutoffalldisturbances.

LightingaCandleLightingthiscandle,offeringthelighttocountlessBuddhas,thepeaceandjoyIfeelbrightenthefaceoftheEarth.

OfferingIncenseIngratitude,weofferthisincensetoallBuddhasandbodhisattvasthroughoutspaceandtime.MayitbefragrantasEarthherself,reflectingourcarefulefforts,ourwholeheartedawareness,andthefruitofunderstanding,slowlyripening.

MayweandallbeingsbecompanionsofBuddhasandbodhisattvas.Mayweawakenfromforgetfulnessandrealizeourtruehome.

PraisingBuddhaAsrefreshingasalotusflower,asbrightastheNorthStar:totheBuddhaIgoforrefuge.

SittingDown

SittinghereislikesittingundertheBodhitree.2Mybodyismindfulnessitself,calmandatease,freefromalldistraction.

InvitingtheBellBody,speech,andmindinperfectoneness—Isendmyheartalongwiththesoundofthebell.

Maythehearersawakenfromforgetfulnessandtranscendallanxietyandsorrow.

ListeningtotheBellMaythesoundofthisbellpenetratedeeplyintothecosmos.Ineventhedarkestplaces,maylivingbeingshearitclearly,sothatunderstandingmaylightuptheirheartsand,withouthardship,theymaytranscendtherealmsofbirthanddeath.

LettingGoHearingthebell,Iamabletoletgoofallafflictions.Myheartiscalm,mysorrowsended.Iamnolongerboundtoanything.Ilearntolistentomysufferingandthesufferingoftheotherperson.Whenunderstandingisborninme,compassionisalsoborn.

AdjustingYourPosture

Feelingscomeandgolikecloudsinawindysky.

Consciousbreathingismyanchor.

HuggingMeditationBreathingin,Iamsohappytohugmylovedone.Breathingout,Iknowmylovedoneisrealandaliveinmyarms.

CleaningtheMeditationRoomAsIclean

thisfresh,calmroom,

boundlessjoyandenergyarise!

WalkingMeditationThemindcangoinathousanddirections,butonthisbeautifulpath,Iwalkinpeace.

Witheachstep,agentlewindblows.Witheachstep,aflowerblooms.

WashingVegetablesInthesefreshvegetablesIseeagreensun.Alldharmas3jointogethertomakelifepossible.

LookingatYourEmptyBowlMybowl,emptynow,

willsoonbefilledwithpreciousfood.BeingsallovertheEartharestrugglingtolive.Howfortunatewearetohaveenoughtoeat.

ServingFood

Inthisfood

Iseeclearlythepresenceoftheentireuniversesupportingmyexistence.

LookingatYourPlateThisplateoffood,sofragrantandappetizing,alsocontainsmuchsuffering.

FiveContemplationsforEatingThisfoodisthegiftofthewholeuniverse:theEarth,thesky,

numerouslivingbeings,andmuchhardandlovingwork.Mayweeatwithmindfulnessandgratitudesoastobeworthytoreceivethisfood.

Maywerecognizeandtransformunwholesomementalformations,especiallyourgreed.

Maywekeepourcompassionalivebyeatinginsuchawaythatwereducethesufferingoflivingbeings,preserveourplanet,andreversetheprocessofglobalwarming.

Weacceptthisfoodsothatwemaynurtureoursisterhoodandbrotherhood,buildourSangha,andnourishouridealofservingalllivingbeings.

BeginningtoEatWiththefirstmouthful,Ipracticethelovethatbringsjoy.Withthesecondmouthful,Ipracticethelovethatrelievessuffering.Withthethirdmouthful,Ipracticethejoyofbeingalive.Withthefourthmouthful,Ipracticeequalloveforallbeings.

FinishingYourMealMybowlisempty.Myhungerissatisfied.

Ivowtoliveforthebenefitofallbeings.

WashingtheDishes

WashingthedishesislikebathingababyBuddha.Theprofaneisthesacred.EverydaymindisBuddhamind.

DrinkingTeaThiscupofteainmytwohands,mindfulnessheldperfectly.

Mymindandbodydwellintheveryhereandnow.

TouchingtheEarth

Earthbringsustolifeandnourishesus.Earthtakesusbackagain.Wearebornandwediewitheverybreath.

LookingatYourHand

Whosehandisthisthathasneverdied?Whoisitwhowasborninthepast?Whoisitwhowilldieinthefuture?

HearingtheBellListen,listen,

thiswonderfulsound

bringsmebacktomytruehome.

UsingtheTelephoneWordscantravelthousandsofmiles.Maymywordscreatemutualunderstandingandlove.Maytheybeasbeautifulasgems,aslovelyasflowers.

TurningontheTelevisionThemindisatelevision

withthousandsofchannels.Ichooseaworldthatistranquilandcalm,sothatmyjoywillalwaysbefresh.

TurningontheComputerTurningonthecomputer,mymindgetsintouchwiththestore.Ivowtotransformhabitenergiestohelploveandunderstandinggrow.

CleaningtheBathroomHowwonderfulitistoscrubandclean.Daybyday,theheartandmindgrowclearer.

Sweeping

AsIcarefullysweepthegroundofenlightenment,atreeofunderstandingspringsupfromtheEarth.

WateringtheGarden

Waterandsungreentheseplants.Whentherainofcompassionfalls,eventhedesertbecomesavastfertileplain.

PlantingIentrustmyselftoEarth;Earthentrustsherselftome.IentrustmyselftoBuddha;Buddhaentrustshimselftome.

PickingaFlowerMayIpickyou,littleflower,giftofEarthandsky?Thankyou,dearbodhisattva,formakinglifebeautiful.

ArrangingFlowers

Arrangingthisflowerinaworldthathasdifficultieswelearntobear,thegroundofmymindispureandcalm.

SmilingatAngerBreathingin,Ifeelmyanger.Breathingout,Ismile.Istaywithmybreathing,soIwon’tlosemyself.

WashingYourFeet

Thepeaceandjoy

ofonetoe

ispeaceandjoyformywholebody.

DrivingtheCarBeforestartingthecar,IknowwhereIamgoing.ThecarandIareone.Ifthecargoesfast,Igofast.

RecyclingInthegarbage,Iseearose.Intherose,Iseethegarbage.Everythingisintransformation.Evenpermanenceisimpermanent.

EndingtheDayThedayisending,ourlifeisonedayshorter.Letuslookcarefullyatwhatwehavedone.Letuspracticediligently,puttingourwholeheartintothepathofmeditation.

Letuslivedeeplyeachmomentinfreedom,sotimedoesnotslipawaymeaninglessly.

thepathofthebuddha

Thepathof theBuddha is thepathofunderstandingand love.Aswe’veseen,onlywhenweunderstandcanwereallylove.Understandingisinsight.Loveistheenergyoftheheart.Buddhistwisdomincludesthekeyinsightsofinterbeingandinterdependentco-arising,whichhavethecapacitytotransformallnarrow-mindedness, discrimination, and hatred. The FiveMindfulness Trainings (alsoknownastheFivePrecepts)ofBuddhismembodyandguideusonthepathofeverdeepeningwisdom.IfyouliveaccordingtotheFiveMindfulnessTrainings,youwillcreatealot

of happiness for yourself and for many others. The recently revised FiveMindfulnessTrainingsreprintedhereare theBuddhistvisionfora trulyglobalethic in this twenty-first century. Practicing the Five Mindfulness Trainingsgeneratespeaceandjoy,andgivesfuturegenerationsandourplanetsomehopeofmakingittothetwenty-secondcentury.Oncewehaveapath,wehavenothingmoretofear.Pleaselookdeeplyinto

thesetrainingsandputthemintopracticeinyourownpersonallife,yourfamilylife,andyoursociety.

1.reverenceforlife

Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I am committed tocultivatingtheinsightofinterbeingandcompassionandlearningwaystoprotectthelivesofpeople,animals,plants,andminerals.Iamdeterminednottokill,notto let others kill, and not to support any act of killing in the world, in mythinking,orinmywayoflife.Seeingthatharmfulactionsarisefromanger,fear,greed, and intolerance, which in turn come from dualistic and discriminativethinking, I will cultivate openness, nondiscrimination, and nonattachment toviewsinordertotransformviolence,fanaticism,anddogmatisminmyselfandintheworld.

2.truehappiness

Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation, social injustice, stealing, andoppression, I amcommitted topracticinggenerosity inmy thinking, speaking,andacting.Iamdeterminednottostealandnottopossessanythingthatshouldbelongtoothers;andIwillsharemytime,energy,andmaterialresourceswiththosewhoare inneed. Iwillpractice lookingdeeply tosee that thehappinessandsufferingofothersarenotseparate frommyownhappinessandsuffering;that truehappiness isnotpossiblewithoutunderstandingandcompassion; andthat running afterwealth, fame, power, and sensual pleasures can bringmuchsufferinganddespair.Iamawarethathappinessdependsonmymentalattitudeandnotonexternalconditions,andthatIcanlivehappilyinthepresentmomentsimplybyremembering that Ialreadyhavemore thanenoughconditions tobehappy. Iamcommitted topracticingright livelihood,so that Icanhelpreducethe suffering of living beings on Earth and reverse the process of globalwarming.

3.truelove

Aware of the suffering caused by sexual misconduct, I am committed tocultivatingresponsibilityandlearningwaystoprotectthesafetyandintegrityofindividuals, couples, families, and society. Knowing that sexual desire is notlove,andthatsexualactivitymotivatedbycravingalwaysharmsmyselfaswellas others, I amdeterminednot to engage in sexual relationswithout true loveandadeep,long-termcommitmentmadeknowntomyfamilyandfriends.Iwilldoeverythinginmypowertoprotectchildrenfromsexualabuseandtopreventcouplesandfamiliesfrombeingbrokenbysexualmisconduct.Seeingthatbodyandmindareone,Iamcommittedtolearningappropriatewaystotakecareofmy sexual energy and cultivating loving-kindness, compassion, joy, andinclusiveness—whichare the fourbasic elementsof true love—formygreaterhappinessandthegreaterhappinessofothers.Practicingtruelove,weknowthatwewillcontinuebeautifullyintothefuture.

4.lovingspeechanddeeplistening

Awareofthesufferingcausedbyunmindfulspeechandtheinabilitytolistentoothers,Iamcommittedtocultivatinglovingspeechandcompassionatelisteninginorder to relievesufferingand topromote reconciliationandpeace inmyselfandamongotherpeople,ethnicandreligiousgroups,andnations.Knowingthatwordscancreatehappinessorsuffering,Iamcommittedtospeakingtruthfullyusingwordsthatinspireconfidence,joy,andhope.Whenangerismanifestinginme,Iamdeterminednottospeak.Iwillpracticemindfulbreathingandwalkinginordertorecognizeandtolookdeeplyintomyanger.Iknowthattherootsofangercanbe found inmywrongperceptionsand lackofunderstandingof thesufferinginmyselfandintheotherperson.Iwillspeakandlisteninawaythatcanhelpmyselfandtheotherpersontotransformsufferingandseethewayoutofdifficultsituations.IamdeterminednottospreadnewsthatIdonotknowtobe certain and not to utter words that can cause division or discord. I willpracticerightdiligencetonourishmycapacityforunderstanding,love,joy,andinclusiveness,andgraduallytransformanger,violence,andfearthatliedeepinmyconsciousness.

5.nourishmentandhealing

Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful consumption, I am committed tocultivatinggoodhealth,bothphysicalandmental,formyself,myfamily,andmysociety by practicingmindful eating, drinking, and consuming. Iwill practicelookingdeeplyintohowIconsumethefourkindsofnutriments,namely,ediblefoods, sense impressions, volition, and consciousness. I am determined not togamble, or to use alcohol, drugs, or any other productswhich contain toxins,such as certain websites, electronic games, TV programs, films, magazines,books,andconversations.Iwillpracticecomingbacktothepresentmomenttobe in touch with the refreshing, healing, and nourishing elements in me andaroundme,notlettingregretsandsorrowdragmebackintothepastnorlettinganxieties, fear,orcravingpullmeoutof thepresentmoment. Iamdeterminednottotrytocoveruploneliness,anxiety,orothersufferingbylosingmyselfinconsumption.Iwillcontemplateinterbeingandconsumeinawaythatpreservespeace, joy,andwell-beinginmybodyandconsciousness,andinthecollectivebodyandconsciousnessofmyfamily,mysociety,andtheEarth.

author’snote

When Iwas a youngmonk studying at theBuddhist institute, I always askedhow the Buddha’s teachings we studied could be applied in real life. I wasconvinced that the rightpracticeof the teachingswouldhelpme,otherpeoplearoundme,andmycountry.Thedesire to learn“appliedBuddhism”wasveryreal and strong, but that expression was not used back then. The kind ofBuddhistteachingsandmethodswelearnedatthattimeweredifficultforyoungpeople likemyself toput intopractice, partlybecauseof the languageused toteachthemandpartlybecausetheydidn’tdirectlyaddressthesortsofsufferinganddifficultiesthatpeopleinmodernsocietywereexperiencing.Weneededconcretepracticesthatcouldaddresstheissuesofpoverty,social

injustice, inequality, andnational independence. In theMiddleAges,Buddhistteachingsservedmycountryandpeopleverysuccessfully,butiftheywerenotrenewed for the modern era, they would not be able to continue helping oursocietytobeinspiredandimproved.SothechallengeforuspractitionerswastorenewBuddhism.When I became a youngDharma teacher, I tried to present Buddhism in a

language that could be easily understood by people ofmy generation, and topresentpracticesthatcouldhelpthemsufferlessandhaveenoughjoyandpeacetobehappyandhelpothers.Ieffectivelyturnedmyselfandmyyoungmonasticstudentsintoakindoflivinglaboratorywhereweproducedthesortofteachingandpracticesthatcoulddothat.In the early years, the 1960s and 1970s, we produced what we called

“engagedBuddhism.”Togetherwithyoungpeople, bothmonastic and lay,wesetupanorganizationworkingtoimprovethequalityoflifeofthepeopleinthecountryside.Wesetup theSchoolofYouth forSocialService (SYSS) to trainyoung monastic and lay workers to help in the areas of health, education,economics, and development. We also worked to promote peace andreconciliation.Theworkwasdifficultanddangerous,becauseitwasbeingdonein themidstofahorrificwar.Manyofour teachersandstudentworkerswerekilled.In1974IwroteTheMiracleofMindfulnessasameditationpracticemanual

for the SYSS members. I wrote that book to help peace and social workers

nourish themselveswith the practice, so that they could continue serving in asituation fullof suspicionandviolence.Thatbookhasbeenwarmlyembracedand translated into many languages in the more than thirty-five years of itsexistence.In1991wepublishedPeaceIsEveryStep,featuringaseriesofveryshortchaptersaboutbringingmindfulnessandpeaceintomanydifferentaspectsof daily life. It has enjoyed even greater popularity than The Miracle ofMindfulness.This book, Peace Is Every Breath, is a continuation of The Miracle of

MindfulnessandPeaceIsEveryStepinthatit’sashortbook,easytoread,andvery easy to put into practice. I guarantee that you can be in touchwith realpeaceandjoymanytimeseachday,evenifyouliveaveryfullschedule.Allowthisbooktobeyourcompanionandliveahappierlife,startingnow.

alsobythichnhathanh

NoDeath,NoFearLivingBuddha,LivingChristFragrantPalmLeaves

BeingPeaceForaFuturetoBePossibleTheHeartoftheBuddha’sTeachingTheHeartof

UnderstandingTheLongRoadTurnstoJoyLoveinActionTheMiracleofMindfulnessOldPathWhiteClouds

PeaceIsEveryStep

Anger

TrueLove

TheArtofPower

Savor

Copyright

PEACEISEVERYBREATH:APracticeforOurBusyLives.Copyright©2011byUnifiedBuddhistChurch.AllrightsreservedunderInternationalandPan-AmericanCopyrightConventions.Bypaymentoftherequiredfees,youhavebeengrantedthenon-exclusive,non-transferablerighttoaccessandreadthetextofthise-bookon-screen.Nopartofthistextmaybereproduced,transmitted,down-loaded,decompiled,reverseengineered,orstoredinorintroducedintoanyinformationstorageandretrievalsystem,inanyformorbyanymeans,whetherelectronicormechanical,nowknownorhereinafterinvented,withouttheexpresswrittenpermissionofHarperCollinse-books.

FIRSTEDITION

LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationDataisavailable.

ISBN978–0–06–200581–6EPubEdition©2011ISBN:97800620744921112131415RRD(H)10987654321

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1Youmayliketogomoredeeplyintothisveryimportantsubjectbyreadingmyrecentlypublishedbook,Savor:MindfulEating,MindfulLife.

2ThetreeunderwhichtheBuddhabecameenlightened.

3Theworddharmaswithasmall“d”meansallphenomena,everythingweexperienceasexistingin thephenomenalworld.