In mindfulness one isn’t solely restful and comfortable, however alert and awake. Meditation isn’t evasion; it’s a serene encounter with actuality. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat Hanh, the beloved Buddhist Zen grasp who not too long ago died, emphasised mindfulness as an important instructing of the religious path. Mindfulness — the apply of sustaining your consideration within the current second with out judgement — has additionally grow to be a preferred stress discount approach. As we practice the thoughts to depart behind its attachment to ideas, we floor ourselves in what is going on right here and now.
Mindfulness first helps us on a primary stage by disciplining the thoughts to show away from unhelpful ideas and return consideration to the breath. Our consciousness opens up, and we start to note the state of our our bodies and minds with extra readability. As we develop stronger in our apply, we’re in a position to be conscious even throughout exercise. Finally, we begin to discover the patterns of our ideas, which permits us to work towards altering the thoughts’s habits.
Mindfulness has the potential to blossom even additional, bringing us right into a state of consciousness about our journey. We will start to ask ourselves whether or not our ideas or actions in every second help our sense of objective and that means, which provides us integrity on our path.
In the end, mindfulness leaves behind identification with ideas, assumptions, conditioned pondering, classes, and experiences to disclose the infinite love, compassion, and pleasure that infuses every second. The straightforward apply of mindfulness is finally radical: it permits us to know God immediately, suffusing us with the thriller that lies past the constraints of the thoughts.
Right here is the foot of a tree.
Right here is an empty, quiet place.
Brother, why don’t you sit down?
Don’t let your ideas elevate you up into the air.
Sit so that you could actually contact the Earth
It’s possible you’ll prefer to smile, brother.
Earth will transmit to you her solidity,
Along with your conscious respiration,
along with your peaceable smile,
you maintain the mudra of Earth Touching.
There have been occasions whenever you didn’t do nicely.
Sitting on Earth, but it surely was as if you happen to had been floating within the air,
you who used to go in circles within the triple world
and be drawn into the ocean of phantasm.
However Earth is at all times affected person
Earth remains to be ready for you
as a result of Earth has been ready for you
over the past trillion lives.
That’s the reason she will watch for you for some other size of time.
She is aware of that lastly you’ll come again to her someday.
at all times contemporary and inexperienced, precisely like the primary time,
as a result of love by no means says, “That is the final”;
as a result of Earth is a loving mom.
She’s going to by no means cease ready for you.
Do return to her, brother.
You can be like that tree.
The leaves, the branches, and the flowers of your soul
when you enter the mudra of Earth Touching.
The empty path welcomes you, sister,
aromatic with grass and little flowers,
the trail paved with paddy fields
nonetheless bearing the marks of your childhood
and the perfume of mom’s hand.
Stroll leisurely, peacefully.
Your toes ought to deeply contact the Earth.
Don’t let your ideas elevate you up into the air, sister.
Return to the trail each second.
The trail is your dearest good friend.
Along with your deep respiration,
you maintain the mudra of Earth Touching.
Stroll as if you happen to had been kissing the Earth along with your toes,
as if you happen to had been massaging the Earth.
The marks left by your toes
can be just like the marks of an emperor’s seal
calling for Now to return to Right here;
in order that life can be current;
in order that the blood will convey the colour of affection to your face;
in order that the wonders of life can be manifested,
and all afflictions can be remodeled into
There have been occasions whenever you didn’t succeed, sister.
Strolling on the empty path, however you had been floating within the air,
since you used to get misplaced in samsara
and drawn into the world of phantasm.
However the stunning path is at all times affected person.
It’s at all times ready so that you can come again,
that path which is so acquainted to you,
that path which is so trustworthy.
It is aware of deeply that you’ll come again someday.
It will likely be joyful to welcome you again.
It will likely be as contemporary and as stunning as the primary time.
Love by no means says, “That is the final.”
That path is you, sister.
That’s the reason it would by no means be uninterested in ready.
Whether or not it’s lined now with purple mud
do return to the trail, sister,
you may be like that tree,
the leaves, the trunk, the branches,
and the blossoms of your soul
can be contemporary and delightful,
when you enter the mudra of Earth Touching.
Thich Nhat Hanh, in Name Me by My True Names (1993)
