The past is no longer there: conventional truth. Looking deeply, we discover that the present is made of only one substance, which is the past (and the future will be made of a substance called the present), disguised as the present. Firmly established in the present moment, we can touch and transform the wounds of the past, not lose ourselves in regret, make the past the object of our meditation and heal; it is the same for the future—without anxiety, by taking care of the present moment one hundred percent, we ensure a good future.

Impermanence opens the door to non-self, which reveals interdependence, emptiness, conventional designations, the middle way, and interbeing; these teachings are only instruments that must be burned with the flame of practice and wisdom (raft, snake, matchstick).

1. Śūnyatā, emptiness: empty of a separate “self,” the door of liberation
2. Animitta, signlessness: recognizing the same thing under different appearances
3. Apraṇihita, aimlessness: stopping the running, touching the fullness of the present moment

Unmindful consumption waters negative seeds in us (anger, fear, jealousy) and nourishes our suffering. Mindfulness acts as a protective energy:

1. Stop watering (cease unmindful consumption),
2. Come into contact with the wonders of life to nourish positive seeds,
3. Lift the embargo: allow pain and anger to arise and offer them a “bath of mindfulness” (breathing, walking, sitting) in order to recognize, embrace, and soothe these mental formations.

Deep looking, supported by the concentration born from mindfulness, allows us to contemplate suffering until we identify its source of nourishment (the second noble truth). It also invites us to:

• touch our impermanence and non-self (like a river or a cinema of successive images),
• let go of all chasing and all fear,
• dwell peacefully in the present moment (seventh verse),
• reveal deep insight (the fourth noble truth) leading to transformation and liberation.

Welcoming suffering and entrusting our pain to the Sangha allows us to generate “the collective energy of mindfulness”:
like a boat capable of carrying our sorrows, the Sangha supports the recognition, embracing, and transformation of pain without struggle, with gentleness.

Suffering is compared to garbage in a garden; like an organic gardener, we transform the garbage into compost to nourish the flowers and vegetables. By holding our suffering “like a baby,” we transform it into nourishing matter, opening the door to understanding, compassion, and healing.

The Four Noble Truths:

1. Suffering is a reality (the first truth)
2. Its causes, its nature (the second truth)
3. The cessation of suffering, well-being (the third truth)
4. The noble path leading to the end of suffering (the fourth truth)

Daily practice—conscious breathing, walking meditation, sitting in mindfulness, eating and cooking in mindfulness—brings us back to “the here and the now,” our true home. Each in-breath, each step, and each moment offer “the joy, solidity, and freedom” essential for transformation and deep living.