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Basic Buddhist Teachings 14 - Cutting Off Contact and Nourishment
The Dharma practice at Plum Village is mindfulness, that is, simply recognizing what is happening in each moment: when walking, knowing that you are walking; when washing the dishes, knowing that you are washing the dishes; when eating, knowing that you are eating—not waiting for the bell to practice. Mindfulness contains within it the seeds of wisdom, compassion, and enlightenment; it is the basic teaching of the Buddha.
The domains of mindfulness (the Four Foundations of Mindfulness):
- Body: all movements and activities of the body
- Feelings: pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral feelings
- Mind: contact, perception, volition, desire, faith, mindfulness, concentration, wisdom…
- Phenomena: objects of mind, all events inside and outside
The four kinds of nutriments (Four Foods) to contemplate:
- Edible food: food that nourishes the body
- Sense impressions: contacts through eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind
- Volition: thoughts, memories, intentions…
- Consciousness: the energy of consciousness, awareness
Amidst suffering and the toxins of sense impressions, the meditation of mindful breathing to calm body and mind is a precious medicine:
- Calming the body formation—breathing in, allowing the body’s activities to settle; breathing out, the same
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Calming the mental formation—breathing in, soothing the mind; breathing out, the same
Through this practice, wisdom shines forth, compassion arises, body and mind are relaxed, and all afflictions are transformed.