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Contemplating Our Own Territory

Thich Nhat Hanh · December 11, 1994 · Plum Village, France · Audio Only
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The four breathing exercises in the section on mindfulness of objects of mind are divided into four groups, each group consisting of four breaths to address and take care of each aspect of the human being.

  • Group 1 (body): coming back to the body, taking care of the body, becoming familiar with the body, contemplating the body
  • Group 2 (feelings): coming back to the feelings, taking care of the feelings, contemplating the feelings, transforming the feelings
  • Group 3 (mental formations): recognizing mental formations, watering and developing wholesome mental formations, contemplating and transforming unwholesome mental formations (unwholesome here means disadvantageous to the practice) – in total, there are 50 or 51 mental formations to take care of; if the last four breaths are assigned to the mental formation perception (tưởng), then there remain 49 mental formations
  • Group 4 (objects of mind): contemplating objects of mind such as perception, meditating on the relationship between the breath and the objects of mind that are operating

Mindfulness of body–feelings–mind is likened to taking care of a territory, a garden where you are the king or president:
– taking care of the body, uniting with the body to generate joy and ease;
– taking care of feelings such as your own suffering and pain;
– tending and protecting the 49 or 51 mental formations, uncovering and watering wholesome mental formations such as 

* faith  
* shame  
* modesty  
* non-greed  
* non-hatred  
* non-delusion  
* diligence  
* lightness  
* non-carelessness  
* equanimity  
* non-harming;

– guarding against toxins from books, newspapers, television, alcohol, nightclubs by the capacity to “protect the six senses,” allowing or refusing what enters body and mind.

Practicing each breath with 100% of body and mind generates concentration and joy in every moment, transforming each step of walking meditation, each meal, each hour of washing pots and dishes into a festival under the shade of the Dharma. The basic meditation phrases can be varied with each step:

  1. In–out–deep–slow (breathing in–out, deep–slow)
  2. Here is the Pure Land–the Pure Land is here
  3. I have arrived–I’m home

Thanks to this, even at Plum Village one can walk with peace and a value surpassing the festival on Vulture Peak; every moment is a miracle, every person has the capacity to create and share happiness.

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1h 6m

Contemplating the Three Trainings

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