Happiness is born from the practice of letting go (ly sinh hỷ lạc), which means giving up ideas, prejudices, and attachments rather than running away from relationships or commitments. When an enterprise, a relationship, or even the body becomes a source of suffering, releasing means freeing oneself from the habit energy and attachments that transform these objects into cows. The second stage is happiness and joy born from mindfulness (niệm sinh hỷ lạc), which allows us to stop running toward the future and touch the conditions of happiness already available in the present moment. The third stage is happiness and joy born from concentration (định sinh hỷ lạc), where the joy of meditation becomes daily food (thiền duyệt vi thực), allowing us to stay with conditions of happiness and eventually go deeper into the practice of looking deeply.

Building a Sangha is building a pure land, which is a collective creation of our minds. We make the land pure through thoughts of loving-kindness, loving speech, and caring actions, while thoughts of discrimination, fear, and unmindful actions pollute it. To support this, the first eight exercises of mindful breathing are practiced:

1. Breathing in and out
2. Following the breath as long or short
3. Being aware of the body
4. Relaxing the body
5. Creating joy
6. Creating happiness
7. Recognizing a painful feeling
8. Calming and relaxing the feeling

When handling a painful feeling, it must be recognized and embraced with nonviolence, like a mother taking care of her baby. It is crucial to prevent the second arrow from striking, which is the anger, fear, frustration, or imagination that exaggerates a physical or mental pain and makes it ten times more intense. Practicing relaxation of the body, mind, and feelings brings about relief and healing, allowing us to handle the river of feelings skillfully.