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Dharma Talk – Prajñā, The Fourfold Sangha (10)
Mindfulness of the body means deeply contemplating the inseparable relationship between body, feelings, mind, and objects of mind (dharmas). The body cannot be separated from the other three elements: with each breath, there arise sensations and emotions (feelings), mental formations (such as fear, anger, worry, sadness, despair, or love, compassion, joy, equanimity), and the objects of these mental formations, which are called dharmas. Although these four objects of mindfulness are provisionally divided into body, feelings, mind, and dharmas, each domain contains the others, and the body contains all feelings, mind, and dharmas.
The exercises from the Anapanasati Sutra related to mindfulness of the body include:
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- Breathing in, I am aware of my whole body – when recognizing the body, we may notice tension, pain, or restlessness (feelings), and through the breath we can also recognize negative or positive mental formations.
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- Breathing in, I calm the activities of my body – using abdominal breathing to recognize and soothe fear, despair, and other emotions.
The practice of mindfulness of the body also includes walking meditation and the gatha “let the Buddha breathe, let the Buddha walk” with its variations:
- Let the Buddha breathe, let the Buddha walk – I do not have to breathe, I do not have to walk.
- The Buddha is breathing, the Buddha is walking – I am able to breathe, I am able to walk.
- The Buddha is the breathing, the Buddha is the walking – I am the breathing, I am the walking (non-self).
- Peace while breathing, joy while walking – peace and joy are available right in our breath and our peaceful steps.
Through mindfulness of the body, each breath and each step becomes a means to recognize the true nature of non-self, enlightenment, and happiness right in our own body.
