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Dharma Talk – Prajñā, The Fourfold Sangha (3)
Each breath is a miracle in the practice of meditation:
Instead of reciting the gatha “each step…” during walking meditation, we shift to each breath when sitting in meditation, with four main aspects:
- Each breath is life – it puts us in touch with all the wonders of the blue sky, white clouds, trees, the Sangha, and ourselves.
- Each breath is a miracle – it proves that we are still alive, inheriting the capacity to breathe in and breathe out.
- Each breath is healing – a deep, slow breath soothes tension, purifies the blood, and activates our innate capacity to heal.
- Each breath is freedom – it brings inner freedom, nurtures wisdom and love, so that we can untie our difficulties right in this moment.
Practicing happiness in daily activities:
• Practicing walking meditation together, sitting meditation twice a day, and eating in silence – these are the privileges and the steps of civilization for practitioners.
• Transforming every moment of walking, sitting, eating, and working into an opportunity to nourish and heal body and mind with mindful breathing.
• Creating exercises such as inviting the Buddha or our father and mother within us to breathe in and out together, to open the heart of boundless compassion.
• Along with practice, continuously cultivating basic Dharma (Three Refuges, Five Mindfulness Trainings, Four Noble Truths…) through in-depth teachings, so that each year we attain a deeper insight into the Dharma and the responsibilities of a monastic, so that our practice is always connected with understanding and the nourishment of happiness right now.
