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Dharma Talk – Prajñā, The Fourfold Sangha (9)
At the Eagle’s Wing Meditation Hall, during the Rains Retreat, a Day of Mindfulness is organized with the presence of the monastic and lay community. For example, when a corn seed is sown into the earth, it needs warmth, moisture, and fertile soil to sprout into a young corn plant—the corn seed does not truly die but transforms into the plant; one, but not entirely one, two, but not separate. Similarly, we were once a fertilized ovum in our mother’s womb, carrying our father and mother within us through the umbilical cord. When we are born, the cord is cut and we become two, but in essence we remain one. The suffering or happiness of the parents is the suffering or happiness of the child, and vice versa; parents and children should make a vow not to make each other suffer. The Buddha called this “not one, not two”—neither one nor different.
In the Anapanasati Sutra, there are sixteen exercises; today we learn further:
- Exercise 3: recognizing the whole body—breathing in, aware of the presence of the body; breathing out, smiling and relaxing.
- Exercise 4: releasing tension in the whole body—using the breath to let go of tension in the muscles, smiling gently.
- Exercise 7: recognizing emotions—breathing in, aware of suffering, anger, worry, fear, etc. within.
- Exercise 8: embracing and soothing emotions—breathing out, embracing the emotion with mindfulness, easing the pain.
We break the vicious cycle of habit energy and emotions with mindfulness, the breath, and our steps. When the inner storm arises, sit in half-lotus or full lotus, bring your attention down below the navel, breathe deeply into the belly: breathing in, feel the abdomen rise; breathing out, feel the abdomen fall; maintain this for at least 5–10 minutes so that anger or panic gradually subsides. Parents, teachers, and students should all learn this in order to timely care for body and mind, preventing suicide, violence, and pathological stress.
