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Holiness in Mindful Breathing
Holiness is Buddhahood, the energy of enlightenment, compassion, and understanding generated through mindfulness, concentration, and insight. This inherent element manifests when breathing or walking mindfully, nourishing and healing the practitioner. The Sangha is a community of holy people comprising four categories and eight kinds, including:
- Those heading to the realization of stream entrance (dự lưu hướng).
- Stream entrants (nhập lưu).
- Those heading toward arhatship (A-la-hán hướng).
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Arhats (A-la-hán quả).
Entering this stream carries one toward the ocean of final enlightenment, providing a sense of arriving in every moment.
Sitting meditation is a time for healing and resting. Just as a wounded animal in the forest lies down to allow its body to heal, humans must stop running after fame and profit to utilize the body’s capacity for self-healing. Proper posture involves an upright spinal column and a stable base with three points—two knees and the cushion—known as kiềng ba chân. Harmonizing the body, or điều thân, includes relaxing the three hundred muscles on the face with a smile to release tension and obsessions.
Mindful breathing involves the simple recognition of the in-breath and out-breath with enjoyment. Through sixteen methods of mindful breathing and respiration abdominale (belly breathing), the rising and falling of the abdomen helps expel toxins and bring in fresh air. The practice follows a specific gatha:
- Breathing in, I know I am breathing in; breathing out, I know I am breathing out.
- Breathing in, my in-breath becomes deep; breathing out, my out-breath becomes slow.
- Breathing in, I calm my body; breathing out, I feel at ease.
- Breathing in, I smile; breathing out, I release.
- Breathing in, I live in the present moment; breathing out, I know this is a wonderful moment.