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The Fourteen Verses – On Samatha and Vipassana 2
Unmindful consumption waters negative seeds in us (anger, fear, jealousy) and nourishes our suffering. Mindfulness acts as a protective energy:
- Stop watering (cease unmindful consumption),
- Come into contact with the wonders of life to nourish positive seeds,
- Lift the embargo: allow pain and anger to arise and offer them a “bath of mindfulness” (breathing, walking, sitting) in order to recognize, embrace, and soothe these mental formations.
Deep looking, supported by the concentration born from mindfulness, allows us to contemplate suffering until we identify its source of nourishment (the second noble truth). It also invites us to:
- touch our impermanence and non-self (like a river or a cinema of successive images),
- let go of all chasing and all fear,
- dwell peacefully in the present moment (seventh verse),
- reveal deep insight (the fourth noble truth) leading to transformation and liberation.
It Is Possible to Be Present