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Letting go of pride to have true love
Although the two hands have distinct functions, they are always in harmony, sharing suffering and happiness together, never jealous of or blaming one another. Just like two olive trees growing from the same root; though they appear to be two, in reality, they are one. Brothers and sisters or loved ones are also like two arms of the same body; happiness is not an individual matter. Continuing the lesson on the Five Skandhas, the first section of the tangerine is form, which is the body. To practice is to use the energy of mindfulness to recognize, smile to, and take care of each part:
- Two eyes, jewels that help us see the Kingdom of God in forms and colors.
- The heart, the foundation of peace that needs to be apologized to and loved.
- The liver, an organ that needs to be listened to before it is too late.
- The whole body, from the hair on the head to the soles of the feet.
The second section of the tangerine is feelings, a river of feelings flowing day and night with three types: pleasant feelings, unpleasant feelings, and neutral feelings. Thanks to mindfulness, the practitioner recognizes the true nature of feelings, turning neutral feelings into pleasant feelings (such as being aware of the happiness of having a non-toothache) or transforming unpleasant feelings instead of suppressing them. Consciousness consists of store consciousness (the storehouse) and mind consciousness (the living room); when a seed of feeling manifests, we need to invite the seed of mindfulness up to embrace it. To avoid tragedies caused by wrong perceptions (perception) and pride, like in the story of the young man Truong and the lady of Nam Xuong, the practitioner needs to let go of pride, restore communication, and use the fourth mantra: “I am suffering, please help me.”