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Lotus, Mud and Emotional Storms: Mindful Breathing Answers for Young and Old
Today’s session began with questions from children, teens, then adults, each ringing the bell and breathing three times before speaking.
- How do plants grow? Sit close, breathe, observe—biologists do this work.
- Why don’t monastics fall in love? Monks and nuns practice celibacy so they can devote their time to practice, love without suffering, and help others.
- How did you decide to become a monk/Buddhist? Thay’s family was already Buddhist; at school five friends discussed their futures—four became Buddhist monks, one a Catholic monk. To be a Buddhist means having compassion, understanding, openness; ideas and labels aren’t required.
Noble silence and laughter support each other if we remain fully aware. A non-dualistic view sees suffering and happiness “inter-are”: like lotus and mud, one nourishes the other. Feelings are impermanent; strong emotions are “storms” in our “store consciousness.” To handle them, practice belly breathing—focus 100 % on the rise and fall of your abdomen until the storm passes.
Five skandhas:
• form
• feelings
• perceptions
• mental formations
• consciousness
Each emotion is one of fifty-one mental formations; we are much more than any single emotion.
