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Meditation Practices Part 2
Sit down together and gently ask each other, “Do you think I truly understand you?” or “Do you think you understand me?” Encourage the other person to open their heart and share their suffering and difficulties, so that true understanding and acceptance, true love, can arise. Loving speech and compassionate listening—following the example of Avalokiteshvara—are the path that opens true communication between parents and children, between husband and wife. When we truly understand each other, the “eyes of love” will look at the other person with deep compassion and understanding, bringing happiness to both.
From the story of Zen Master Tang Hoi—the first Vietnamese to bring Zen to China in the third century—we learn the value of the Anapanasati Sutra with its sixteen exercises of mindful breathing. All we need is:
- Breathing in, I know I am breathing in; breathing out, I know I am breathing out.
- The mind completely lets go of the past and the future, relying on the breath so that body and mind are in harmony.
- Dwelling happily in the present moment: finding happiness right here and now, not waiting for distant conditions.
Every daily action—breathing, walking, eating, washing the dishes—when practiced with mindfulness and relaxation, becomes a means to “live fully with a loving heart.” In this way, we recognize and cherish the conditions of happiness we already have (bright eyes, a peaceful heart, loved ones by our side), live peacefully in the present moment, and share that happiness with our family and community.