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"Mindfulness: Happiness and Transformation of Suffering"
The purpose of practice is to help us live deeply in the present moment and to transform the sorrow and anger in our hearts. The teachings of the Buddha are very practical: anyone can practice and see the results right away, even within just a few days. For our practice to be sustainable, we need a Sangha—a community practicing together to nourish mindfulness and continue the stream of insight. Without relying on the Sangha, it is difficult to maintain the practice for a long time, just as “a tiger leaving the mountain will be defeated.”
Meditation—or more broadly, bhāvanā (cultivation)—consists of two main aspects:
- Shamatha (calming, stopping), which helps to calm and concentrate the mind;
- Vipashyana (looking deeply), to look deeply into the nature of things and untie the knots of suffering.
We practice by “cultivating” the energy of mindfulness, love, and peace. Thanks to this, step by step, we are liberated from the fires of anger, anxiety, and negative habits (habit energies), and we bring the fruits of happiness to ourselves and those around us.
The main practices in the retreat:
- Mindful walking: choose a path (30–60 steps) and commit to each step with “in… out…” (breathing in, know you are breathing in; breathing out, know you are breathing out). If you forget, return to the beginning.
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The ten-breath exercise:
• “In… Out…” (breathing in, know you are breathing in; breathing out, know you are breathing out)
• “Deep… Slow…” (recognize that your breath has become deep and slow)
• “Calm… Ease…” (feel your body light and at ease)
• “Still… Smiling…” (the mind is still, the mouth is smiling)
• “Present moment… Wonderful moment” (dwelling in the present moment and recognizing this is a wonderful moment) - Listening to the bell of mindfulness: whenever you hear the bell, stop all thinking, stop your actions, return to your breath—“in… out…,” smile, and dwell in the present moment.
- Applying mindfulness in all activities: eating (mindful eating), drinking (mindful drinking), sitting, standing, working…
Through the Sangha and these practices, each step, each breath becomes an opportunity to nourish mindfulness, to transform suffering, and to live fully in the here and now.