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Miracle of Mindfulness
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Twenty years ago, a young American came to Upper Hamlet to practice. Every day, he practiced walking meditation with “light, leisurely steps, full of mindfulness,” and after just a few days, he was able to walk calmly like everyone else. During two weeks of living in the collective energy, he practiced mindfulness in everything he did and received praise; but when he went to the market alone, his habit energy of haste returned. Thanks to simple recognition (“Breathing in, I know I am being hasty”), and smiling, “Hi, mommy!”, the energy of haste stopped, allowing him to shop peacefully, demonstrating the power of understanding to transform habit energies.
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The practice of mindfulness begins with simply recognizing body, mind, and circumstances without judgment. From there, we generate joy (niềm vui) and happiness (peaceful happiness). Walking meditation and awareness of the breath bring the mind back to the present moment, helping us to see the countless conditions of happiness we already have: “bright eyes,” “a heart beating normally,” “healthy lungs,” “a roof to return to,”… instead of running after the future. Inner freedom and right decisions arise from each conscious breath.
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The main exercises in the retreat include:
- Recognizing the in-breath and out-breath.
- Following the breath.
- Being aware of the whole body while breathing in.
- Breathing in—releasing tension throughout the body.
- Recognizing and generating joy.
- Generating happiness.
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Recognizing and transforming inner suffering.
With mindfulness, concentration, and insight, we clearly see the three mental formations—feeling, perception, and volition—understand the causes of suffering (for example, a sister who cannot sleep), so that anger dissolves and love arises. Relying on the sangha to borrow the energy of mindfulness, we embrace our suffering, generate new pathways in the mind that lead to peace and freedom.