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No Birth - No Action - No Form
Mindfulness is the energy of presence in the here and now: it helps us to truly “be there,” bringing us back to the present moment so that we are not exiled in the past or the future. When we breathe, walk, or eat with mindfulness, we live fully, recognizing body–feelings–perceptions–mental formations–consciousness, touching joy and tranquility, while at the same time embracing our suffering in order to heal and to transform. That energy brings about inner freedom, awakening us from the cycle of forgetfulness and making our life meaningful.
The teaching of aimlessness reminds us that there is no goal or project to be sought outside ourselves, because Buddha nature, insight, and happiness are already available within us. Body and mind—from form, feelings, perceptions, mental formations to consciousness—contain the treasure of wisdom that is already complete. The image of the cloud and the river illustrates this: when the river knows how to “stop” (shamatha) and “look deeply” (vipashyana), it realizes that the cloud has always been within itself, finds the unchanging sky as a place of refuge, and then smiles in peace.
The three “doors of liberation” mentioned are:
- Emptiness (śūnyatā)
- Signlessness (no-form)
- Aimlessness (apraṇihita – no goal)
And in the Southern tradition, the three Dharma seals are: impermanence, suffering, and non-self (leaving nirvana outside). Practicing mindfulness and contemplating these three seals is the path of returning to the insight, peace, and freedom that are already available.