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Non-Action is Something Positive
Non-action (vô vi) is a positive quality of being characterized by solidity, freedom, clarity, and compassion. The value of a person is judged not by action alone, but by their quality of being; an authentic presence can serve the world and even save others in times of crisis, much like a calm person on a storm-tossed boat. This quality is cultivated through the energy of mindfulness, which makes us awake to the miracle of being alive in the here and now.
The five miracles of mindfulness are:
- Being present in the here and now.
- Recognizing the other, whether it is a loved one, the moon, or your own body.
- Receiving nourishment and healing from the wonders of life.
- Embracing pain, sorrow, and afflictions with nonviolence and nonduality.
- Inquiring and looking deeply into the nature of ill-being to identify its source of nutriment.
Mindfulness is always mindfulness of something, such as drinking water, eating an orange, or walking. In true meditation, the distinction between the observer and the observed vanishes; to understand (comprendre) is to become one with the object. Nothing can survive without food, and by identifying the nutriments of our suffering, we find the path to emancipation. This transformation is supported by the Sangha, whose collective energy helps us embrace and penetrate our afflictions to discover the truth of our ill-being. “What has come to be, if you can look deeply into its nature and identify its source of nutriment, you are already on the path of emancipation.”
Part of the following collection
No Birth, No Death (Teaching for Children)