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Paradise is available when we stop
Paradise, the Pure Land, is either present now or it will never be present. When sitting in stillness, with no craving or longing in our hearts, we can touch the wonders of life, the Buddha Land, Nirvana, and the Kingdom of God. If there is still craving, body and mind cannot stop in the present moment to see the marvelous beauty that is available. Every moment, whether it is the sound of falling rain or golden sunshine, is a wonder. All things and humans go through the process of arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing, and it is thanks to that nature that all things become a wonder. The secret of meditation practice is stopping, it is shamatha. A restless person keeps running in circles and cannot get in touch with life. To enter the Kingdom of God or the Pure Land, we must be very alive and present in the here and the now.
True happiness is based on peace, whereas sensual pleasure is just a burning fire, a fever. Nirvana is a state of coolness, refreshing peace. Life is not measured by time; living deeply for one moment is better than living 100 years without mindfulness. Even if we only have 10 days left to live, those 10 days are very worth living. When we practice the 10 mindful movements, not only us but the air, the water, and the plants are also practicing with us. Buddhism is the path of awakening; we only need to wake up and everything is sufficient; this is called sudden awakening. The most precious gift we can offer our beloved is our understanding and our own capacity for happiness.
The career of a practitioner is to practice peace and joy, stopping to have peace and looking deeply to have vipassanā. The phrase “Be still and know” corresponds to stopping and looking deeply: stopping to hear the wondrous sounds of Nirvana, listening to the wind blowing through the trees like the voice of the Buddha speaking about:
- The Four Noble Truths
- The Four Establishments of Mindfulness
- The Noble Eightfold Path