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Dharma Talk – Prajñā, The Fourfold Sangha (12)
When naming the meditation hall Eagle Wing, the eagle is seen as the vast Sangha, flying far with the path of peaceful abiding—a path of happiness not found in the future but right in the present moment. Peace means calm, undisturbed, without worry or fear; happiness is the joy that arises from peace. The practitioner must know how to sit in stillness, body and mind at ease, radiating the energy of peace, as if sitting on a gentle lotus flower, not on a heap of burning coals. Those who are peaceful, truly peaceful, will naturally transmit peace to the Sangha; this is the perfection of giving, offering the Dharma wealth—a treasure more precious than material possessions.
The experience of rescuing boat people in Singapore illustrates the teaching If you wish for peace, you will have peace: in the face of the adversity of a 24-hour expulsion order, the teacher practiced sitting meditation—walking meditation to open insight, and found a solution through the intervention of the French embassy. From there, great compassion was manifested, fearlessness broke through the barriers of rules like the hand of the Buddha.
To nourish happiness and peace, walking meditation—mindfulness of breathing with the Anapanasati method using abdominal breathing is very practical:
- Step 1: Breathe in naturally, keeping it comfortable
- Step 2: Breathe out, gently contract the abdomen, extending the exhalation by 1–2 seconds to expel all stale air
- Step 3: Let the lungs naturally draw in fresh air
Repeat the cycle 3–5, 3–6… until the breath is deep and even, the energy of body and mind is strengthened, tension dissolves, and illness is healed.
Dharma Talk – Prajñā, The Fourfold Sangha (11)