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Stonehill College 3rd Day

Thich Nhat Hanh · August 14, 2002 · Stonehill College, United States · Audio Only
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In Plum Village’s pebble meditation, each of four pebbles represents one element—flower, mountain, water, space—and guides a brief sitting practice led by children. For each pebble, you:

  1. Look at it and recognize its element.
  2. Place it in your left hand, right hand on top.
  3. Breathe in and out three times with its mantra:
    • Flower: “Breathing in, I see myself as a flower. Breathing out, I feel fresh.”
    • Mountain: “Breathing in, I see myself as a mountain. Breathing out, I feel solid.”
    • Water: “Breathing in, I am still water. Breathing out, I reflect things as they truly are.”
    • Space: “Breathing in, I see myself as space. Breathing out, I feel free.”

After the four exercises and bells, you bow, massage your feet, and close the session. Thay then broadens the practice to include: mindful drinking, eating, walking and the first eight exercises of mindful breathing and feelings; recognizing joy, happiness, pain and calming emotions; and applying the Five Mindfulness Trainings—with special emphasis on mindful consumption—to transform suffering. Finally, he offers concrete steps for bringing deep listening, compassionate dialogue, and emotional stability to personal life, community, and even national and global reconciliation.

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