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Summer Retreat - The Safety Rope
In the plane accident in Congo in 2003, the door burst open ten minutes after takeoff, causing sixty passengers to be sucked out to their deaths; those who survived did so because they had fastened their seat belts—a lesson that fastening the belt is not just a regulation but an essential protection for our lives. Similarly, when sitting in a car, fastening the seat belt helps prevent injury; in daily life, mindfulness is the “invisible safety belt” that protects body and mind, preventing spiritual accidents and words or actions that cause harm.
The two safety belts of a practitioner:
- Mindful breathing: keeps the mind with the body, helps us recognize immediately when negative habits arise, and stops automatic reactions.
- Mindful steps: each step taken in awareness prevents us from becoming sleepwalkers, maintaining peace and happiness throughout the day.
Practice is not only during sitting meditation but spreads into every daily activity—eating, cleaning, watering the vegetables—by keeping mindful breathing and mindful steps, so that we can transform old habits, break the vicious cycle of suffering, and nourish joy in every moment.