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Thay's talk at Hai Nan Island
Concentration and mindfulness on a dharani, meditation, chanting, or prayers generate energies of mindfulness, concentration, and insight that have the power of healing and transforming. These energies can be cultivated through daily practices such as incense offering, mindful breathing, mindful walking, and mindful eating. Mindful walking establishes us in the here and now, free from worries about the future and regrets about the past, bringing solidity and freedom. Mindful eating, utilizing the five contemplations in silence, allows joy and relaxation to become possible.
The contemplation of the body in the body is a practice of scanning the body with the ray of mindfulness, recognizing and embracing different parts of the body with compassion to allow deep relaxation and self-healing. When anger arises, we should not say or do anything, but return to mindful breathing or walking. To restore communication, we can practice compassionate listening and loving speech, which is free from accusing, judging, and blaming. When angry, we can write a note to the other person within 24 hours containing three sentences:
- Dear one, I am very angry, I suffer, and I want you to know it.
- I am trying my best in order to take care of my anger.
- Please help me.
Our true nature is the nature of no birth and no death, much like a cloud that cannot die but only transforms into rain, ice, or snow. We are reborn in every moment of our daily life through our three kinds of karmas: thought, speech, and physical action. The six destinations of rebirth can be experienced in the present moment:
- The destination of the gods
- The destination of man
- The destination of the asuras
- The destination of hell
- The destination of animals
- The destination of hungry ghosts
Our thoughts, speech, and actions are our continuation, and practicing right mindfulness, right concentration, and Right View ensures we are reborn in more beautiful forms.
Part of the following collection
The Life of the Buddha & Hugging Meditation