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The Beauty in the Painting - The Nourishing Breath
Formlessness is the ability to see through to the true nature (tánh) within all forms (lakṣaṇa or nimitta). For example, cloud, rain, snow, and ice are simply different forms of the same substance, H₂O (substance, svabhāva). The eye of formlessness does not wait for rain to see rain; it sees rain in the cloud, snow in the ice, a drop of water in the popsicle, or the cow in the glass of ice cream (milk). As Lavoisier exclaimed: “Rien ne se crée, rien ne se perd”—nothing is created, nothing is lost—no birth, no death. The story of Tú Uyên and Giáng Kiều shows that each of us has a Tú Uyên—a person easily lonely due to the lack of the fragrance of precepts, concentration, and insight. Only when we light the incense of precepts (keeping the precepts), the incense of concentration (mindfulness), and the incense of insight (deep looking), does Giáng Kiều return—that is, our consciousness is reconciled, transformed, and love begins to blossom again.
Practicing mindful breathing according to the principle of “dwelling happily in the present moment” taught by the Buddha helps to nourish body and mind with happiness right in this very moment. The practice of breathing consists of two simple mantras, then recognizing the quality and result:
- In – Out: being aware of the in-breath, the out-breath.
- Deep – Slow: the breath naturally becomes deeper, slower.
- Calm – Light: body and mind become calm, light.
- Still – Smiling: tranquility, letting go, gently smiling to oneself.
- Present moment – Wonderful moment: dwelling in mindfulness, seeing the wonder of this moment.
Apply this practice right when eating ice cream, eating rice (remembering the gift of earth and sky, the labor involved—“Dear friend, as you lift the bowl of rice, fragrant and full, remember the hardship in every grain”), walking meditation, driving, cooking… to nourish the wonderful moment and to maintain lasting happiness.
