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The Happiness of Family
We practice on the foundation of the Four Establishments of Mindfulness, which include four domains of contemplation: body (mindfulness of breathing), feelings (sensations), mind (the 49 mental formations), and objects of mind (perceptions). Within the 49 mental formations, there are four special breaths called:
- Mindfulness of the mind: clearly recognizing the mental formation that is arising (for example, knowing that this is anger)
- Joy of the mind: the joy and happiness in the mind, the substance that nourishes life
- Concentration of the mind: the energy of concentration, which includes the three concentrations of emptiness, signlessness, and aimlessness
- Liberation of the mind: liberation from fear, jealousy, and hatred through the three doors of emptiness, signlessness, and aimlessness
Letting go (relinquishment) and mindfulness are the two arms that support the mind on the path of happiness. Mindfulness helps us to recognize and embrace the simple happiness in each moment: remembering the Three Jewels through the Four Recollections:
- Recollection of the Buddha
- Recollection of the Dharma
- Recollection of the Sangha
- Recollection of the Precepts
and recollecting the conditions of happiness around us (youth, bright eyes, a roof over our head, an evening meal…). A favorable environment (Plum Village) waters wholesome seeds, while environments of drugs and sensual pleasures water unwholesome seeds. Mindfulness gives rise to concentration, transforming every daily activity (cooking rice, sweeping the house, washing dishes) into a profound spiritual moment, bringing happiness right here and now.
