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The Hermit in the Well
A childhood encounter with a drawing of a relaxed, smiling Buddha inspires a desire to find peace amidst a world of worry and anger. At age eleven, a search for a mountain hermit leads instead to a natural well of limpid, refreshing water. Drinking this water brings a state of total satisfaction and the realization that the hermit can manifest in many forms, such as a well, a tree, or a sunrise. To recognize the hermit in one’s own life, one must be alert, attentive, and rooted in one’s own spiritual tradition.
The practice of mindfulness involves returning to the body and recognizing it as a flowing river rather than a static entity. This contemplation extends to three specific rivers:
- The river of the body, where birth and death happen in every second.
- The river of feelings, including pleasant, unpleasant, neutral, and mixed sensations, which should be met with mere recognition rather than suppression or clinging.
- The river of perceptions, consisting of notions and ideas that are often wrong and serve as the ground for suffering, anger, and despair.
Strong emotions are like storms that shake the branches of a tree. During such times, it is dangerous to stay at the level of the brain with thinking and imagination. Instead, one should move to the trunk of the tree by focusing on the đan điền, the area below the navel. By practicing mindful deep breathing and observing the rise and fall of the abdomen, the energy of mindfulness embraces the emotion with tenderness. This practice of reconciliation and resting allows one to handle the storm without becoming its victim.