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The Journey from Mindful Observation to Liberation
The scientist does not recite the Heart Sutra, but contemplates with the eye of science and recognizes the true nature of all things as “no birth, no death”—nothing is ever truly born or lost. Buddhism also teaches us to let go of “knowledge as an obstacle,” meaning not to cling to our current understanding so that we may step up to the next level, and to practice mindfulness on all forms in order to see through to the nature of neither being nor non-being of all phenomena. When matter transforms into energy and vice versa, it is not lost but only changes form, showing us that the notions of being and non-being do not fully apply to this reality.
- Letting go of the obstacle of knowledge to open the mind
- Contemplating all forms—from the cloud, the flower, the leaf to joy and anger
- The Four Mindfulnesses: mindfulness of the Buddha, mindfulness of the Dharma, mindfulness of the Sangha, and mindfulness of the Precepts
- Recognizing manifestations—like Lavoisier’s discovery that nothing is created, nothing is lost, or the two disciples on the road to Emmaus not recognizing the Christ
Many vivid examples illustrate the truth of no birth and no death: the child within us needs good conditions just as the orange blossoms from the bud, the Kônyashie bud opens again when the conditions return, each autumn leaf only ceases to manifest and then arises in a new form. Mr. Anathapindika, after thirty years of offering, received sixty percent pain relief through the practice of mindful contemplation; the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus not recognizing their companion shows that manifestations often hide themselves right beside us, and only mindfulness can help us recognize them. These examples encourage us to nurture good conditions, to cherish every moment in the present, and to open our hearts to see the unborn, undying nature of all things.