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The Liberating Breath

Thich Nhat Hanh · April 20, 1999 · Plum Village, France · Audio Only
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Breathing in. Breathing out. Deeper, gentler.
I calm myself. I release. I smile. I am free.

Practice anywhere, anytime:

  1. Recognize the in-breath as in-breath, the out-breath as out-breath, without judgment or effort.
  2. Cultivate concentration: all thinking stops, you become one with your breath and taste a soothing joy.
  3. Let this mindfulness shine in walking, in sitting meditation, in drinking whisky or drinking tea, to gently transform any unwholesome habit.

Let go of the “cows” of your mind (false ideas about happiness):
• Identify the attachments and conditions you believe are indispensable,
• Call them by their true name, then let them go,
• Discover the joy born from letting go (ly sanh hỷ lạc) and the joy born from concentration (định sanh hỷ lạc).

Savor each gesture—closing a door, offering a stick of incense, peeling an orange—with one hundred percent of your being.
Understand that body and mind are not two (nāma-rūpa) and that there is neither birth nor death, only manifestation and non-manifestation: this being, that is. To touch freedom and peace, embark on the journey of mindfulness.

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