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The Living Tradition of Zen Practice Part 4 – The Four Establishments of Mindfulness – The Discourse on Mindful Breathing
Body and mind in harmony create the sacred temple of the spirit; if mindfulness is lacking, that temple becomes desolate. Practicing sitting meditation is to bring the mind back to the body, the body back to the mind, so that we can truly be present in the here and now, nourishing concentration—stable dwelling, the opposite of dispersion. The quality of our sitting depends on ourselves: sitting well is like a mountain, solid and stable; sitting not yet well is like sitting in a dark cave, drifting in the cycle of birth and death. We only need a tree root, an empty house, or a meditation hall, Mount Ta Cu, the sangha, and the right moment, and we already have enough conditions to dwell peacefully in meditation.
Mindful breathing is the means that brings us back to the temple of our body, where we are truly present in the here and now. In the Anapanasati Sutra, the Buddha taught four exemplary kinds of breath. We recognize clearly each breath as follows and maintain mindfulness throughout the in-breath and out-breath without interruption:
- breathing in long
- breathing out long
- breathing in short
-
breathing out short
The continuous flow of the breath is like the sound of a violin, unbroken between the pulling and pushing of the bow, creating the foundation for concentration and the joy of meditation.
All daily activities—sitting, walking, standing, eating, washing dishes, washing clothes—are opportunities to practice mindfulness, keeping body and mind in harmony in the present moment. In the sangha, we nourish mindfulness together and build a common temple that does not become an empty, soulless place. Each mindful step, each slow, gentle movement is a brick that builds a solid sangha, a place where we always find a peaceful refuge.
Living Tradition of Dynamic Meditation Practice P G 5 - Sutra on the Full Awareness of Breathing - Poem