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The One Who Knows How to Generate Joy and Happiness

Thich Nhat Hanh · February 1, 2005 · Vietnam · Monastic talk
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With the experience of thirty to forty years at Plum Village, even with thousands of practitioners, all monastics are able to fully participate in the midday meal, the morning Dharma talk, and walking meditation thanks to skillful arrangement:

  1. Assigning the brothers, lay friends, and visiting practitioners to the kitchen—the kitchen is a meditation hall—in the spirit of meditation, maintaining silence, following the breath, and communicating only with signs when necessary.
  2. Applying a “lazy day” (no work, no bells, no schedule, maintaining silence and mindfulness) so that body and mind can be at ease, release tension, and nourish joy and peace for a full 24 hours.

In the Anapanasati Sutra (Discourse on Mindful Breathing), there are four basic exercises:

  1. Breathing in, I know I am breathing in; breathing out, I know I am breathing out.
  2. Following the breath, whether it is long or short.
  3. Becoming aware of the whole body while breathing.
  4. Releasing tension in the body with the breath.
    When moving to the fifth and sixth exercises (experiencing joy, experiencing happiness), breathing in, one feels joy; breathing out, one feels happiness. Letting go—releasing our “cows” (the notions and attachments we think we cannot live without)—gives rise to natural joy and happiness. The book Stepping Into Freedom (based on the teaching “lift your foot and step into freedom”) and the Pratimoksha precepts are considered true protectors of freedom, helping practitioners generate mindfulness, concentration, and letting go, forming the foundation for insight and lasting happiness.
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