The Bell of Mindfulness—the Voice of the Buddha Within

Thầy recites the gāthā used when listening to the bell—which is the voice of the Buddha within calling us to our true home. The seed of mindfulness is in every one of us, and it’s with the energy of mindfulness that we practice Buddhist meditation.

We often respond to situations from the seed of anger within us, and mindfulness is what helps us cultivate more positive seeds. Mindful breathing is one of the easiest ways to bring ourselves home to mindfulness. When we are at home, we can receive important messages. However, this is possible only if we make our home—the island of the self—a refuge, a place where the Buddha in us abides.

To live without being mindful—without being aware of the wonders of life—is the same as death. Mindfulness is already enlightenment. Bodhicitta, which is at the heart of Mahayana Buddhism, means the mind of enlightenment.

Each of us carries the baby Buddha—the mind of enlightenment—within us, and we must do everything we can to protect this. We do this best by sheltering the baby Buddha in our true home—mindfulness. When we breath mindfully, we abide in our true home. And with mindful breathing, we can smile ourselves into sleep.

This the first talk in a series of five given during the Peace is Every Step retreat in the year 1992. Thầy offered this talk at Haus Tao, Wolfhalden, Switzerland.