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Turning the Mind's Path Back
In 2011, a person suffering from depression who was taking 4 mg of antidepressant medication and felt a lack of freedom in their soul was encouraged to practice mindfulness meditation at Plum Village under the guidance of Brother Phap Dan. Simply practicing with each breath and each step as anchors in the present moment, letting go of the noise of afflictions, we rediscover peace and gentle joy, which is true freedom. This practice helps the brain to relax, restores neurotransmitters, and after just a few days, one can already feel the transformation of the mind.
Thanks to mindfulness, we have the capacity to recreate new neural pathways, to relax and nourish joy; the suffering of the past becomes mud to nourish the lotus of happiness. When mindfulness stops wrong perceptions, it leads us into concentration; from concentration insight arises, and we clearly see the nature of contact, feeling, perception, attention, and volition, avoiding the old path that leads to suffering and opening a new way toward peace and liberation.
The foundational mental formations:
- contact (xúc)
- feeling (thọ)
- perception (tưởng)
- attention (tác ý)
- volition (tư)
The stages of transformation:
- mindfulness recalls past suffering and recognizes present happiness
- concentration focuses deeply on the present moment
- insight shatters delusion, seeing the truth of happiness right in the midst of suffering