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Untying the Knots in Our Hearts
Birds singing and flowers blooming are natural occurrences; for a practitioner, breathing is the same. To breathe mindfully, to know that you are breathing, is a way to be worthy of nature. When driving, I place my hand on the driver’s arm like a bell of mindfulness, inviting us to breathe and be present together. Walking mindfully with the breath makes each step relaxed and light, as if in Plum Village; simple actions—walking, standing, lying down, sitting, eating, brushing your teeth—can all transmit the Dharma door. To brush your teeth in a relaxed way, like the Buddha of old using a willow or neem twig, reminds us that even the smallest movement can be sacred. The sound of the bell, the clock, or the telephone is a gentle reminder to let go of our habit energy of rushing, to return to the breath and the present moment. When offering incense, it is enough to simply follow your in-breath and out-breath without recitation; the incense of the mind—mindfulness and concentration—becomes the most precious offering.
Practicing mindfulness does not eliminate suffering, but embraces and transforms habit energies. Simply recognizing “I am being hasty” or “I am suffering,” that energy is released, and we are free. Internal formations are the three largest knots of affliction:
- craving
- anger
-
ignorance
collectively called the three poisons. The Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā (the Diamond Sutra of transcendent wisdom) has the capacity to cut through all the ties of internal formations. Mindfulness through breathing and steps helps us recognize and smile to the latent seeds deep in our consciousness, not fighting but embracing suffering as warmth embraces the cold. As mindfulness grows, internal formations weaken, and inner freedom is liberated in each moment. Every ordinary moment—sitting meditation, eating, going to the toilet—is an opportunity to practice freedom and mindfulness, to embrace suffering and build happiness in the present moment.