Thich Nhat Hanh - Peace of mind: becoming fully present

Contents

W hy do we care about bringing body and mind together? Cant we just continue as we are? The way were carrying on is making many of us sick. Were sick in our minds and in our bodies. Our planet is sick as well. Reuniting body and mind, which have become alienated from each other, reunites us with ourselves. Once we have come home to ourselves, we can be fully present for ourselves, fully present for others, and fully present for the planet.

If you are sad, anxious, or lonely, you may think you need to fix or change something in your mind. If your shoulders are tight, if your back aches, you may think you just need a doctor to help fix that area of your body. But the key to happiness is being fully integrated in body and mind. Much of our suffering comes from an unnecessary division of mind versus matter. We think that theres something wrong with our minds or something wrong with our bodies, and that we need to fix or heal that one, separate thing. But its impossible to remove mind from body or body from mind. They are two manifestations of the same thing.

There are those who say that our mind is made of matterthe brain and the nervous system. Thats a materialist view. There is mind, consciousness, intelligence, knowledge in every cell of our bodies. Each cell is a living reality with its own knowledge, its own mind. If you take consciousness out of a cell, the cell will die. If you take consciousness away from our bodies, they will be lifeless.

When we look into the heart of a flower, we can see that the flower isnt only matter; consciousness is present. When you plant a seed, it sprouts and becomes a plant. Its alive. There is mind inside. We cant even say that a speck of dust is only matter. Scientists have discovered that atoms and electrons are very intelligent; theyre both matter and mind.

When we go walking outside in nature, we know that the Earth is not only made of earth. The Earth is also water, air, and fire. If we were to remove the elements of water, air, and fire from our planet, it would no longer be the Earth. In the past we believed that the Earth was the center of the cosmos. Now we know that the Earth isnt the center of the cosmos. In fact, anything and everything can be the center of the cosmos; a pebble, a squirrel, a piece of dust can be the center of the cosmos, because the one contains the all. This wisdom of nondiscrimination is the wisdom that doesnt divide things in two. Its sometimes called the wisdom of nonduality, advaita jana.

There are scientists who are still caught in the idea that the mind is within us and that the world we study and observe is outside us. They believe that the subject of cognition is our mind and that its object is the world. As long as we follow this division between subject and object, mind and matter, we wont be able to touch the true nature of things. We will feel alienated. When we reconnect with our own bodies, and with our relationship to the world around us, happiness becomes possible.

Bringing Body and Mind Together

Breathing in, Im aware of my whole body.

Breathing out, Im aware of my whole body.

As you breathe in, you can connect with your body. Bring your mind home to your body and remember that you have a body. Very often were carried far away by our thinking; were caught by sorrow and regret concerning the past, by fear and anxiety concerning the future, or by our emotions or projects in the present. Our mind is not with our body. Were in a state of dispersion. Dispersion is the opposite of concentration. When youre truly here and concentrated, you can get in touch deeply with the wonders that are inside you and all around you. The sun, the moon, the stars, the trees, the river, the hills, and your body are all wonders that become available to you when you become fully present.

If we know how to breathe mindfully, every breath will bring us happiness. People with asthma know how to appreciate the happiness of being able to breathe normally, and they can savor each breath. If our lungs are healthy and our noses arent blocked, we can breathe easily. Not to enjoy that ease is like a wasted opportunity. With the practice of mindfulness, every breath brings happiness. Mindfulness can make every moment of our daily life peaceful, clear, and loving.

When we breathe in, we might breathe in such a way that joy is possible during the time of breathing in. The in-breath may last three or four seconds. If we know how to breathe in properly, we can generate the energy of joy just like that. When we breathe out, we can generate the energy of happiness for ourselves, as well as for others around us who benefit from our energy.

When we first begin to practice cultivating awareness, we give ourselves instructions in how to sit, breathe, and walk so that we can generate the energy of peace, happiness, and joy. Once weve received this teaching, we have to apply it in our daily lives. Breathing in, I feel joy is not autosuggestion or wishful thinking; its a practice.

Coming home to the body is a strong practice. There may be pain, disharmony, suffering, or a lack of peace in the body. Thats why we start by practicing mindfulness of the breath, so that we can recover ourselves and come home with strength and energy.

With the energy of mindful breathing, you come home to your body in order to make peace with it. By practicing mindful breathing, you generate harmony and solidity. Then youre in a position to go home to your whole body, in order to help your body. Its possible to continue mindful breathing while you embrace your body.

Breathing in, Im aware of my whole body.

Breathing out, I recognize and embrace my whole body.

Your entire body becomes the object of your mindfulness. The subject of mindfulness is your mindful breathing. At first your breath is like an empty truck traveling along the highway, not transporting anything. But when you become aware of your breath and your body, your breath is like a truck thats carrying merchandise. That merchandise is insight. Mindful breathing embraces the whole body. Its very important to come home to your body, to recognize it, take care of it, and make peace with it.

The land of the present moment is available only in the here and the now. If you find yourself in the present moment, it means your mind and body are together. When you practice breathing in mindfully, you bring your mind home to your body and you find yourself in the land of the present moment. Mindfulness is the energy that helps the body and the mind come together. When body and mind are together, you are established in the present moment, in the kingdom, in the here and the now.

The opposite of mindfulness is forgetfulness. Our body may be there but our mind is somewhere else. Our mind may be caught in sorrow or regret concerning the past. Our mind may be caught in fear or uncertainty about the future. Or it may be caught in our anger or our projects. When we begin to breathe in mindfully, we can, in two or three seconds, bring our mind home to our body. Breathing in like that, mindfully, we release the past, we release the future, we release our projects, and we become free. That freedom allows us to get in touch with the wonders of life. It doesnt take a long time. A few seconds will do.

We breathe in and bring our attention to our in-breath; we release everything and we get a lot of freedom. With that kind of freedom, we can make better decisions. Our thoughts and our decisions are not skewed by our anger, our fear, our sorrow, or our regret. There will be a variety of options we can choose from. Our perspective will have become broader. When you come home to the here and the now with the practice of mindful breathing or mindful walking, you can recognize the many conditions of happiness that are already available. Mindfulness helps you to recognize that there are more than enough conditions to be happy right here and now. When you are in touch with these conditions, joy and happiness are possible right away.