Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Consciousness as food (Thich Nhat Hanh)

The fourth nutriment is a consciousness. Yes, consciousness as food. Because we consume our own consciousness. There is a good thing in our consciousness to consume. Every one of us has a seed of love, a seed of compassion, a seed of joy, a seed of happiness, a seed of non-violence. And if we know how to touch, how to water the seed in us, they will become energies. You have a seed of anger in yourself. And if someone comes and waters the seed in you, it will manifest as the energy of anger and you will suffer. And that is not a good food for you. But if the person comes to you and touches the seed of compassion and joy in you, it will manifest as a good energy and that is good food. So, as partners we should know the practice and we should help each other to water the good seeds of each other. "Darling, I know you have a seed of joy, happiness, forgiveness, and compassion in you. And I vow to touch them and water them every day so that you will be happy. And if you are happy, I will be happy also. I know that you have the seed of anger and jealousy in you. I will refrain from watering the seed of anger and jealousy in you. Because if I do it, you will suffer. And if you suffer, I can not be happy. So, let us sign the treaty of happiness, of peace. Let us not water our negative seeds in ourselves and in the other person. Let us  water only the good seeds in ourselves and in the other person." And happiness can grow every day. That kind of practice is called the selective watering. And if your partner has a habit of going back to the past and suffer again and again the suffering of the past, you know how to do in order to help him or her getting out of the dark zone of consciousness and going back to the here and the now, where there is a sunshine and all the wonders of life. If you let her continue to watch the film of sufferings of the past again and again, that's not good food for her. So, as partners we have to help each other getting out of the dark corner of consciousness, where the film of sufferings are always projected. And you can do better, we can invite them back to the present moment to have a deep look and transform them. So, the corner will be bright. That is the transformation of the base. 

Watch from 1:59:13 to 2:03:04
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bC8FBdWwejk