Sunday, May 31, 2015

Body, Feeling, Mind and the Object of Mind

Thay's message in the following video is very interesting. 
(From 19:48)

And we know that in the teaching of the Buddha, everything is connected with everything else. Although these four exercises have to do with the body, but they have to do with the feeling, with the mind and with the object of mind at the same time. We have not spoken of feelings and emotions. But we have not done anything in order to help our calming and transform our feelings and emotions. But by doing so, we already have effects on our feelings and on our emotions. Just taking care of our body, we take care of our feelings and emotions. Because while taking care of our body, we can already stop the mental discourse into us. We can already begin generating the feeling of joy, contentment, peace. So, the feelings are already here (in the first four exercises). Interbeing (interdependent co-arising). So, this kind of distinction is the arbitrary. 

With the fifth exercise, we officially come to the domain of feelings. Officially only. 
"Breathing in, I am aware of the feeling of joy in me." 
"Breathing out, I am aware of the feeling of joy in me." 

The sixth is about the happiness. 
"Breathing in, I am aware of the feeling of happiness in me." 
"Breathing out, I am aware of the feeling of happiness in me." 

And of course, this is not the practice of the auto-succession. Because the teaching is clear. Practitioners have the capacity of bringing in the feeling of joy and happiness. And the Buddha is very aware that we should be nourished in order to be able to bring our practice into completion. And how to nourish ourselves with joy and happiness, how to produce the feeling of joy, how to produce the feeling of happiness. And all of us, not only adults but the children need the feeling of joy and happiness in order to sustain ourselves. 


Thich Nhat Hanh