Exercises on Mindful Breathing

Summary

The talk presents a detailed teaching on mindfulness, mindful breathing, and the practical path to becoming fully present and fully alive. It is set in the context of Deer Park Monastery during a winter retreat in January 2004, with references to Plum Village practice, car-free walking meditation, and the approaching Lunar New Year, described as the year of the monkey. The speaker also mentions a Catholic priest who created Italian chanting by combining Gregorian music with Italian folk elements, illustrating the blending of traditions within the practice community. A central theme is that mindfulness is already present as a seed in consciousness and can be touched to generate energy. That energy is identified with the Buddha, holiness, concentration, and insight. The speaker emphasizes that holiness is not external but cultivated internally through practice. He repeatedly explains that human suffering, including anger, fear, jealousy, despair, and even destructive tendencies such as hate and nuclear waste, can be transformed rather than rejected. Using the metaphor of organic gardening, he compares suffering to garbage and mindfulness to composting: nothing needs to be thrown away, because even painful material can be transformed into nourishment for peace, joy, and compassion. The talk then turns to the Sutra on Mindful Breathing and explains the first four exercises in detail. The first exercise is simply to know the in-breath as the in-breath and the out-breath as the out-breath. The second is to follow the breath from beginning to end, whether long or short, without forcing or controlling it. The speaker stresses that the practice is not breath work in the sense of manipulation; it is awareness, acceptance, and enjoyment. He uses vivid analogies such as a finger following the breath, a TV set that cannot be turned off by a button, and a flower opened by sunshine. Mindfulness is described as the mother of concentration, and concentration as its daughter. When one is fully mindful of breathing, thinking naturally stops, and this stopping of compulsive thought is presented as the beginning of true aliveness. The third exercise is awareness of the body, described as coming home to the body and recognizing it as a formation. The speaker explains the Buddhist idea of formations as things made of conditions, including physical objects, emotions, and mental states. The fourth exercise is to relax the body, stop, and rest deeply. He highlights the healing value of this practice for ordinary people and for therapists, doctors, and nurses. Smiling is introduced as part of the practice in Plum Village and Deer Park: a mindful smile relaxes the many muscles of the face, reduces tension, and supports both body and mind. The speaker insists that mind and body are not separate, and that a smile can be a genuine practice rather than a mere social gesture. The talk also explains that the first four exercises focus on the body, while later exercises address feelings. The fifth and sixth exercises are to recognize joy and happiness as feelings and to nourish them by touching the positive seeds already present in store consciousness. The speaker rejects the idea that this is mere auto-suggestion. Instead, he teaches that joy and happiness become real when one learns to touch the seeds of joy, stability, and compassion that already exist. He gives examples of letting go of unnecessary possessions, obligations, and attachments, calling them “cows” that people mistakenly think are essential. He tells a story of a farmer who lost his cows and a lesson from the Buddha about freedom through release. He also describes refugees and immigrants who accumulate cheap items and later discover happiness by giving them away. Letting go is presented as a direct source of joy. Mindfulness and concentration are then described as additional sources of happiness because they allow one to touch the wonders of life already available: fresh air, water, mountains, a child, the blue sky, and the present moment itself. The speaker says that the pure land and the kingdom of God are not distant destinations but realities accessible here and now through awareness. Concentration deepens this experience, such as when one washes hands and recognizes the miracle of water arriving from mountains or underground sources. The talk concludes by affirming that the Sutra on Mindful Breathing is a treasure, a practical and compassionate teaching that can heal individuals and help stop the larger course of destruction in the world.