A Breath Practice of Transforming Garbage Into Flowers

 

Sorrow, fear, and depression are like a kind of garbage. But these bits of garbage are a part of real life, and we must look deeply into their nature. We can practice so as to turn these bits of garbage into flowers. In the practice of Buddhisn, we see all mental formations-including compassion, love, fear, sorrow, and despair-are organic in nature. We don't need to be afraid of any of them because transformation is always possible. With just a smile and mindful breathing we can start to transform them. 

Thich Nhat Hanh, Fear, page 109.

I am not sure what the ethics and copyright rules are around taking the steps of a modified ancient practice. as offered in a modern book, and sharing those steps here.  I believe they were the Buddha's teachings and can be found in many Buddhist texts and lectures, in one form or another, so I assume  they are meant to be shared. The author of this book I am referring to  was all about helping all of us be more peaceful inside so the world could become more peaceful outside.  

Of course, one could ask, "Well, that may be true but who are you, crazy lady, to be the one sharing a Buddhist practice?" I would answer...I am certainly not a dharma teacher and I wouldn't even call myself a Buddhist. I am just a learner fascinated with discovering the truth of who we are, I am, then,  a no body and no-self and it is okay, possibly, for no-self, which is the basis of Buddhist teaching, to be sharing such a practice. :) 

Anyway,

I love this practice shared by Thich Nhat Hanh in Fear ( pages129-148).  I know from my practice of it over the years that it is very effective in transforming fear into fearlessness. It is, actually, helpful in transforming monkey mind into mindful mind, and our garbage into flowers

Breathing In; Breathing Out:

For the Body

Exercise 1: Breath Awareness Focus= Awareness of being alive: "Breathing in, I am aware I am breathing in; Breathing out, I am aware I am breathing out."

Exercise 2: Building Concentration= Following and enjoying the full length of the breath: "Breathing in, I follow my in breath all the way from the beginning to the end; Breathing out, I follow my out breath all the way from the beginning to the end." 

Exercise 3: Body Awareness= Connecting mind with body. "Breathing in, I am aware of my whole body.  Breathing out, I am aware of my whole body." 

Exercise 4: Releasing Tension and Pain from the Body=Taking care of the body and letting go. "Breathing in, I am aware of some tension and pain in my body; breathing out, I calm and  release tension and pain from my body." 

For Feelings: 

Exercise 5: Awareness of Feelings=Recognizing and Calling forth Joy=Noticing, allowing, expereincing, looking deeply, and releasing. "Breathing in, I feel joy; breathing out, I know joy is there." 

Exercise 6: Awareness of Feelings=Recognizing and Calling forth Happiness=Noticing, allowing, experiencing, looking deeply, and releasing. "Breathing in, I feel happiness; breathing out, I know happiness is there."

Ecercise 7: Awareness of Feelings=Recognizing and Allowing the  Pain=Noticing, allowing, expereincing, and looking deeply. Allowing mindfulness and concentration to embrace the pain. "Breathing in, I know a painful feeling is there; breathing out, I calm the painful feeling. "

Exercise 8: Awareness of Feelings=Embracing and Releasing the Pain=Embracing  feelings with tenderness, noviolence, and soothing calm  and then allowing for the gentle release of  the pain. "Breathing in, I calm my mental formations; breathing out, I calm my mental formations."

For the Mind:

Exercise 1: Awareness of the Mind and Mind Sates= Recognizing, allowing, expereincing, and looking deeply into "thinking". "Breathing in, I am aware of my mind; breathing out, I am aware of my mind."

Exercise 2: Gladdening the Mind=Positive Reconstruction/Selective Watering of Seeds. "Breathing in, I make my mind happy.  Breathing out, I make my mind happy."

Exercise 3: Concentrating the Mind=Focusing and looking deeply. (Keeping insight of nonself, emptiness, and impermanence alive.) "Breathing in, I concentarte my mind; breathing out, I concentarte my mind."

Exercise 4: Liberating the Mind= Freeing mind from afflictions and notions.(Keeping insight of nonself, emptiness, and impermanence alive."And when we have the flame, the flame will consume the match. When we have the insight, the insight will burn away the notion."page 144) " Breathing in, I liberate my mind; breathing out, I liberate my mind."

For the Objects of the Mind:

Exercise 5: Contemplating Impermanence= Concentrating and a breakthrough into the heart of relaity (nonself, emptiness, and impermanence). Touching the nature of impermanence in everything we observe.  "Breathing in, I observe the impermanent nature of all Dharmas; breathing out, I observe the impermanent nature of all Dharmas. "

Exercise 6: Contemplating Non-Desire, Non-Craving=Noticing, allowing, expereincing,Looking deeply into , and Releasing all of "mana-originated" cravings. "Breathing in, I observe the disappearance of desire; breathing out, I observe the disappearance of desire." 

Exercise 7: Contemplating Nirvana-the extinction of all notions. "Breathing in, I observe cessation; breathing out, I observe cessation."

Exercise 8: Touching Nirvana(True Nature) and Letting Go into the Present Moment="extinction of the afflictions brought about by our wrong perceptions" page 147. "Breathing in, I observe letting go; breathing out, I observe letting go. "

We can turn our suffering into freedom, our garbage into flowers! Don't take my word for it. Try practicing this for yourself...or better still, Thich Nhat Hanh would say, practice with a Sangha.

All is well.

Thich Nhat Hanh ( 2012) Fear: Essential Wisdom for Getting Through the Storm. New York: Harper One