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Present Moment Wonderful Moment
Waking up this morning, I smile.
Twenty-four brand new hours are before me.
I vow to live fully in each moment
And to look at all beings with eyes of compassion.
- Thich Nhat Hahn, Present Moment Wonderful Moment, p. 3
The Vegetarian Diet
"Of all the diets we have out there to choose from, the vegetarian [diet] is obviously the best. Everything else [is] a compromise."
- William P. Castelli, M.D., director of the Framingham Heart Study and lecturer in preventative medicine and clinical epidemiology, Harvard Medical School.
The Five Contemplations
This food is the gift of the Universe, the Earth, the sky, and much work;
May we live mindfully so as to be worthy and receive it.
May we transform our unskilled states of mind and learn to eat with moderation.
May we only take foods that nourish us or prevent illness.
We accept this food in order to realize the path of understanding and love.
Seven Miracles of Mindfulness
The first miracle is to be present and to touch deeply the blue sky, the flower and the smile of your child.
The second miracle is to make the other -- the sky, the flower, our child -- present also.
The third miracle is to nourish the object of your attention.
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"Who are you, my darling?" "Who are you who has taken my suffering as your suffering, my happiness as your happiness, my life and death as your life and death?" "My love, why aren't you a dewdrop, a butterfly, a bird?" "I know you are here, beside me, and it makes me very happy." |
The fourth miracle is to relieve the other's suffering.
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"I know you are suffering. That is why I am here for you." "Darling, I know you are there. You presence is precious to me." |
The fifth miracle is looking deeply.
The sixth miracle is understanding.
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Understanding is the very foundation of love. When you understand someone you cannot help but love him or her. |
The seventh miracle is transformation.
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We want to overcome a habit, such as smoking, for the health of our body and mind. When we begin the practice, our habit energy is still stronger than our mindfulness, so we don't expect to stop smoking overnight. We have only to know that we are smoking when we are smoking. As we continue to practice, looking deeply and seeing the effects that smoking has on our body, mind, family and community, we become determined to stop. It is not easy, but the practice of mindfulness helps us to see the desire and the effects clearly, and eventually we will find a way to stop. |
Practicing the Seven Miracles of Mindfulness helps us to lead a happy and healthy life, transforming suffering and bringing forth peace, joy and freedom.
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