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Thich Nhat Hanh was a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, a peace activist and author. He passed away on Jan 22, 2022. Below is my reflection to the excerpt from his book Beyond Birth and Death.
I live on many dimensions of life which are time and space bound. Pains and pleasures come and go. Mind is filled with thoughts and worries. Nirvana means extinction of all notions and concepts such as birth and death, being, nonbeing, coming and going. Nirvana is the ultimate dimension of life, a state of goodness, peace, and joy. When I am fully present with the flow of the present moment I feel "nirvanized". It feels like living in the clear sky unbound by space and time. When I am fully present to the present moment with deep awareness I am in the ultimate dimension of reality. I feel the fullness of breath coming and going. I feel centered. When my mind wanders I know I have lost my connection with the ever flowing present. Remaining aware of my in breath and out breath helps me live each moment deeply. I am flowing with isness. Conscious and nonjudgmental breathing helps me live each moment deeply. If pain arises, I do not fight or cover up or run away from pain. I embrace pain tenderly-no fighting, no escape. I recognize it and and embrace pain tenderly. Transformation takes place. From the mud of pain grows the lotus flower. Namaste!
1 Comment
2/7/2022 11:33:12 pm
Staying in the 'now' is a constant effort for me. I tend to either worry about the future or think about the past. I know that the past is gone and there's nothing I can do about it, and the future is the future so who knows what will happen. The present, the now is the only reality. And yet, even though I know this conceptually, it is still very difficult to remain in the present. But, I am on a mission to accomplish this to find peace and quite in my life. So I appreciate the reminders and support to keep me grounded. Leave a Reply. |
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