Status Updates From How to Dream (Mindfulness E...

MINDFULNESS: THE HEART OF OUR DEEPEST DREAM

“Our dream of togetherness, of deep compassion for ourselves and others, is possible right here and now. Mindfulness is at the heart of this awakening. We practice breathing to be able to be here in the present moment so that we can recognize what is happening in us and around us.”

THE BUDDHA SEED: “One day, when I was small, I saw a drawing of the Buddha […] sitting very peacefully on the grass, his face was very calm, and he was smiling. I was very impressed [and] made me happy, because so many people around me […] were not […] happy at all. […] I wanted to become someone like […] Buddha.”

ON THE RIGHT PATH: “Happiness means feeling you are on the right path every moment. You don’t need to arrive at the end of the path in order to be happy. The right path refers to the very concrete ways you live your life.”

ON THE RIGHT PATH: “Happiness means feeling you are on the right path every moment. You don't need to arrive at the end of the path in order to be happy. The right path refers to the very concrete ways you live your life.”

BECOMING A HERO TAKES TIME: “Most of us are willing to spend […] years to get a diploma. We believe [it] is necessary for our happiness. But very few of us are willing to spend [time] to train ourselves to handle our sadness or our anger, to listen with compassion, and to use loving speech.
If you are able to transform your […] sadness, and despair […] you [… offer happiness].”

TAKING ACTION IN OUR OWN LIVES: “We may have a great desire to live in peace […], but most of us don’t yet have concrete ways to act on that […]. We haven’t yet organized ourselves. We haven’t formed sustainable communities.[…] It’s time for each of us to wake up and take action in our own lives.”

SANGHA ENCOURAGES BODHICITTA: “[…] If you have a sangha that is joyful, animated by the desire to practice and help, you will mature
as a bodhisattva. In a good and healthy sangha, there is encouragement for our bodhicitta. Your sangha is the soil, and you are the seed. […] If the soil does not provide nourishment, the seed will die. A good sangha is crucial for keeping our bodhicitta alive.”

THE POWER TO BRING RELIEF:
“When we're free, we can do so many things to help our people, our community. It's possible to live simply and happily. When we transform ourselves into a bodhisattva, a great being, we generate a lot of power. It's not the power of fame or wealth. It's the kind of power that helps us to be free and bring relief to many people.”

CONVEYING OUR DREAMS:
“We can begin by practicing mindful communication with those closest to us. Then when we speak to our larger community, people will listen because we embody love, peace, and compassion. We have already done our own inner work, and we practice what we preach. With the practice of loving speech and deep listening, we can convey our hopes and dreams to others and offer a path forward.”

SITTING W/ WHAT'S ALIVE IN US: “Sitting meditation is a way for us to return home to ourselves. […] Whether it is in our living room, at the foot of a tree, or on a meditation cushion, we bring our full attention to […] the present moment. […] We let our mind become spacious and our heart soft and kind. The purpose of sitting is to be here, fully present with what's alive within and around us.”

ASK THE HORSE!: “[A] horse is galloping […], and it appears that the man on the horse is going somewhere […]. Another man […] shouts, "Where are you going?" The [other] replies, "I don't know! Ask the horse!" […] We are riding a horse, we don't know where we are going […]. The horse is our habit energy pulling us along […], and it has become a habit. […] We need to stop our horse […].”

COLLECTIVE KARMA: ”For the healing of our world, we need […] a community of practice. The energy of our thoughts, speech, and actions is infinitely more powerful when we join together […].
[With] a common purpose and […] mindful action, we produce […] collective concentration […].
Everyone can receive nourishment and healing, and this collective energy can lead to collective insight.”

ALWAYS ANOTHER “THIS”:
“Peace can exist only in the present […]. “Wait until I finish this, then I will be free to live in peace.” What is “this”? […] If you think that way, peace will never come. There is always another “this” that will follow the present one. […] If you truly want to be at peace, you must be at peace right now. Otherwise, there is only the hope of peace “someday.””

HAVING TIME:
“Your time is, first of all, for you to be: to be alive, to be peace, to be joy, and to be loving.

The world needs joyous and loving people who are capable of just being without doing. If you know the art of being peace, of being solid, then you have the ground for every action.”

THREE VITAL ENERGIES:

[…] Mindfulness and concentration are of the same essential nature, like water and ice.[…] Insight is enlightenment, understanding. […] whenever there is mindfulness, there is already some insight. A mindful in-breath contains insight. Aware that you’re breathing in, you realize that you are alive […]. [Your] in-breath can be a celebration of being alive.[…]”

THE LIVING DHARMA:

“[…] There is the spoken Dharma, the spoken teachings of the Buddha, and […] the written Dharma […]. When you practice mindful breathing, mindful walking, mindful sitting, you bring peace to yourself, you get understanding and compassion, and you radiate peace. That is the living Dharma. If we practice, we can all embody and radiate the living Dharma.”

RIGHT THOUGHT, SPEECH, AND ACTION:

“Thought and speech are forms of action. Thoughts have an immediate effect […]. A positive thought will bring us […] health [and healing]. […] Speaking words [of] kindness and compassion […] [brings] healing and transformation […].When we perform a physical action that has the power to protect, save, support, or bring relief, [it] brings healing […] right away.”

BODHICITTA: THE GREAT ASPIRATION

“Bodhicitta is a Sanskrit term that means “the mind of awakening.” It is sometimes called “the great aspiration.” Our mind of awakening, or mind of love, is the deep wish to cultivate understanding in ourselves in order to bring happiness to many beings. It is the motivating force for the practice of mindful living.”

KEEPING YOUR ASPIRATION ALIVE:
“We have to organize our lives [so] we can continue to get the nourishment and healing that we need. The solution is in your community. If you build a community that practices together as a sangha, you receive the collective energy of support. When you begin to feel exhausted by your efforts, others […] are there to help […]; […] take time to restore yourself […].”

ACTION IS BASED ON NONACTION:

“The quality of being determines the quality of doing. An action must be based on nonaction.

We usually say: “Don’t just sit there; do something.” But we have to reverse that statement to say: “Don’t just do something; sit there,” so we can cultivate the energy that makes peace, understanding, and compassion possible.”

AN IMPORTANT WISH:

“Peace does not come only after many long days of practice. What is most important is your wish, your deep aspiration, and your determination. If your determination is strong, the effect will follow the cause more quickly than a bolt of lightning.”

CLEAR CRITERION FOR RIGHT ACTION:
“Right or wrong action can be determined by using the single criterion of suffering or non-suffering. Whatever causes suffering in the present or the future, for ourselves and people around us, is the wrong thing to do. What brings well-being in the present and the future is the right thing. The criterion is clear.”

WORKING GENTLY: “[…] I could bind two hundred books in a day. I was at peace while assembling the pages […]. I knew I could not produce as many books in a day as a professional bookbinder or a machine, but I also knew that I didn’t hate my job. If you want a lot of money to spend, you must work hard and quickly, but if you live simply, you can work gently with full awareness.”

A FIRE IN YOUR HEART: “What is our greatest hope and aspiration if not a dream? Each moment of our daily lives, our dreams can slowly become reality. Only faith, aspiration, awakening […] can generate a collective energy powerful enough to bring our society to the shore of safety and hope. I know there is fire in your heart. Allow your dreams to carry you far and break free from the walls that limit you.”