In a stroke of life the genius turns mindfulness to Kindfulness: The Practice that opens our heart to healing ourselves and others
Natthacha Thamthanapaisarn
International Buddhist Society for Practice
“I have a problem. I have so much stress, anxiety and depression in my life. Are there any chants I can do for all this?” I got this message from my friend who lives in Sweden in the morning of October 18, 2019. Yes, in Thailand, we also had news on TV this morning as well. “Students jumped off the bridge over the Chao Phraya River and die because of stress and depression.
I know that society now is hard situation with Covid 19 Pandemic. But the digital world technologically advanced than at other times. This is an indicator make people in society to aware of this hard time in the world. This is a time of our whole world to aware. We all need back to the nature, live with a moderation way, love yourself and others, balancing with environment. Open your heart for kindness and self -compassion to work together to create a better world
The situation of overwork or competing in society to receive benefits is causing stress, anxiety and depression. This will ultimately result in physical and mental health problems. Stress, anxiety and depression are the most common problems that occur in this modern world. Statistics indicate that these problems are most severe within the populations in Western countries. What will be an achievement towards solutions to these problems? This is a little information about what I believe regarding these issues as follows:
At first we should be clear that depression and anxiety are a result of a body and mind not being in congruency. There are a set or sets of neurological pathways that set up the mind and body to run on programs. These programs and pathways are conditions made by thoughts and body through continuous repetition. Therefore you have the innate ability to unlearn these programs and weaken those neurological pathways so that you are no longer suffering.
From these issues, anxiety is a part of life. A little of this is okay, but when this increases beyond limits it causes problems. Ignoring and avoidance of such thoughts is the best self-help and remedy. It’s not easy, but meditation by mindful breathing and giving kindness to yourself at that moment helps in this. Once in a while for at least some time of the day doing and practicing helps a lot for mental and physical well-being. Silent mantra chanting or affirmations during these activities enhances the results. However, no amount of chanting, dancing or kneeling can solve these problems if we do not invoke mindful awareness and giving kindness to do so. In addition, we should understand that if we suffer, we need go to the root of suffering. We need to burn the seeds of the causes so it doesn’t spring up again.
In the Buddhist perspective everything has happened based on cause and effect or in other words reason and result. If we generate a reason it has a result. So stress, anxiety, depression etc., are results, effects of reasons, of causes. All solutions for the result will give us temporary satisfaction out of the situation. But if we want a permanent solution we need to look into causes to establish what is causing the stress, anxiety and depression. We have to analyse our own thinking, our expectations, our expectations from others, our own behavior etc., relating to three causal roots of any act: Loba (like, love), Dosa (dislike, anger), Moha (measuring between like and dislike). These roots are the cause of all problems.
Kindfulness Practice is a meditation practice using mindful-awareness and giving kindness to ourselves. It is a method of focusing on our awareness of ‘Here and Now’ to change our thoughts not just our chants. Kindfulness develops a mindful and kind approval when you are aware of those beings in front of you in all situations. It’s a universal traditional virtue. Let’s fill and flow our selves, mind and body with it. Then judgement distinction, discernment and discrimination are all imbued with kindfulness itself. When we add kindness to mindfulness we get kindfulness. Kindfulness is the cause of relaxation. It brings ease to the body, to the mind, and to the world. Kindfulness allows healing to happen.
Turning to silence, back in your home mind, look inside for where the Ego is creating these harms – they are all illusions of our own mind. Forgive all that has passed, accept and appreciate the moment, face the facts. We all die. Nothing is under our control. It is impermanent. All conditioned phenomena are happening, shining, changing and passing away. This is the core of reality; that each phenomena is fleeting in it. So what is there to fear? There is no escape from this, so fear is of no use. Accept fear, but counter it with wisdom. There is no true end to us. We can avoid hell and severe, unnecessary suffering in future life; this is our short term goal. And then aim for Nirvana. In between only compassion and love for others can help to reduce fear, because they loosen the grip of ego-clinging. Knowing this, some chanting may be of benefit.
At this time we need to extinguish where the fire burns. The burning place is the mind. Mind burns due to defilements such as anger, stress, sympathy, love (attachment love), etc. If we want to eradicate defilements, we must perceive the state of the mind which was born with defilements. This is the only way to get rid of suffering forever. The collection of thoughts (the forming mind) makes stress, suffering, the world, and everything. You don’t need any separate place for this meditation if you are mentally immune. Just accept and observe once you get stress, without any delay; recognize it just as a thought. They are just thoughts. Relax and give kindness then let go. The stress has neither value nor power. We are the one who gives it value and power. So the struggling with thoughts means that you have given it value and power. Just let them come and go. Do not cling with thoughts because they are not you. Be the watcher of thoughts. Do not murmur in mind; perceive it just as a thought in no time.
So, I would like to invite you all. Let’s start practicing Kindfulness meditation and Healing retreat together, Here and Now.
Bring your mind back to your body,
Maintain attention, slowly breathing in, breathing out,
Be mindful and giving kindness to yourself,
Be aware of it and relax,
Slowly breathing in and breathing out,(10 times)
Follow your breathing in and breathing out,
Slowly, carefully, mindfully,
Observe all phenomenon moment to moment,
Let go and come back to focus your breathing,
Giving kindness to yourself,
Acknowledge all forgiveness to yourself and to others,
Kindfully healing yourself,
Scanning the body with Kindfulness,
From the tip of the hairline on the head,
Slowly down along the body through the head,
Neck, shoulders, torso, abdomen, both legs,
Then scan back slowly up from the toes,
That contacts the floor up through the body,
Slowly until reaching the tip of the hair, (3 or 5 times)
Kindfulness, breathing in and breathing out,
And aware of the wind of the breath each moment
As it contacts the point of the tip of the nose,
Slowly aware and bring Kindfulness to the point of the body,
1.To the point of the hollow neck, (Throat)
2.To the point of epigastric,( Center of chest)
3.To the point of navel, (Lower abdomen)
4.To the point of coccyx, (Base of spine in tailbone area)
5.To the point of occipital bone,
- To the point in the middle of the fontanel,( top of the head)
- To the point of Forehead,
- To The point between the eyebrows,
And back to the point Tip of the nose,
Kindfully breathing in and breathing out,
Sending Metta to yourself,
May I be free from suffering,
May I be peaceful, happy, safe,
Sending Metta to others, your friends,
Your family ,your enemy and for all beings,
May all beings be free,
May all beings be peaceful,
May all beings be happy,
May all beings be safe,
May all beings awaken to the light of their true nature,
May all beings be love,
Slowly breathing in and breathing out, and smile.
This is a secret to gain fast calmness and happiness through Kindfulness meditation and healing retreat. I’m sure that now you will be able to gain real happiness; happiness at the present moment. This time can be free from suffering, free from all defilements. This I share from my own experience. I experienced this in my life as a result, from my physical and mental health during the year end of 2016 due to working hard, stress, anxiety and my father passing away at that a same time. Everything was coming detached so fast. During a hard time a depression occurred at this time too. Medicine therapy from a hospital increased my sleepiness and my mind lacked control of the brain. The counseling from a psychiatrist did not help my feelings to be perky. Instead, the body deteriorated and the mind dwelled in an unconsciousness. I couldn’t remember anything in my life, not even my own name. One day I picked up the mirror to look at my face to ask “Who am I?”. I was so shocked! Immediately, I awakened and told myself “Wake up, wake up”. I decided to throw all kinds of medicines into the trash, get up and take a shower. I returned to silence at a meditation center, finding the truth of myself again.
I’m very humbled to be here to share a wisdom that transforms the world to a better world to live with harmony, happiness and peace. This wisdom is based on the teachings of the Lord Buddha. Everyone can experience this; the formed mind ceases due to perception, and as we experience the cessation, we realize that the mind becomes peaceful as well. This state of the mind is called Nirvana. Every one may not get an instant result but continue to do it. Everyone can use and share this method whenever you get a hot-tempered thought, fear, anxiety or whenever you feel like crying, etc. This method will always help you to keep a smile on your face. Never give up.
Refer to the Buddha’s teaching; this is the end of stress. The Buddha gave this instruction for mind-kindfulness to a man called Bahiya who had only a short time left to live. “Bāhiya, you should train yourself thus: In reference to the seen, there will be only the seen. In reference to the heard only the heard. In reference to the sensed only the sensed. In reference to the cognized only the cognized. That is how you should train yourself. When for you there will be only the seen in reference to the seen, only the heard in reference to the heard, only the sensed in reference to the sensed, only the cognized in reference to the cognized, then, Bāhiya, there is no you in connection with that. When there is no you in connection with that, there is no you there. When there is no you there, you are neither here nor yonder nor between the two.
