When the Buddha was asked, “Sir, what do you and your monks practice?”
he replied, “We sit, we walk and we eat.”
The questioner continued, “But sir, everyone sits, walks and eats,” and the Buddha told him, “When we sit, we know we are sitting. When we walk, we know we are walking. When we eat, we know we are eating.”
Most of the time, we are lost in the past or carried away by future projects and concerns. When we are mindful, touching deeply the present moment, we can see and listen deeply, and the fruits are always understanding, acceptance, love and the desire to relieve suffering and bring joy. When our beautiful child comes up to us and smiles, we are completely there for her.
– Living Buddha, Living Christ by Thich Nhat Hahn
Mindfulness is everything in spirituality like Christianity’s–“Be awake always!”
If we are awake in the present, how much more do we appreciate freshness and abundance of life? But it starts with practicing little awareness moment after moment. So I concentrate on my breathing in and out, saying, “Jesus Christ in, H.Paul out.”