The Fifth Mindfulness Training - Nourishment and Healing

This month, we complete the Mindfulness Trainings that I have been sharing from an article by Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh.  These Five Mindfulness Trainings are his re-formulation of some of the Buddha's core teachings.  This month's topic is on what Thich Nhat Hanh describes as the fifth training; namely, "Nourishment and Healing".  Thich Nhat Hanh describes it this way: "Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful consumption, I am committed to cultivating good health, both physical and mental, for myself, my family ad my society by practicing mindful eating, drinking and consuming".

This training encourages us to practice looking deeply into how we consume what the Buddha termed, the Four Kinds of Nutriments; namely, edible foods, sensory impressions, volition and consciousness.  This includes refraining from using things like alcohol or any other intoxicants or to ingest foods or other items that contain toxins.  We may not think about toxins in terms of TV programs, magazines, books, films, conversations, social media and the like however when we do damage to the body or one's consciousness with these toxins it could be said that we betray our ancestors, parents, society and future generations.  If we think just in dietary terms, putting the wrong types of food in our body, or not getting the proper nutrition, will cause our body to cease functioning as it was designed to do.  In the same way, if we feed our minds and experiences with negativity, anger, lewdness, doubt and worry, our Buddha natures will also suffer and not support our path to enlightenment and our suffering continues as well.

The question often arises about the consumption of alcoholic beverages in moderation such as a glass of wine with a meal.  Thich Nhat Hanh offers that if you are going to occasionally have an alcoholic refreshment, do so mindfully.  He suggests looking deeply into the conditions of your liver, your heart, and the fact that humankind is wasting a lot of grain and fruit making alcohol instead of feeding other humans.  He suggests that meditating in this way will lead us to feeling uncomfortable when drinking any amount of alcohol.  And of course, that same thinking can be applied to all toxins like those that were previously mentioned.  If things like social media, TV, book, films, conversations, etc. are also proving toxic in our lives, we can, by seeing them in a mindful way and meditating on the suffering that they cause, come to terms with a better way of living; a more healthful form of nourishment that will lead to healing not only our bodies but our minds as well.  

And so this Fifth Mindfulness Training, "Nourishment and Healing", moves us to practice coming back to the present moment to be in touch with the refreshing, healing and nourishing elements in ourselves and around us.  It moves us to not let regrets and sorrow drag us back into the past nor letting anxieties, fear or craving pull us out of the present moment.  Let us be determined not to try to cover up loneliness, anxiety or other suffering by losing ourselves in toxic consumptions.  Let us instead be mindful of our interbeing and consume in a way that preserves peace, joy and well-being in both our body and consciousness, and the consciousness of our families, our society and the Earth.

May All Be Well....May All Be Happy....May All Know Love....May All Know Peace.

Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa