Everyone is capable of being mindful. Mindfulness helps us to live in the present moment and be truly present for life. The mindfulness trainings when practiced help us to be truly present.

Sr Tu Nghiem covers the 5th and 13th Mindfulness Trainings of the Order of Interbeing. They are ‘Compassionate Healthy Living’ and ‘Generosity’ respectively.

The 5th Mindfulness training, Compassionate Healthy Living, leads us to examine our lifestyle and look what we are doing to nourish our daily life. Everything whether it be our happiness or suffering, needs food to survive. Looking deeply into the Four Nutriments (edible foods, sense impressions, volition and consciousness) enables us to identify the roots of our suffering and find ways to nourish our happiness. Turning vegan, reducing greenhouse emissions and saving water and electricity are ways to be healthy, reduce the suffering of other beings and protect the environment. Protecting our sense doors and examining our deepest wishes (volition) also help us to deepen our happiness and not repeat patterns of suffering in our lives. Finally our own thoughts and the collective consciousness in our surrounding environment also water our seeds of happiness or suffering in ourselves.

The 13th Mindfulness Training, Generosity, is also a lifestyle choice, it goes beyond offering money and material resources and is reflected by our way of thinking and our actions. We need to give to ourselves as well. Generosity can take the form of non-stealing (not having fear that we will not get what we need), gratitude, conscious consumerism, supporting humanitarian programs, and offering our presence and time for others.

See more Dharma talks by sr Tu Nghiem: https://plumvillage.org/about/dharma-teachers/sr-tu-nghiem/

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