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1-Page Summary of The Miracle of Mindfulness

Overview

Are you living in the present? Or are you always thinking about what will happen next or worrying about your past? Many of us have been taught to plan for the future, but how much is too much planning and when does it become a distraction from actually living our lives now? You’ll discover that many people think so far ahead into their future or dwell on their past that they’re not even living in the moment.

So, go on a journey with Thích Nhất Hạnh to discover how you can use the Buddhist practice of mindfulness to rectify this situation. You’ll rediscover how to appreciate the simple things in life, such as your body and mind. With easy-to-follow meditation exercises and dazzling insights into Buddhism’s philosophy, you’ll learn how to be conscious of the here and now instead of living for tomorrow.

Read on to discover the mindful way of cleaning your dirty dishes. You can also learn how to appreciate life by imagining that you’re a pebble. Lastly, you can find out why you’ve probably been breathing incorrectly for most of your life.

Big Idea #1: Live each moment of your life by keeping your mind on the task at hand.

In the 1940s, novice monk Thich Nhat Hanh was often forced to clean dishes in the kitchen at Tu Hieu Pagoda monastery. He had no soap and only ashes, husks of rice and freezing water to use.

In the past, novice monks were responsible for washing dishes by hand. They had to use cold water and soap and scrub hard to clean the plates. However, now they have hot running water that makes it easier for them to wash dishes quickly. The novice monks are able to relax with a cup of tea after they finish washing the dishes because they don’t have any more work left on their hands. But surprisingly, instead of viewing these modern upgrades as an improvement, the author views them as a problem for today’s novice dishwashers.

He believes that just because you want your dishes to be clean is not the right way of doing it. The right way is to do them for their own sake, without any other motive in mind.

If we rush through the dishes, it’s like a chore that we’re forced to endure. We can’t possibly enjoy doing them if our minds are already thinking about the cup of tea waiting for us when we finish. Moreover, while rushing through this task, there is no way that we could be fully aware and alive because of how much time is spent wishing away those moments.

Instead, we’re already in the future. You don’t really clean your dishes; you only think you do. In fact, once you get to that cup of tea, your mind will be thinking about something else and won’t really taste the tea even if it’s in your mouth. So again, instead of living a few moments here and now, we’ll be thinking about other things and not actually experiencing life for what it is.

The Sutra of Mindfulness teaches us that we should be mindful of whatever we’re doing at any given moment. We can learn more about this idea in the following key points.

Big Idea #2: Start to practice mindfulness by breathing in a mindful way.

Mindfulness means being aware of the present moment instead of thinking about the future or dwelling on the past. Although many people try to be mindful, distractions happen and they can’t focus on what’s important in their lives. So, how can we live mindfully in this hectic world?

Breathing can help you achieve your goals.

When we’re distracted from the present moment, our thoughts become scattered. We can’t concentrate or appreciate life as much. Luckily, breathing is a natural and effective way to bring us back into the present moment and get our thoughts back together again.