“When you have pain within you, the first thing to do is to bring the energy of mindfulness to embrace the pain. ‘I know that you are there, little anger, my old friend. Breathe — I am taking care of you now.’
So every time you have an energy that needs to be transformed, like jealousy or fear, do something to care for this energy, for this negative energy, if you do not want this energy to destroy you. Touch the seed of mindfulness, and then all of its energy will be able to establish itself in your (inner) ‘living room,’ like a mother tenderly embracing your pain. With that energy of mindfulness, you are doing the true practice of meditat
ion with regard to your pain, your emotions. If you are able to maintain mindfulness for five or ten minutes, you will experience some relief right away.
It is necessary for mindfulness to be there to play the role of mother, of big sister. If you are able to keep this up, the result could be there, maybe, in three or four minutes. You breathe and you concentrate solely on breathing, ‘Breathing in — I know that I am breathing in; breathing out– I know that I am breathing out.’
After a minute or two, you practice this way: ‘Breathing in — I know that I am angry; breathing out– I know that the anger is still in me.’ Ten minutes later, you will feel better. It is a sure thing, on condition that the energy of mindfulness is really there; and if you keep it up, concentration– and not only concentration but also deep looking– will also be there.
You will be able to look deeply at the true nature of your anger. This discovery, this understanding, this wisdom, will liberate you from your pain.”
True Love, Thich Nhat Hanh, P. 55-58.
