The practice of SHAMATHA is about “stopping”. “If we cannot stop, we cannot have insight.” The art of stopping is a practice – stopping our thinking, our habit energies, our forgetfulness, all of the strong emotions that rule us. Thanks to Covid-19, we are being forced to stop, forced to question our own thinking and habit energies, and become mindful, not forgetful. This excerpt in my journal is about how to stop the state of agitation, and how to stop our fear, despair, anger and craving from taking over.
To help you read my handwriting, the following is the conclusion I came to with the help of Thich Nhat Hanh.
We can stop the agitation by practicing mindful breathing, mindful walking, mindful smiling and a much deeper, present looking inside of us in order to understand. “When we are mindful, touching deeply the present moment, the fruits are always understanding, acceptance, love and the desire to relieve suffering and bring joy.