Present Moment Awareness

In honor of Thich Nhat Hanh’s birthday month I am sharing aspects of his teachings that will make you think and may just change the way you live. Today I am thinking about present moment awareness, or what the Buddhists call “mindfulness.” Here are Thay’s own words about an action we all take in the Fall—raking the leaves.

“In autumn I like to rake the leaves at my hermitage at Plum Village [France]. I do it every three days or so, using a rake. . . . Raking the leaves is not simply to have a clean path to jog or walk along: raking the leaves is just to enjoy raking the leaves. So I hold the rake in such a way that makes me feel happy, peaceful, and solid during the whole time of raking. I want to ensure every movement is an act of enlightenment, an act of joy, and an act of peace. So I am not in a hurry because I see that the very act of raking is at least as wonderful as having a clean path. I would not be satisfied with anything less than that. . . . If you make one stroke in such a way that you are fully invested in the act of raking leaves, then you will be rewarded right away.” -Thich Nhat Hanh, At Home in the World

I get the idea from reading this that Thay was struggling with something that we all encounter—making meaning out of those tasks that we must do in order to get to the activities we want to do. When we carry out a task with this mindset—that we must it get done quickly so we can do something else we value more—then both actions, the thing we have to do and the thing we want to do, are diminished somehow. Certainly the first task is diminished because we don’t like it or appreciate it. But the second activity is also diminished because it is not long before we are looking forward to what is coming next. Will it be even better than what we have now?

Here is the secret to living so that “every movement is an act of enlightenment, an act of joy, and an act of peace”:

Assume the attitude that every action is important and bring complete awareness to each one

What are those tasks that are difficult for you? Mine are the household routines of doing laundry, cleaning the cat boxes and loading the dishwasher. Today I will “hold the rake in such a way that makes me feel happy, peaceful, and solid during the whole time of raking.” Will you join me?