Tangerine Meditation | Brother Phap Linh (audio)

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Tangerine meditation.

Take a tangerine or any piece of fresh fruit and find a quiet place to sit.

Establish yourself in the present moment.

Aware of your posture and your breath.

Take three deep in and out breaths, letting go of all your projects and worries,

allowing your mind to rest peacefully

in the awareness of the sensations of the breath coming in.

and out.

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Hold your tangerine or your piece of fruit in your hand

and look deeply at it.

Only takes a second or two to see that this tangerine is a gift of the whole cosmos.

Look at it and see the blossom on the tree.

Blowing in the wind, nourished by the sun and the rain

being visited from time to time by the gentle bees collecting nectar.

See the tiny green fruit after the petals have fallen away.

See it grow and change color as it ripens in the sun.

As you begin to peel the tangerine.

just enjoy the fragrant oils which are released from the skin.

When you're ready, take a single segment and place it slowly in your mouth.

Savor every sensation and flavor as you bite into it, and the juice flows over your tongue.

See how life has miraculously brought together sun,

rain, earth and sky to offer you this precious and delicious experience.

Enjoy the rest of your fruit

slowly and mindfully, aware of every bite.

Letting go of any distracting thoughts as they arise.

Sometimes when we eat, we are not thinking about the food at all.

We're thinking of the past or planning for the future,

or ruminating about some worry or anxiety.

This moment is a moment of meditation.

You are cultivating the energy of mindfulness in your life.

So stop thinking about your business, about the office,

or about anything that is not happening right now.

Don't chew your worries, your fear, or your anger.

Just chew this precious piece of fruit

that has been offered to you by the cosmos.

Later, when you come back to your work or your projects,

you may find that you are more focused and creative.

But right now you can release any tension or worries.

This moment is just to enjoy the miracle of life.

Living deeply every moment of our life like this,

we can be very happy.

Please enjoy your snack.

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