(The four clear and decisive instructions on purity:)
Ananda straightened his robes and then, in the midst of the assembly,
placed his palms together and bowed. His mind was perfectly clear, and
he felt a mixture of joy and sorrow. His intent was to benefit beings of
the future as he made obeisance and said to the Buddha, "Greatly
Compassionate Bhagavan. I have already awakened and attained this
Dharma-door for becoming a Buddha, and I can cultivate it without the
slightest doubt. I have often heard the Tathagata say, 'Save others
first; then save yourself. That is the aspiration of a Bodhisattva. Once
your own enlightenment is perfected, then you can enlighten others.
That is the way the Tathagatas respond to the world.' Although I am not
yet saved, I vow to save all beings of the Dharma-ending Age.
"Bhagavan, those beings are from the Buddha's time, and there will be as
many deviant teachers propounding their teachings as there are sand
grains in the Ganges. I want to enable those beings to collect their
thoughts and enter Samadhi. How can I cause them to reside peacefully in
a Way-place, far away from exploits of demons, and be irreversible in
their resolve for Bodhi?"
At that time, the Bhagavan praised Ananda in front of the whole
assembly, saying, "Good indeed! How good it is that you have asked how
to establish a Way-place and to rescue and protect beings who are sunk
in the morass of the final age. Listen well, now, and I will tell you."
Ananda and the great assembly agreed to uphold the teaching.
The Buddha told Ananda, "You constantly hear me explain in the Vinaya
that there are three decisive aspects to cultivation. That is,
collecting one's thoughts constitutes the precepts; from the precepts
comes Samadhi; and from Samadhi arises wisdom. These are called the
Three Non-Outflow Studies. "
"Ananda, why do I call collecting one's thoughts the precepts? If beings
in the six paths of any mundane world had no sexual desire, they would
not have to undergo a continual succession of births and deaths. Your
basic purpose in cultivating Samadhi is to transcend the wearisome
defilements. But if you do not renounce sexual desire, you will not be
able to get out of the dust. Even though people may have some wisdom and
the manifestation of Dhyana Samadhi, if they do not exterminate sexual
desire, they are certain to enter demonic paths. At best, they will
become demon kings; on the average, they will become members of the
retinue of demons; at the lowest level, they will become female demons.
These demons all have their groups of disciples. Each claims that he has
accomplished the Unsurpassed Way. After my Nirvana, in the
Dharma-ending Age, these hordes of demons will abound, spreading like
wildfire as they openly practice greed and lust, while claiming to be
Good Knowing Advisors. They will cause beings to fall into the pit of
love and views and lose the way to Bodhi."
"When you teach people of the world to cultivate Samadhi, they must
first of all cut off the mind of sexual desire. This is the first clear
and decisive instruction on purity given by the Tathagatas, the Buddhas
of the past, the Bhagavans. Therefore, Ananda, if cultivators of Dhyana
Samadhi do not exterminate sexual desire, they are like someone who
cooks sand hoping to get rice. After hundreds of thousands of eons, it
will still just be hot sand. Why? It wasn't rice to begin with; it was
only sand. If you seek the Buddha's wonderful fruition with a body of
sexual desire, then even if you attain a wonderful awakening, it is
still based on sexual desire. With sexual desire at the source, you will
revolve in the three paths and not be able to get out. Which road will
you take to cultivate and be certified to the Tathagata's Nirvana? You
must exterminate the sexual desire which is intrinsic to both body and
mind, then get rid of even the aspect of extermination. At that point
you have some hope of attaining the Buddha's Bodhi. What I have said
here is the Buddhas' teaching. Any explanation counter to it is the
teaching of Papiyan(demon king)."
"Further, Ananda, if beings in the six paths of any mundane world had no
thoughts of killing, they would not have to a undergo a continual
succession of births and deaths. Your basic purpose in cultivating
Samadhi is to transcend the wearisome defilements. But if you do not
renounce your thoughts of killing, you will not be able to get out of
the dust. Even though people may have some wisdom and the manifestation
of Dhyana Samadhi, they are certain to enter the path of spirits if they
do not cease killing. At best, they will become ghosts of great
strength; on the average, they will become flying yakshas, ghost
leaders, or the like; at the lowest level, they will become earth-bound
rakshasas. These ghosts and spirits all have their followers. Each
claims that he has accomplished the Unsurpassed Way. After my Nirvana,
in the Dharma-ending Age, these hordes of ghosts and spirits will
abound, spreading like wildfire as they argue that eating meat will
bring one to the Bodhi Way. Ananda, I permit the Bhikshus to eat five
kinds of pure meat. This meat is actually a transformation brought into
being by my spiritual powers. It basically has no life-force. You
Brahmans live in a climate so hot and humid, and on such sandy and rocky
land, that vegetables will not grow; therefore, I have had to assist
you with spiritual powers and compassion. Because of this magnanimous
kindness and compassion, this so-called meat suits your taste. After my
extinction, how can those who eat the flesh of beings be called the
disciples of Shakya? You should know that, even if these meat-eaters may
enter the heart-open state similar to Samadhi, they are all great
Rakshas. When their retribution ends, they are bound to sink into the
bitter sea of birth and death. They are not disciples of the Buddha.
Such people as these kill and eat one another in a never-ending cycle.
How can such people transcend the Triple Realm? "
"When you teach people of the world to cultivate Samadhi, they must also
cease killing. This is the second clear and decisive instruction on
purity given by the Tathagatas, the Buddhas of the Past, the Bhagavans.
Therefore, Ananda, if cultivators of Dhyana Samadhi do not stop killing,
they are like one who stops up his ears and calls out in a loud voice,
thinking that no one hears him.. He tries to cover up the sound, but
only makes it greater. Pure Bhikshus and Bodhisattvas who practice
purity will not even step on grass in the pathway; even less would they
pull it up with their hands. How could anyone with great compassion
consume the flesh and blood of beings? Bhikshus who do not wear silk,
leather boots, furs, or down, whether imported or found locally, and who
do not consume milk, cream, or butter, can truly transcend this world.
When they have paid back their past debts, they will not have to
re-enter the Triple Realm. Why not? When someone wears anything taken
from a living creature, he creates relationships with the creature, just
as when people ate the hundred grains, their feet could not leave the
earth. Both physically and mentally one must avoid the bodies and the
by-products of beings, by neither wearing them nor eating them. I say
that such people have true liberation. What I have said here is the
Buddhas' teaching. Any explanation counter to it is the teaching of
Papiyan(demon king)."
"Further, Ananda, if beings in the six paths of any mundane world had no
thoughts of stealing, they would not have to undergo a continuous
succession of births and deaths. Your basic purpose in cultivating
Samadhi is to transcend the wearisome defilements. But if you do not
renounce your thoughts of stealing, you will not be able to get out of
the dust. Even though people may have some wisdom and the manifestation
of Dhyana Samadhi, they are certain to enter a deviant path if they do
not cease stealing. At best, they will become spirits; on the average,
they will become evil ghosts; at the lowest level, they will become
deviant people who are possessed by various sprites. These deviant
hordes all have their followers. Each claims that he has accomplished
the Unsurpassed Way. After my Nirvana, in the Dharma-ending Age, these
evil and deviant entities will abound, spreading like wildfire as they
surreptitiously cheat others. Calling themselves good knowing advisors,
they will each claim that they have attained the Unsurpassed Dharma.
Enticing and deceiving the ignorant, or frightening people out of their
wits, they disrupt and lay waste to households wherever they go."
"I teach the Bhikshus to beg for their food according to where they are,
in order to help them renounce greed and accomplish the Bodhi Way. The
Bhikshus do not prepare their own food, so that, at the end of this life
of transitory existence in the Triple Realm, they can show themselves
to be Once-returners who go and do not return. How could thieves put on
my robes and sell the Tathagata, saying that all manner of karma one
creates is just the Buddha-Dharma? They slander Bhikshus who have left
the home life and taken the complete precepts, saying that they belong
to the path of Hinayana(Small Vehicle). In this way, they confuse
innumerous beings, causing them to go astray, until they fall into the
Unintermittent Hell."
"After my Nirvana, I affirm that Bhikshus who have a decisive resolve to
cultivate Samadhi, and who before the images of Tathagatas can light an
oil lamp in their bodies or burn off a finger, or burn even one incense
stick on their bodies, will, in that moment repay their debts from
beginningless time past. They can depart from the world and be forever
free of outflows. Though they may not have instantly understood the
Unsurpassed Enlightenment, they will already have firmly set their minds
on the Dharma. If one does not practice any of these token
renunciations of the body on the causal level, then even if one realizes
the unconditioned, one will still have to come back as a person to
repay one's past debts, exactly as I had to undergo the retribution of
having to eat the grain meant for horses."
"When you teach people of the world to cultivate Samadhi, they must also
cease stealing. This is the third clear and decisive instruction on
purity given by the Tathagatas, the Buddhas of the past, the Bhagavans.
Therefore, Ananda, if cultivators of Dhyana Samadhi do not cease
stealing, they are like someone who pours water into a leaking cup
hoping to fill it. He may continue for as many eons as there are atoms
of universe, but, in the end, the cup still will not be full. If
Bhikshus do not store away anything else than their robes and bowls; if
they give what is left over from their food-offerings to hungry beings;
if they put their palms together and make obeisance to the entire great
assembly; if when people scold them they can treat it as praise; if they
can sacrifice their very bodies and minds, giving their flesh, bones,
and blood to living creatures; and if they do not repeat the
non-ultimate teachings of the Tathagata as though they were their own
explanations, misleading those who have just begun to study; then
Buddhas certify that they will attain true Samadhi. What I have said
here is the Buddhas' teaching. Any explanation counter to it is the
teaching of Papiyan(demon king)."
"Ananda, although beings in the six paths of any mundane world may not
kill, steal, or lust either physically or mentally, these three aspects
of their conduct thus being perfect, if they tell various major lies,
then the Samadhi they attain will not be pure. They will become demons
of love and views and will lose the seed of the Tathagata. They claim
that they have attained what they have not attained, and that they have
been certified when they have not been certified. Perhaps they seek to
be foremost in the world, most venerated and superior people. They
announce to their audiences that they have attained the fruition of a
Shrotaapanna, of a Sakridagamin, of an Anagamin, of Arhatship, of the
Pratyekabuddha Vehicle, or the various levels of Bodhisattvahood up to
and including the Ten Bhumi(stage)s, in order to cause others to revere
and repent in front of them and because they are greedy for offerings.
These icchantikas destroy the seeds of Buddhahood just as surely as a
tala-tree is destroyed if it is chopped down. The Buddha predicts that
such people cut off their good roots forever and lose their knowledge
and vision. Immersed in the sea of the Three Sufferings, they cannot
attain Samadhi."
"I command that after my Nirvana, Bodhisattvas and Arhats appear in
response-bodies in the Dharma-ending Age, and take various forms in
order to rescue those in the cycle of rebirth. They should either become
Shramanas, white-robed laypeople, kings, ministers or officials, virgin
youths or maidens, and so forth, even prostitutes, widows, profligates,
thieves, butchers, or dealers in contraband, be confreres of these
kinds of people, praise the Buddha Vehicle and cause them to enter
Samadhi in body and mind. But they should never say of themselves, 'I am
truly a Bodhisattva'; or 'I am truly an Arhat,' or let the Buddhas'
secret cause leak out by speaking casually to those who have not yet
studied, other than at the end of their lives and then only to those who
inherit the teaching. Otherwise, aren't such people deluding and
confusing beings and indulging in gross false claims?"
"When you teach people in the world to cultivate Samadhi, they must also
cease all lying. This is the fourth clear and decisive instruction on
purity given by the Tathagatas and the Buddhas of the past, the
Bhagavans. Therefore, Ananda, one who does not cut off lying is like a
person who carves a piece of human excrement to look like chandana,
hoping to make it fragrant. He is attempting the impossible. I teach the
Bhikshus that the straight mind is the Way-place and that in all
aspects of their practice of the Four Majestic Deportments they should
avoid falseness. How could they claim to have themselves attained the
Dharmas of a superior person? That would be like a poor person falsely
calling himself an emperor and thereby bringing about his own execution.
Much less should one attempt to usurp the title of the Dharma King.
When the cause-ground is not true, the effects will be distorted. One
who seeks the Buddha's Bodhi in that way is like a person who tries to
bite his own navel. Who could possibly succeed in that?"
"If the Bhikshus' minds are as straight as bow-strings, and they are
true and real in everything they do, then they can enter Samadhi and
never be involved in the deeds of demons. I certify that such people
will accomplish the Bodhisattvas' Unsurpassed Knowledge and
Enlightenment. What I have said here is the Buddhas' teaching. Any
explanation counter to it is the teaching of Papiyan(demon king)."
The above-mentioned are so important if one wants to attain Nirvana or stop the cycle of incarnation.
The first verse pointed to the need to cultivate the thought of regarding all other sentient beings as precious. In the second verse, the point being made is that the recognition of the preciousness of other sentient beings, and the sense of caring that you develop on that basis, should not be grounded on a feeling of pity toward other sentient beings, that is, on the thought that they are inferior. Rather, what is being emphasized is a sense of caring for other sentient beings and a recognition of their preciousness based on reverence and respect, as superior beings. I would like to emphasize here how we should understand compassion in the Buddhist context. Generally speaking, in the Buddhist tradition, compassion and loving kindness are seen as two sides of same thing. Compassion is said to be the empathetic wish that aspires to see the object of compassion, the sentient being, free from suffering. Loving kindness is the aspiration that wishes happiness upon others. In this context, love and compassion should not be confused with love and compassion in the conventional sense. For example, we experience a sense of closeness toward people who are dear to us. We feel a sense of compassion and empathy for them. We also have strong love for these people, but often this love or compassion is grounded in self-referential considerations: "So-and-so is my friend," "my spouse," "my child," and so on. What happens with this kind of love or compassion, which may be strong, is that it is tinged with attachment because it involves self-referential considerations. Once there is attachment there is also the potential for anger and hatred to arise. Attachment goes hand in hand with anger and hatred. For example, if one's compassion toward someone is tinged with attachment, it can easily turn into its emotional opposite due to the slightest incident. Then instead of wishing that person to be happy, you might wish that person to be miserable.On the positive side, you may believe that your worrying helps you avoid bad things, prevents problems, prepares you for the worst, or leads to solutions.
Negative beliefs, or worrying about worrying, add to your anxiety and keep worry going. But positive beliefs about worrying can be just as damaging. It’s tough to break the worry habit if you believe that your worrying protects you. In order to stop worry and anxiety for good, you must give up your belief that worrying serves a positive purpose. Once you realize that worrying is the problem, not the solution, you can regain control of your worried mind.
Why you keep worrying
You have mixed feelings about your worries. On one hand, your worries are bothering you—you can't sleep, and you can't get these pessimistic thoughts out of your head. But there is a way that these worries make sense to you. For example, you think:- Maybe I'll find a solution.
- I don't want to overlook anything.
- If I keep thinking a little longer, maybe I'll figure it out.
- I don't want to be surprised.
- I want to be responsible.
Source: The Worry Cure: Seven Steps to Stop Worry from Stopping You by Robert L. Leahy, Ph.D.
Worry and anxiety self-help tip #1: Create a worry period
It’s tough to be productive in your daily life when anxiety and worry are dominating your thoughts. But what can you do? If you’re like many chronic worriers, your anxious thoughts feel uncontrollable. You’ve tried lots of things, from distracting yourself, reasoning with your worries, and trying to think positive, but nothing seems to work.Why trying to stop anxious thoughts doesn’t work
Telling yourself to stop worrying doesn’t work—at least not for long. You can distract yourself or suppress anxious thoughts for a moment, but you can’t banish them for good. In fact, trying to do so often makes them stronger and more persistent.You can test this out for yourself. Close your eyes and picture a pink elephant. Once you can see the pink elephant in your mind, stop thinking about it. Whatever you do, for the next five minutes, don’t think about pink elephants!
How did you do? Did thoughts of pink elephants keep popping in your brain?
“Thought stopping” backfires because it forces you to pay extra attention to the very thought you want to avoid. You always have to be watching for it, and this very emphasis makes it seem even more important.
But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do to control your worry. You just need to try a different approach. This is where the strategy of postponing worrying comes in. Rather than trying to stop or get rid of an anxious thought, give yourself permission to have it, but put off thinking any more about it until later.
Learning to postpone worrying:
- Create a “worry period.” Choose a set time and place for worrying. It should be the same every day (e.g. in the living room from 5:00 to 5:20 p.m.) and early enough that it won’t make you anxious right before bedtime. During your worry period, you’re allowed to worry about whatever’s on your mind. The rest of the day, however, is a worry-free zone.
- Postpone your worry. If an anxious thought or worry comes into your head during the day, make a brief note of it on paper and postpone it to your worry period. Remind yourself that you’ll have time to think about it later, so there’s no need to worry about it right now. Save it for later and continue to go about your day.
- Go over your “worry list” during the worry period. Reflect on the worries you wrote down during the day. If the thoughts are still bothering you, allow yourself to worry about them, but only for the amount of time you’ve specified for your worry period. If the worries don’t seem important any more, cut your worry period short and enjoy the rest of your day.
Worry and anxiety self-help tip #2: Ask yourself if the problem is solvable
Research shows that while you’re worrying, you temporarily feel less anxious. Running over the problem in your head distracts you from your emotions and makes you feel like you’re getting something accomplished. But worrying and problem solving are two very different things.Problem solving involves evaluating a situation, coming up with concrete steps for dealing with it, and then putting the plan into action. Worrying, on the other hand, rarely leads to solutions. No matter how much time you spend dwelling on worst-case scenarios, you’re no more prepared to deal with them should they actually happen.
Distinguish between solvable and unsolvable worries
If a worry pops into your head, start by asking yourself whether the problem is something you can actually solve. The following questions can help:- Is the problem something you’re currently facing, rather than an imaginary what-if?
- If the problem is an imaginary what-if, how likely is it to happen? Is your concern realistic?
- Can you do something about the problem or prepare for it, or is it out of your control?
If the worry is solvable, start brainstorming. Make a list of all the possible solutions you can think of. Try not to get too hung up on finding the perfect solution. Focus on the things you have the power to change, rather than the circumstances or realities beyond your control. After you’ve evaluated your options, make a plan of action. Once you have a plan and start doing something about the problem, you’ll feel much less worried.
Dealing with unsolvable worries
But what if the worry isn’t something you can solve? If you’re a chronic worrier, the vast majority of your anxious thoughts probably fall in this camp. In such cases, it’s important to tune into your emotions.As previously mentioned, worrying helps you avoid unpleasant emotions. Worrying keeps you in your head, thinking about how to solve problems rather than allowing yourself to feel the underlying emotions. But you can’t worry your emotions away. While you’re worrying, your feelings are temporarily suppressed, but as soon as you stop, the tension and anxiety bounces back. And then, you start worrying about your feelings, “What’s wrong with me? I shouldn’t feel this way!”
Learn how emotional savvy reduces worry The only way out of this vicious cycle is by learning to embrace your feelings. This may seem scary at first because of negative beliefs you have about emotions. For example, you may believe that you should always be rational and in control, that your feelings should always make sense, or that you shouldn’t feel certain emotions, such as fear or anger.
Worry and anxiety self-help tip #3: Accept uncertainty
The inability to tolerate uncertainty plays a huge role in anxiety and worry. Chronic worriers can’t stand doubt or unpredictability. They need to know with 100 percent certainty what’s going to happen. Worrying is seen as a way to predict what the future has in store—a way to prevent unpleasant surprises and control the outcome. The problem is, it doesn’t work.Thinking about all the things that could go wrong doesn’t make life any more predictable. You may feel safer when you’re worrying, but it’s just an illusion. Focusing on worst-case scenarios won’t keep bad things from happening. It will only keep you from enjoying the good things you have in the present. So if you want to stop worrying, start by tackling your need for certainty and immediate answers.
Challenging intolerance of uncertainty: The key to anxiety relief
Ask yourself the following questions and write down your responses. See if you can come to an understanding of the disadvantages and problems of being intolerant of uncertainty.- Is it possible to be certain about everything in life?
- What are the advantages of requiring certainty, versus the disadvantages? Or, how is needing certainty in life helpful and unhelpful?
- Do you tend to predict bad things will happen just because they are uncertain? Is this a reasonable thing to do? What is the likelihood of positive or neutral outcomes?
- Is it possible to live with the small chance that something negative may happen, given its likelihood is very low?
Worry and anxiety self-help tip #4: Challenge anxious thoughts
If you suffer from chronic anxiety and worries, chances are you look at the world in ways that make it seem more dangerous than it really is. For example, you may overestimate the possibility that things will turn out badly, jump immediately to worst-case scenarios, or treat every negative thought as if it were fact. You may also discredit your own ability to handle life’s problems, assuming you’ll fall apart at the first sign of trouble. These irrational, pessimistic attitudes are known as cognitive distortions.Although cognitive distortions aren’t based on reality, they’re not easy to give up. Often, they’re part of a lifelong pattern of thinking that’s become so automatic you’re not even completely aware of it. In order to break these bad thinking habits and stop the worry and anxiety they bring, you must retrain your brain.
Start by identifying the frightening thought, being as detailed as possible about what scares or worries you. Then, instead of viewing your thoughts as facts, treat them as hypotheses you’re testing out. As you examine and challenge your worries and fears, you’ll develop a more balanced perspective.
Stop worry by questioning the worried thought:
- What’s the evidence that the thought is true? That it’s not true?
- Is there a more positive, realistic way of looking at the situation?
- What’s the probability that what I’m scared of will actually happen?
- If the probability is low, what are some more likely outcomes?
- Is the thought helpful? How will worrying about it help me and how will it hurt me?
- What would I say to a friend who had this worry?
| Cognitive Distortions that Add to Anxiety, Worry, and Stress |
| All-or-nothing thinking - Looking at things in black-or-white categories, with no middle ground. “If I fall short of perfection, I’m a total failure.” |
| Overgeneralization - Generalizing from a single negative experience, expecting it to hold true forever. “I didn’t get hired for the job. I’ll never get any job.” |
| The mental filter - Focusing on the negatives while filtering out all the positives. Noticing the one thing that went wrong, rather than all the things that went right. |
| Diminishing the positive - Coming up with reasons why positive events don’t count. “I did well on the presentation, but that was just dumb luck.” |
| Jumping to conclusions - Making negative interpretations without actual evidence. You act like a mind reader, “I can tell she secretly hates me.” Or a fortune teller, “I just know something terrible is going to happen.” |
| Catastrophizing - Expecting the worst-case scenario to happen. “The pilot said we’re in for some turbulence. The plane’s going to crash!” |
| Emotional reasoning - Believing that the way you feel reflects reality. “I feel frightened right now. That must mean I’m in real physical danger.” |
| 'Shoulds’ and ‘should-nots’ - Holding yourself to a strict list of what you should and shouldn’t do and beating yourself up if you break any of the rules |
| Labeling - Labeling yourself based on mistakes and perceived shortcomings. “I’m a failure; an idiot; a loser.” |
| Personalization - Assuming responsibility for things that are outside your control. “It’s my fault my son got in an accident. I should have warned him to drive carefully in the rain.” |
Worry and anxiety self-help tip # 5: Be aware of how others affect you
How you feel is affected by the company you keep, whether you’re aware of it or not. Studies show that emotions are contagious. We quickly “catch” moods from other people—even from strangers who never speak a word (e.g. the terrified woman sitting by you on the plane; the fuming man in the checkout line). The people you spend a lot of time with have an even greater impact on your mental state.- Keep a worry diary. You may not be aware of how people or situations are affecting you. Maybe this is the way it’s always been in your family, or you’ve been dealing with the stress so long that it feels normal. You may want to keep a worry diary for a week or so. Every time you start to worry, jot down the thought and what triggered it. Over time, you’ll start to see patterns.
- Spend less time with people who make you anxious. Is there someone in your life who drags you down or always seems to leave you feeling stressed? Think about cutting back on the time you spend with that person or establish healthier relationship boundaries. For example, you might set certain topics off-limits, if you know that talking about them with that person makes you anxious.
- Choose your confidantes carefully. Know who to talk to about situations that make you anxious. Some people will help you gain perspective, while others will feed into your worries, doubts, and fears.
Worry and anxiety self-help tip #6: Practice mindfulness
Worrying is usually focused on the future—on what might happen and what you’ll do about it. The centuries-old practice of mindfulness can help you break free of your worries by bringing your attention back to the present. In contrast to the previous techniques of challenging your anxious thoughts or postponing them to a worry period, this strategy is based on observing and then letting them go. Together, they can help you identify where your thinking is causing problems, while helping you get in touch with your emotions.- Acknowledge and observe your anxious thoughts and feelings. Don’t try to ignore, fight, or control them like you usually would. Instead, simply observe them as if from an outsider’s perspective, without reacting or judging.
- Let your worries go. Notice that when you don’t try to control the anxious thoughts that pop up, they soon pass, like clouds moving across the sky. It’s only when you engage your worries that you get stuck.
- Stay focused on the present. Pay attention to the way your body feels, the rhythm of your breathing, your ever-changing emotions, and the thoughts that drift across your mind. If you find yourself getting stuck on a particular thought, bring your attention back to the present moment.
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