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 ~*~   Dear friends, this is an excerpt from "The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching" by Thich Nhat Hanh  ~*~

                                                                 ~~~~~  o O o  ~~~~~

    In this excerpt, Hanh is referring to not only food we eat that is ingested, but also our environment

    and all of the energies associated with outside circumstances that we encounter throughout our day.

    For the serious spiritual seeker, using 'mindfulness' is a valuable tool in being aware of what we are

    allowing our senses to absorb.

                                                         ~~~~~~~~  o  O  o  ~~~~~~~

    "Movies are food for our eyes, ears and minds.  When we watch TV, the program is our food.  Children

     who spend five hours a day watching television are ingesting images that water the negative seeds

     of craving, fear, anger, and violence in them.  We are exposed to so many forms, colors, sounds,

     smells, tastes, objects of touch, and ideas that are toxic and rob our body and consciousness of their

     well-being.  When you feel despair, fear, or depression, it may be because you have ingested too many

     toxins through your sense impressions.         Not only children need to be protected from violent and

     unwholesome films, TV programs, books, magazines, and games.   We, too, can be destroyed by these

     media.

     "If we are mindful, we will know whether we are "ingesting" the toxins of fear, hatred, and violence, or

     eating 'food' that encourage understanding, compassion, and the determination to help others.

     With the practice of mindfulness, we will know that hearing this, looking at this, or touching that,

     we feel anxious, sad or depressed.   As a result, we will know what to be in contact with and what to

     avoid.        Our skin protects us from bacteria.        Antibodies protect us from internal invaders.

     We have to use the equivalent aspects of our consciousness to protect us from unwholesome sense

     objects that can poison us.

    "The Buddha offered this drastic image:  'There is a cow with such a terrible skin disease that her skin

     is almost no longer there.  When you bring her close to an ancient wall or old tree, all the living creatures

     in the bark of the tree come out, cling to the cow's body, and suck.  When we bring her into the water,

     the same thing happens.  Even when she is just exposed to the air, tiny insects come and suck.'

     Then the Buddha said, 'This is our situation, also.'

    "We are exposed to invasions of all kinds  -  images, sounds, smells, touch, ideas  -  and many of these

     feed the craving, violence, fear, and despair in us.  The Buddha advised us to post a sentinel, namely

     mindfulness, at each of our sense doors to protect ourselves.     Use your Buddha eyes to look at each

     nutriment you are about to ingest.  If you see that it is toxic, refuse to look at it, listen to it, taste it,

    or touch it.   Ingest only what you are certain is safe. "                    ~  Thich Nhat Hanh

      Shared with Loving Intent  ~  Mary.