Gathas

Breathing, sitting, and walking meditation are wonderful, but in our daily life we can be so busy that we forget our intention to breathe or walk mindfully. One way to help us dwell in the present moment is to practice with gathas. Gathas are short verses that help us practice mindfulness in our daily activities. A gatha can open and deepen our experience of simple acts that we often take for granted. Focusing our mind on a gatha, we return to ourselves and become more aware of each action. When the gatha ends, we continue our activity with heightened awareness. At Plum Village, where I live in France, we practice gathas when we wake up, when we enter the meditation hall, during meals, and when we wash the dishes. In fact, we recite gathas silently throughout the entire day to help us attend to the present moment.

When we drive a car, signs can help us find our way. When we see a sign, it can guide us along the way until the next sign. When we practice with gathas, the gathas can guide our daily activities, and we can live our entire day in awareness.

Practice

When you turn on the water faucet, look deeply and see how precious the water is. Remember not to waste a single drop because the are so many people in the world who don't have enough to drink.

     Water flows from high mountains.

     Water runs deep in the Earth.

     Miraculously water comes to us and sustains all life.

While brushing your teeth, you can make a vow to use loving speech with this gatha:

     Brushing my teeth and rinsing my mouth, I vow to speak, purely and lovingly. 
     When my mouth is fragrent with right speech, a flower blooms in the garden of 
     my heart. 

Before turning on the engine of your car, you can prepare for a safe journey by reciting the gatha for starting the car. 

     Before starting the car, I know where I am going. The car and I are one.

     If the car goes fast, I go fast. 

The gatha brings your mind and body together. With a calm and clear mind, fully aware of the activities of your body, you are less likely to get into a car accident.

Gathas are nourishment for your mind and body, giving you peace, calm, and joy, which you can share with others. They help you to bring the uninterrupted practice of meditation into every part of your day. You can start with the gathas above, find more in the book, Present Moment Wonderful Moment, or you can write your own.

Writing your own gathas is a longstanding Zen tradition, one that I inherited from my teacher and pass on to my students.