Meditations on the 40 Tenets of Plum Village
Learn more about the 40 Tenets of Plum Village on the Order of Interbeing website.
Or, watch the Dharma classes on the 40 Tenets by Br. Phap Luu from Deer Park Monastery via the Plum Village App.
Tenets 1 through 5
Breathing in, I’m aware that I’m breathing in.
Breathing out, I know that I’m breathing out.
Aware of in-breath; knowledge of out-breath.
Breathing in, I arrive within my body.
Breathing out, I’m at home within my body.
Arrive within my body; at home within my body.
1.
Breathing in, I’m aware that space is a conditioned dharma.
Breathing out, I know it manifests with time, matter, and consciousness.
Space is conditioned; manifesting with other dharmas.
2.
Breathing in, I’m aware that the historical dimension is conditioned.
Breathing out, I know that the ultimate dimension is unconditioned.
Historical dimension—conditioned; ultimate dimension—unconditioned.
3.
Breathing in, I’m aware of my ignorance.
Breathing out, I transform my afflictions.
Aware of my ignorance; transforming my afflictions.
4.
Breathing in, I’m aware that nirvana is nirvana.
Breathing out, I know there is no nirvana with or without residue.
Nirvana is Nirvana; nirvana cannot be conditioned.
5.
Breathing in, I’m aware of being alive in the present moment.
Breathing out, I know I can touch nirvana in this wonderful moment.
Present moment—alive; wonderful moment—touching nirvana.
—jenniellamb | sept. 22, 2022
Tenets 6 through 10
Breathing in, I know I’m breathing in.
Breathing out, I’m aware I’m breathing out.
Knowledge of in-breath; awareness of out-breath.
Breathing in, I invite myself home to my body.
Breathing out, I arrive at home within my body.
Inviting myself home; arriving within my body.
6.
Breathing in, I know that nirvana is not a phenomenon.
Breathing out, I’m aware that nirvana is the true nature of all.
Nirvana—not a phenomenon; nirvana—true nature of all.
7.
Breathing in, I know that “no birth and no death” is nirvana.
Breathing out, I awaken to the “no coming and no going.”
Not born or died; no coming or going.
8.
Breathing in, I concentrate on emptiness, signlessness, and aimlessness.
Breathing out, I can touch nirvana and the unconditioned.
Empty, signless, and aimless; touching the unconditioned.
9.
Breathing in, I know signs of the Dharma are impermanence, non-self, and nirvana.
Breathing out, I’m aware there may be more, but there must always be nirvana.
Impermanence, non-self, and nirvana; there must always be nirvana.
10.
Breathing in, I concentrate on impermanence, non-self, and nirvana.
Breathing out, I use my insights to touch liberation.
Impermanence, non-self, and nirvana; I am free.
—jenniellamb | nov. 25, 2022
Tenets 11 through 15
Breathing in, I understand I’m breathing in.
Breathing out, I’m mindful I’m breathing out.
Understanding in-breath; mindful of out-breath.
Breathing in, I return home to my body.
Breathing out, I’m at home within my body.
Returning to my body; at home within my body.
11.
Breathing in, I cultivate mindfulness, concentration, and insight.
Breathing out, I know these trainings are essential to liberation.
Cultivating taintless trainings; essential practices for liberation.
12.
Breathing in, I see the precepts as mindfulness.
Breathing out, I vow to practice mindful manners.
Precepts and manners; concrete expressions of mindfulness.
13.
Breathing in, I practice the mindfulness trainings.
Breathing out, I know they are Right Diligence.
Practicing Right Diligence; is practicing Right Mindfulness.
14.
Breathing in, I know mindfulness, concentration, and insight include each other.
Breathing out, I see they can bring joy, happiness, and liberation.
Mindfulness, concentration, and insight; bring joy, happiness, and liberation.
15.
Breathing in, I know suffering, and, therefore, I know happiness.
Breathing out, I learn to keep wrong actions from planting negative seeds.
Suffering and happiness inter-are; transforming and preventing suffering.
–jenniellamb | jan. 29, 2023
Tenets 16 through 20
Breathing in, I know I’m breathing in.
Breathing out, I know I’m breathing out.
In; out.
Breathing in, I bring awareness to my body.
Breathing out, I bring calmness to my body.
Knowing body; calming body.
16.
Breathing in, I see the Four Noble Truths are conditioned in the historical.
Breathing out, I see the Four Noble Truths are also unconditioned in the ultimate.
Noble Truths—conditioned in the historical; unconditioned in the ultimate.
17.
Breathing in, I understand that the cessation of suffering is happiness.
Breathing out, I recognize the Third Noble Truth is the truth of happiness.
Third Noble Truth; truth of happiness.
18.
Breathing in, I know that free will is possible.
Breathing out, free will is possible with mindfulness, concentration, and insight.
Free will is possible; because of the taintless trainings.
19.
Breathing in, I see the Second Noble Truth is the ignoble path of wrong practices.
Breathing out, I know that the cause of ill-being is not only craving.
Suffering from wrong practices; suffering from desire.
20.
Breathing in, I know that a real arhat is also a bodhisattva and vice versa.
Breathing out, I want to awaken for all beings, not just for myself.
Waking up for myself; waking up for all.
—jenniellamb | feb. 25, 2023
Tenets 21 through 25
Breathing in, I’m mindful of my in-breath.
Breathing out, I concentrate on my out-breath.
In-breath; out-breath.
Breathing in, I’m aware of my body.
Breathing out, I relax my body.
Aware of body; relaxing body.
21.
Breathing in, I know humans have the capacity to become Buddhas.
Breathing out, Buddhas remain human beings.
Recognizing BuddhaNature; many Buddhas are possible.
22.
Breathing in, I know the Buddha has many bodies.
Breathing out, since Buddhas are human beings, we too have numerous bodies.
The Buddha’s numerous bodies; our numerous bodies.
23.
Breathing in, I know I’m not an unchanging, permanent, and separate self.
Breathing out, we receive from and contribute to other streams of phenomena.
Change, impermanence, interbeing; flowing streams of phenomena.
24.
Breathing in, I meditate on the teaching of re-birth.
Breathing out, samsara is because of impermanence, no-self, and interbeing.
No-birth, no-death; impermanence, no-self, and interbeing.
25.
Breathing in, I realize that happiness and suffering inter-are.
Breathing out, I know that affliction and enlightenment are organic.
Happiness and suffering; organic interbeing.
—jenniellamb | july 16, 2023
Tenets 26 through 30
Breathing in, I smile to my in-breath.
Breathing out, I smile to my out-breath.
Welcoming in-breath; welcoming out-breath.
Breathing in, I smile to my body.
Breathing out, I send loving-kindness to my body.
Smiling to my body; being kind to my body.
26.
Breathing in, I know the Sangha, the Buddha, and the Dharma bodies inter-are.
Breathing out, I find the true Buddha and the true Dharma in a true Sangha.
Buddha, Dharma, Sangha; truly inter-are.
27.
Breathing in, I work to keep my practice constant.
Breathing out, I know it’s how to continue transformation.
Using the compost; nourishing the flowers.
28.
Breathing in, I see liberation isn’t the end of the personal self, which doesn’t exist.
Breathing out, I know it’s not the end of the precepts’ body or a spiritual life.
Liberating from samsara; still practicing.
29.
Breathing in, I know that birth is only a manifestation.
Breathing out, I know that death is only a non-manifestation.
Manifestor and manifested; occurring together.
30.
Breathing in, I realize a dharma is a process.
Breathing out, I know it’s an object of mind.
Everything is a process; everything is an illusion.
—jenniellamb | july 22, 2023
Tenets 31 through 35
Breathing in, I bow to my in-breath.
Breathing out, I bow to my out-breath.
Bowing to in-breath; bowing to out-breath.
Breathing in, I sense my body.
Breathing out, I acknowledge my body.
Sensing my body; knowing my body.
31.
Breathing in, I know that retribution affects body, mind, and environment—individually and collectively.
Breathing out, I know this is both the Saha Land for living beings and the Pure Land for Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
Body, mind & environment; both the Saha AND the Pure Land.
32.
Breathing in, I have no separate self but am subject to birth and death.
Breathing out, I know there is inter-continuation, which is interbeing.
No self, no birth, no death; everything inter-continues.
33.
Breathing in, I remind myself the Buddha was just a human being.
Breathing out, I do not look for something to replace the self.
Buddha is human; understanding no-self.
34.
Breathing in, I take care to guard my store consciousness.
Breathing out, I do not want to act on ‘auto-pilot.’
The capacity of store consciousness; fill it with wholesome concepts.
35.
Breathing in, I know Manas overreacts in unwholesome ways.
Breathing out, I know it rejects important insights into reality.
There is goodness in suffering; interbeing and compassion are key.
—jenniellamb | nov. 25, 2023
Tenets 36 through 40
Breathing in, I know I’m breathing in.
Breathing out, I know I’m breathing out.
Aware of in-breath; Aware of out-breath.
Breathing in, I realize I have a body.
Breathing out, I’m grateful for my body.
Realizing my body; grateful for my body.
36.
Breathing in, I practice mindfulness, concentration, and insight.
Breathing out, I let store consciousness mature my insights and manifest innate wisdom.
Practicing diligently; understanding store consciousness.
37.
Breathing in, I study Source Buddhism to learn the basic practices.
Breathing out, I meditate on these practices that are the essential Buddhadharma.
Source Buddhism; the essential practices.
38.
Breathing in, I know the reality of Nirvãna transcends space and time.
Breathing out, I know the reality of everything else does, too—because of interbeing.
Conditioned and unconditioned; historical and ultimate.
39.
Breathing in, I recognize the teachings are presented in different ways.
Breathing out, I know that the presentations don’t oppose each other.
Different presentations; same teachings.
40.
Breathing in, I see that Buddhist wisdom supports the spirit of science.
Breathing out, I hope that scientists will develop their intuition.
Buddhism and Science; aren’t contradictory.
—jenniellamb | nov. 25, 2023