The Sun My Heart Analysis

Mindfulness and Meditation in Practice

In The Sun My Heart: Reflections on Mindfulness, Concentration, and Insight, Thich Nhat Hahn says, “It is of no use to sit in a peaceful forest if our mind is lost in the city” (37). According to Hahn, awareness, especially self-awareness, is critical in the practice of mindfulness and “as soon as the light of awareness is lit, we concentrate, we are peaceful, we see ourselves more clearly” (29). The practice of mindfulness leads a person towards the greater ability to focus on themselves as they are in the present, and to gain a stronger appreciation and acknowledgement for the positive aspects that are around each of us every day. Mindfulness, as Thich Nhat Hahn describes within his Reflections, is a responsibility to one’s self. He metaphorically describes a person’s being as being similar to a house, saying, “Our senses are our windows to the outside world, and sometimes the wind blows and disturbs everything within us” (32). He goes on to describe the need for this self-responsibility of mindfulness as: “Many of us leave our windows open all the time, allowing the sights and sounds of the world to invade us, penetrate us, and expose our

For example, compassion for all other living beings can be strengthened when mindfulness is present. Hahn describes mindfulness in terms of compassion simply as: “Shallow understanding accompanies shallow compassion. Great understanding goes with great compassion” (68). When we become aware of the of the “interdependent nature of all things, we can penetrate reality easily and see the fears, anguish, hopes, and despair of all beings” (67). Mindfulness and meditation allows for the individual to empathize with the processes of life with no discrimination towards the outward appearance of the being