I wrote some alternative versions of that mantra meditation by Thich Nhat Hanh, removing all the references to the self. I was struggling to fully immerse myself into the original mantra, probably because those references conflict with my beliefs of what true meditation is; in which there is no doer, and there is no doing. But these modified versions has been of great use in my practice, so I thought I'd share them.
Internal mantra, spoken with the inner voice. One line with the inbreath, one with the outbreath.
Breathing in with stillness Breathing out with a smile Dwelling in this present moment Knowing it's the only moment
Breathing in with impermanence Breathing out with a smile Dwelling in this present moment Knowing it's the only moment
Breathing in with emptiness Breathing out with a smile Dwelling in this present moment Knowing it's the only moment
Breathing in with non-self Breathing out with a smile Dwelling in this present moment Knowing it's the only moment
Mantra chant, spoken out loud. One line with each outbreath.[1]
Breathing with stillness Breathing with a smile Dwelling in this present moment Knowing it's the only moment
Breathing with impermanence Breathing with a smile Dwelling in this present moment Knowing it's the only moment
Breathing with emptiness Breathing with a smile Dwelling in this present moment Knowing it's the only moment
Breathing with non-self Breathing with a smile Dwelling in this present moment Knowing it's the only moment
You can play along with repeating only one verse, or saying all in succession. You can also use the Sanskrit terms if you prefer[2]: Anitya for impermanence. Sunyata for emptiness. Anatman for non-self.
When trying out mantra meditations like these for the first time, I recommend doing some long sessions as well, at least half an hour or more. I find that after a while, the mantra starts speaking itself, needing less and less willful effort to sustain. That is when the conditions are ideal for true meditation; when it's happening all on its own – at which point you can let go of all effort, and just relax in the present moment. Simply resting as awareness.
I prefer to do it this way. I find that when I chant the mantra out loud I'm less likely to get distracted or lost in thought, compared to if I use the inner voice. I use a very soft and effortless voice while chanting it, basically whispering, and I speak slowly so that the words fill the whole outbreath except for a small release at the end.
I'm not sure what the Sanskrit term for 'stillness' would be. When I wrote that part, I was thinking about the boundless stillness that underpins all mental phenomena. Like the stillness – or silence – from which all sounds emerge, and into which all sounds dissipate. I was also thinking about the inherent stillness of awareness; while mental phenomena are in ever constant motion, the space of awareness itself is unmoving. Like clouds moving across the still sky.
Thank you for the kind comments!
I ended up writing a melody for this mantra as well, btw. Maybe you would like it :)
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I wrote another version of the mantra, for those times when no smiles are present.
I wrote some alternative versions of that mantra meditation by Thich Nhat Hanh, removing all the references to the self. I was struggling to fully immerse myself into the original mantra, probably because those references conflict with my beliefs of what true meditation is; in which there is no doer, and there is no doing. But these modified versions has been of great use in my practice, so I thought I'd share them.
Internal mantra, spoken with the inner voice. One line with the inbreath, one with the outbreath.
Mantra chant, spoken out loud. One line with each outbreath.[1]
You can play along with repeating only one verse, or saying all in succession. You can also use the Sanskrit terms if you prefer[2]:
Anitya for impermanence.
Sunyata for emptiness.
Anatman for non-self.
When trying out mantra meditations like these for the first time, I recommend doing some long sessions as well, at least half an hour or more. I find that after a while, the mantra starts speaking itself, needing less and less willful effort to sustain. That is when the conditions are ideal for true meditation; when it's happening all on its own – at which point you can let go of all effort, and just relax in the present moment. Simply resting as awareness.
I prefer to do it this way. I find that when I chant the mantra out loud I'm less likely to get distracted or lost in thought, compared to if I use the inner voice. I use a very soft and effortless voice while chanting it, basically whispering, and I speak slowly so that the words fill the whole outbreath except for a small release at the end.
I'm not sure what the Sanskrit term for 'stillness' would be. When I wrote that part, I was thinking about the boundless stillness that underpins all mental phenomena. Like the stillness – or silence – from which all sounds emerge, and into which all sounds dissipate. I was also thinking about the inherent stillness of awareness; while mental phenomena are in ever constant motion, the space of awareness itself is unmoving. Like clouds moving across the still sky.