Embracing The New You

   Those who have suffered can all agree on one thing: there is hope. Hope for a better, brighter future without pain, sadness, and suffering. Understanding that we are suffering is the first step in ending suffering. Recognizing the source of our suffering is another major step that lessens the burden. However, people often times make the mistake of, "[pouring] gasoline on the fire through our words, thoughts, and deeds and often don't realize it" (Hanh 31). After recognizing and identifying the suffering in our lives, people continue to lead the same lifestyle as before,  not understanding that there are bad nutriments blocking our path to the end of suffering  and complete happiness. In the book, The Heart of Buddha's Teaching, Thich Nhat Hanh teaches that experiencing joy is possible if we learn to let go of the habits that fed our suffering. The four nutriments, edible food, sense impressions, intention, and consciousness, can free us from the cycle of suffering and help people live a life of happiness as we identify and meditate on the things that affect us.
   The first nutriment that can lead us to a happy life is edible food. Hanh writes:

We have to learn the ways to eat that preserve the health and well-being of our body and our spirit. When we smoke, drink, or consume toxins, we are eating our own lungs, liver, and heart. (32)

He goes on to further explain that we are not only eating our own bodies by consuming such toxins, but we are eating the flesh of our children. What a scary thought! His words provoke a deep contemplation on what exactly is means to eat, drink, and live a healthy lifestyle.

He emphasizes the fact that our choices regarding our health don't only affect our own bodies, but the future generations as well. When parents smoke inside a house, they are aren't only feeding their addiction, but they are poisoning the lungs and health of their children. When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, she is affecting the development of her unborn child. Both of these situations point out how people's personal decisions can harm those around them to a daunting extent. Growing up with a nutritionist in the house, I always knew the latest information on what's healthy to eat, how it affects my body, what's bad to eat, and how that unhealthy food will affect me in the long run. My mother always made sure that I was consuming healthfully and consciously.
   The second nutriment is sense impressions. Considering that our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind are always alert and processing everything around us, Hanh warns that people have to be aware of what we are experiencing. He enlightens people by stating:

If we are mindful, we will know whether we are "ingesting" the toxins of fear, hatred, and violence, or eating foods that encourage understanding, compassion, and the determination to help others. (33)

These are deep and thought-provoking instructions that point to the fragility of human nature. Hanh outlines the different areas of media that constantly bombard our senses and affect our minds. Without even realizing, people can fall into a deep depression, crave violence, or radiate anger. After watching a serious of particularly violent movies, I noticed that I slowly become desensitized to such aggression. Even watching the news and noticing a spike in violence in the world seems almost normal or expected. People learn to respond, "It's the way it is," and ignore the fact that violence is not the way to peace.
   Our intentions, or will, is the third nutriment that can stand in the way of our happiness. Hanh explains, "Everyone want to be happy, and there is a strong energy in us pushing us toward what we think will make us happy" (34). People become obsessed with attaining whatever they believe will maximize their happiness without regards to the possible consequences. Hanh adds, "We need insight that position, revenge, wealth, fame, or possessions are, more often than not, obstacles to our happiness" (35). We revolve our lives with the idea that being happy is the most important thing. And in an effort to achieve it, people set goals for themselves. These goals can be anything: getting a pay raise, buying a house/car of my dreams, paying off my student loans, etc. In striving towards these goals that people think will make them happy, people lose sight of the truly important things that will make us happy. I noticed that in my own life, I became so wrapped up in studying and getting high grades that I stopped paying attention to my family and friends. I told myself that high grades would give the ultimate happiness I was seeking, and soon lost sight of the important people in my life. Hanh teaches that it's important to not let things like money, hatred, or status block our road to true happiness.
   Consciousness is the fourth nutriment that affects our lives every day. Hanh writes:

Every day  our thoughts, words, and actions flow into the sea of our consciousness and create our body, mind, and world. We can nourish our consciousness by practicing...love compassion, joy, and equanimity, or we can feed our consciousness with greed, hatred, ignorance, suspicion, and pride. (36)

The truth of this statement is very simple. By showing love, compassion, joy, and self-control, we nurture our perceptive minds in the best possible way. Bad nutriments can easily sway our consciousness in a negative direction and we have to be extremely cautious of what we surround ourselves with. I particularly noticed that whenever I encourage a friend,  or make an effort to smile at the people I pass by, I feel a positive energy throughout the day. My mind seems less affected by the stress of the day and it makes it easier for me to be happy.

    In an effort to fully accept happiness after realizing the source of my suffering, I embraced the four nutriments as a way of letting go of my bad habits. I chose to pay more attention to what I consume both physically and mentally and be aware of what motivates me to being happy. Hanh highlights that people can maximize the goodness of these nutriments through practicing mindfulness:

With the practice of mindfulness, we will know that hearing this, looking at that, 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. (33) 

Meditating and gaining insight to the good nutriments is a crucial part in embracing newfound happiness.  We must learn to let go of our past mistakes, failures, and bad habits, and identify the things that will water the good seeds within us and enhance our happiness.



Source:
Nhá̂t, Hạnh. The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy &    Liberation. New York: Broadway, 1999. Print.