Staying with the breath here you've got a home and a place where you can take shelter
"You come to realize that this spot being here with the breath — where
you can watch what’s happening in the mind, watch what’s happening in
the body — is really the best place to be. You can monitor things. You
can gain some control. There’s even an element of control over the body
as you get more sensitive to the comfortable sense of the breath. You
can learn to maintain that in different situations, and it’s good for
the health of the body. A sense of the breath energy flowing throughout
the whole body means that every part of the body is getting properly
nourished with energy, with the blood flow. It’s much more likely to
stay healthy, and you cut through a lot of stress diseases.
As
for the mind, it’s good to have a place to stay. After all, the world is
swept away. But here you’ve got a home that’s not swept away by the
world. You’ve got a place where you can take shelter. The world doesn’t
give you shelter but you can make your own shelter here. When things
come up in the mind, you’re in a position to decide whether it’s worth
going with them or not, especially when you can develop a sense of
well-being being here in the present moment."
~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "Well-being Despite It All"
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