Chapter Ten Summary and Analysis

Right thinking leads to right view, which is at the foundation of thinking. Right thinking, the speech of our mind, makes our speech clear and leads to the path of Right Action.

Conscious breathing is an important link between mind and body. Mindful breathing helps us find peace and solidity and helps us "stop being preoccupied by sorrows" and anxieties, helping us be in the present and notice whether our thinking is useful.

Vitarka and vichara are the initial thought and development of it, respectively. By the second stage of meditation, neither are present. Hanh suggests write the words, "Are you sure?" where they can be seen, and "What am I doing?" to remind us to release thinking and be in the present moment. He uses the example of being present and mindful while washing dishes, which gives the...