Gāthās

Studying the Dharma with teachers and companions, and practicing in seated and walking meditation, helps us return to the present moment, living with more compassion and kindness. When we have taken those teachings to heart, they become healthy habits that we can recall throughout the day.

Sometimes a few words are enough to reunite us with those fruits of our practice. Gāthās are short poems or songs that distill the essence of key teachings. They are easily remembered and recited, even in (and perhaps especially in) moments of much activity, when our attention is stretched and our concentration is dispersed.

The Plum Village website offers this introduction:

Reciting gāthās is one way to help us dwell in the present moment. We can combine the gāthā with our breathing like this:

Breathe in and recite the first line
Breathe out and recite the second line
Breathe in again and recite the third line
Breathe out and recite the final line

When we focus our mind on a gāthā, we return to ourselves and become more aware of each action. When the gāthā ends, we continue our activity with heightened awareness. When we drive a car, signs can help us find our way. The sign and the road become one, and we see the sign all along the way until the next sign. When we practice with gāthās, the gāthās and the rest of our life become one, and we live our entire lives in awareness. This helps us very much, and it helps others as well. We find that we have more peace, calm, and joy, which we can share with others.