Adapted from the wonderful Awakening of the Heart, by Thich Nhat Hanh
The first two sutras, the sutra on the Full Awareness of Breathing and the sutra on the Four Establishments of Mindfulness, teach us the basics of Buddhist meditation. Meditation is the primary tool which the Buddha gives us to gain the peace and insight needed to live a liberated life. The last six sutras cover the Buddha’s teachings on impermanence, interdependence, nirvana, and more. These insights into reality are wonderful topics of meditation that can bring us to the peace and liberation of enlightenment.
Once one has mastered the Full Awareness of Breathing meditation, the following topics of meditation are offered to go deeper into mindfulness. These topics are too long to cover in a single meditation, so consider taking only a theme or two(or even just a single topic!) per meditation session.
Contemplate the body, remembering that it is you
Observe the breathing
Observe the position of your body
Observe the movements and functions of your body
Full Awareness of Breathing
Body
Feelings
Thoughts
Beyond
Four Establishments of Mindfulness
Contemplate the body, remembering that it is you