"In mindfulness practice, we have a default premise – the problem itself is not the problem, but our perception of the problem that causes the problem. ”

Qu's eyes drooped slightly, and he silently read this sentence in his heart several times.

It seemed that suddenly, she was faintly aware of something, but she couldn't say anything for a while, so she looked more intently at Bai Ling, waiting for her next step.

"In the case of the example we just had, the problem we encountered was that the friends we met on the road ignored our overtures, which is nothing in itself, but our interpretation of it caused all kinds of emotions in us. This interpretation is extremely rapid, and it is not the result of our rational thinking, but more inclined to our emotional instincts.

Such irrational beliefs can provoke anger, embarrassment, and anxiety before we even realize what the event itself means...... This kind of automatic thinking that goes down the river directly leads to many unnecessary painful experiences, and even leads to real contradictions and dilemmas. ”

"Ah......" Bao Yuan looked at Bai Ling in front of him, "Sometimes it's like this, when I encounter some trivial things, I get annoyed all of a sudden......"

"Yes." Bai Ling smiled and said, "Now, we can continue to look at the guidance of mindfulness." I think the purpose of this exercise is well understood at this point, so let's take this part for example—"

Bai Ling stretched out his hand and pointed to a certain part of the instruction, and several people lowered their heads to look.

……

- Shift your attention to the calves and settle here for a while;

- Awareness of the contact between the calf and the ground, the surface of the skin, the inside of the calf...... Be aware of all the sensations of the limbs;

- Now, inhale deeply, and as you exhale, shift your attention to your knees, not with "think", but directly feel all the sensations of your knees;

- Then take another deep breath and as you exhale, take your attention away from your knees and onto your thighs

- What did you notice here?

- Maybe you find that you are visualizing something else at the moment, such as some kind of noise around you at this moment? Or is it a feeling of heaviness and discomfort somewhere in the body? It's okay to be aware of this thought in the moment, then let go of it and refocus on your breath.

……

Zheng Shu and Bao Yuan quickly skimmed through the part that Bai Ling pointed out, and both of them frowned as they were concentrated.

Boling: "Actually, if you think about it, you're doing the same thing from start to finish during the whole body scanning process – that is, following the prompts, and feeling your breath or a part of your body with full attention and without interruption. It's easy to say, but since you've practiced with Niangniang in the afternoon, you should already know its difficulties by now. ”

"Yes," Bao Yuan nodded, "I'll be distracted, or I'll doze off halfway......"

"Then next time you can try to practice standing up, so that it is not easy to fall asleep." "This exercise is very important, because its real core point is to keep you aware of all the thoughts that are flowing in your mind at the moment, and this is where beginners find it the most difficult. ”

Be aware.

Qu Shi thoughtfully, closed his eyes slightly.

"You see, in this process, the instructions will constantly remind you where you should focus your attention at this moment, and it will constantly make you aware of what you are thinking every time your mind wanders—this kind of reminder will make you see clearly those thoughts that arise unconsciously in you. And the awareness of these thoughts is itself an interruption of automated thinking. ”

Qu's eyes lit up slightly, and she couldn't explain her thoughts clearly, but at this moment it was finally clear, she sighed for a while, and said softly, "People always have to see how they are trapped before they can be freed from some kind of shackles......"

Bai Ling laughed a little unexpectedly, "Niangniang really understands it very quickly." ”

"This ...... Can it be useful? Zheng Shu touched it for a while, "If you practice this, you won't be surprised?" ”

Bai Ling smiled, "Of course not. ”

Zheng Shu showed an embarrassed expression, "What's the use of being aware of your own thoughts." ”

"It sets you free." Bai Ling replied.

Freely......?

Zheng Shu's eyes became a little puzzled again, but before she could ask again, Qu Shi on the side had already let out a long sigh.

"Mother, what's wrong?" Bao Yuan asked.

"It's okay, I just think it......" Qu Shi's voice gradually became lower, and suddenly broke there, she looked at Bai Ling, and for a while she didn't know how to say what was in her heart at this time.

"Don't you think—"

"Lady Shu," Bai Ling interrupted with a smile, "give Niang Niang a moment and let her think about it first, right?" ”

Zheng Shu was slightly stunned, but she had no choice but to nod and forcibly swallow what she wanted to say in her heart.

This feeling made Zheng Shu strange and a little nervous.

Perhaps even she didn't realize that she had been immersed in the palace for many years, and she had almost instinctive fear of the long silence in this conversation.

When the masters were speechless, how could she turn the scene over with long sleeves and good dancing, how to reveal the meaning that the masters did not say clearly, and how to whitewash the peace with the most inconspicuous words...... For her, it was already a deep-seated instinct.

This is not only a housekeeping skill as a servant woman, but also a life-saving means that can teach people to survive in times of crisis.

But here and now, she could only endure this messy panic, and waited for the concubine's own answer with Bai Ling.

This time, Qu thought about it for a long, long time.

"I was just thinking, what do you mean by 'freedom'...... What exactly does that mean. Qu Shi said suddenly.

Bai Ling nodded, "What do you think Niangniang means?" ”

Qu sat up straight, her gaze passing through the three in front of her and looking in the direction of the window.

"Anything in this world, 'it can only be so' and 'I choose to be so' are completely different. Being coerced to move forward is not the same as gritting your teeth and choosing to move forward......"

Qu's voice was very low, she sighed again, then withdrew her gaze and looked at Bai Ling, "Is freedom in shackles still freedom?" ”

"It's a hard question to answer." "But I remember a phrase I've heard before. ”

"What?"

"'The more you understand, the more painful it becomes. The more you know, the more tearing ...... But man will have the clarity corresponding to the pain, the tenacity balanced with the despair'......"

Before Bai Ling's words fell, Qu Shi had already laughed, she lowered her eyes, and said softly, "Maybe, but it'...... Maybe there is no one in the world who does not wear shackles. ”

After staying in Qu's bedroom for about half an hour, Bai Ling came out alone with the wine.

Today, Zheng Shu and Bao Yuan still sleep in the same room with the concubine, so she can stay in the bedroom of the East Side Hall for another night.

When he returned to the house, Bai Ling did not light the lamp, but walked to the east window in the dark—outside there was the thick palace wall of the Chengqian Palace, and there was only a narrow passage between the wall and the window, and the leaves of the creeper and the grass in the cracks of the stone overturned it.

Bai Ling opened the window, put the wine on the windowsill, and then learned the sound of the lark, and called a few times into the night sky overhead.