The mind starts a long and interesting journey with the saying in a chanting:

 

"Tesam Vùpasamo sukho.”

Pacifying the Sankhàras is real happiness

 

What is the Sankhara? 

Sankhara is a Pali word that describes every form and formless subjects in nature, the forces, factors including the process that fashion them. Sankhara includes the five aggregates: the body, the feeling, the memory, the thinking, the consciousness that make up a human being.

How to pacify the Sankhara?

The Sankara, especially the five aggregates may be pacified in the process of perseverant meditation practice. During the enduring journey of the mind, with the establishment of the right mindfulness (also called wholesome awareness), the cornerstone of the Noble Eightfold paths, objects from the five aggregates come in contact with the wholesome awareness will be recognized, observed, contemplated to uncover, little by little, their ultimate characteristics. The clearer the true reality of the objects is seen, the more stable the right view is established in mind.  The more stable the right view is established, the more pacified the Sankhara is.

That is the path of The Four Foundations of Establishing Awareness. Clearly understanding the path, diligently meditation practicing will open the gate to the real happiness.

Following are different purposes of these meditation time reminders:

1.- Offering meditators assistance to recognize the present moment and the happening of the being aware.

2.- Offering meditators assistance to recognize coming objects to observe. These objects belong to the four foundations: body, feeling, mind and dharma. Upon the arising of an object of one foundation, related objects of other foundations are also concomitantly present. Focusing on observing only a chosen object for many years of meditation practice is possibly a waste of time. 

3.-Offering meditators assistance to recognize the intentions and to observe the simultaneous related body movement. Over time, this practice going with a right contemplation may clarify the body and the mind relationship and little by little erase the presence of the self.

4.--Offering meditators assistance to recognize and observe the reaction of the mind to the coming objects, which is the wellspring of all human beings pain and suffering. Contemplating the dharma by attentively acknowledging the pain and suffering that currently disturb the mind is only a conditioned effect of the coming objects, a natural activity. The dharma contemplation is crucial for the step by step establishment of the right view that helps to attenuate human beings' pain and suffering.