🌿 20 Heart Qualities of Awareness
- 01. Calmness – A natural stillness, undisturbed by the changing world.
- 02. Openness – Receptivity to all experiences without resistance.
- 03. Kindness – A gentle and warm regard for all beings.
- 04. Compassion – Deep empathy and care for the suffering of others.
- 05. Non-judgment – Observing without labeling or categorizing.
- 06. Acceptance – Seeing things as they are, without pushing or pulling.
- 07. Patience – A timeless presence that doesn’t rush or force.
- 08. Clarity – Seeing things as they are, without distortion.
- 09. Equanimity – Inner balance and peace amidst all conditions.
- 10. Gratitude – A natural appreciation for existence and life.
- 11. Forgiveness – Letting go of grievances and resentments.
- 12. Egolessness – Absence of self-centeredness attitude.
- 13. Trust – A quiet confidence in the unfolding of life.
- 14. Presence – Full attentiveness to the now, without distraction.
- 15. Love – A deep, inclusive care that transcends personal attachment.
- 16. Joy – A quiet, uncaused happiness that radiates from within.
- 17. Stillness – A profound inner silence untouched by mental noise.
- 18. Sincerity – Genuineness and authenticity in being and relating.
- 19. Ability to Listen – To be observant/ witnessing without interference.
- 20. Self-referral – Ability to rest in awareness at all times.
Properties of awareness
The origin of Heart Qualities
What Are the Heart Qualities?
Heart qualities are the essence of what makes us truly human. They are the natural expressions of our being—like kindness, openness, compassion, and lovingness. These qualities set us apart from our animal nature and reflect the deeper dimensions of our humanity. We’re not trying to add these qualities from the outside; we are born with them. They are already part of us.
You can think of them as rays of the sun, where the sun itself is awareness. When our awareness shines unobstructed—when thoughts don’t distract us, emotions don’t cloud us, and mental disturbances fade—then these heart qualities radiate effortlessly. In presence, when we are fully here and now, these qualities awaken. We don’t have to force them—they simply shine because that’s what light does.
How Can the Heart Qualities be Developed in Meditation?
To understand how these heart qualities can grow through meditation, we first need to understand what meditation really is. When we sit down to meditate, we’re not escaping life—we’re meeting it as it is. Thoughts, emotions, and sensations may arise, and they can symbolize anything from our daily life: a person, a memory, a sound, or even just a fleeting feeling. Everything that appears in our inner space is, in a way, like something appearing in the world through our five senses.
The key is how we relate to these appearances. Meditation is the practice of meeting all of them with openness and non-judgment. Whatever comes is acknowledged and allowed to be. It’s not about fighting thoughts or pushing feelings away. Instead, we create space for everything—welcoming it without resistance, and letting it pass when it’s ready. This simple, clear seeing—without reaction—is where the heart qualities begin to deepen.
In this quiet space of allowing, patience grows. Acceptance unfolds. Kindness and compassion naturally arise—not just toward others, but toward our own inner world. So we’re not trying to “be more kind” or “more loving.” We’re resting in awareness, and these qualities slowly emerge on their own, like flowers opening in the sun.
"Clarity is who we are, but due to our mental confusions we build an image of ourselves!"
"Peace is the ever-present quality of Awareness dwelling within us at all times!"
- Huan Minh Vuong -
How Can Life be View as Meditation?
When we compare life and meditation, the key common ground is the mind. Whether the body is still, sitting in meditation, or moving around in daily life, carrying the mind with it, the mind behaves the same way. It follows the same patterns of likes, dislikes, thoughts, emotions, and habits.
In meditation, we observe these thoughts and feelings arise and pass, recognizing their changing nature. The same thoughts and feelings appear in daily life as well. The difference lies only in whether the body is moving or still.
Because the mind behaves identically in both situations, meditation becomes a powerful training ground. Through meditation, we learn to step back from identifying with our thoughts, emotions, and actions. We remember and reconnect with a forgotten aspect of ourselves: awareness itself. This standpoint of awareness is something we have long forgotten. We usually stand in the point of view of our thoughts, feelings, emotions, likes, and dislikes.
When we view our thoughts with more thoughts, or our emotions with more emotions, disturbance grows, and reactivity increases. This habit keeps us trapped in cycles of frustration, anger, and inner turmoil.
But when we shift our standpoint—from being caught in thought and feeling to resting as awareness itself—we open a new way of relating to what arises. From this calm and easy perspective of awareness, we observe thoughts and emotions without attachment or judgment.
This shift brings ease, calmness, and spaciousness. It allows us to respond to life with clarity and kindness rather than reactivity. It is from this place of awareness that heart qualities—like patience, compassion, and openness—naturally arise and bloom.
Whether sitting in stillness or moving through daily life, carrying this standpoint with us is what it means to view life as meditation.
How Can We apply the Hearts Qualities in our Life?
When we meditate, we take the standpoint of awareness—watching our thoughts and emotions come and go. Sometimes these thoughts are kind and uplifting, sometimes harmful or disturbing. In meditation, we simply notice them without judgment, accepting whatever arises, letting them be, and letting them pass.
Bringing this same attitude into daily life means we relate to whatever happens around us in the same way. When someone speaks to us—whether their words are kind, hurtful, or neutral—we remain aware without attachment or rejection. We see their words as expressions of the same mind that we carry within ourselves, just appearing through another body with its own conditions.
From the perspective of awareness, we don’t take these words personally. We don’t cling to praise nor resist criticism. Instead, we meet everything with calm acceptance, just as we do with our thoughts in meditation.
This way of being naturally brings forth the heart qualities—kindness, patience, openness, and compassion. They shine like rays of light when we hold a steady, clear awareness. By living from this place of witnessing, the heart qualities flow effortlessly in every interaction and moment of our life.
When we choose to live from awareness, embracing each moment without judgment or resistance, we open the door to true freedom and peace. The heart qualities—kindness, patience, compassion, and calmness—are not something we need to force or create. They naturally arise when we rest in awareness, like flowers blooming effortlessly under the sun.
This path invites us to meet life just as it is, with open hearts and steady minds. It encourages us to walk gently through both joy and challenge, knowing that within us lies an unshakable stillness—our true nature—that holds us with loving presence.
By practicing this, moment by moment, we awaken to the fullness of our humanity and the deep connection that binds us all. And in doing so, we become living examples of the heart qualities, shining lights that inspire others to discover their own inner peace and awareness.
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