Part 1, Chapters 18-25 Summary

Hanh begins "Departmentalization" by pointing out that meditation is not done to purify oneself during the meditation period alone, but throughout the day. Thus, practicing conscious breathing and mindful living assists one in finding inner peace in each moment. Hanh believes that by applying meditation to all moments in life, one can drastically influence social concerns, and thus, should strive to continue.

Hanh then tells readers of his own use of conscious breathing in a daily event, that of cutting grass with a scythe, in "Breathing and Scything." According to Hanh, he purchased the scythe and tried many methods of using it before he discovered that he could complete more work with it if he timed his movements with his breathing. An old man in the neighborhood who later showed him how to use the scythe also timed his...