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Reference: Mindfulness 6: Let the Mind Un-stack

This exercise is about meditation on the subject of how right one has been in one’s life. This meditation is done under the discipline of mindfulness.

Every person wants to be right. All those moments when he has failed to be right gnaw at his conscience until resolved. Hectic digging for answers usually does not bring resolution. It simply bypasses the self-protection mechanism of the mind. This makes the mind increasingly unresponsive. As a result, the unresolved moments get stacked up and suppressed in the mind.

Most difficulties arise when perceptions, memories and visualizations get suppressed. They start to resolve when the discipline of mindfulness is applied.  Relief comes when the mind is allowed to un-stack itself in its natural order.

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Exercise

Meditation Directive: “HOW HAVE YOU BEEN RIGHT IN YOUR LIFE?” 

1. Contemplate on this question letting the mind associate freely.  

2. See if there is some response that appears on its own. Please note that the response may not be an exact answer to this question. In fact it may be bring up moments of wrongness.

3. No matter what the response is, take time to inspect and experience it fully without resistance.

4. Let the mind associate freely whatever follows, until the attention frees up enough to look around.

5. Ask this question again and follow it up per steps 1, 2, 3 and 4.

6. Keep on asking the question as long as responses are appearing in the mind. In other words, let the mind un-stack itself naturally on this subject of “rightness.”

7. When there is no more response to the question consider the exercise complete.

8. Follow up with the exercise per Mindfulness 12: Let it be effortless, and let the mind complete the review of this session as necessary.

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For improvement to occur a person needs the ability to be mindful, which means that he should be able to see things as they are. It is only when a person can see things as they are that he is able to spot the source of his unwanted condition and resolve it.

When a person is mentally distressed, or ill, his ability to “see things as they are” is compromised. All the data he needs to resolve his condition is there, but he cannot recognize it and deal with it properly. External therapy cannot be applied because he cannot deal with the data locked up within him. Only actions that can now be taken are those that help him recognize what is there.

In the beginning, you can help by minimizing distractions in the environment of the mentally distressed person. If he is sick physically, then that can be taken care of through medical treatment, nutritious diet, and physical therapy. But the treatment of the mental condition requires a calm environment that is free of stress. Please see Basic Care.

Next step would be to help restore the person’s ability to recognize things on a gentle gradient. It is much easier to recognize physical objects than the subjective thoughts and ideas. So the person should gradually be brought up to a point that he can recognize physical objects in his present environment first. Please see Recognizing Objects.

The person’s memory is very fragile so no demands should be made to recall things from the past. All conversation must be limited to simple things in the present. Only when the person is able to deal with items in the present should he be asked about items from the past. Again that should be done on a gentle gradient. Please see Being Objective.

Gradually, the person should be brought up to a point that he can visualize subjective ideas and recall things from his past. His ability to recall cannot be trusted at first. His ability to be mindful would have to be built up slowly and carefully. This in itself may prove to be a wonderful therapy. Please see Memory Recall.

The next step would be to get him started on the mindfulness exercises. Please see The 12 Aspects of Mindfulness.

He will naturally start looking at his unwanted condition. Please see Handling Unwanted condition.

It may be difficult for him to deal with his emotions at first. Externally applied therapy would be needed to help discharge traumatic emotions suppressed within him. Please see Cleaning up Trauma.

Such therapy should also help strengthen his ability to be mindful. Please see the links provided above.

With these steps, the mental distress of a person can be brought down to a manageable level.  Soon the person should be able to apply mindfulness under supervision. He is now on his way to full recovery.

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Reference: The 12 Aspects of Mindfulness

Mindfulness provides the discipline for looking and contemplation.

You may do this exercise while sipping coffee in a café, or strolling along a river. You may even find a place where you can sit comfortably for a while without being disturbed. Then patiently observe the world go by.

Mindfulness is to observe something for what it is. Name acts as a broad reference point to that thing. Form is one of the many ways that thing may be represented. The perception of that thing goes beyond its name and form. One must get acquainted with its basic purpose and use, as well as its history. Fixation on name and form may act as built-in judgment of what is there. To know something, one must go beyond name and form and look at it more closely including all its associations.

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MINDFULNESS 10: Do not get hung up on name and form.

1. Observe as usual. Notice the environment and other people.

2. Apply the aspects of mindfulness that you have practiced so far.

3. Notice the names that are being used for the things in your environment.

4. Notice a name and then observe more closely the thing represented by it.

5. Repeat step 4 as often as necessary.

6. Notice the forms of the things in your environment.

7. Notice a form and then observe more closely the thing represented by it.

8. Repeat step 7 as often as necessary.

9. Contemplate over the basic purpose and use of things as attention moves to them.

10. Contemplate over their visible history and other associations.

11. Observe something closely then contemplate on the name and form associated with it.

12. Notice any judgments that are fixed with those names and forms.

13. Observe the things that are there objectively as closely as you can.

14. Expand your span of attention and let the perceptions pour in.

15. Let the realizations present themselves to you without you making any effort.

16. Use your own judgment as to when to end a session.

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Develop this exercise to a point where you may execute it even while interacting socially with others. Keep observing patiently without getting hung up on name and form. Many things may come up naturally to be scrutinized. Simply observe them and become aware of them without effort.

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