Recently, a reading of Ouspensky made me realize that Mindfulness provides a framework that is not at all common. It differs sharply from the framework that Ouspensky is using, or from the popular framework.
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(a) The popular framework maintains that the existence of our inner life, and the existence of the external world in which we live, are fundamental facts that cannot be argued against.
From the viewpoint of mindfulness the above framework is using an undefined boundary to designate “inner life” and “external world”. Since such a boundary has not been proven as factual we cannot regard the above as fundamental facts.
In the framework of mindfulness the fundamental fact is manifestation which is proved by perception.
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(b) According to the popular framework, the direct outcome of these two fundamental data (inner life and external world) is a division of everything we know into subjective and objective.
From the viewpoint of mindfulness “subjective and objective” is derived from an unproven arbitrary boundary.
In the framework of mindfulness, there are mental objects and physical objects.
The physical objects are perceived by the physical sense organs (eye, ear, nose, tongue and body). The mental objects are perceived by the mind.
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Mind in the Framework of Mindfulness
In mindfulness, the mind is looked upon as a sense organ. The mind perceives thoughts and mental phenomena as mental objects existing in their own mental space. Mindfulness does not imply that mind has to be full of thoughts or mental activity.
In the framework of mindfulness, the mind is a sense organ that simply observes thoughts and mental activities from a distance.
From the book What the Buddha Taught by Walpola Rahula
A word about what is meant by the term ‘Mind’ (manas) in Buddhist philosophy may be useful here. It should clearly be understood that mind is not spirit as opposed to matter. It should always be remembered that Buddhism does not recognize a spirit opposed to matter, as is accepted by most other systems of philosophies and religions. Mind is only a faculty or organ (indriya) like the eye or the ear. It can be controlled and developed like any other faculty, and the Buddha speaks quite often of the value of controlling and disciplining these six faculties. The difference between the eye and the mind as faculties is that the former senses the world of colours and visible forms, while the latter senses the world of ideas and thoughts and mental objects. We experience different fields of the world with different senses. We cannot hear colours, but we can see them. Nor can we see sounds, but we can hear them. Thus with our five physical sense organs— eye, ear, nose, tongue, body—we experience only the world of visible forms, sounds, odours, tastes and tangible objects. But these represent only a part of the world, not the whole world. What of ideas and thoughts? They are also a part of the world. But they cannot be sensed, they cannot be conceived by the faculty of the eye, ear, nose, tongue or body. Yet they can be conceived by another faculty, which is mind. Now ideas and thoughts are not independent of the world experienced by these five physical sense faculties. In fact they depend on, and are conditioned by, physical experiences. Hence a person born blind cannot have ideas of colour, except through the analogy of sounds or some other things experienced through his other faculties. Ideas and thoughts which form a part of the world are thus produced and conditioned by physical experiences and are conceived by the mind. Hence mind (manas) is considered a sense faculty or organ (indriya), like the eye or the ear.
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The idea of “No Mind”
The idea of “no mind” has been promoted by some philosophers. This idea needs to be clarified.
“No mind” does not mean banishment of all thoughts, which is impossible. Thoughts are mental objects. They are always going to be there like physical objects are there.
In the framework of mindfulness, one observes not only the physical objects, but also the mental objects. There is always a distance between the point of observation and the object being observed. There is no identification with what is being observed.
The point of observation beefs up as it starts to identify itself with the thoughts it is observing. The distance to such thoughts is eliminated. These thoughts get absorbed and become part of the point of observation. The observation now takes place through a “filter” of thoughts. The point of observation is oblivious of this filter.
A “filter” basically acts as an unconscious assumption that one is using. However, as one starts being mindful, such assumptions come to view and drop out.
Thus, “no mind” does not mean elimination of thoughts that one is conscious of. It is more like the elimination of assumptions that one is using unconsciously. Such assumptions are created from identification with thoughts.
“No Mind” simply means no identification with thoughts, or an absence of assumptions.
Mindfulness is a state where nothing is being assumed. One is simply looking at ‘what is’ non-judgmentally and without any filter. If there is a filter, one will discover it sooner or later as one continues to be mindful. At that point the filter will no longer act as a filter. It will go back to being a mental object that one is now conscious of.
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Mindfulness is defined correctly at the following link:
One may train oneself in mindfulness by means of the exercises at the following link:
Hope this clarifies the concept of mindfulness as it is being used in KHTK.
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