The Foundations of Mindfulness

Reference: The 12 Aspects of Mindfulness

Buddha says in Satipatthana Sutta: The Foundations of Mindfulness

“This is the only way, monks, for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the destruction of suffering and grief, for reaching the right path, for the attainment of Nibbana, namely, the four foundations of mindfulness. What are the four?
“Herein (in this teaching) a monk lives contemplating the body in the body, ardent, clearly comprehending and mindful, having overcome, in this world, covetousness and grief; he lives contemplating feelings in feelings, ardent, clearly comprehending and mindful, having overcome, in this world, covetousness and grief; he lives contemplating consciousness in consciousness, ardent, clearly comprehending and mindful, having overcome, in this world, covetousness and grief; he lives contemplating mental objects in mental objects, ardent, clearly comprehending and mindful, having overcome, in this world, covetousness and grief.

Here Buddha outlines the four foundations of mindfulness as follows:

  1. The body in the body
  2. Feelings in feelings
  3. Consciousness in consciousness
  4. Mental objects in mental objects

The prerequisite to mindfulness is the overcoming of covetousness and grief.

Through the above use of language, the Buddha implies the need to be totally immersed in the object one is observing and contemplating upon.

In other words, there should be no resistance to sensations, feelings, consciousness, ideas, thoughts, etc., that flow through the self, as one observes and contemplates.

Also see points 6, 7, and 8 of The 12 Aspects of Mindfulness.

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July 6, 2012 – 5:33 PM Categories: Self-Improvement | Comments (10)

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What is Mindfulness?

Reference: Course on Human Nature

Mindfulness is attentiveness. Mindfulness brings clarity to what one perceives. The basic approach is:

Observe things as they are, with full awareness of one’s assumptions.

When you look at the profile of a stranger sitting far away, you may see only one ear. When asked, “How many ears does this person have?” you may say, “He has two ears.” This is a reasonable answer because Man is born with two ears. The chances are slim but this stranger may have the other ear missing, which you can’t see at that moment.

Most people make such assumptions automatically, because they are reasonable. But some are aware of the assumption, while others are not.

Those who are aware of their assumptions are mindful.

When there are doubts and perplexities, one should look at them closely with mindfulness. In other words, one should consider them non-judgmentally with close attention to possible assumptions. All ideas, beliefs, viewpoints, and feelings related to observed inconsistency, are subject to such critical examination.

No past ideas and learning in the area of doubt and perplexity are sacrosanct (meaning so “sacred” that you cannot question them).

You continue with the critical examination until the factor generating the inconsistency is discovered, and the doubts and perplexities are resolved.

This is mindfulness.

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Glossary

Mindfulness
Mindfulness is observing things as they are, with full awareness of one’s assumptions. No past ideas and learning in the area of doubt and perplexity are sacrosanct (meaning so “sacred” that you cannot question them).

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July 4, 2012 – 7:15 AM Categories: Mindfulness | Comments (27)

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My Children (Israel 2010)

They are young… I wonder what the future holds for them…

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July 3, 2012 – 5:16 AM Categories: Pictures | Comments (2)

The Fourth Noble Truth – The Path


Reference: Chapter 5, The Fourth Noble Truth: The Path

The Fourth Noble Truth is the way leading to the Cessation of Dukkha. It looks for happiness neither through the pleasures of the senses, nor through self-mortification in different forms of asceticism, but through a middle path known as The Eight-Fold Path to Nirvana. This Middle Path ‘gives vision and knowledge, and it leads to Calm, Insight, Enlightenment, Nirvāna’.

The eight categories or divisions of the Path are to be developed more or less simultaneously, as far as possible according to the capacity of each individual. These categories may be grouped into the three essentials of (a) Wisdom, (b) Ethical Conduct, and (c) Mental Discipline.

The wisdom of this path rests not on knowledge, accumulated memory, or intellectual grasping of a subject; but on seeing things in their true nature, without name and label. This penetration is possible only when the mind is free from all impurities and is fully developed through meditation. The impurities exist in the form of selfish desire, ill-will, hatred and violence in all spheres of life whether individual, social, or political.

The Buddha gave his teaching ‘for the good of the many, for the happiness of the many, out of compassion for the world’. Buddhist ethical and moral conduct aims at promoting a happy and harmonious life both for the individual and for society. This forms the indispensable foundation for all higher spiritual attainments. Thus, the ethical conduct on this path is built on the vast conception of universal love and compassion for all living beings. Here compassion represents love, charity, kindness, tolerance and such noble qualities. Such compassion then guides one’s speech, actions and livelihood.

Mental discipline has to do with developing wholesome states of mind already present in a person and bringing them to perfection. This starts with right mindfulness (attentiveness). One practices concentration on breathing, and experiences all forms of feelings and sensations, whether pleasant, unpleasant or neutral. One diligently attends to the movements of the mind, and examines all ideas, thoughts, conceptions and things, for their nature, how they appear and disappear, how they are developed, how they are suppressed, and destroyed, and so on. The right concentration, ultimately, leads to pure equanimity and awareness.

From the above account one may see that this path is a way of life to be followed, practiced and developed by each individual. It is self-discipline in body, word and mind, self-development and self-purification. It has nothing to do with belief, prayer, worship or ceremony. In that sense, it has nothing which may popularly be called ‘religious’. It is a Path leading to the realization of Ultimate Reality, to complete freedom, happiness and peace through moral, spiritual and intellectual perfection.

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July 2, 2012 – 11:32 AM Categories: Buddhism | Comments (44)

December 2011

With my wife Jyoti… Happy and alive!

 

July 2, 2012 – 5:49 AM Categories: Pictures | Comments (4)