Mindfulness

General discussion, particularly exploring the Dharma in the modern world.
GarcherLancelot
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Mindfulness

Post by GarcherLancelot »

Are we supposed to be mindful all the time?Doesn't that make us not planning anything at all?Mindful means "flow" or does it mean be aware of everything?When doing things like listening to music for example I rather let my fantasy run wild instead being "aware" of everyhting around us.'''
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Karma Dondrup Tashi
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Re: Mindfulness

Post by Karma Dondrup Tashi »

GarcherLancelot wrote:Are we supposed to be mindful all the time?
No. Concentration just creates tension.

Return attention to what's already there and rest.

You won't lose the beauty of "going with the flow". It'll become better.
It has been the misfortune (not, as these gentlemen think it, the glory) of this age that everything is to be discussed. Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France.
GarcherLancelot
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Re: Mindfulness

Post by GarcherLancelot »

Karma Dondrup Tashi wrote:
GarcherLancelot wrote:Are we supposed to be mindful all the time?
No. Concentration just creates tension.

Return attention to what's already there and rest.

You won't lose the beauty of "going with the flow". It'll become better.

hmm,I donno but I need to pay attention or my mind starts flying here and there. ..
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Seishin
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Re: Mindfulness

Post by Seishin »

It's about having your mind on what your are doing while you are doing it. So while you're driving, your mind is on driving. If you need to plan for dinner, plan for dinner, but try not to let your thoughts wonder needlessly. The best place to start is on your breath whilst meditating. This is how I understand it :smile:

Gassho,
Seishin.
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oushi
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Re: Mindfulness

Post by oushi »

Let your mind wonder and never come back.
Say what you think about me here.
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viniketa
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Re: Mindfulness

Post by viniketa »

oushi wrote:Let your mind wonder and never come back.
Which is probably even better advice than letting your mind wander... ;)

:namaste:
If they can sever like and dislike, along with greed, anger, and delusion, regardless of their difference in nature, they will all accomplish the Buddha Path.. ~ Sutra of Complete Enlightenment
GarcherLancelot
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Re: Mindfulness

Post by GarcherLancelot »

Seishin wrote:It's about having your mind on what your are doing while you are doing it. So while you're driving, your mind is on driving. If you need to plan for dinner, plan for dinner, but try not to let your thoughts wonder needlessly. The best place to start is on your breath whilst meditating. This is how I understand it :smile:

Gassho,
Seishin.
I got my driving license but haven't really practise my driving skills yet,so is it even possible to drive wthout putting your mind or driving,that sounds a bit scary to me haha. ..And how are we suppose to benefit from "living in the moment"?. ..(IMO "living in the present" is not equivalent to "living in the moment" ,the former phrase seems a bit yolo-ish(现在) ,mindfulness as far as I understand is 当下. ..)'''
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Seishin
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Re: Mindfulness

Post by Seishin »

Many accidents are caused by people not being mindful of driving. It happens more times than you might think. Living in the moment is the same idea. You mind is here now, not somewhere else.

Gassho
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oushi
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Re: Mindfulness

Post by oushi »

viniketa wrote:
oushi wrote:Let your mind wonder and never come back.
Which is probably even better advice than letting your mind wander... ;)

:namaste:
No difference :tongue:
Say what you think about me here.
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viniketa
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Re: Mindfulness

Post by viniketa »

oushi wrote:
viniketa wrote:
oushi wrote:Let your mind wonder and never come back.
Which is probably even better advice than letting your mind wander... ;)

:namaste:
No difference :tongue:
In result, no, there really isn't! :twothumbsup:

:namaste:
If they can sever like and dislike, along with greed, anger, and delusion, regardless of their difference in nature, they will all accomplish the Buddha Path.. ~ Sutra of Complete Enlightenment
deepbluehum
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Re: Mindfulness

Post by deepbluehum »

GarcherLancelot wrote:Are we supposed to be mindful all the time?Doesn't that make us not planning anything at all?Mindful means "flow" or does it mean be aware of everything?When doing things like listening to music for example I rather let my fantasy run wild instead being "aware" of everyhting around us.'''
Depends on the practice tradition you belong to. Usually in Vajrayana you try to be mindful of what you experienced at the dissolving of the completion stage or what was experienced by following the pointing out instructions.
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lobster
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Re: Mindfulness

Post by lobster »

GarcherLancelot wrote:Are we supposed to be mindful all the time?
You are lucky you have a mind.
My mind was mined and blew up. :oops:

Now you have a mind. What do you plan to do with it? :popcorn:
muni
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Re: Mindfulness

Post by muni »

oushi wrote:Let your mind wonder and never come back.
Wonderful :smile:

When boundaries of personality, identity of actor isn't..........mind fullness in openess.
muni
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Re: Mindfulness

Post by muni »

This teaching said:


My ego wants to be mindful. Since ego wants enlightenment, awakened nature.


Without ego awakened nature is.


:anjali:
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Rakshasa
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Re: Mindfulness

Post by Rakshasa »

"Mindfulness" in Buddhism is generally a reference to "Four Stations of Mindfulness" (both in Theravada and Mahayana). It means you should practice to be mindful of Body, Mind, Feelings and Dharmas all time. Our minds are extremely programmable, so if you practice (put effort, use concentration) to be "mindful" for quite some time, then you will automatically get accustomed to be more mindful in everyday life effortlessly.

In our normal everyday life, we get drawn to random everyday thoughts and get carried away by them and this is our mundane/natural state because we have been doing this since a very long time. But if we try to be mindful, our normal state of mind would shift to the state of being mindful all the time.

I am not sure, though, that if you are mindful all the time does it also include "grasping" at dharmas all the time? Or in other words, is it sufficient if you do not grasp at Dharmas and therefore naturally come to a mindful state?

In my experience, animals show a very great deal of mindfulness. Observe cats, leopards, Tigers etc, and they never can be caught off guard!
GarcherLancelot
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Re: Mindfulness

Post by GarcherLancelot »

Rakshasa wrote:
In my experience, animals show a very great deal of mindfulness. Observe cats, leopards, Tigers etc, and they never can be caught off guard!
Hmmm,interesting,perhaps this is one of the methods they get better rebirths after thier deaths?. ..
muni
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Re: Mindfulness

Post by muni »

Rakshasa wrote:"Mindfulness" in Buddhism is generally a reference to "Four Stations of Mindfulness" (both in Theravada and Mahayana). It means you should practice to be mindful of Body, Mind, Feelings and Dharmas all time. Our minds are extremely programmable, so if you practice (put effort, use concentration) to be "mindful" for quite some time, then you will automatically get accustomed to be more mindful in everyday life effortlessly.

In our normal everyday life, we get drawn to random everyday thoughts and get carried away by them and this is our mundane/natural state because we have been doing this since a very long time. But if we try to be mindful, our normal state of mind would shift to the state of being mindful all the time.

I am not sure, though, that if you are mindful all the time does it also include "grasping" at dharmas all the time? Or in other words, is it sufficient if you do not grasp at Dharmas and therefore naturally come to a mindful state?

In my experience, animals show a very great deal of mindfulness. Observe cats, leopards, Tigers etc, and they never can be caught off guard!
No grasping to mental constructs, people can get fear by thinking their practice will starve itself to death. But resting in simplicity, free of taking things as real, well :smile:

:namaste:
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monktastic
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Re: Mindfulness

Post by monktastic »

GarcherLancelot wrote: hmm,I donno but I need to pay attention or my mind starts flying here and there. ..
After some practice, you may find this is no longer the case. Even with no concentration per se, one's mind can be in the flow of the moment.
This undistracted state of ordinary mind
Is the meditation.
One will understand it in due course.

--Gampopa
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catmoon
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Re: Mindfulness

Post by catmoon »

GarcherLancelot wrote:
Rakshasa wrote:
In my experience, animals show a very great deal of mindfulness. Observe cats, leopards, Tigers etc, and they never can be caught off guard!
Hmmm,interesting,perhaps this is one of the methods they get better rebirths after thier deaths?. ..
I doubt it. There is such a thing as the mindfulness of the sniper, and I'm pretty sure that one leads downwards.
Sergeant Schultz knew everything there was to know.
GarcherLancelot
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Re: Mindfulness

Post by GarcherLancelot »

monktastic wrote:
GarcherLancelot wrote: hmm,I donno but I need to pay attention or my mind starts flying here and there. ..
After some practice, you may find this is no longer the case. Even with no concentration per se, one's mind can be in the flow of the moment.

Right now doing it seems like a tiring chore ,letting my mind fly is easier....currently that is. ..
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