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Every time you pay attention to your breath, you are making good karma.

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Comments

  • SpinyNorman2SpinyNorman2
    From my understanding mindfulness is a quality in awareness that allows you to distinguish what is good to cultivate and what is to give up.
    I think you're right, but again right mindfulness will depend on right view, etc.

    Spiny
  • personperson Don't believe everything you think The liminal space Veteran
    citta [citta]: Mind; heart; state of consciousness

    I don't think we can base citta with consciousness alone like they were mistakenly doing.

    http://www.accesstoinsight.org/glossary.html#c
    I watched the whole thing and towards the beginning its clearly stated that in any mental event there are at least 7 factors (according to Therevada) that occur, citta being one of them, more in any complex mental event. The whole video is long so if you just watched the excerpts idk it may seem that way but in the context of the whole discussion they weren't saying these mental characteristics occur in isolation they were just defining what all the different characteristics are. The discussion about mindfulness was just about that specific quality.
  • buddhacoebuddhacoe
    Do you agree?
    What about if you're mindfully robbing a bank while watching your breath? ;-)

    Spiny
    This is actually good point.

    So the answer isnt a definitely Yes!
    Its all about trying not to do *bad* things.
    By sitting, and concentrating on the breath then it wont necessarily bring good karma but at least your not doing anything bad therfore you wont bring *bad* karma.

    Its impossible to bring *good* karma just by concentrating on the breath. Theres alot more to it.
  • santhisouksanthisouk Veteran
    What about if you're mindfully robbing a bank while watching your breath?
    It would be impossible to do that since your attention would be thwarted to the actions of the people at the bank you are robbing.
    Its impossible to bring *good* karma just by concentrating on the breath. Theres alot more to it.
    Yes there is. You'd have to do it long enough for other factors to settle. Gaining these "factors" is bringing good karma to yourself.

    metta



  • grout4cakegrout4cake



    See my previous post - a sniper also concentrates on breathing.

    Spiny

    Yes,Spiny but if one has single pointed focus on breath,one cannot be multi tasking:loading bullets, targeting, aiming etc.
    That is why it is called One Pointedness.
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    Exactly spiny. I'm not sure how they relate. I imagine the right view would have let go of some obstacles and attachments which would otherwise cloud the vision of what is necessary and what is an anchor.
  • jlljll Veteran
    Good & Bad are relative. Neutral is even more contentious.
    Take light & darkness. The absence of light is darkness.
    What is neutral between light & darkness?
    The absence of bad karma is good karma.
  • DhammaDhatuDhammaDhatu Veteran
    edited June 2011
    the Hindu teachings before the Buddha, which he also taught, were about good & bad karma

    but the Buddha's unique teachings that are truely Buddhist are about no karma

    not "neutral" karma but the end of karma

    if your mind can drop "selfing", try it & tell us how it goes
    And what is the cessation of kamma? From the cessation of contact is the cessation of kamma; and just this noble eightfold path — right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration — is the path of practice leading to the cessation of kamma.
    As he attends inappropriately in this way: This very self of mine — the knower that is sensitive here & there to the ripening of good & bad actions...
  • SpinyNorman2SpinyNorman2

    Yes,Spiny but if one has single pointed focus on breath,one cannot be multi tasking:loading bullets, targeting, aiming etc.
    That is why it is called One Pointedness.
    For sure, but I was thinking of the transition in Buddhist meditation from one-pointedness to a more spacious awareness, ie from from samatha to vipassana.
    Similarly ( or not? ) the sniper first calms himself using the breath and then aims and shoots.

    Spiny
  • SpinyNorman2SpinyNorman2
    The absence of bad karma is good karma.
    So if I stay in bed all day and never do anything, will I get enlightened? ;-)

    Lazy spiny
  • jlljll Veteran
    Yes, if you are mindful & not creating bad karma with your thoughts.
    The absence of bad karma is good karma.
    So if I stay in bed all day and never do anything, will I get enlightened? ;-)

    Lazy spiny
  • GuyCGuyC Veteran
    Hi Spiny,
    Yes, intention is crucial, but does it actually make a type of difference to the type of concentration we develop?
    How can it be "right" concentration if it is not reached with the "right" intention of letting go?

    Metta,

    Guy
  • SpinyNorman2SpinyNorman2
    Hi Spiny,
    Yes, intention is crucial, but does it actually make a type of difference to the type of concentration we develop?
    How can it be "right" concentration if it is not reached with the "right" intention of letting go?

    Metta,

    Guy
    Yes, intention does seem to be the issue here. So it depends WHY we're paying attention to the breath and what we intend to use the concentration for.

    Spiny
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