monkey mind

mfranzdorf

Why oh why is it so stinking difficult for me to remain mindful? It is so obvious that being mindful is the way to be. That letting go of the self and truly being awed and amazed by the true reality around us is the best. So, why do I constantly drift back into "human" mode, getting frustrated with idiotic things, work issues, worried about what others think, dithering over things I cannot control, when my Buddha nature is right there for the taking?????
I know....practice, practice, practice.......
Thanks for listening, my virtual sangha

Sabre

Because you are attached to something!

federica

because you are making progress!

The very fact that you NOTICE this 'monkey Mind' and see how frenetically it moves and refuses to stay still - means your awareness has grown!

When we are unaware, when we do not notice, that's when we are not mindful. Your Mindfulness is alert and watching - that's a good sign! Keep persevering!

mfranzdorf

@federica What you said just reminded me of those Zen stories of how a monk was enlightened when a master twisted his nose or knocked him down. Thank you. I guess I couldnt see the forest because all the trees were in the way.

mfranzdorf

@Sabre Yes, I suppose you are right. But attached to what, being unskillfull? Maybe I am attached to trying to be mindfull?
Both are equally problematic......

how

A Mindfulness practise discloses our attachments.
Expecting those attachments to be less numerous or powerful than the equinimity of our present mindfulnes practise is just another attachment.
Few things limit a mindfulness practise like expectation.

pegembara

mfranzdorf said:

Why oh why is it so stinking difficult for me to remain mindful? It is so obvious that being mindful is the way to be. That letting go of the self and truly being awed and amazed by the true reality around us is the best. So, why do I constantly drift back into "human" mode, getting frustrated with idiotic things, work issues, worried about what others think, dithering over things I cannot control, when my Buddha nature is right there for the taking?????
I know....practice, practice, practice.......
Thanks for listening, my virtual sangha

Because this mind is not yours. If it were, things would be easy peachy. Everyone would be instantly enlightened without any effort.

"Bhikkhus, consciousness is not self. Were consciousness self, then this consciousness would not lead to affliction, and one could have it of consciousness: 'Let my consciousness be thus, let my consciousness be not thus.' And since consciousness is not-self, so it leads to affliction, and none can have it of consciousness: 'Let my consciousness be thus, let my consciousness be not thus.'

"Any kind of consciousness whatever, whether past, future or presently arisen, whether gross or subtle, whether in oneself or external, whether inferior or superior, whether far or near must, with right understanding how it is, be regarded thus: 'This is not mine, this is not I, this is not my self.'

Now during this utterance, the hearts of the bhikkhus of the group of five were liberated from taints through clinging no more.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.059.nymo.html

misecmisc1

relax. practice with patience without getting attached to any idea, just being in the present moment. i am becoming a hypocrite by saying this, as i am having the same problem of not having mindfulness - but somehow it seems to me it is easy to give advice to others, than to do it by myself. but whatever i have read theoretically, based on my theoretical understanding, i think - any spiritual practice needs patience, persistence, tolerance, restrain, non-attachment and above all let go.

mfranzdorf

@pegenbara @misecmisc1 Thank you. All of this insight has helped me.

Invincible_summer

To add to what @pegembara said:

"We only rent this house - we don't own it. If we think it does belong to us, we will suffer when we have to leave it." -- Ajahn Chah

lobster

That letting go of the self and truly being awed and amazed by the true reality around us is the best.

No, no . . . you already are the self (monkey minded perhaps)
Now the amazing awe as being real, unreal or different to our experience can be . . . acceptable . . .

:clap:

pegembara

Invincible_summer said:

To add to what @pegembara said:

"We only rent this house - we don't own it. If we think it does belong to us, we will suffer when we have to leave it." -- Ajahn Chah

This house has no owner. There is no one to own anything!

footiam

mfranzdorf said:

Why oh why is it so stinking difficult for me to remain mindful? It is so obvious that being mindful is the way to be. That letting go of the self and truly being awed and amazed by the true reality around us is the best. So, why do I constantly drift back into "human" mode, getting frustrated with idiotic things, work issues, worried about what others think, dithering over things I cannot control, when my Buddha nature is right there for the taking?????
I know....practice, practice, practice.......
Thanks for listening, my virtual sangha

That's because you trying too hard. Just go with the flow of life.

riverflow

mfranzdorf said:

Why oh why is it so stinking difficult for me to remain mindful?

How is this for a metaphor?

Chinese handcuffs.

mfranzdorf

@riverflow point taken!