Mindfulness advice & hopefully some answers for anyone who's interested.
Daveadams
Veteran
Hey folks I'm new around here, & my names Dave Adams..Iv'e got a few spare weeks so i decided to try to get a bit of mindfulness practice advice out there, for beginners or anyone who's confused or stuck with it..Your'l have to take my word that Iv'e got a good gist of it, but ask me something on the subject & you never know i might surprise you..Even if you don't think it's for you have a go, & see what you think..I haven't had chance to see if this subjects already been covered, & i know some people on here are very knowledgeable on the subject of mindfulness..So I'm always prepared to learn something new, & would love to hear from those people as well..For me personally mindfulness was a god send, & i haven't looked back since..I would just like to add that mindfulness is something you practice, until you no longer need to practice..Your mind with a lot of practice will "shift" from being often negative, to being mostly neutral & logical.
Comments
I like the lure DA!
It's really shiny! ooh 'BLING' what were you saying; "mwhat wmaws that (excuse the hook in the mouth; I'll extricate myself swoon) ?
You've got spare weeks to advise me on mindfulness - cool!
Whe(n)re do we start!
Sorry! I'm a fool and a twat; and you are?
@anataman, fine welcome that was.....
Yeah, @Daveadams, we've been round the block a few times and it's a topic we've definitely discussed ad nauseam (or almost to the point of....) very frequently...
Discussion is fine, because we all share similar experiences, and have different ways of approaching the same concept...
It's important to understand though that while this is 'newbuddhist' dot com, most of us here are 'old hands' ... sounds a bit misleading, but there you go.....
Nice of you to venture forth and connect with us, glad to have you here!
Do you follow a specific tradition?
Mindfulness is something I have practiced for more years of my life than not, 90% of those years without any awareness that THIS is the 'mindfulness' taught by the Buddha et al.
It's quite automatic, this mindfulness, and I need to give it more fuel (teachings and new experiences, for instance). I'm trying to say how utterly personal mindfulness is, in that it is, as a subject, difficult to discuss.
Mindfulness is HAPPENING in this awareness, and I don't know what to say about it, or what kind of questions to ask about it very often.
It's been like a wild horse until I began applying the teachings, which result in 'taming' the mindfulness, I hope.
As far as discussing mindfulness, I haven't the foggiest idea of what to even ask
@federica, (I am as dyslexic as my son), - welcome Dave Adams - excuse me, I am an idiot and much more a fool... For instance I misread your opening statement - tut (@federica brought this to my attention) - I believed I understood you were going to advise on mindfulness, and go... Forgive me I am slow....
Namaste,
I have been following a 30 Day Mindfulness Meditation Challenge which I've written about in other posts. I have found the basics are always a good start, no matter how long you've been meditating for. Focusing on breathing in particular has helped me immensely this month.
In metta _/_
I don't practice mindfulness much now Hamsaka, mindfulness just helped me get my mind back to neutral & logical, how it was at one point in my life..I saw a few posts about mindfulness, & thought rather than answering many posts saying the same thing I'd post a question instead..I have got 2 weeks & then I'm off anataman, as i work away a lot of the time..I don't follow any traditions federica although i am a fan of Buddhism, & i stumbled on to it thanks to Alan Watts vids on utube around a year ago..So Iv'e just had one full year off work while i tried to understand my mind, & i have got a pretty good understanding now..Hamsaka mindfulness wasn't automatic for me, & it took me 7/8 months to crack..Mindfulness won't be automatic for anyone else either, not unless they do something towards it..This was mainly directed at people that want help with it, because i got stuck & confused myself at many points along the way.
@Daveadams, A lot of us have been practising Buddhism for a very long time.... I personally have been following this path for around 20 years....
You come across as extremely exuberant and enthusiastic, but that's par for the course, and completely understandable. I think, casting my mind back, I was probably the same, for around a couple of years or so....
Many of us adhere to a specific tradition, and for certain Schools of Buddhism it is important to find a good Teacher; for others, it's not so vital.
Taking Refuge is another factor; again, that depends on which Tradition you choose to follow eventually. And eventually, you will in all probability seek to nail your colours to a particular mast....
This forum has been described as 'pan-Buddhist'; that is to say, it's an amalgam, a mix, a good balance of Buddhists from different traditions, sharing different perspectives, and giving different views on subjects under discussion...
Other forums will specifically "cater for" a particular Tradition with scant reference to others.
So I hope you relax, put your feet up and enjoy the company.
Everyone has much to offer, and you're in good company.
Then again, I would say that - wouldn't I?
Thanks dhammachick & i did, & still do a lot of meditating..Do you do it where ever you can, like when your doing your house work etc?..I'm probably stating the obvious to some people, but others might find it interesting that we can mindfully meditate anywhere & everywhere..My favorite one is mindfully walking or mindfully eating, & it all adds up to weakening our emotional mind, so we can incorporate any of our senses to being mindful..I'm not a big fan of positive thinking, I'm more of a fan of logical neutral thinking before attaching emotions/feelings..That's what i reckon our minds should be, logical & neutral & there to be consulted..The only reason i came on here is because i did a lot of things wrong in the beginning, & can suggest a few simple things that will speed up the process..I'll have a look at your post if i can find it, because i haven't heard of the 30 day mindfulness meditation challenge, but i do like a sentence that ends with "challenge"lol. :-)
The methods you describe for being Mindful during mundane tasks are very well-known and specifically taught by a Vietnamese monk called Thich Naht Hahn, who is usually affectionately known as TNH... He has various well-known and much-mentioned books, 'Miracle of Mindfulness', 'Peace is Every Step' and 'Present Moment, Wonderful moment' being just three.
(Who's 'Manaste'...?)
If you drop a glass and it shatters is that failure of your mindfulness or is it mindfulness OF dropping a glass?
Thanks federica for bearing with me, & yeah i did notice my mistake (lol)..I am a fan of Zen Buddhism in particular, & have read a lot of the Buddha's teachings..In fact if i hadn't stumbled onto mindfulness, who knows what would have happened to me..I do realize though that i should have done my homework before posting my question, & realized it would be old news to most people on here, so i'll do a bit of reading instead of posting another question as I'm not a cup that's already full.
Hey anataman maybe I'm slow, but i don't quite see your point..Are you saying you've done it or don't need it, or are you saying it's a waste of time?..I'm just curious that's all, & obviously I'm not going to mention anything else on the subject as clearly it's "old news", but please tell me what are you trying to say?..I won't take offense but i don't understand you, or am i missing the point?.
Hey jeffrey i am mindful if i drop a glass & it shatters, unless of course it was an accident caused by someone else..In which case i would be aware/mindful of what caused me to drop the glass, but would know it was unavoidable.
@Daveadams - I have a wrist mala I use to meditate to and from work when I can. I usually meditate just before I sleep as it helps me to sleep better too.
I even had some degree of success meditating while having an MRI on my brain. I used the "whumping" sounds to synchronise my breathing. It also keeps me from thinking about what they will ( or rather won't) find.
In metta,
Raven _/_
@Daveadams ! Welcome! I am new here too, this site has taught me a lot already. Great bunch of people with so much vast experience and knowledge!
I would love to hear what your hardest part about being mindful is?
I am currently doing a mindfulness schedule of sorts with triggers. I try stay 100% percent in the present when driving to and from work as well as whenever I come in contact with water(the trigger)
I am meditate daily and I'm finding my overall mindfulness is improving. I often catch myself out thinking. It's all practice practice practice!
Glad you're here!
@Daveadams I wasn't saying anything, as I said I misread your post, and thought you were baiting people; Skim reading NB isn't always a good thing! I will have to be more mindful of that in the future, as I will come off as an idiot more often than not, but thats ok, Frauds reveal themselves eventually, better now than later when I might have earned some respect in this community... \ lol / ...
Anyway, Mindfulness is extremely important, in fact it is so important that it's probably what buddhism is really about; how else do you bring yourself back to live in the present, rather than drifting off with your thoughts into the past or future, or into the well structured world of conceptuality. There is a natural tendency for the mind to do this and no matter how good you think you are in being mindful, you'll be caught out, it's therefore a lifelong practice, so the more things you can do mindfully, the sweeter life becomes, because you are being who you really are. Not sure if that makes much sense.
I must be more mindful of reading peoples comments
I must be more mindful of reading peoples comments
I must be more mindful...
I am mindful in picking up all the glass lest someone cut themselves.
if we are talking about 'right mindfulness' in 4th Noble Truth
then
we must pay attention to mindfulness of the 'mind and its activities' namely of our thoughts
am i correct?
There is general mindfulness in daily activities. You need to pay attention while driving or playing competitive sports. It can even help in making good business decisions.
The mindfulness in the N8FP is in 4 general areas and is NOT the same as remembering where you put your keys. Although the training does help in daily life.
I knew a Buddhist in London who was listening to a talk on mindfulness while driving his car and then drove into the back of a parked car. Strange but true!
Hey thanks for the replies folks i do appreciate it, & i would like to discuss meditation & reincarnation if anyone is willing..I have tried many forms of meditating in the past, & my main one was mindfully looking at something or listening intently to silence or the birds etc..At night in bed i used mindfulness of a body part in my mind, & after a while i used the sensations that occur when using said technique..After a lot of practice i was able to meditate straight away just by sensing my body, & no longer used the mindfulness of a body part..Iv'e done the breathing meditation as well as other forms, but now i can just meditate at will & relax any thoughts away..I'm not saying that to brag or anything, it's just that i know a lot of people that use breathing & counting as a form of meditating..I just wonder if they realize that the end goal of all those forms of meditating, is to be able to get to a point where none of that is needed anymore, & they should eventually be able to empty their mind at will....So i reckon meditating on an empty mind (mindfully looking) is far better than meditating with "something" in our mind, like counting or following our breathing pattern..The only form of breathing meditation that i do now is when i lay there at night, trying to see what/who triggers me to breathe in..Before anyone says my body forces me to breathe in on it's own, the world record for holding one's breath is 20 minutes so mind over matter is true with everything..I don't get negative thoughts anymore as i know what causes them, but i do obviously get many none negative thoughts, but i can relax them away almost instantly if i want to.....I wouldn't say a person should pay much attention to their negative thoughts if they get them, not unless it's something they can sort out right there & then or make a plan to attack said worry etc..Tackling our emotional baggage is like the guy whose been shot with an arrow, that won't let anyone remove it until he finds out who shot him..So i would suggest distracting them with mindfully looking, remove them for good & it won't matter why you got them.
Do you mean - to be pedantic, for an instant - Reincarnation, or rebirth?
I have a theory on reincarnation, but it's just for a bit of fun.
careful.... some people don't see it as 'fun'.... ;o)
Could i message it to you, & see what you think?..You may have already considered it yourself i just want a few opinions, as there's not many people i know that are interested in looking into life etc.
Hey Theswingisyellow use a dust pan & brush. :-)
There is never wrong meditation because there is no wrong mind. The counting is a method. If you use your own method it is hard to get a teachers advice because you are using a method that was originated by yourself.
yes, @Daveadams, by all means send me a PM.
I just feel that if we use our mind to meditate with by counting etc, we are still using & giving some strength to the same mind that bothers us with unwanted thoughts..I mean if a person is trying to reason with their negative thoughts or trying to convince their mind to stop thinking, isn't it just the same mind arguing for both sides?..So by mindfully looking instead of counting/breathing etc, we weaken our emotional minds hold over our thinking..I didn't mean to imply the various meditating practices are wrong, because i used them all at some point in time & they all helped me.
It's all awareness no matter what you do.
I am more than happy to discuss meditation, but reincarnation, karma and rebirth are always hot topics. I would suggest thinking very carefully about each of these and posting your question in a new thread, with an appropriate comment as to your personal view and where you expect to go with each topic. They always ramble and disintegrate otherwise.
In Theravada it's the 4 frames of reference as per the Satipatthana Sutta - or more simply, mindfulness of body and mind.
I think on the subject of reincarnation anataman I'll keep my theory to myself, & yes i agree with you about sticking to one subject at a time so I'll stick to meditation if that's alright with everyone..I am very passionate about meditation & it was only say a year ago that i would have laughed at the idea of meditating, but then again i was very depressed at the time & a different person.
weren't we all?
In fact, I can categorically state I'm not even the same person I was this morning.
Hey thanks SpinyNorman Iv'e just been reading through Satipatthana Sutta, & was very interested in the bit about "right concentration" (samma samadhi)..I think the stage I might be at is access neighbourhood concentration (upacara samadhi), & i haven't completely overcome the five hindrances, but have noticed a massive change in all of them in my self....At night when i meditate by mindfully looking with my eyes "closed", i do see some mental images & it mentioned that this was called Pali: nimitta..I would say though most of the images that i have seen we're only there for a quick glimpse, & most of the time i would be so surprised that i'd tense up & try to stop them..I am fully conscious & aware at the time, & the last one i saw was a few days ago..Iv'e read a fair bit on Buddhism but i don't know what the various terms are, so if Iv'e made a mistake with what Iv'e called something i will apologize right now, but i thought out of respect i should start trying to learn them..I would just like to honestly say that I'm not actually looking/searching for enlightenment, but if it finds me that would be great....It's just that mindfulness & emotions feelings control, & reading learning about Buddhism (even though i can't remember what the various terms are), completely changed my whole life for the better..I'm pretty sure i experienced pure awareness one night as well quite a while ago now, so if anyone can give me some info on anything that Iv'e mentioned I'd love to hear from them.
Yeah i know what your saying federica & i agree to a certain extent, but i was a severely depressed person for a good few years..I never learn't anything real so i never changed, my body might have done but that's all..I know I'm changing now deep down inside, but i see it more like I'm now tuning into my heart/intuition/instinct..Can we really be the judge of whether we've changed since last week/month/year, i mean i can't even remember how i used to think apart from it was very negative..So for the first time in my life everyone i know says Iv'e changed, they don't think I'm going mad although they reckon i have some "very interesting views"!lol
@pegembara & @spinnynorman , thanks for reminding me of sathi-pattana sutta
The word 'mindfulness' is an oxymoron.
As it stands, on its own, it can't be. you need to put it into a sentence with other factors, for it to be so....
You're right. Let's just say that the fuller the mind the less the mindfulness. Now you see?
absolutely. And I agree....
Mindful emptiness :-)
Does it apply to dharma any more than an empty mindful? Perhaps.
The mind that is full and filled and experiences is not the same as the Mind that is Empty. In a sense being mindful of emptiness is impossible and yet being empty of mindfulness is the way . . .
How? This is a job for something you sit on
Is it plain? Is it the bird? No it's Mr Cushion . . .
Mindfulness just means aware.
Then why don't they just use the word awareness instead? Buddhism tends to be rather precise in it's vocabulary, so ....
They do use the word, but it often applies to Vipassana.
In my experience mindfullness usually applies to Shamatha - a peaceful, calm abiding, resting in, and mindful of, the object of meditation.
BUT, I could be wrong. Elmo the Frisky Prawn sezso.
It's because it is translated into english @Chaz. Lama Shenpen doesn't like the word mindfulness to describe sati. She likes awareness because all it is is awareness; it isn't hyper vigilance. Concentration relates more to Shamata.
Mindful allows an object or experience. Awareness that has a 'this is wot it is' component.
When there is no calm, no residing, no this, no that, no explanation. Then what?
Then one can say silly stuff like:
Sit without sitting. Be without bonnet. Emptiness without the buzz. Attention without form. Emptiness gone nowhere.
As Mr Cushion always tells me, 'No good telling you Nothing'
Am I missing out on some deeper wisdom when I watch people argue about words and just feel bored?
Yes.
Don't be so boring
. Ignore boredom and arguing - find wisdom . . . well that is my plan . . .
Interesting. Does "mindfulness" sound more active and directed than "awareness"?