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None of those things you listed is more important than any other thing, including eating. Or breathing. Or moving your arm to scratch an itch. Do you see my point?
I believe the point Brian is trying to make is that mindfulness is the foundation of the Buddha's practice. Nothing is more important than being mindful of anything, and everything that you do.
The importance of mindfulness, in all our dealings is clearly indicated by the last words of Sariputta:
"Vayadhamma sankhara appamadena sampadetha." Transient are all component things. Work out your deliverance with mindfulness".
"Sampadetha appamadena esa me anusasana. "Strive on with mindfulness. This is my advice to you.’
About mindfulness from the Buddha: "Mindfulness, 0 monks, I declare, is essential in all things everywhere." Samyutta, v. 115
Further says the Buddha: "Mindfulness, verily, brings great profit" Anguttara Nikaya i, 3.
The point is that there is nothing more important than what is happening in this present moment. Even mindfulness while eatting is practicing. Whatever you do, with mindfulness, can lead to wisdom.
I believe the point Brian is trying to make is that mindfulness is the foundation of the Buddha's practice.
That is exactly the point I am trying to make. If you forsake mindfulness of one thing just to get to another thing, then you're losing sight of the road to peace.
Although each bite of food may seem to be exactly the same, if you eat slowly and mindfully you notice that in fact it isn't the same.
To comic: what's the hurry? If you go slowly you will find time for everything, because you will notice all the little details you miss moving too quickly through it. You will find you have more than enough timeto do everything because nothing is really better than anything else, just different, and things that seem the same aren't.
I never have enough time for anything. I have been working on my house for th elast year and I still do not have carpet or all my drywall up yet.
Sometimes when you try to do too much you wind up not enjoying anything because you feel so much pressure. And what's the point of that? Life is to be enjoyed.
In a year I am off to a diving school and I need to have my house done. I don't have the luxury of enjoying life in this point of my life. I work now so I can enjoy life later.
that is very counterproductive, comic. "I work now so I can enjoy life later"
"Life later" is not a given.
The only given is the "now" - you should focus your attention on the now and try not to think so much about enjoying the "later". The later doesn't exist, how can you work to enjoy it?
It would be quite stupid to live as if this moment were the last. That's not my point. So you must work now to ensure that your children will have a home. You must work now to put food on the table. Of course. You must work now to pay for your children's education, absolutely.
But when you work, work. When you eat, eat. If you cannot find peace in each action, where can you find it? in the future?
I do live in the moment. I don't have a choice on that one, Brian. I still don't know why I would spend hours eating a bowl of rice when I could be spending hours fixing my house. My baby just started crawling today. I don't have carpet. My family isn't Buddhist. They are not going to understand this line of thinking and I am not going to force it on them. Should I leave the house the way it is where the baby can hurt herself or even worse? The answer is NO. I will keep working on the house and if that means I don't spend hours eating when I can spend 15 minutes, I will. I have seen pictures of your house. It is beautiful. Imagine having to live in your house with no walls. Only insulation everywhere. Dust and dirt floating around. You don't have any shelves so everything is on the floor. You have flooring all over the house that needs to be fixed. You have a serious back problem and it takes every bit of strength you have to get out of bedin the morning. Then you go to a job that you hate where you only get 30 minutes to eat at by the way. Then you have to go to your family and see how much they try and make it all work even though the home is a mess and isn't finished. Imagine subflooring, not carpet. A roof that leaks when it rains. I mean leaks. It looks like the ceiling is taking a pee. Then there is mildew. The pipe under the kitchen sink isn't connected to the septic tank so it just leaks out onto the ground under the house. There is no sprinkler system and the yards are dying. Imagine that all this work needs to be done and that you are the only one who can do it. That is why I don't spend a lot of time eating.
Jason, I hope this may clear up what is being said. It's not the amount of time you spend doing something. It is being fully aware and absorbed in what you are doing. If you eat quickly in say 15 minutes, then you do so with all of your attention on the taste of the food, the smell, the texture in your mouth, the chewing, and swallowing. You just have to be mindful. Instead of eating and reading a paper while listening to music, you just eat. Pat attention to the eating. If you are fixing something pay complete attention to the fixing. Do not let your mind wander around. If you are playing with your daughter just keep only that in your mind. Being mindful in that way is like meditating during everyday activities. If your mind is wandering and thinking about what color you should paint a wall when at the moment you are putting down some carpet, then that is not being mindful. But if you are only paying attention to the act of placing the carpet down and absorbed fully in that, then you are being mindful.
I am obviously not communicating very clearly. I am no teacher, and it shows. Comic, I hope you find some peace in every moment, that's all I'm saying. It was certainly not my intention to point the conversation into such a negative direction.
We all have our challenges but it's never more than we can handle.
Well it's all ok. I am just saying I am on a time limit. The future may not be a given but it is something to look forward to. I just try to make the most of my time. I can see where thinking about more than what I am doing at the moment may slow me down. But I am also the type of person that gets restless when not doing more than one thing.
This food talk reminds me of the book "French Women Don't Get Fat". All about how the French savor their food and as a result don't have to eat so much to feel satisfied.
Well it's all ok. I am just saying I am on a time limit. The future may not be a given but it is something to look forward to. I just try to make the most of my time. I can see where thinking about more than what I am doing at the moment may slow me down. But I am also the type of person that gets restless when not doing more than one thing.
Ella Fitzgerald sings this great song: "It ain't whatcha do but the way thatcha do it". Making the most of time is neccessary for all of us; but making the most of your time means milking the most out of every moment.
But I sure gotta say, Comic, I am sorry that your situation is so difficult right now. I went through that three times with my last three places of residence. With the first two, I was young and in grad school so it wasn't so bad. The last place, I tried to do as a professional, not so young, and suddenly wrought with serious health issues. The place was really neat: built 1830, large yard. But it was too much. Finally, I decided to sell and bought something much smaller, simpler, with infinitely less maintenance. I had to give up a lot (five carloads of my books went to the Goodwill, for instance; my good china is at my mom's still, and my kitchen is teeny-tiny) but what I gained in peace of mind and time for things which are really important to me -- like family -- has been invaluable. I don't know what your circumstances are but is it possible to make a change? Anyway, I am sending you lots of mental hugs and loving kindness.
Thank you. Once my house is done I will have tons of time. I just need to hold on for another year. Once my wife finishes massage therapy school (10 months) I will be able to cut back on my work hours and finish the house.
I saw this in a Hindu book I still have before... It's entitled "Perfect Questions Perfect Answers"~ By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhakivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciouness... Here Srila Prabhupada tells an American seeker:
"The pigeon is vegetarian. The monkey is vegetarian - the most rubbish creature..."
Comments
The importance of mindfulness, in all our dealings is clearly indicated by the last words of Sariputta:
"Vayadhamma sankhara appamadena sampadetha." Transient are all component things. Work out your deliverance with mindfulness".
"Sampadetha appamadena esa me anusasana. "Strive on with mindfulness. This is my advice to you.’
About mindfulness from the Buddha: "Mindfulness, 0 monks, I declare, is essential in all things everywhere." Samyutta, v. 115
Further says the Buddha: "Mindfulness, verily, brings great profit" Anguttara Nikaya i, 3.
The point is that there is nothing more important than what is happening in this present moment. Even mindfulness while eatting is practicing. Whatever you do, with mindfulness, can lead to wisdom.
I hope this helped to clear up any confusion.
That is exactly the point I am trying to make. If you forsake mindfulness of one thing just to get to another thing, then you're losing sight of the road to peace.
To comic: what's the hurry? If you go slowly you will find time for everything, because you will notice all the little details you miss moving too quickly through it. You will find you have more than enough timeto do everything because nothing is really better than anything else, just different, and things that seem the same aren't.
J
Sometimes when you try to do too much you wind up not enjoying anything because you feel so much pressure. And what's the point of that? Life is to be enjoyed.
"Life later" is not a given.
The only given is the "now" - you should focus your attention on the now and try not to think so much about enjoying the "later". The later doesn't exist, how can you work to enjoy it?
It would be quite stupid to live as if this moment were the last. That's not my point. So you must work now to ensure that your children will have a home. You must work now to put food on the table. Of course. You must work now to pay for your children's education, absolutely.
But when you work, work. When you eat, eat. If you cannot find peace in each action, where can you find it? in the future?
We all have our challenges but it's never more than we can handle.
Ella Fitzgerald sings this great song: "It ain't whatcha do but the way thatcha do it". Making the most of time is neccessary for all of us; but making the most of your time means milking the most out of every moment.
But I sure gotta say, Comic, I am sorry that your situation is so difficult right now. I went through that three times with my last three places of residence. With the first two, I was young and in grad school so it wasn't so bad. The last place, I tried to do as a professional, not so young, and suddenly wrought with serious health issues. The place was really neat: built 1830, large yard. But it was too much. Finally, I decided to sell and bought something much smaller, simpler, with infinitely less maintenance. I had to give up a lot (five carloads of my books went to the Goodwill, for instance; my good china is at my mom's still, and my kitchen is teeny-tiny) but what I gained in peace of mind and time for things which are really important to me -- like family -- has been invaluable. I don't know what your circumstances are but is it possible to make a change? Anyway, I am sending you lots of mental hugs and loving kindness.
"The pigeon is vegetarian. The monkey is vegetarian - the most rubbish creature..."
Just for a quick thought.