Category Archives: General

Mindfulness defined

Posted on August 17, 2019 by

Bhikkhus, this is the direct path for the purification of beings, for the surmounting of sorrow and lamentation, for the disappearance of pain and grief, for the attainment of the true way, for the realisation of Nibbana — namely, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Causes and results, Dukkha, General, Mindfulness, Patience | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Primordial mindfulness

Posted on August 12, 2019 by

In response to the previous post, a reader wrote: I’m starting to think: why must mindfulness begin with body awareness? Why not awareness of that potato you’re peeling, the view from your bus, the tv programme you’re watching, the wine … Continue reading →

Posted in Causes and results, Dukkha, General, Mindfulness | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Active mindfulness

Posted on August 7, 2019 by

Some activities are easier than others to perform while maintaining awareness within our bodies. During sitting or walking meditation and while doing simple tasks, we can usually set aside our planning and worrying. Whole-body awareness can in principle remain present … Continue reading →

Posted in Causes and results, Dukkha, General, Hindrances, Mindfulness, Patience, Speech | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Body-awareness

Posted on August 2, 2019 by

The Buddha gave a useful listing of ways in which we could cultivate mindfulness in daily life: When going forward and returning one acts clearly knowing; when looking ahead and looking away one acts clearly knowing; when flexing and extending … Continue reading →

Posted in Causes and results, General, Mindfulness, Patience, The 8-fold path | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Whole-body mindfulness

Posted on July 28, 2019 by

In Anālayo Bhikkhu’s book Satipaṭṭhāna Meditation, he recommends developing continuous mindfulness of our whole bodies as the platform from which we can cultivate profound wisdom and liberation. That word “continuous” might strike fear into our hearts if we misunderstand it … Continue reading →

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Mindfulness and memory

Posted on July 23, 2019 by

The Buddha left us comprehensive instructions on how to develop mindfulness, our all-purpose tool for improving things. The instructions are laid out in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta (MN10), of which there are many translations. A particularly inspiring and useful new commentary … Continue reading →

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All-day mindfulness

Posted on July 18, 2019 by

Apart from pursuing a daily mindfulness practice that includes sitting meditation and one other “daily life” awareness-training practice, we can support our growth by attending to the flow of our activities during the day. What’s our general pace? If it … Continue reading →

Posted in Causes and results, Compassion, General, Mindfulness, Patience | Tagged | 1 Comment