#567 Wise Advice Needs Personal Testing

     "take the counsel of the wise. We would be foolish to overlook their immeasurable knowledge and skills. But ... (we should) test the teachings in the fire of our own lives. Listen to them, weigh them, and investigate them. It is for each of us to understand 'why do I suffer so much?' 'how do I relate to the world around me?' or 'what brings joy to life?'"

       Larry Rosenberg. Three Steps to Awakening. A Practice for Bringing Mindfulness to Life. Shambhala, Boston, 2013.

 

#488 Defining Mindfulness

     A concise definition of mindfulness is inherently reductionistic, squeezing into a few shabby words the limitless natural capacity for awareness & open-heartedness. Who would spend a lifetime practicing mindfulness meditation if one could "get it" from a definition?
     So mindfulness is a natural capacity, a method or practice for cultivating this capacity, as well as a way of being in the world.
     Analogies can be drawn between a person practicing mindfulness & a computer that could intentionally, continuously, upgrade it's own operating system: http://mindfulnessforeveryone.blogspot.ca/search?q=operating+system
     Another analogy is how a novice swimmer relates to water compared to an expert swimmer. The novice is afraid of the water & exerts a lot of effort in fighting the water. The expert likes the water, which naturally supports her, and she exerts minimal effort to propel herself forward. The expert open-heartedly engages & collaborates with - instead of fears & fights - the environment. Friction, noise, wasted effort is minimized, while quality of life & efficiency is maximized. Even intelligent, well-educated folks may be unable to distinguish between being swept away by the torrential river of life from surfing the waves.
     But when the status quo no longer satisfies, one might investigate mindfulness.

#319 Far more than a Method, Mindfulness is a Way of Being in the World

     Mindfulness is “an intensive self-directed training program in the art of conscious living. … a practical guide for anyone, well or ill, who seeks to transcend his or her limitations and move toward greater levels of health and well-being.

      It will take conscious effort on your part to move in a direction for healing and inner peace. This means learning to work with the very stress and pain that is causing you to suffer. … facing our problems is usually the only way to get past them.”

        Kabat-Zinn J. “Full catastrophe living. Using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain and illness”. Dell Publishing, NY, 1990.

rok urankar   www.dpreview.com