Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening

by Joseph Goldstein

four ways of establishing mindfulness,

Faith and wisdom balance each other Too much wisdom not enough faith leads to increased wrong view because we get attached Too much faith not enough wisdom leads to increased ignorance Source zen master from book tracing back the radiance

Although concentration is not the final goal of the practice, still it plays an essential role on the path to awakening. The Buddha emphasized this when he said that respect for concentration is one of the things that leads to the longevity of the Dharma, to its nondecay and nondisappearance.

Through the repetition of the refrain, the Buddha reminds us again and again what are the essential aspects of the practice: • Contemplating our experience internally, externally, and both; • Contemplating the nature of impermanence—the arising, the passing away, and both the arising and passing away in regard to our experience; • Establishing enough mindfulness to recognize simply what is unfolding moment to moment — without mental commentary—and to remain mindful of what’s happening; • Abiding without clinging to anything that enters our realm of experience.

“Contemplating means being mindful of in the moment “ -Joseph Goldstein Contemplating doesn’t refer to thinking about However insight can be gained also through inference which implies some form of thinking Bhante vimilararamsi uses the word observation in place of the word contemplation

“[H]e seats himself cross-legged, sets his body erect, and establishes mindfulness in front of him. He does not occupy his mind with self-affliction, or the affliction of others, or the affliction of both; he sits with his mind set on his own welfare, on the welfare of others, and on the welfare of both, even on the welfare of the whole world.”6

“Bhikkhus, when mindfulness of breathing is developed and cultivated, it is of great fruit and great benefit. When mindfulness of breathing is developed and cultivated, it fulfills the four foundations of mindfulness. When the four foundations of mindfulness are developed and cultivated, they fulfill the seven enlightenment factors. When the seven enlightenment factors are developed and cultivated, they fulfill true knowledge and deliverance.”7

Important

Breathing In, I Know I Am Breathing In . . .

We can bring this simplicity to our meditation practice. Munindra-ji would often say, “Sit and know you’re sitting, and the whole of the Dharma will be revealed.” But sometimes in our practice we’re looking for something special, and so we miss this simplicity and overlook what is right in front of us. The power and strength of bare attention come not from special experiences but from a sustained continuity of awareness. We’re not looking for any particular experience, for the breath or the body to be a special way. Rather, we’re simply listening to, being aware of, and receiving the contact of whatever presents itself. It’s like listening to a new piece of music when we’re relaxed and attentive at the same time. It’s not hard to be mindful; it just takes training to remember to be mindful.