What is Mindfulness?

I just read an inspiring article about the definition of mindfulness from one of my favorite bloggers today and I’d like to explore this topic more.

Most of the world’s problems are caused by wrong views of people. Most of us see this world through dirty glasses. Our judgements are usually biased by our ego, yet we always take our thoughts, opinions and beliefs so seriously as if they were absolute truths. This limitation causes conflicts and wars among people.

From my point of view, mindfulness is like the cloth that we use to clean the dirty glasses so that we can see the world clearly. With mindfulness, we can be aware of how the ego influences our judgements. Our ego influences our judgement by bringing the guilt from the past or the fear about the future to the mind.

Mindfulness brings us back to the present and helps us see the reality as it is so that we will know if there is actually a problem. And if there is a problem, what is the most effective way to solve it or if it can be solved at all. It slows us down and provides a distance between the thoughts and the ego. It prevents us from reacting to the thoughts and emotions automatically with our conditioned habits.

Mindfulness can be cultivated by observing the mind and the body in daily life. It is different from meditation that focuses on an object, which makes the mind still. In mindfulness practice, we observe how the mind and the body change.

Mindfulness is not the solution to all problems. It is however a tool for us to understand ourselves and the world clearly. It is a skill that can be learned through dedicated practice, regardless of any religious backgrounds. I think if more people practice it, a lot of problems can be avoided. 🙂

Facing the Chattering Mind

Life is itself suffering.  None of the conditions in life is permanent or controllable.  We indulge ourselves in all kinds of pleasure to try to hide away from the constant chattering of the mind.  It is because this constant chattering of the mind remind us about the fragile nature of life.

Suppressing the mind will only bring us temporary peace. There will always be a moment that we have to face the reality.  However, following the crazy mind, looking into the chattering, and taking this chattering too seriously will make us crazy.  So how should we deal with suffering?  Rather than using the natural fight or flight response, we should embrace it.  We do not hate it or like it, but we observe it.

Suffering is actually our biggest teacher.  It is our true friend.  It reminds us how precious each moment of life is because it is not permanent.  It remind us to treasure our loved ones because they won’t stay forever.  It reminds us to let go because holding on to things or perceptions will make us suffer more.  When we are able to let go, true happiness and inner peace will visit us.

When we come back to ourselves and spend some time alone, listen to this chattering mind.  We can observe it and see how it changes.  If suffering shows up, we say hello to it and acknowledge it with a smile.  Then we are ready to learn some life-transforming lessons. 🙂