stuart1 Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Perhaps the real purpose of mindfulness is simply to be effortlessly fully aware of one's own mind. And perhaps achieving that you are then equally effortlessly mindful of no thing and of everything...or now that I've said it, perhaps not! Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 Perhaps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuart1 Posted August 12, 2014 Author Share Posted August 12, 2014 LOL and 3 deep bows! Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daves_not_here Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 Mindfulness - pay attention at every moment, not just to the world around you, but to your own mind and how is it functioning. This is the purpose of concentrative meditation - to develop the skill of examining your mind in action and gently directing it to focus on what you want it to. This sort of constant awareness of your mental functioning is called mindfulness and is one of the most important ways that meditation practice translates into more general self improvement. The mindful person never acts thoughtlessly, never allows silly things to upset them. So, what isn't silly? Making little holes in cardboard and knocking over pieces of steel...silly or serious? I know the answer that my wife would give but she's also the one that chases me out of the house to go shoot. DNH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 Yes. "Do not be bothered by anything." -Shunryu Suzuki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuart1 Posted August 23, 2014 Author Share Posted August 23, 2014 If you are fully mindful do you need to also be thoughtful for the bullet/arrow to hit the bulls-eye? Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 Is there an "also be"? Just wondering... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuart1 Posted August 26, 2014 Author Share Posted August 26, 2014 Perhaps not both, nor yes nor no, nor not yes nor not no...and yet in mindfulness why think, and in thoughtfulness where is the mind? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted August 26, 2014 Share Posted August 26, 2014 Indeed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daves_not_here Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 Point at the moon. Look at the finger? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcg Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 (edited) There is no purpose that underlies being mindful, of being in "mindfulness." It is only a state of consciousness that you cannot consciously achieve. It is fully known only when there is no attempt to be mindful, when there is no "trying," and no attempt at being mindful. You can try mindfulness but it lasts seconds at best. When it is implemented as a concept, it will not appear. When it is forgotten, it comes upon you until it is realized as being there ("I was in a zone!")--and then it disappears again. The harder we strive to be mindful, the farther away from it we become. Yet mindfulness only comes through seeking such awareness. Or through sudden realization. Like all things Zen, it refuses to be nailed down. So continue the discussion. But have no expectations. Edited September 24, 2014 by pcg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biloxi23 Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 Ah, Grasshopper! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcg Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 Sorry, I'm in a zone and don't understand that response. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest beyond3 Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 The purpose of mindfulness is to create a platform for concentration practice as well as work on the grosser levels of the 5 hinderences. This is achieved by working with the 4 foundation of mindfullness. A lot of or meditators minimize it therefore never eradicate habit patterns that keep suffering alive and well. Mindfulness is the base a main tool along with concentration practice, metta practice, impermanence practices.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuart1 Posted October 19, 2014 Author Share Posted October 19, 2014 Why must everything have a purpose? Perhaps mindfulness stands on its own and talk of its purpose is monkey mind chatter! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted October 20, 2014 Share Posted October 20, 2014 Why must everything have a purpose? Perhaps mindfulness stands on its own and talk of its purpose is monkey mind chatter! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daves_not_here Posted October 20, 2014 Share Posted October 20, 2014 The purpose of mindfulness is to create a platform for concentration practice as well as work on the grosser levels of the 5 hinderences. This is achieved by working with the 4 foundation of mindfullness. A lot of or meditators minimize it therefore never eradicate habit patterns that keep suffering alive and well. Mindfulness is the base a main tool along with concentration practice, metta practice, impermanence practices.... I believe that mindfulness also works with the most subtle and hidden workings of the 5 hindrances. Even with the body which we think of as "physcial" and not as delicate as thoughts, feelings or mental phenomenon. Plenty of stories of "seeing" the sun, rain and earth in a flower. The flower is delicate and yet the vital ingredients are the sun, rain and dirt... I like to get away from considering mindfulness as an entity in itself e.g. platform and more of a vital ingredient to one's practice. Just like sight alignment and trigger pull one constantly improves mindfulness. There is no direct way to measure the skill of mindfulness or of sight alignment or trigger pull but we can see the quality in the results... like all Alphas. DNH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wannawas Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 The purpose of mindfulness is mindemptiness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enroute Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 RE-learning Thich Nhat Hahn on this topic for many years; miracle of mindfulness is a practice, which is a perishable skill like shooting. The purpose is to maintain an energy focus of task at hand, rather than the distractions of multi task entertainment. The more I practice it, the longer periods of mindful duration come more natural, with less "effort". One area which makes this easier to do is improving diet; removing white sugars and caffeinated drinks is a good portion of equation-remove the garbage in portion, and quality coming out is enhanced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daves_not_here Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 (edited) enroute, Thanks for bringing up RE-learning. We return to the present moment over and over. As reality is instantaneously created we witness it moment by moment. Every time we see something new. In a way this is RE-learning. Reading through a book for another time we begin to see more and more in the words from the wisdom we have developed through mindfulness. This is an example that I would call RE-learning. Brian's book is a good one for this RE-learning. The words constantly have a new and deeper meaning. Today it's page 82 - Looking the Shot Off. DNH Edited November 27, 2014 by daves_not_here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra99 Posted November 29, 2014 Share Posted November 29, 2014 Been working mindfulness meditation into my schedule as best as I can. What I'm finding is, it's hard to stay focused on the moment, but it is teaching me to be present in the moment and not let the past or the future (which we have no control over) interfere with being now. I really feel out of sorts when I miss my time to practice. I believe shooting has the same affect for me as well, it's where I can focus on only what is now, make the plan and go. I can tell I've been missing that a lot this year and it's had it's affects. There is no perfection, there is only practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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