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The Problem of Mindfulness

aeon.co

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Re: The Problem of Mindfulness

#11

Post by sshekhar »

The word mindfulness itself is a poor translation of the Pali word 'Sati'. The Pali word actually means 'remembering to be aware of the objects that your mind is attending to'. There is no word in western languages to capture that phrase and hence word 'mindfulness' was used to convey in a confusing manner what 'Sati' means.

I have been meditating for 1 hour to 1.5 hour every day for several years and I finally got into a stage called 1st Jhana, where your mind becomes temporarily free of all 'wants' and is completely at peace. In that state the awareness becomes super sharp, breathing becomes very shallow (less than 5 breaths per minute) and experience of time distorts. Your awareness can clearly watch thoughts coming up like 'lava bubbles' from your subconsciousness into your consciousness. It is at that point you get a glimpse into 'anatta' (non-self). The idea that there is no controller (or soul or self) that is creating ideas. It is an automatic process that is happening due to your past Karma (conditioning due to repeated practice).

It takes a lifetime to develop the wisdom and compassion that Buddha talked about. It cannot be understood purely using logic. You have to get the experience of a calm unbiased mind.

Even though people like her are well-intentioned but they should stop to think of the possibility that they may not understand what they are talking about as well as they think they do.

Re: The Problem of Mindfulness

#13

Post by rufugee »

jonbronson wrote: post #8

While there are a lot of truths in this article, there's also a thread of misconception running through it, embodied most prominently in the line "Without some ownership of one’s feelings and thoughts, it is difficult to take responsibility for them." Mindfulness is about creating space between you and your thoughts, not ignoring or discounting them. It allows you to look at them subjectively, rather than being carri…

Spot on. In my case, mindfulness practice (at the moment with the Waking Up app from Sam Harris) has transformed my life in three short months. I thought I was insightful and deep before, yet was a victim of ephemeral thoughts and emotions far more than I realized.

At no time have I given myself a pass or shirked responsibility in the way the article implies...rather, mindfulness practice has given me the time and quiet to turn these thoughts around, examining them and their source.

I can't express in words how much I feel I've gained from practicing, and I encourage each of you to do so. While I still can't say I always look forward to it, I'm always glad after the fact to feel it's affects. If everyone practiced mindfulness, the world would be a FAR better place...

Re: The Problem of Mindfulness

#15

Post by mapcars »

badpun wrote: post #3

I've had very similar thoughts about mindfullness. Mindfullness tells you to observe your fears and other feelings and see that they come and go, while it does not focus at all on whether and to what degree they are actual valid and important. Feelings are often signals from your subconsciousness, which is trying to tell that something. Of course, a lot of the time these signals can be BS or blown out of proportions…

There is a lot of confusion here as well as in the article

>Mindfullness tells you to observe your fears and other feelings

>but effectively ignoring them

How is observing equals ignoring? Observing allows you to detach and not take things too closely and as a consequence to act more "easily" if you choose consciously rather than unconsciously.

Re: The Problem of Mindfulness

#16

Post by edejong »

rufugee wrote: post #13
jonbronson wrote: post #8

While there are a lot of truths in this article, there's also a thread of misconception running through it, embodied most prominently in the line "Without some ownership of one’s feelings and thoughts, it is difficult to take responsibility for them." Mindfulness is about creating space between you and your thoughts, not ignoring or discounting them. It allows you to look at them subjectively, rather than being carri…

Spot on. In my case, mindfulness practice (at the moment with the Waking Up app from Sam Harris) has transformed my life in three short months. I thought I was insightful and deep before, yet was a victim of ephemeral thoughts and emotions far more than I realized. At no time have I given myself a pass or shirked responsibility in the way the article implies...rather, mindfulness practice has given me the time and qu…

The problem with the mindfulness approach is that it only leads you knee-deep. Enough to enjoy the waves and the joy of water, but too little to start swimming.

For example, I can still see you are not accepting your past self for what it is ("I thought I was insightful and deep before") or how the world is ("would be a FAR better place").

You are on a path towards awakening. Some of us have come to understand that there are seven factors [1] to master, not one.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Factors_of_Awakening

Re: The Problem of Mindfulness

#17

Post by edejong »

sshekhar wrote: post #11

The word mindfulness itself is a poor translation of the Pali word 'Sati'. The Pali word actually means 'remembering to be aware of the objects that your mind is attending to'. There is no word in western languages to capture that phrase and hence word 'mindfulness' was used to convey in a confusing manner what 'Sati' means. I have been meditating for 1 hour to 1.5 hour every day for several years and I finally got i…

Accepting her change is accepting ourselves.

Re: The Problem of Mindfulness

#18

Post by negamax »

> they’re explicitly instructed to disregard the content of their own thoughts

Seems like author is biased on purpose. Entire central idea behind mindfulness is to be aware of your thoughts. i.e. not being lead into same issues by subconscious conclusions (hence breaking the cycle/loop). Well at least that's my interpretation anyways

Mindfulness works because it helps someone reach to conclusions on their own. Who knows you better than yourself

Re: The Problem of Mindfulness

#20

Post by caser »

edejong wrote: post #16
rufugee wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Spot on. In my case, mindfulness practice (at the moment with the Waking Up app from Sam Harris) has transformed my life in three short months. I thought I was insightful and deep before, yet was a victim of ephemeral thoughts and emotions far more than I realized. At no time have I given myself a pass or shirked responsibility in the way the article implies...rather, mindfulness practice has given me the time and qu…

The problem with the mindfulness approach is that it only leads you knee-deep. Enough to enjoy the waves and the joy of water, but too little to start swimming. For example, I can still see you are not accepting your past self for what it is ("I thought I was insightful and deep before") or how the world is ("would be a FAR better place"). You are on a path towards awakening. Some of us have come to understand that t…

I think this is actually the exact problem the article talks about.

It’s possible to engage with mindfulness practices without buying into the entire Buddhist belief system.

This comment reinforces the author’s (I believe mistaken) point, that mindfulness sneaks in a bunch of Buddhist ideology. In my experience, it’s been possible to benefit from the practices while deciding some of the more doctrinal Buddhist beliefs (like non-self / anatta) don’t resonate.

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