May I answer through analogy to ground our discussion in a topic more familiar?
How do we define running?
The expert/fit runner can:
- Run faster than those that haven’t trained.
- Run further than those that haven’t trained.
- But at some very picky level of semantics, we understand that running is the exercise and the physical adaptation it produces might be referred to as “running fitness”.
- and if we wanted, we could insist this superficial discussion barely scratches the surface, after all sprinters and ultrarunners train differently and develop dramatically different types of fitness.
- Here’s the kicker – someone might insist “so what, anyone can do that. I can run a few steps myself”. But we understand that the level of running fitness achieved by an expert runner is something beyond innate ability of someone who has not trained.
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How do we define mindfulness?
Those who are expert/fit at (Shamatha) meditation can:
- Upon realizing they are distracted, refocus the mind or calm the emotions. This is true for both intellectual distractions (a half hour ago, an intriguing idea just came to me and I was swept away) and emotional distractions (a half hour ago, a deep depression settled in and I was swept away).
- Recognize subtle distractions as they arise in the mind, and dismiss them before they hijack their train of thought.
- But at some very picky level of semantics, we understand that (Shamatha) meditation is the exercise and the physical adaptation it produces might be referred to as “mindfulness”.
- and if we wanted, we could insist this superficial discussion barely scratches the surface, after all shamatha meditation is altogether different than metta meditation and both produce different types of fitness.
- don't be that person that says sells the topic short and says "so what, I can do that". Yes, you can. but those who have a shamatha meditation practice can do it in a way that is beyond innate ability of someone who has not trained.