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The Problem of Mindfulness

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Re: The Problem of Mindfulness

#81

Post by dang »

gridlockd wrote: post #10
stevebmark wrote: post #2

Mindfulness was a major step forward in the exploration of the self, at least for western culture. I see this criticism as the next step forward. I too have felt some ambiguous disconnect between mindfulness and experience that this essay does a good job capturing. The goal of mindfulness is to make you realize you don't exist, and to try to reach a state where you don't exist, and teach you that your thoughts aren't…

> The goal of mindfulness is to make you realize you don't exist, and to try to reach a state where you don't exist, and teach you that your thoughts aren't your own and you have no free will. You have spent billions of years not existing, you will spend billions of years not existing, yet you also want to achieve this state of not existing within your comparatively short actual lifetime? What a waste.

Please don't take HN threads into religious flamewar.

Re: The Problem of Mindfulness

#82

Post by dang »

gridlockd wrote: post #23

That's not awakening, that's going to sleep. Dare to be human, to have desires, to have a will. Don't just "accept" the world, shape it. You have an eternity to be nothing, be something now.

Your comments in this thread have been taking it into religious flamewar. That's a significant step down in quality, so please don't.

We detached this subthread from https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20544412 and marked it off-topic.

Re: The Problem of Mindfulness

#83

Post by Mirioron »

Does mindfulness work for everybody? I've read plenty about its effects on some people and read about how it seems to work on average, but is it something that helps everyone that tries it or are some people less benefited by it?

Re: The Problem of Mindfulness

#85

Post by username90 »

Some studies have shown that mindfulness helps, but is it the actual "mindfulness" or is it the pause from life that helps? The alternative should not be to do nothing, but to for example take a slow walk or a nice shower. I'd bet that taking a walk would actually provide more benefits than meditation and mindfulness since it is coupled with exercise. Personally I have gotten nothing from mindfulness and meditation, however I do walk for about an hour a day and in general spend a lot of time without a goal.

Re: The Problem of Mindfulness

#86

Post by username90 »

Mirioron wrote: post #83

Does mindfulness work for everybody? I've read plenty about its effects on some people and read about how it seems to work on average, but is it something that helps everyone that tries it or are some people less benefited by it?

I think it works mostly for those who try to fill up every waking minute with "meaningful" activities. HN seems to be full of people like that, and to them taking a break from the chase might be the most important thing and mindfulness helps them do that without feeling like they wasted time.

Re: The Problem of Mindfulness

#89

Post by kr4 »

keymone wrote: post #50
edejong wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Enlightenment.

How do you tell true enlightenment from an opinion that one has achieved enlightenment?

http://omswami.com/2018/04/enlightenment.html

In my personal experience, enlightenment is realizing, at the depth of my being, this prospective that nothing, absolutely nothing in this world, including my body, relationships, wealth and my possessions are going to last for ever; everything is impermanent and my problems are extremely tiny compare to the immensity of the universe, so I should take it easy and live life compassionately and kindfully. These positive emotions help me to experience and retain the bliss, peace and happiness

How to know someone is enlightened? Since I know what being enlightened is, the job becomes simple. Just observe that the person carries out himself in enlightened manner at all times; if he loses it in adverse/unacceptable situation, it means that he might be on the path but haven't reached to the other side yet.

Re: The Problem of Mindfulness

#90

Post by kranner »

username90 wrote: post #85

Some studies have shown that mindfulness helps, but is it the actual "mindfulness" or is it the pause from life that helps? The alternative should not be to do nothing, but to for example take a slow walk or a nice shower. I'd bet that taking a walk would actually provide more benefits than meditation and mindfulness since it is coupled with exercise. Personally I have gotten nothing from mindfulness and meditation,…

As someone who has done a lot of both walking and meditation, I'd say they have orthogonal benefits.
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