Search results for: "Mindfulness"

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  2. Prevention
     … But mindfulness doesn’t function that way. Mindfulness is actually a quality of your memory, applying useful things from your memory of the past to the present moment with the knowledge that your mind is always creating karma. The mind is not just passively receiving input. It’s out there actively creating the world that it knows. Some of that creation involves input from … 
  3. Abandoning Effluents (2)
    Luang Pu Dune, one of Ajaan Mun’s most senior disciples, had a famous short explanation of the four noble truths, in which he said that the cause of suffering is the mind flowing out. The path to the end of suffering is the mind knowing the mind. This teaching fits in with what the Buddha taught about asavas, or effluents: the things that … 
  4. Elemental Energy
    When we get in touch with the breath, we’re getting in touch with the spot where the mind and the body meet, which makes it a really good place to focus. You look in one direction, and there are physical events; you look in the other direction, there are mental events. You see how they come through the breath to each other, how … 
  5. Rooted in Desire
    Rooted in Desire August 28, 2017 The Dhammapada starts with two verses on the topic of the power of the mind: “The mind is the forerunner of all dhammas. The mind is their chief; they’re made of the mind.” And we may say, on one level, that this sounds reasonable. The way you look at things, the way you act, will have an … 
  6. Understanding Through Developing
     … We’re going into the mind. How does the mind function? We find out by using it to do different things. That way, we can see the functioning of the mind. The malfunctioning of the mind is what causes suffering. You can learn something about the malfunctioning of the mind and how to solve it by listening, by thinking. But you’re not really … 
  7. The Craft of the Heart
     … Sometimes our mindfulness is like the phrases in music. There’s a phrase that lasts for a while and then stops. And then there’s another phrase which goes on and then stops. Can you imagine your mindfulness not stopping, as not occurring in phrases, but just drilling right through time? Holding that image in mind can help strengthen your concentration. So in the … 
  8. Impossible Things
     … So try to overcome that barrier in your mind that deep down someplace says, “I can’t do this.” Question it. Why would you want to believe that? Who in your mind is saying that? It’s the part of the mind that doesn’t want to make an effort. Do you want to identify with that part of the mind? You can if … 
  9. The Knife of Discernment
    The Knife of Discernment April, 2002 The mind feeds on its moods and its objects, so you’ve got to find something good for it to feed on. We have the choice. There are all kinds of things you could focus on right now. It’s up to you to choose the right place to focus, the right place to feed. So look around … 
  10. Bad Friends Inside
     … The mind feeds in the same way that the body feeds. But the question is: What are you feeding it? Just as the body has junk food and health food, the mind has junk food and health food as well. Feeding on greed, anger, and delusion, lust and fear: That’s junk food for the mind. If all you knew was junk food, then … 
  11. Solid in the Face of Death
    Choose a good place to put your mind. It can be with the breath, thoughts of goodwill, repeating Bud-dho, or visualizing the parts of the body. The choice is up to you, because you’re looking for a place where the mind can stay and feel engaged. You’re also looking for an antidote. Sometimes with sleepiness, just repeating the word *buddho-buddho … 
  12. Pain & Patience
     … In every case where pain is weighing down the mind, it’s because of clinging—that’s the activity of the mind that causes the mind pain. Of course, there are causes for physical pain out there, but the fact that there’s pain in the body that weighs on the mind, the weight on the mind comes from your own clinging. And you … 
  13. The Four Frames of Reference
    When people first come here to stay for a period of meditation, it’s important to keep the four frames of reference in mind as a way of getting the mind into seclusion. But it’s also interesting to note that when the Buddha gave parting instructions to his monks, one of his themes was to stay with the four frames of reference. The … 
  14. A Committed Relationship
    When we meditate, we’re trying to establish a good relationship between the mind and the breath: a relationship of harmony, trust; one where both sides benefit. It’s very much like establishing a relationship with another person. And so it’s useful to think about what the Buddha has to say about developing good relations with another person, and to see where we … 
  15. In Line with the Truth
     … If we don’t develop these qualities of mind, there will be a lot of problems down the line—lapses in our mindfulness, big blank spaces in our alertness—and we can end up doing all kinds of harmful things. That’s because when the mind’s sense of well-being is not really solid, events can change, and the mind changes with those … 
  16. Comprehending Suffering
     … When the breath comes in, where does it come in? When it goes out, where does it go out? What’s happening as you breathe in? What’s happening as you breathe out? What’s a good perception to hold in mind so that you can get the mind to settle down? You’re trying to develop right concentration through right mindfulness and right … 
  17. The Psychology of Virtue
     … It doesn’t mention the mind at all. The mind is the important part of the virtue.” When you look at the training rules, you see that they deal with intentional actions, so they sort out what intentions in your mind you should and shouldn’t act on, and they give importance to that. That creates a standard. When an unskillful intention comes up … 
  18. Control
     … What are you going to focus on to make grow? You can make mindfulness grow. You can make concentration, discernment, all kinds of good qualities grow. It’s up to you. Meditation is devoted to gaining practice in focusing on the right things. Right now, here in this body and mind, you do have the potential for developing concentration and mindfulness. You’ve got … 
  19. The Wisdom of Wising Up
     … This can take time, getting the mind and the breath to settle down together. During that period of settling down, the mind can get discouraged and bored. It can find all sorts of reasons for not staying in the present, which aborts the process. To settle the mind takes not only time but also as few interruptions as possible. Ultimately, though, the mind can … 
  20. What Are You Taking into the Future?
     … We talk about getting the mind into right concentration, into right mindfulness as a refuge: It’s not a place where we’re hiding away. On the contrary, it’s a place where we’re actually seeing what’s going on in the mind, and see how the mind can take anything and create suffering out of it. But if it has skill, it … 
  21. The Wounded Warrior
     … When the breath energy feels good in the body, the body gets stronger, and the mind dwelling in a comfortable place finds it easier to stick with the skillful path. And then there’s mindfulness: What things can you keep in mind right now that are healing to the mind? Sometimes simply reflecting on the body: If you start thinking about your emotions about … 
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