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| ~ ∞ ~ The Art of Mindful Living - Awaken the Living Awareness Within ~ ∞ ~ |
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In the previous chapter, we explored something called Lucid Living. As a supportive chapter, rather than a comprehensive one, this chapter introduces the reader something called the Art of Mindful Living, or short, just mindfulness. There are lots of good books and resources out there full of detailed descriptions outlining how to practice mindfulness — this book is not one of them, and therefore it is advisable to seek out those kinds of resources for more insight.
Currently, we live in a world that contributes in a major way to a mental fragmentation and disintegration. It is our fast-paced lifestyle in today’s news feed-driven world that causes restlessness, anxiety, and decoherence of the mind. This happens because we are constantly bombarded with so many different forms of distractions. When we are too involved in life’s distractions, we are losing the sense of what is important and meaningful. As a result, too many unique and memorable moments are missed completely. Even though we all know at the very core of our being the truth that life unfolds in the present, still most people are never fully present in the moment — instead, they let the present slip away. This happens because they unconsciously believe that the next moment must somehow be more important or valuable than this moment or the previous ones. In so doing, they miss out most of their lives just because they are oriented either in the past or to the future.
When asked, everyone unanimously agrees that it is important to live in the moment, but the problem for many seems to be that they don’t quite know how to live in the moment. Although living in the moment sounds incredibly simple, it isn’t — at least not at the beginning, because living in the moment requires constant alertness and attention to one’s surroundings, to one’s thoughts, feelings, and actions. Truly enjoying and appreciating life’s most memorable moments takes a conscious effort; and it is precisely due to that effort why living in the moment is often dismissed and replaced with entertainment and other forms of distractions. If follows, naturally, then, that the quality of life is more or less lowered; and so it can be said that remembering to take time to live in the moment is most definitely the greatest challenge of our time.
Living in the moment is closely connected with happiness. We as human beings often believe that happiness is something that is possible to achieve somewhere in the future. This goal-oriented belief derails us from the truth that happiness is inherent in all of us; it’s there — it always has been, and always will be. You see, happiness isn’t dependent on the circumstances; our happiness isn’t dependent on the time or place either. The conscious realization and acknowledgement that we already have arrived to our destination and we don’t have to travel any further, will create happiness in and of itself. This profound realization further leads to inner peace, from just the simple act of allowing, you see? When we are more present in the moment, live less out of habit, and more out of intent, and also be careful of our thoughts and emotions — we can increase the quality of our lives. Sometimes this type of beingness or state of being is called “mindfulness,” which is a state of being where one is alert, active and open.
In a nutshell, mindfulness is present moment awareness — a gentle effort to be continuously present with experience. In other words, intentional attention on the present moment. More broadly, mindfulness is complete engagement with the present moment, which enables authentic connection to oneself, to others, and to life itself. Therefore, mindfulness can be described as knowing what you are doing when you are doing it, which goes on to say that mindfulness is a particular way of paying attention. Thus, mindfulness is the mental faculty of purposefully bringing awareness to one’s experience. Mindfulness can be applied to sensory experience, thoughts and emotions by using sustained attention and noticing one’s experience without reacting. Mindfulness creates space, changing impulsive reactions to thoughtful responses.
Mindfulness is at the root of Buddhism, Taoism, Yoga, and is also found in many Native-American traditions; mindfulness simply stands for the Art of Awareness or the Art of Mindful Living, of what is happening, of living, you see? To be mindful means to deeply enjoy life with a state of active, open attention on the present moment. When one is mindful, one can observe one’s thoughts and feelings from a distance, without judging them good or bad. Instead of letting our life pass us by, mindfulness teaches us how to live in the moment and awaken to experience.
In closing, it can be added that it is through mindfulness that we can experience beauty in everything, everywhere, and in every moment. It is through mindfulness that we can become aware of thoughts, emotions, feelings, physical sensations, behaviors, and speech. It is through mindfulness that the suffering of others and oneself can be understood, alleviated, overcome and eventually transcended. And more than that, mindfulness facilitates direct intuitive insight (called wisdom) into the ever-changing, conditioned nature of all phenomena from moment to moment. It facilitates understanding that everything is interconnected and interrelated.
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~ ॐ ~ Sambodhi Padmasamadhi ~ ∞ ~
Get the Book: Awaken the Living Awareness Within – Discover the Keys to Happiness, Inner Peace & Harmony
~ ॐ ~ Sambodhi Padmasamadhi ~ ∞ ~
Get the Book: Awaken the Living Awareness Within – Discover the Keys to Happiness, Inner Peace & Harmony
[ Click » here « to read the next part: Living Quantum World - A New Synthesis of Knowledge ]
Extra Material: Video: You're It - Alan Watts. Video description: "An inspiring and profound speech from the late Alan Watts. Speech extract from 'Zen Bones and Tales' by Alan Watts"
Further Reading - Book Recommendations
For those who might be interested in deepening their understanding of these areas, I can wholeheartedly recommend the following books: 1.) The Way of Zen
2.) An Introduction to Zen Buddhism
3.) Manual of Zen Buddhism
4.) Essays in Zen Buddhism, First Series
5.) Essays in Zen Buddhism: Second Series
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2.) An Introduction to Zen Buddhism 3.) Manual of Zen Buddhism 4.) Essays in Zen Buddhism, First Series 5.) Essays in Zen Buddhism: Second Series.1.) The Diamond Sutra
2.) The Heart Sutra
3.) A Treasury of Traditional Wisdom: An Encyclopedia of Humankind's Spiritual Truth (Wisdom Foundation series)
4.) Words to the Wise: A Practical Guide to the Esoteric Sciences
5.) The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels Between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism
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2.) The Heart Sutra 3.) A Treasury of Traditional Wisdom: An Encyclopedia of Humankind's Spiritual Truth (Wisdom Foundation series) 4.) Words to the Wise: A Practical Guide to the Esoteric Sciences 5.) The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels Between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism.
