Mindfulness

These days I am lost in thought and nothing worth is running inside my mind. I feel I am not being mindful, and many would be like me. So, just thought of sharing what I understood by mindfulness:

Following are few proverbs I found worth sharing:

Whatever you are doing, ask yourself, “What’s the state of my mind?”

                                                                                                                                   – Dalai Lama.

My mental state, I think, is quite peaceful, quite calm. If there’s some sad news, some heart-breaking news that comes, for a short moment, I am very disturbed, very sad, but then it goes. So like an ocean, the waves come and go, come and go.                                       

                                                                                                                                     – Dalai Lama.

Afflictive emotions—our jealousy, anger, hatred, fear—can be put to an end  when you realize that these emotions are only temporary, that they always pass on like clouds in the sky.

                                                                                                                                     – Dalai Lama.

We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts we make the world.

                                                                                                                                     – Kornfield.

If you are more relaxed, I think your brain functions more effectively.

                                                                                                                                    – Dalai Lama.

Photo source: Google

Are you aware of what you are reading? How you are reading? Where you are reading? And your present feelings, thoughts and every minute sensual pleasures running inside your body?

We are always, or else most of the time, not aware of our present conscious. While praying, being lost in the thought and realizing at the end,  attending a lecture and being carried away by dreams, climbing a steps and going one more storey ahead without realizing approach, having a meal and forgetting what we had, driving un-aware of where going.

It so happens with all of us, because we are not mindful. We are not conscious. We are not concentrating, and we are carried away by fancy dreams and feelings.

According to Buddha’s teachings, mindfulness is one of the important ways for enlightenment. It is said that, mindfulness can be attained through meditation, being conscious, knowing impermanent nature, independent co-arising, non self nature, and a lot. But, we being lay people, it’s difficult for us to grab and practice it. And even I can’t explain about it to my blog readers.

But, I feel that. We, all of us can improve our concentration in whatever we do. Being conscious all the time, and being mindful about the present. Being not bothered about past, about unknown future and mindfully concentrating on present stage with deep breath can bring us calm and peace of mind. Reflecting back on the cause and then mindfully realizing it can bring better solution when faced with problems, preventing it from further occurrence.

For instance, observing our breath, feelings, posture and bodily action at present can be an act of mindfulness.

It is said that, by being mindful we can stay calm and peace overcoming depression, anxiety, sadness, anger, jealousy, hatred, etc. Mindfulness brings joy and happiness, without any worry and fear.

Worry, fear, and unintended feelings, thoughts and circumstances occurs to us, when we are not mindful with our act, intentions and when we are carried away by wrong views.

Mindfulness can be practiced by being conscious about present, by meditating and then contemplating it with proper understanding.