Lessons and Ideas from Mindfulness

Forest Nymph

Forum Legend
Joined
Nov 18, 2017
Reaction score
2,216
Age
41
Location
Northern California
Lifestyle
  1. Vegan
I have started meditating more in more in the past few months as a form of stress management. Then I decided to take it a step further and take an in-depth course in mindfulness.

Some thoughts I have:

- Religion is dead but spirituality is alive. Spirituality is something that must be LIVED. Something gets lost in religion for religion's sake. Behaviors or prohibitions which were rational or practical in a particular time get carved in stone then become non-sense in a thousand years. Also, ideas are mistranslated, interpreted out of context, or warped by some cynical person's other agenda. Example: I think Jesus like Buddha was a great teacher. However, there always has to be a living teacher. This idea that simply "accepting" Jesus is absurd. No, you must accept Jesus teachings and follow his advice to love, forgive, be fair and practice equality, etc. That's why there are also many Buddhas. There has to be a living Buddha, a teacher, embodying and transmitting the teaching. I think Jesus probably taught mindfulness. I think prayer is another word for meditation. I am considering the possibility that lots of words have been mistranslated to the detriment of mankind (and non-human animals). If Jesus actively taught disciples, like the Buddha, to be mindful then just telling people "don't be anxious, worry for nothing, forgive your enemies" wouldn't seem so cruel and impossible. If Jesus was actively teaching mindfulness, love, forgiveness, trust, peace become easier. They weren't empty, condescending commands. Originally.



- Evangelism is nothing more than valuing education. If you knew something would save the Earth, animals, other people, wouldn't want to teach other people about it and to do it too? Being evangelical is simply to teach. Just like if you're a vegan and you care about animals and the environment or people's health, you'd teach them about veganism. Mindfulness...same. You would realize that if everyone could reach higher states of love, of peace, of intelligence, through mindfulness of course you would teach them. This goes back to spirituality being alive and religion being dead.


- I don't think religion is without merit, though. I think religion was originally sort of like scientific facts. It was like "hey if you don't steal, kill, commit adultery, or eat pork, everyone is going to get along a lot better or be healthier (because adultery once spread disease without any antibiotics or advanced medicine, and created unwanted children, and we all know that eating pigs is a pretty bad idea if for no other reason than your health) and this is pretty verifiable through practice."

I'll just keep adding thoughts here randomly.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ahimsa
The key in mindfulness is acceptance. If you can learn to accept the inevitability of the present moment (really learn it, in practice, through mindfulness rather than intellectually understanding) you naturally suffer less. You see the situation, and you act accordingly. You forgive because non-forgiveness is a pointless waste of energy. Not because the other person isn't to blame, or because everything is your own fault, but because you have a response-ability for the situation as it is. If you can cultivate this mindfulness, then your mind has better equanimity to simply change things as you would like to see them. It's not excusing or not correcting damaging behavior on the part of others. It's simply saying "staying angry is a waste of my energy, if I stay focused on what I can do or what I want then I will be happier."

This is EXACTLY what Jesus taught. If you cut out all the magical parts, you see a man who fed large groups of people who thought he performed "miracles" - if you lived 2,000 years ago and didn't have our modern education, you would find such liberation and generosity MIRACULOUS. Like look at this man who feeds strangers, who cares for the sick and the dying who are of no relation to himself, who teaches people kindness and peace and forgiveness. "It's a miracle." So of course he is the son of God. How could he not be?

Also - Christ is dead, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. This is the always-living teacher, the ever-present Buddha. This is why Christ lives "in our hearts" because when we cultivate mindfulness and love, and access our higher selves (God) or the collective consciousness, we are embodying Christ in our hearts.

What organizations function the most like early Christianity? ISKCON and ISHA. They take from different world religions not just one. They practice compulsory vegetarianism (many Christians were vegetarian in the beginning, and some Jewish scholars insist Jesus was also a vegetarian). They "feed the multitudes" with free vegetarian meals every week. They preach acceptance, forgiveness, love, and equality above all else. They TEACH MINDFULNESS.

"Our Father who Art in Heaven" - the higher self or collective consciousness in my mind

"Hallowed be Thy name" - this is not frivolous or silly, but very important and you must focus

"Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done, On Earth as it is in Heaven" - creating in the world what you first create in your mind; "manifesting"

"Give us this day, our daily bread" - reminding people to be grateful for simple things like food so they are not greedy

"And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors" - we must first forgive and love ourselves to extend the same to other

"Lead us not in temptation, but deliver us from Evil" - mindlessness, mistakes, our own irrational and "bad" behavior

"For thine is the Kingdom and the power and glory, forever and ever. Amen" - The Great Eternal Now, Collective Consciousness, Om shanti shanti
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ahimsa
Obviously I am like the eleventy-billionth person to think this, it's nothing new, but I guess what I am saying is that now I really, really see it for myself. Like something just clicked. The reason why it is so hard to accept complete forgiveness as it is taught in the Christian church is that through Western eyes it has somehow become confounded with guilt, shame, passivity, self-flagellation, and even enabling people who do wrong. People have found a million ways to excuse war, greed, capitalism, violence towards animals, and blah blah blah with modern-day Christianity probably because it is so stirred up with Roman mythology and the designs of emperor Constantine and later with the stories of Shakespeare.

I'm not saying that no Christian or Christian church resembles the original teachings. I think Pope Francis is a remarkable reflection of Christ as a "living teacher" though he steps back from vegetarianism with simple reduction of animal products and teaches the rosary as a penance for sin rather than a beneficial meditation. But that's what the rosary is, y'all - that's why Hare Krishnas use rosaries, they're used in India too.

On this subject, I found this cool documentary:

 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Val
I use mindfulness techniques. I was taught it back in 2010 but I stopped doing it regularly and really noticed the difference in my anxiety levels. I have had a psychologist since January doing phone and Zoom sessions and I have been so grateful for her during lockdown.

I think everyone could benefit from mindfulness. I ruminate too much and I try to stop and think "Is this thought helpful?" and it does sometimes stop me.
 
Cool!... yes something I've talked about with my therapist is how mindfulness has to be a practice. It's not like you can practice a few times then you're "fixed" - it's something we need to do regularly, like eating, sleeping, bathing and exercising to maintain a healthy life. I noticed a big difference when I backed off for a couple of weeks, I felt myself going back in many ways to doing what I was doing before. This course I'm taking is so intense it's really great. Obviously there are a few details I'm not going to hold on to, but it's a great program.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: Raven
I'm really glad you started this thread, as mindfulness is exactly the focus I need.
My new job is completely open ended, I could be getting my chain yanked, or really have a position I would love, to look forward to. I've been letting myself get too sidetracked when I need to just take it as it comes
I'm one of those 'what if' people. I know it, and always trying to breath it away!
 
I've been meditating formally when I started Yoga in 1973, we did specific to Sivananda Yoga. Later in '79 starting Tai Chi Chuan we did standing meditation. I've studied with a Tibetan Buddhist monk and since 2015 more Yoga studio meditation. Meditation has been with me for some time. 2005 I did 4 years of Aikido which include kneeling in seiza on the mats for meditation.

When I meditate it's always on a mat, either kneeling or full lotus.


lotus.jpg
 
  • Friendly
Reactions: Forest Nymph
I just did a meditation led by Spring Washam and she did it on Zoom on YouTube. I find it easier to do guided mindfulness. Spring Washam

Jon Kabat- Zinn has been doing meditation on YT too and I watched some of his videos during lockdown.
 
  • Friendly
Reactions: Forest Nymph
I could really use more help on mindfulness. I think ahead, overthink, criticize, worry...
I am thankful, @Forest Nymph, that you started this-just having a reminder to focus on has helped me tremendously.
The job I now have has the possibility of a leadership role, and honestly that would be the only way I would want to do that kind of work! While I was quite happy to just have an easy job and make enough money, I'm now finding maybe I would be happier to have more ownership along with making more money. I could be wrong, I have no guarantee of anything, not even a permanent position with the company! But, I do thing practicing mindfulness, living in the here and now instead of questioning and criticizing things, is a huge help towards towards my goal
 
  • Friendly
Reactions: Forest Nymph
I completed the mindfulness course I can say that it really helped me. It's called Inner Engineering and it's offered at half price until September 3rd if anyone is interested. I very much recommend it, several major reputable universities have conducted studies which verify its scientific effectiveness to "compliant" participants - meaning you follow instructions and take the course seriously, and practice mindfulness meditation outside of the sessions.

I've started my own personal practice where the first things I think about when I wake up in the morning are love and gratitude. I practice self-care and maybe even go outside and take a walk, or at least stretch, before I do anything "productive." I now do not turn on my phone or computer until after I've fully awakened, fed and dressed myself and practiced mindfulness. I'm creating smaller spaces for activities like checking email or text messages, instead of letting it spill all over my day in compulsion. I still get annoyed or irritated, but it's easier to notice what triggered it now and take a step back. Maybe I need to rest, be alone, stop what I'm doing, or do something else. Maybe meditating for five minutes would help me re-group and move forward, or maybe I'm done with xyz for the day. I'm paying more attention to "garbage in, garbage out" - not just food or alcohol, but also news, politics, other people's drama, etc.
 
  • Friendly
  • Like
Reactions: Raven and silva
I've started my own personal practice where the first things I think about when I wake up in the morning are love and gratitude. I practice self-care and maybe even go outside and take a walk, or at least stretch, before I do anything "productive." I now do not turn on my phone or computer until after I've fully awakened, fed and dressed myself and practiced mindfulness. I'm creating smaller spaces for activities like checking email or text messages, instead of letting it spill all over my day in compulsion.

Excellent habits for daily life!:) So many therapists say it is important to start the day right.