The field of psychology appropriated (hijacked) the Buddhist term "mindfulness" (originally sati but now just "awareness" or "paying attention")
Anyone who thinks it was a commonplace practice in ancient India during the time of the Buddha should look up the Hindu definition of sati, which reveals it used to mean throwing a wife on the pyre when her husband died 😲
The great work of Jon Kabbat-Zin to help therapists led to the unexpected disconnection of the practice with anything, as if it could be a standalone endeavor
"Bare attention" is a component of sati, but it must be coupled with dispassionate (unbiased) looking on, free of greed, hatred, and delusion (wanting, aversion, and confusion)
What is one to be mindful of to advance to insight, realization, and awakening? The Buddha pointed at four things: body, feelings, mind, and mind-objects. What does this mean? Psychology cannot tell us, but the Dhamma can
Who needs Dhamma when we have a corporate bottom line to advance, productivity to raise, and mental health symptoms to abate?
Why call it "mindfulness," Psychology? Why not pick a new name for what you've turned this into?
Ego (buddhism podcast) The Buddha didn't teach us only to be "present." He taught us to remember (recollection, memory, bearing in mind, the faculty of sati)
On the road to Berkeley like Benji (The Graduate)
Personally, in college at UC Berkeley many years ago, I took a "Buddhist Psychology" course in the department and was so excited to finally be able to learn what "cognition" meant and what the Buddha had to say about all these psychological things. Our assigned textbook, written by a psychologist, was called Mindfulness. "All right," I thought, "I'm finally going to advance in my practice and being in college is going to help me. Imagine my surprise when, as I read, I did not recognize what was being called "mindfulness." It did not align with all the translated ancient texts I had read and was continuing to read from the Buddhist Publication Society and the Pali Text Society. A few years in the future I would even visit BPS Editor Bhikkhu Bodhi in Kandy, Sri Lanka, to ask him about all this.
Not yet having him as a direct resource, except through his translations and BPS newsletter messages, I asked my professor in class about how I was left perplexed by reading our textbook. She looked at me and shrugged, "Of course! This "mindfulness" isn't the Buddha's mindfulness. It is psychology's," she explained. I looked around and many students were nodding their heads in agreement. "There are two mindfulnesses?!" I balked. "There are now" was the implicit answer. "Does Berkeley know about this? Why is this class called Buddhist psychology if all we're going to talk about is Western psychology?" She winked because she was subverting the system and introducing Buddhist ideas back into class, but we had to know that the new mindfulness had been taken, changed, and applied in rigorous scientific ways to the behavioral sciences, therapy, counseling, and the mental health field. Sure, it wasn't the Buddha's mindfulness, but that's because it had to be stripped of all spirituality and/or religiosity to get by the gatekeepers of the university system. What a gyp.
What is the FAT founder of world's third largest religion (when the 1 billion uncounted Buddhists in communist, and therefore officially atheist, Buddhists are counted) in the world going to teach us about being fit? The fact is the popular depiction of "Fat Happy Buddha" is not the historical Buddha Shakyamuni (born Prince Siddhartha Gautama) but rather a monk (now elevated to bodhisattva) named Budai (also Putai, Hotei), a Chinese monk with a big sack of candy for children, a luck-bringing jolly fellow very reminiscent of the West's Santa Claus.
Fat on a slippery wet diving board
ABOUT: Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, is professor of medicine emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and the founder and director of its renowned Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Clinic. His clinic was featured in 1993 in the public television series Healing and the Mind with Bill Moyers. Jon Kabat-Zinn is the author of 15 books, in print in over 45 languages. These include Full Catastrophe Living; Wherever You Go, There You Are; Coming to Our Senses; and Mindfulness for Beginners.
(RTÉ News) RTE is an Irish public broadcast service (Wiki) April 22, 2022: A dedicated centre for Zen Buddhism in the Republic of Ireland officially opens in Dublin city centre. The new sanctuary is located in the heart of Temple Bar, where Reverend Myōzan Kōdō, who has been practicing Zen Buddhism for decades, is the guiding teacher.
Zen Buddhism is a Japanese school of Buddhism with an emphasis on Shikantaza or "just sitting" meditation. It can be challenging for newer members because it involves sitting in silence for what may seem like a lengthy period [almost an hour, but often an eternity of 20 minutes]. Head monk at the Dublin Zen Centre Hōdo Gomoku said the practice grounds him, enabling him to "stay awake" in the world and sit in the moment.
Keep up to date with all the latest Irish and international news and current affairs with rte.ie/news Follow us on twitter @rtenews and on Facebook: rtenews.RTÉ News
There's a time and place for joyful exertion.
Once upon a time there was a man who thought he knew better. He was going to muscle his way to meditation. Why listen to Zen Master Dōgen when you can just achieve the same thing by force of will and exertion, effort and strength of manly energy (viriya)? That man, let's call him "Doggone," found out.
Pure Heart, Enlightened Mind
What happened, DG?
"Uh, I guess it's harder than it looks. Punching something is easy, benching your body weight is easy, screaming [and grunting] is easy. But relaxing, no, softening, no, staying quiet, no."
Now, maybe, you'll listen. Let's put an Irish spin on it. Once upon another time, there was a soft spoken but willful lass named Maura O'Halloran.
She was dissatisfied living in and around Boston. She was meant to do something in this life. So she traveled to Japan to go Zen. There she became "Soshin" and so impressed the Sensei (Zen teacher) that she was dubbed a Western bodhisattva.
(Myozan Kodo) How to Sit Zenis a series that begins with what to do with the body, our smart vehicle to awakening. Rather than overcoming it, we celebrate it and make it comfortable enough to relax but not so comfortable we are lulled into sleepiness or sluggishness. It's a fine balance. "Zen" means dhyan' or jhana, "meditative absorption." One need not set it as a goal or ambition, which could ruin it by creating expectations and stress. It is enough to relax, let go, and stay on the breath, which is the next step after understanding what we do with the body. Rev. Myozan Kodo is an instructor at Zen Buddhism Ireland (zenbuddhism.ie).
"Lisa, can you teach me Japanese. I said, 'Hai, hai'!"
Jon Kabat-Zinn teaches mindfulness and meditation | official trailer
(MasterClass) A pioneer of the Western mindfulness movement, Jon Kabat-Zinn has spent more than 40 years studying, teaching, and advocating the benefits of mindfulness.
In his MasterClass, he teaches viewers how to cultivate a mindfulness practice, reduce stress, and soothe thoughts with Buddhist meditation and movement. Kabat-Zinn shares expert tips and guidance that meets practitioners right where they are.
This class helps make the most of being alive. Learn more about Jon Kabat-Zinn’s MasterClass at mstr.cl/3rr55Tg.
Lessons in this online class include:
What Is Mindfulness?
Factors of Mindful Living
What Is Meditation?
Navigating Thoughts While Meditating
Meditation Postures
Guided Meditations
Responding to Stress
Facing Physical Pain
Mindfulness in Movement
Discovering Wholeness
Maintaining a Mindfulness Practice
More from MasterClass: Matthew Walker teaches the science of better sleep: masterclass.com/mw.Emily Morse teaches sex and communication: masterclass.com/em
Who is Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn?
What did the Buddha and Freud understand?
ABOUT: An internationally known scientist, writer, and meditation teacher engaged in bringing mindfulness into the mainstream of society and medicine, Jon Kabat-Zinn has made it his life’s work to normalize the practice of mindfulness and meditation, making it accessible to all. he has more than 50 years of experience in the field and has been instrumental in bringing the practice of mindfulness to mainstream institutions such as hospitals, schools, and prisons. He is the author of 10 books, the creator of the Stress Reduction Clinic, and has a doctoral degree in molecular biology.
ABOUT: MasterClass is the streaming platform where anyone can learn from the world’s best. With an annual membership, subscribers get unlimited access to instructors and classes across a wide range of subjects. Stream thousands of lessons anywhere, anytime, on mobile, desktop, and TV.
Sharon Salzberg is delighted that Wisdom for Life came to her with the idea of creating a summit based on the themes of her new book, Real Life, to be published on April 11th.
The book is based on the possibility of moving from contraction and isolation, the “narrow straits” of habit and assumption, to a world of greater spaciousness, creativity, and connection.
In this summit, too, we will look at common states of narrowness and pain and how to work with them.
We will look at when we feel most expansive and open (e.g., states like loving-kindness and compassion) and how to cultivate them.
We will look at what we want to take along on this journey and what’s a burden best left behind. And we will look at the power of that more open and expansive state and how it can change our lives.
Sharon Salzberg is hosting the Summit and conducting many of the interviews with 30+ speakers. She’s joined in conducting the interviews by Andrés González, Ali Smith, Atman Smith of the Holistic Life Foundation, and Lily Cushman.
Speakers include meditation teachers, playwrights, activists, scientists, poets/rappers, and more. Several of these extraordinary people will be quite familiar, and some will be the most delightful new discoveries.
"Peace in myself, peace in the world." - Nobel Peace Prize nominee Thich Nhat Hanh
Wake Up Schools supports educators to bring the practices of mindfulness and applied ethics into their own lives so they may be happy and free and in turn share these practices with colleagues and students in their school communities. Learn More
Happy Teachers Will Change the World is a film about teachers learning mindfulness, true transformation, and happiness. Share it to help inspire as many teachers as possible to explore mindfulness in their lives and their classrooms. Watch all videos
Happy Teachers Change the World:A Guide for Cultivating Mindfulness in Education
by Thich Nhat Hanh and Katherine Weare with foreword by Jon Kabat-Zinn is the first official and authoritative guide to the Thich Nhat Hanh/Plum
Village approach to mindfulness in education. Spanning the range
of schools and grade levels, from preschool through higher education,
the teachings, guidance, practices, and techniques are grounded in the
everyday world of schools and universities.
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a program that incorporates Buddhist mindfulness (sati) practice to assist people with pain and a range of conditions and life issues that were initially difficult to treat in a hospital setting.
Developed at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in the 1970s by Prof. Jon Kabat-Zinn, MBSR uses a combination of mindfulness meditation, body awareness, and yoga to help people become more mindful.[1][2]
MBSR programs have been proposed for a wide variety of conditions including stress reduction.[3][4][5]
Clinical research studies have documented various physical and mental health benefits of mindfulness in different patient categories as well as in healthy adults and children.[2][6][7] While MBSR has its roots in spiritual teachings, the program itself is secular.[2][5][1]
History
The concept of mindfulness has existed for over five millennia.[8][9][10] Many credit the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course for introducing mindfulness to mainstream Western culture.[11]
In 1979 Kabat-Zinn founded the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts and nearly 20 years later the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine.[1]
Both of these institutions supported the successful growth and implementation of MBSR into hospitals worldwide.[1][2] Today close to 80% of medical schools offer some element of mindfulness training and research and education centers dedicated to mindfulness have proliferated.[12]More
The Buddha's Mindfulness Practice Ven. Nyanatiloka (Buddhist Dictionary) edited by Wisdom Quarterly
The Four "Foundations of Mindfulness," literally "awareness of mindfulness" (sati-upatthāna), are the systematic contemplation of:
body
feeling
mind
mind-objects.
A detailed treatment of this subject, so important for the practice of
Buddhist mental cultivation, is given in the two
Sati-patthāna Sutras
(DN 22 and MN 10), which at the start as well as the conclusion, proclaim the weighty
words:
"The only [or the direct] way that leads to the attainment of purity, to the overcoming
of sorrow and lamentation, to the end of pain and grief, to the entering of the
right path, and to the realization of nirvana is the Four Foundations of Mindfulness."
After these introductory words and upon the question which these four are, it
is said that the meditator dwells in contemplation of the body (the four elements), the feelings (sensations), the
mind (four of the five khandhas), and the mind-objects "ardent, clearly conscious and mindful, after
putting away greed and grief with regard to the world."
These four contemplations are in reality not separate
exercises but, on the contrary, at least in many cases, especially in the meditative
absorptions (jhanas), as things inseparably associated with each other.
Thereby the
Satipathāna Sutra forms an illustration of the way in which these four
contemplations relating to the Five Aggregates (khandha)
simultaneously come to be realized, and finally lead to insight into the
impersonality (not-self nature) of all existence.
(1) The contemplation of the body (kāyanupassanā)
consists of the following exercises: More
The connection is a feature-length documentary film that unveils the
latest scientific discoveries in mind-body medicine and proves that we
have much more to say about our health than what we ever thought possible.
After being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, Australian journalist
and filmmaker Shannon Harvey traveled the world in
search of the missing link in health care.
She asked the world's leading scientists to meet people with remarkable
stories who have recovered from cancer, severe back pain, heart disease,
sterility, and multiple sclerosis.
This documentary delves into
the link between mind (spirit) and body (corporeal form) and how they connect. More
Theravada Buddhist monk on alms and pigeon, Bangkok (Anupong_Sonprom/flickr)
The science of happiness: The ideogram for mindfulness (nonjudging awareness) means "presence of heart [mind]."
Jon Kabat-Zinn discusses what mindfulness and meditation are really
about: presence of heart. This is part of a talk sponsored by UC
Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center.
But what does "mindfulness" mean?
Clinical mindfulness expert Jon Kabat-Zinn gives an operational definition of "mindfulness" [in Buddhist practice]. This is an
excerpt from "Becoming Conscious: The Science of Mindfulness" featuring
Steve Paulson, Richard Davidson, Jon Kabat-Zinn, and Amishi Jha at the New York Academy of Sciences.
Many of us go through daily life on autopilot, not being fully aware of our conscious experience.
Neuroscientists
Richard Davidson and Amishi Jha join Buddhist clinical mindfulness expert Jon
Kabat-Zinn (UMass) to explore the role of consciousness in mental and physical
health, how we can train the mind (heart) to become more flexible and adaptable,
and what cutting-edge neuroscience is revealing about the
transformation of consciousness through mindfulness and contemplative
practice.
This
event is part of The Emerging Science of Consciousness Series (nourfoundation.com), which
brings together leading experts from various fields to discuss how the
latest research is challenging our understanding of the very nature and
function of consciousness in our daily lives. February 6, 2013 at the New York Academy of Sciences.
Wisdom Quarterly; InsightLA; Terrence McNally (aworldthatjustmightwork.org); Hay House Inspiring and pragmatic, A Mindful Nation shows how the benefits of
mindfulness apply to current American challenges.
Congressman Tim Ryan took a break after an election cycle. He went in search of peace: He signed up for a five-day silent Buddhist mindfulness meditation retreat with Jon Kabat-Zinn.
He found in the profound silence of mindfulness and clear comprehension (sati sampajanna) more peace than he could have imagined, peace akin to the "centering" prayer modality of his youth.
It occurred to him that mindfulness -- with modern scientific studies to back it and an ancient mystical tradition built around it -- could help turn around the entire nation.
A
Mindful Nation paints a picture of emerging solutions that benefit both the reader and American society as a whole, showing us that there is
something we can do right here and right now.
With a hard-nosed
understanding of politics, government budgets, and what it takes to get
something done, Congressman Ryan combines a practical approach with a hopeful vision
for how mindfulness can help reinvigorate the American Dream.
In
A Mindful Nation, Ryan connects the dots between what's
happening in the classrooms, hospitals, boardrooms, research labs, and
military bases across the country. He explores the scientific findings
that support the beneficial effects of mindfulness and shares powerful
stories from the field. He shows how this simple practice is:
helping
schoolchildren improve their ability to learn
veterans heal from
trauma
and CEOs become more effective leaders
Ryan also provides
practical tips for how to incorporate mindfulness into our lives today
and includes instructions from a qualified teacher for simple
mindfulness and kindness practices we can all do.
Stephanie Nash (mindfulnessarts.org) interviews Leigh Brasington, respected jhana meditation teacher about the "meditative absorptions." This is the beginning of a longer interview about the what, why, and how of jhanas as part of a meditation practice. Filmed in August 2009 at Cloud Mountain Retreat Center, Washington.
The Jhanas in Ancient Buddhism Ven. Henepola Gunaratana ("Bhante G") The various subjects and methods of meditation divide into two inter-related systems. One is called the development of serenity (samatha), the other the development of insight (vipassana).
The former also goes under the name of development of concentration (samadhi), the latter the development of wisdom (pañña). The practice of serenity meditation aims at developing a calm, concentrated, unified mind as a means of experiencing inner peace and as a basis for wisdom.
The practice of insight meditation aims at gaining a direct understanding of the real nature of phenomena.
Of the two, the development of insight is regarded by Buddhism as the essential key to liberation, the direct antidote to the ignorance underlying bondage and suffering.
Whereas serenity meditation is recognized as common to both Buddhist and non-Buddhist contemplative disciplines, insight meditation is held to be the unique discovery of the Buddha and an unparalleled feature of his path.
However, because the growth of insight presupposes a certain degree of concentration, and serenity meditation helps to achieve this, the development of serenity also claims an incontestable place in the Buddhist meditative process.
Jon Kabat Zinn narrates a guided meditation that corresponds to the first two stages of Ajahn Brahm's jhana meditation technique: (1) Letting go of past and future, placing attention on the body, (2) letting go of inner chatter, placing attention on sounds, (3) letting go of diversity, placing attention only on the breath.
Together the two types of meditation work to make the mind a fit instrument for enlightenment. With his mind unified by means of the development of serenity, made sharp and bright by the development of insight, the meditator can proceed unobstructed to reach the end of suffering, nirvana.
Pivotal to both systems of meditation, though belonging inherently to the side of serenity, is a set of meditative attainments called the jhanas. Though translators have offered various renderings of this word, ranging from the feeble "musing" to the misleading "trance" and the ambiguous "meditation," we prefer to leave the word untranslated and to let its meaning emerge from its contextual usages.
From these it is clear that the jhanas are states of deep mental unification that result from the centering of the mind upon a single object with such power of attention that a total immersion in the object takes place.
The early sutras speak of four absorptions, named simply after their numerical position in the series: the first jhana, the second jhana, the third jhana, and the forth jhana. In the sutras the four repeatedly appear each described by a standard formula, which we will examine later in detail.
The importance of the jhanas in the Buddhist path can readily be gauged from the frequency with which they are mentioned throughout the discourses. They figure prominently both in the Buddha's own experience and in his exhortation to disciples.
In his childhood, while attending an annual plowing festival, the future Buddha spontaneously entered the first jhana. It was the memory of this childhood incident, many years later [during his six year quest for enlightenment] after his futile pursuit of austerities, that revealed to him the way to enlightenment during his period of deepest despondency (M.i, 246-247).
After taking his seat beneath the Bodhi tree, [Siddhartha] entered the four jhanas immediately before direction his mind to the threefold knowledge that issued in his enlightenment (M.i.247-249).
Throughout his active career the four jhanas remained "his heavenly dwelling" (D.iii.220) to which he resorted in order to live happily here and now.
His understanding of the corruption, purification, and emergence in the jhanas and other meditative attainments is one of the Ten Powers [of a Buddha or Tathagata] which enable him to turn the matchless wheel of the Dharma (M.i.70).
Just before his passing away the Buddha entered the jhanas in direct and reverse order, and the passing away itself took place directly from the fourth jhana (D.ii.156).
The Buddha is constantly seen in the suttas encouraging his disciples to develop jhana. The four jhanas are invariably included in the complete course of training laid down for disciples ("Fruits of Recluseship" discourse (DN 2; MN 27).
They figure in the training as the discipline of the Noble Eightfold Path... More
America is not synonymous with the United States, although we use it that way. America is a continent with northern, central, and southern sections. The economic dominance of one part of the north has led to US hegemony (social influence) and military control and distorted the world's view of Americans. Mexico is just to the south of the US because the US stole many parts of Mexico including world-famous California. Just as Buddhism intrigues US citizens, citizens of Mexico and the rest of the Americas are embracing the Dharma. Of course, Buddhism in ancient Mexico and Mesoamerica goes much further back than it does in the US. Particularly striking is the Eagle-men versus Snake-men warring, popular in both Aztec and Buddhist mythology and central to the founding of Mexico and its flag. And there is also the adoration of GuanYin/Guadalupe. Budismo en espanol is no longer limited to Spain.
Budismo General
Más de la mitad de la población mundial vive en países que han recibido una gran influencia de las ideas y prácticas budistas. Sin embargo, desde los tiempos de Buda -- quinientos años antes de la aparición del cristianismo -- hasta mitad del siglo XX en Occidente no se sabía casi nada acerca del Budismo.
El Budismo se extiende a occidente No obstante, a mediados del siglo XX esta situación empezó a cambiar, y se dice que hoy en día el budismo es una de las religiones que con más rapidez se extiende en Occidente.
El Budismo ¿Qué es el Budismo? Normalmente consideramos que la religión es creer en Dios, o mejor dicho, en creer en cualquiera de sus manifestaciones divinas; sin embargo, en el Budismo no se habla de Dios alguno.Mas
VALLE DE BRAVO, Mexico - In December 2010, a longtime dream of H.E. Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche was realized with the internal consecration of the Great Stupa for World Peace at the Chamma Ling retreat center, Mexico.
This huge, sacred structure represents all paths to enlightenment. It is hoped that its presence will help remove obstacles and discord and bring peace and happiness to Mexico and the world.
Among the hundreds of participants at the consecration were Yongdzin Rinpoche, the most senior teacher of the Bon Buddhist tradition of Tibet.
Also in attendance were Khenpo Tenpa Yungdrung Rinpoche, abbot of Triten Norbutse Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal; Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, spiritual director of Ligmincha Institute; Bon Buddhist masters; representatives of other Buddhist traditions; as well as local native shamans. Video edited by Enrique Garcia.
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