Showing posts with label bare awareness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bare awareness. Show all posts

Monday, July 13, 2026

Abuse of the Buddhist term "mindfulness"

  • "Mindfulness" defined by Ven. Analayo Bhikkhu
  • 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.

The Art and Science of Mindfulness
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.

Sunday, April 19, 2026

Zen's Bodhidharma on the ONE method


The ONE practice that contains every spiritual method | Bodhidharma's breakthrough sermon
(ECHOES OF LOST KNOWLEDGE) April 17, 2026: What if one single practice contained every other spiritual method within it?

In this final chapter of the series, the First Zen Patriarch Bodhidharma [from India] reveals the most essential teaching of his entire lineage — and it begins with beholding the mind.
 
This video is a direct transmission of Buddhist Wisdom that cuts through centuries of misunderstanding about what spiritual practice truly means.

Discover why temples, rituals, chanting, and good deeds alone cannot free us — and what actually can.

In this sermon, Bodhidharma teaches
→ The single method that contains all other methods
→ The three hidden poisons (greed, anger, delusion) — and how they silently run our life
→ The six "thieves" operating through our own senses, robbing us of peace every day
→ Why "three asankhya kalpas [aeons of indeterminate length]" of hardship is not what most people think
→ The true meaning of the six perfections (paramitas), the three sets of precepts, and invoking the Buddha
→ How to behold our own mind and free ourselves from suffering — in this very lifetime.

This is not a lecture. This is Buddhist Wisdom spoken directly — clear, unfiltered, and as alive today as it was 1,500 years ago.

📌 THIS SERIES
  • Chapter 1 — Blood Stream Sermon (watch first)
  • Chapter 2 — Wake-Up Sermon
  • Chapter 3 — Breakthrough Sermon (you are here)
🔍 TOPICS COVERED
  • Bodhidharma teachings | Breakthrough Sermon | Beholding the mind | Three Poisons in Buddhism | Six Perfections (paramitas) explained | Buddha Nature | Zen Buddhism | Buddhist Wisdom for modern life | First Zen Patriarch | Liberation from suffering | Three sets of precepts | Six thieves of the mind | Enlightenment teachings
  • Bodhidharma: between myth and reality (Penglai Martial Arts)
Every week, this channel brings rare Buddhist Wisdom drawn from the original [Mahayana] teachings of the great masters — Bodhidharma, Bankei, Linji Yixuan, and the earliest Zen patriarchs. If the ancient path to liberation is what one are looking for [that person might try Theravada, a back-to-basics Buddhist movement that holds the teachings of the historical Buddha in the highest esteem over subsequent Mahayana interpretations and apocryphal inclusions, distortions, and additions], subscribe and turn on notifications to never miss a teaching.

This video is best experienced in a quiet space, and with full attention. #BuddhistWisdom #Bodhidharma #ZenBuddhism. How this was made: auto-dubbed and audio tracks for some languages were automatically generated.

Thursday, October 9, 2025

The Earthing Movie: barefoot grounding


(The Earthing Movie) The Earthing Movie is a documentary that reveals the scientific phenomenon of how we can heal our bodies by doing the simplest thing that a person can do -- standing and walking (grounding electrons) barefoot on the raw earth. See earthingmovie.com.

Barefoot earthing
There are many health benefits and a few risks associated with going barefoot in modern cities. Shoes, while they offer protection, can limit the flexibility, strength, and mobility of the foot and can lead to higher incidences of flexible flat foot, bunions, hammer toe, and Morton's neuroma.

Walking and running barefoot results in a more natural gait, allowing for a more rocking motion of the foot, eliminating the hard heel strike and generating less collision force in the foot and lower leg [1][2].

There are many sports that are performed barefooted, most notably gymnastics, martial arts, and swimming, but also beach volleyball, barefoot running, barefoot hiking, and barefoot waterskiing.



Historical and religious aspects

Buddhist monks are obligated when on alms round to do at least part of it barefoot. While this is regarded as a mark of respect, it may have been implemented for its many health benefits.
Walking meditation
Buddhist monks line up barefoot to accept their late morning meal offered by donors.

Zen Buddhist monks and practitioners engage in kinhin or "walking meditation" barefoot or in natural (cloth or straw) sandals for best results, touching the earth and grounding.

The ancient Greek Spartans required boys to go barefoot as part of their obligatory military training [3], and the athletes at the ancient Olympic Games typically participated barefoot and naked [4].

Although the ancient Greeks had a great variety of footwear, many—famously including Socrates [5]—preferred to go barefoot [3]. More

Thursday, June 26, 2025

Is mindfulness just awareness?

7 Simple Mindfulness Exercises & Techniques for Daily Relaxation (Discover Happy Habits)

The difference between Awareness and Mindfulness with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
Why bother? Who needs mindfulness?
(Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche) Find yourself wondering about the differences between awareness and mindfulness? In this teaching, Mingyur Rinpoche explains this question from the traditional Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhist perspective by exploring the difference between object-oriented and subject-oriented forms of meditation as ways to connect with [bare] awareness.

  • Mindfulness in Plain English
    [EDITOR'S NOTE: Mindfulness is wakeful, vigilant, presence of mind in this moment as a watcher rather than as a participant. It is not being sucked in or getting entangled but merely observing, bare awareness, not evaluating, judging, resisting, preferring, averting, but just dispassionately aware, detached but fully awake to what is, whatever it is even as it is constantly changing. Rather than attempting to fix, improve, change, or involve ourselves, we just watch and see what happens as it happens. This, Wisdom Quarterly suggests, is the principal difference between mindfulness and awareness. Mindfulness is "bare awareness," a kind of looking on (watching) that is free of discursive thinking, drifting off, or having distractions pull us away and scatter our attention. It is undivided, keenly interested attention that does not grasp, cling, or prefer but is open to whatever is in this moment, the "eternal now." See: "Mindfulness" defined (Ven. Analayo), Establishing Mindfulness Sutra (podcast)Confronting Racism with Mindfulness, and Youth Sutra, The Buddha's Mindfulness Diet Plan]
🔗 Joy of Living Meditation Program: Learn meditation under the skillful guidance of Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche at your own pace. joy.tergar.org
🔗 Vajrayana Online: Study and practice of the Tibetan Buddhism with Mingyur Rinpoche. learning.tergar.org
🔗 Online events, retreats with Mingyur Rinpoche events.tergar.org
🔗 About Tergar Path: tergar.org/programs

Friday, February 28, 2025

Everything feels real, but look closely


Everything feels real…until we look closer
(Solace Fox) Reality feels solid. The past seems fixed. Our thoughts feel like they belong to us. But what if none of it is as real as it seems? Ancient spiritual traditions, philosophers, and scientists have questioned this for centuries. Our mind filters, edits, and reconstructs everything we experience — but why? And what happens when we start noticing the cracks in reality?

 📌 TIMESTAMPS
  • 00:00 – What if reality isn’t real?
  • 02:14 – The invisible forces shaping our mind
  • 05:30 – Why our brain hides the truth from us
  • 09:48 – The illusion of free will
  • 13:10 – What quantum physics reveals about reality
  • 16:00 – If everything is an illusion, what’s left?
I'm at work. This is definitely real. As for my boyfriend at home, I don't know what he feels.
.
Why do we suffer? The power of awareness
What's reality? "F around and find out," they say, so I will dive into this soft pile of snow.


Ego Podcast (Buddhism) Discover the transformative power of awareness to end suffering. This insightful video explores why suffering (dukkha, disappointment) arises and how bare (undistorted, unembellished) awareness — the cornerstone of Buddhist mindfulness practice (sati) — can lead us toward true inner transformation.

Drawing on discourses like the Kalama Sutta, the Buddha reminds us not to simply accept beliefs, but to directly experience reality for ourselves.

This mindful practice of clear, non-judgmental attention is key to understanding the roots of our (emotional, psychological, physical, and existential) pain and breaking free from unskillful reactions and patterns.

(All Time) It's not only a misperception. We live in a simulation
  • Experience trumps belief: the importance of directly experiencing life rather than relying on inherited belief systems
  • How mindful awareness transforms mere knowledge into enlightening insight
  • The role of mindfulness: Why paying bare attention to details — breath, feelings, mind, and objects of mind — is essential for breaking the illusion, gaining inner clarity, and ending delusion
  • How mindfulness helps us observe then let go of unwholesome reactions
  • Practical applications: techniques to observe the mind’s activity without judgment.
  • Ways to replace reactive patterns with skillful responses, paving the path to the end of suffering (nirvana)
  • The bigger picture: how inner awareness not only alleviates personal suffering but also contributes to a more harmonious life.
Join the journey: If ready to explore how bare (unvarnished, unaltered) awareness can end suffering and lead to wisdom, insight, and inner peace, please like, share, and subscribe. Let's walk the Buddha's path of mindfulness together.

#Mindfulness #InnerClarity #BuddhistWisdom #EndingSuffering #Nirvana #BareAwareness

Subscribe now for free ► @SolaceFox #purpose #god #selfhelp #motivational #Consciousness #Oneness #Spirituality #Mysticism #Enlightenment #Awakening #awareness #life #motivation #universe #ego
  • Solace Fox, Ego Podcast (Buddhism), Feb. 27, 2025; Pat Macpherson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Thursday, December 5, 2024

Monkey Mind w/Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche


Understanding the Monkey Mind

This gear measures meditating brain.
(Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche) Tibetan Buddhist teacher Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche discusses how [bare] awareness is central to [Buddhist] meditation. He elaborates on how the recognition of awareness is the very foundation for one’s meditation practice.

Reflection question: What do you do in your daily life that helps you remember to recognize awareness?
Recognizing Awareness

Who is Ven. Yongey?

This rinpoche is a Tibetan teacher from Nepal and a master of the Karma Kagyu and Nyingma lineages of Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism. He is a star in the West because he is or was neurotic (a worry wart) and is very user-friendly and has written five books on the subject of meditation.

He oversees the Tergar Meditation Community (tergar.org), an international network of Buddhist meditation centers.

Royal family line
Who's Tibet's Guru Rinpoche? Padmasambhava
Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche was born in Nepal in 1975 [1] as the youngest of four brothers. His mother, Sönam Chödrön, is a descendant of Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo and King Trisong Deutsen. His brothers are Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, Tsikey Chokling Rinpoche, and Tsoknyi Rinpoche, and his nephews are Phakchok Rinpoche and the reincarnation (tulku) of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, known popularly as Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche.

From the age of nine [1], his father, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche [1], taught him Buddhist meditation [1], passing on to him the most essential instructions of the Dzogchen and Mahamudra traditions. More

Join Vajrayana Online, a virtual space with courses and resources to explore Vajrayana (Esoteric) Buddhism with practical guidance from Mingyur Rinpoche with online webinars and recorded teachings. Learn more at learning.tergar.org

Monday, October 7, 2024

Going Zen at home with Jennifer Garner

Balance: Taoist-Buddhist yin-yang symbol showing the seeds of the opposite on each side

Let's go to Jen Affleck's house to help her.
(Homes & Garden) Thoughts of a Los Angeles "farmhouse" may not immediately lead to a Zen Garden (or, more specifically, a pool area), but Hollywood actor Jennifer Garner has just challenged our conventions.

The actress's pared-back exterior space (architecturally designed by Steve Giannetti) makes a case for minimalist garden design – most notably thanks to its lack of planting, poolside furniture, and accessories.
  • The Zen of Jen (and Ben) | Marie Claire She's the nicest girl in town, but as a newish mom in 2007 and as Ben Affleck's wife, Jennifer Garner is finally learning to show some steel. Now in 2024 he's miserable because Latin dreamboat Jennifer Lopez has dumped him again, so Jen and Matt Damon have to keep him off the ledge.

However, despite the absence of decoration, Garner's pool area is anything but boring. Instead, it's soothing, grounding, and designed so that the wood (from both the house and the decking) can take center stage.
  • Zen is a Japanese word from Chinese (Chán). The Korean (Sŏn), Vietnamese (Thiền), Pali (Jhana), and Sanskrit (Dhyana) are all words for "meditation," more specifically a kind of serene state of absorption. "Zen" in everyday use refers to the practices in the popular imagination rather than a Mahayana Buddhist school that originated in China (禪宗, chánzōng, the Chan School, "meditation school") or the Buddha-mind school (佛心宗, fóxīnzōng) [1] that later developed into various sub-schools and branches. Zen was strongly influenced by Taoism ☯️, especially Neo-Daoist thought, and developed into a distinct school of Chinese Buddhism [2]. China got Zen from India, Chán deriving from Buddhist dhyana. It then spread south to Vietnam and became Vietnamese Thiền, northeast to Korea to become Seon Buddhism, and east to Japan, becoming Japanese Zen Buddhism [3]. Zen emphasizes serenity meditation practice and direct insight into one's own innate "Buddha nature" (見性, Chinese jiànxìng, Japanese kenshō), and the personal expression of this insight in daily life for the benefit of others [4, 5]. Wiki edited by WQ
Native American practice? Jen's rain dance for LA

This natural material works in harmony with the surrounding greenery and pool water to bring a sense of calmness to the area, and it's one of the finest (and one of the most beautifully simple) examples of a Zen Garden we've observed over the reign of this ever-growing outdoor trend.
A pool makes me feel cool in the garden
  • (Marie Claire) A rolled-up yoga mat and a baby stroller is pretty much all you need to blend in at the farmhouse-red Brentwood Country Mart in West Los Angeles [outside of Tinsel Town, closer to UCLA], where Jennifer Garner has asked me to meet her. The cozy-looking place is an apt choice for Hollywood's most down-to-earth star, except for the novelty item being sold at the bakery today: $5 cupcakes commemorating Paris Hilton's imminent trip to jail. There's a camera crew set up by the cash register. In a pair of blue jeans, a short-sleeve polka-dot blouse, and sneakers, Garner is walking along...when I stroll over to say hi. At which point she shoots me a curt "hello" and turns her back. Cuts me dead, [b*tch]. But it's half of the Bennifer! More
  • 20 things millionaires refuse to buy despite having money
Stalking Nirvana (Sings-Alone)
Alongside Garner's (unintentional) approval, experts say we owe the rise of Zen-style gardens to their therapeutic qualities – many of which translate to spaces of all sizes (whether we have a pool or not). The key is in the simplicity, they explain.

"Compared to cottage and country garden-style gardens, this style of outdoor space is uncomplicated and paired back. It doesn’t feature a lot of different flowers, creating a sense of peace and tranquility," comments Marcus Eyles, the horticultural director at Dobbies.
"The aim is to create a space with a modern feel – light and clean lines are important when it comes to establishing a sense of Zen." More

VIDEO: Inside Jennifer Garner’s Farm-Style L.A. Home | Open Door | Architectural Digest
(Architectural Digest) Sept. 3, 2024: Today, AD is welcomed by Jennifer Garner to tour her farm-style home in Los Angeles. When designing Garner’s home, there was no Pinterest board or pictures from a magazine; it was simply an in-depth discussion with designers Steve and Brooke Giannetti and a watercolor painting of their vision. Together, they designed a farmhouse-style oasis full of warmth and character. From her wooden kitchen with a dedicated baking station to an orchard in the backyard, it’s easy to forget Garner lives among the hustle and bustle of LA. “I wanted it to feel old and cool and historic, but I also wanted to make it work for a big family with a lot of things going on.”

Friday, July 5, 2024

Nude beach, vegan BBQ: National Bikini Day


How to celebrate our American Buddhist freedoms most gloriously on this long Independence Day weekend?

First, the Boss says we have to work Friday. She's obviously never heard of rapper Kid Cudi and his "Pursuit of Happiness" because, like Project X which was filmed in Pasadena, we say F that.
Hedonism is no answer, but it's Nat'l Bikini Day.
"Independence" means taking days off when you feel like it. It was better in pagan times (according to scholar Dr. Hillman) in Europe when there were many more holy days to explore the Mysteries (initiation cults of the goddesses), when gentiles enjoyed almost as many holidays as Jews still do. We'll all call in sick and it should be fine.

And "bodily autonomy" means taking off everything down to our birthday suits if we feel like it -- if not everywhere, at least somewhere. Are we slaves to Judeo-Christian uptight morality or hippies who value personal freedoms above all things?

(DJ Chesley) Reconnaissance trip to Black's Beach, nudist California

(DJ Chesney) California's best nude beach? Vlog 1: It was Valentine's Day 2018, when DJ and Oliver decided to visit Black's Beach. It's one of the only nude beaches in Southern California. There's a better one. It is breathtakingly beautiful, mainly due to the scenery, not so much the naked people.


(Derek Sarno) Learn these vegan BBQ ideas from 2020: Plant Chef Derek Sarno takes backyard vegan BBQ to a whole new level. BBQ grilled veggie main dishes will elevate any chef's grill cookout game. Here are three grilled vegetable recipes to get started #veganchef #BBQ #veganbbq. Healthy ramen? High protein and low carb instant ramen soup: shop.immieats.com
Colon? Beauty's only skin deep! Don't look!
Second, with this heatwave and not a cloud in the sky, it's time to hit the coast of Santa Monica Bay. Six beaches in Los Angeles are brown flagged, meaning the bacteria levels are too high to swim in, but the secret nude beach should be fine. If swimming nude is good enough for the dolphins, it's good enough for us. (Bikinis optional with some sunbathing).

Except the perchlorate and other "forever chemicals" from the Great American 4th of July Pastime of "drinking beer and playing with explosives" has left the air, sand, and water contaminated. So we better wear N-95 masks and filter our water and pick a better beach than Hermosa (Hyperion to a Satyr) or Dockweiler.

Some dolphins ("killer whales") eat sharks | Although the Demiurge (God) giveth terrible teeth
to fish, the Great Spirit provideth wings to terrestrial beasts, so learn to fly before swimming
Careful: Dolphins and sharks bite as they hunt | Men don't stand a chance against beautiful women

RECIPE BOOK: Decolonize Your Diet
Third, how to build a clean and safe BBQ pit? We'll use real wood, burn it down to glowing embers without letting oil or juices drop into it, which creates smoke and flare ups that lead to acrylamides and other toxic formations (like soot and char) on food. Menu? Indigenous vegan dishes with Beyond Burgers (soy-free, gluten-free) and tangy BBQ sauce.

Ten Course Vegan Menu
  1. HempFu (soy-free hemp seed tofu) sauteed with BBQ sauce
  2. Jack-o-Molie (guacamole of avocado, Tajin, fresh lemon, serrano chilis, sea salt, cilantro/coriander leaves, cayenne pepper)
  3. Salad (leafy green with tangy raw soaked seed dressing)
  4. Amaranth, Mexico's indigenous staple (before corn)
  5. Beyond Burgers (pea protein with avocado oil)
  6. Three Sisters (beans, squash, and purple maize)
  7. Salsa (tangy, spicy appetizer with lots of cilantro)
  8. Purslane (verdolagas, one of the healthiest plants)
  9. Mint lemonade (filtered water, ice, sweet lemons)
  10. TJ's chocolate chip cookies (almond flour, coconut sugar)
Plant-based charred BBQ ('shroom burgers)

Easy vegan BBQ | Summer Feast
Meat-eater's bikini: flank, rump roast, giblets...
(The Happy Pear) July 2021: Elevate your plant-based cooking with this Recipe Club, only €2.99/month🌿 * 600+ delicious plant-based recipes * Fresh flavors: Weekly new recipes for never-ending inspiration. 📚 * Tailored: Save favorites. ✏️ * Cooking Made Easy: Step-by-step instructions for all skill levels. 👩🍳 * Connect and share: Join community and exchange tips. 💬 * Health-forward: Enjoy meals that nourish body and soul. 💚 Get ready to transform kitchen with us. 🎉 We are huge fans of eating our food outside. Even while traveling, we’d rather share fruit on the side of the street rather than sitting down inside. During the summer months we’re also HUGE fans of cooking outside. BBQing is a pleasure when the sun is shining and having people over. This recipe is quick and easy, and we can’t recommend it enough. All the best, Dave & Steve, #TheHappyPear