Very well put. Joriki Dat Baker. Indeed... :-)
Please post more. ..
Be Enlightened In This Life - We ALL Can
http://chanjmjm.blogspot.com
http://www.heartchan.org
On 12/31/2010 12:06 PM, Joriki Dat Baker wrote:
Dave, "mindfulness" can be a misunderstood word. The word itself is
not a good translation for Samadhi. When we think of the word
`mindfulness', we imagine corralling the mind and pushing it into one
direction. I have watched some practice mindfulness in `kinhin' or
walking meditation, and during this time they forced their attention
at every little leaf and bug. When viewed, this sort of `mindfulness'
looks forced and contrived and is far from the true meaning.
Mindfulness is not a game, it is not an activity in which one needs to
artificially look at every detail, it is an effortless activity which
has no direction or object; hence we find true mindfulness.
Mindfulness is like setting sail in the winds of the present moment
without a need for a direction or preference. When we learn to do
this/practice, we are truly present and we begin to see life as it
truly is. Now this forced mindfulness I spoke of in my introduction,
looks and sounds somewhat like Samadhi; however, it is not. With that
being said, you may truly stop and see/watch the leaf and bug as they
truly are, on and so on, one moment turns into another and the leaf
and bug fade away as the tree and wind arise. True Mindfulness is like
riding the waves of the sea, no effort is needed yet there is a vivid
direction.
In regards to your OCD, I would not recommend mindfulness in the
common sense; however, I would recommend meditation practice in full
with the friendship of a teacher or sangha. I have worked with men and
women in the past who have OCD and they have communicated relief with
ongoing Zen/Meditation Practice. Moreover, your concern is valid if we
look at the practice of mindfulness as forced and contrived – this was
good insight on your part, this need to force and push is something
that many of us struggle with. As I described above, Samadhi is not
forced nor is it "stuck", Samadhi is a state free from these issues. I
would recommend you find a good teacher, in whatever tradition you are
attracted to and start practicing. There are many tools and traditions
within Buddhism which will guide you, they all are mere window
dressings though. The true core is what they all point to. I would
also recommend being open with your/the teacher about your OCD and
create a solid relationship with him/her based on trust. You might
also want to create a protocol so that if your anxiety or thoughts
become to intense you have a game plan to collect yourself; don't
forget to talk to the jisha or teacher about it though. Also, start
out slow, try ten minutes, then twenty, then thirty ect. and you will
soon work your way up to a solid round.
In closing, I hear many people explain that they can't hold onto the
serenity they find on the mat, or in their "everyday" world. I
perceive there are a few reasons for this, although I will only touch
on a couple. The first is the division that we create between the
spiritual world and the everyday world (absolute/relative). There is a
tendency to view our world through a dualistic filter and this creates
the separation that binds us. These two worlds are truly not two at
all, they are the same and neither. The only difference between the
two is the one we create. Blurring those lines takes some practice and
a lot of letting go. True Mindfulness or Samadhi is the tool by which
we blur and ultimately erase these lines. The second reason is the
attachment and delusion that arises when we hold onto our experiences.
When we `see' the present moment, we are experiencing the dharma for
briefs flashes. Soon after these flashes, thoughts and concepts arise
which replace the passing moment and soon the experience is digested.
One of the tools we use to digest the Dharma is duality. Our brain
pines to make sense of the moment and it uses its store house of
previous experiences to make sense of the new. If there is new
information, even ever so slight, the brain will actually fuse the new
information with the old. So we may not be able to hold onto our
kensho experiences but, change has occurred. It has become something
that is based in the Dharma however, is not IT. This is where the idea
comes from that words can not fully explain the Dharma but, they
should also never be a barrier. Moreover, the reason we can not remain
in the present moment continuously is due to our nature, and our
nature is to digest and make sense of the experiences we have
gathered. In order to do this, we need to step back from the present
to digest the past – this is how we learn. Coming full circle, when we
are truly mindful or in Samadhi the mind is at rest and the waves that
has tossed our ship so violently in the passed have become ripples
which feather out ever so softly and leave without a trace.
In the Dharma,
A Friend Of The Way
--- In [email protected] <mailto:Zen_Forum%40yahoogroups.com>,
"Dave P" <wookielife...@...> wrote:
>
> I haven't been on here for a long time, and I apologize for just
barging in with a new topic, but I'm having a hard time with the
concept of mindfulness.
>
> I have been suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) for a
long time, and lately it has gotten worse. I don't want to get into
details here, but it revolves around both ethical and health choices
in diet and just living.
>
> What I don't understand is how mindfulness can help, because to my
mind (pardon the pun) mindfulness means paying attention to
everything, and if anything OCD people pay too much attention. I worry
about everything, and intellectually I can understand just observing
my emotions, but there is the constant feeling that I MUST DO
SOMETHING, that if I don't do things right I will die. Hence I'm much
more vigilant.
>
> Am I getting the whole concept of mindfulness wrong? Is there
anything I can read that could help me with this?
>
