Hello again Dave.
I haven´t read any comment from you or anyone else about video suggestion
"Thich Nhat Hanh, with the tittle "simple mindfulness" to be found in the
google videos department. However, I have been reading some of the responses
talking involving mindfulness subject. Some of those responses are
intellectual assumptions about what is mindfulness about and others are a
sharing of personal experience from the one or ones who posted it.
As a person whose teaching of mindulness transmited directly by zen ven. Master
Thich Nhat Hanh, it feels as my moral responsibility to encourage you to watch
and listen with attention the dharma talk by Thich Nhat Hanh in the way I
previously advice you to do so or you run the risk of getting mentally
entangled with different information about mindfulness but not having in you
the real practise for it, the tool that will lead you to open the door of
mindfulness.
I wish not to put more ideas in your head or anyone else about this subject
and just to give an starting clue key about it: "Mindfulness is to be aware of
all what is going on within and around oneself". I believe that this sentence
and the video adviced to be watched can help you and all not to get lost in
mental entertainment about mindfulness. It´s very important that you
understand that no matter how appealing or pleasant to the intellectual mind
can be some posting, the only way to truly understand what is mindfulness about
is by putting straight away into practise. It´s in the fruits as a result of
that practise that mindfulness can be understood beyond any intellectual as
it´s, as everything else in zen, a direct experience.
Much, much short cut to eat the peach rather than to have the poetry and much
more often the speculation by the ones who read a lot about what look like
the taste of the peach but never tried, tasted or even see a peach in their
life.
Best
Mayka
--- On Fri, 31/12/10, Dave P <wookielife...@yahoo.ca> wrote:
From: Dave P <wookielife...@yahoo.ca>
Subject: [Zen] Re: Not understanding mindfulness
To: Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com
Date: Friday, 31 December, 2010, 4:12
"Cure" is probably not the right word. I know it's not really a cure, and
I see it as an add-on to my other therapy.
However, my Western mind keeps seeing "letting go" as "giving up," not acting
as letting bad things have the potential of happening. Is there any way around
this impediment?
--- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, "Bill!" <billsm...@...> wrote:
>
> Wookielifeday,
>
> You asked several things below and I've embedded my responses in your post.
>
> --- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, "Dave P" <wookielifeday@> 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.
> >
> [Bill!] On this forum there is no such thing as 'barging in'. It's your
> forum as much as anyone's.
>
> > 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?
> >
> [Bill!] You don't have the concept of 'mindfulness' wrong. 'Mindfulness' is
> as you said "...paying attention to everything."
>
> But what is 'everything'? In the sense of zen 'mindfulness', 'everything' is
> just what is before you at this moment and is revealed to you through your
> senses. 'Everything' is NOT memories of yesterday or projections of
> tomorrow. Only now. 'Everything' is also not discursive thought or
> valuations or classifications. 'Everything' is Just THIS and Just NOW.
>
> Also zen 'mindfulness' does not include attachemnts. There are no
> attachments to 'mindfulness'. Things come and they go. There is no attempt
> to 'own' them or control them, or keep them from going.
>
> But most importantly, and although I am not a medical doctor, I do not think
> even zen 'mindfulness' will help 'cure' OCD. The best case is that zen could
> help you cope with OCD, accept it as your reality, understand the affect it
> has on you and learn to love your life and it's uniqueness.
>
> What could you read to help you with this? I could recommend any number of
> zen-related books, Buddhist Sutras, Tao Te Ching, Christian Bible especially
> the New Testament and the teachings of Jesus, Walden Pond by Emerson, etc...
> There are many.
>
> BUT more effective than reading is to do zen (or Chan) meditation (zazen);
> and there are many books and internet help sites that could get you started
> on that. HOWEVER, my best advice for you is to find a zen teacher in your
> area and meet with him/her. They would have the best chance to suggest a
> path that would be best for you.
>
> Good luck...Bill!
>
