Mindfulness

[Hrvoje Butkovic]

I’m looking for quality resources on the practice of mindfulness (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindfulness). Something that is both comprehensive in its coverage of the concepts, techniques, benefits and pitfalls involved and lucid in its treatment of them.

[abaddon]

Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana is an instruction manual. Starts with the Whys for meditation; goes on to what meditation is and isn’t; discusses the practice, what to do with your body and mind, how to deal with problems and distractions; addresses applying sati in everyday life. “In Plain English” is right... it’s a highly lucid, practical treatment of the topic.

Thich Nhat Hanh's The Miracle of Mindfulness also covers what you're asking for, in a slender book.

They're both high quality resources.

[Yeshi]

Mindfulness is really a core concept (in Buddhism).

We, "the people", differ in capacity of understanding. It took me about 30 yrs in Buddhism to come back to these simple concepts, finally with understanding. (at the beginning it never made sense).

Even the highest techniques of most advanced schools of Buddhism will come down to this same point, for "this is it". (to quote master Nhat Hanh)

Or, to follow our mother tongue: Buddha = Budan, Buddhism = Budjenje. Mindful != Unpresent => Mindful = Awoken.

[Yeshi]

also, to follow sanskrit name for "mindfulness" = samyak sati

samyak is usually now translated with perfect, complete, proper (as in 8-fold path) but etymologically (i think!) it comes from sam-yak or self-reliant, self-strong, in philosophical sense non-influenced, non-shakeable. Sati is from sat = presence, opposite from asatoma = distraction, unpresence.

So:

samojaka prisutnost = selfsustaining presence (of mind).

..actually a pointer to the only undestructible/noncompound property of the universe, the buddha (awoken) nature.
Practicing mindfulness properly means staring at the basis of the mind and, eventually, recognizing it.
Those that can do that, have an express way to liberation/enlightment.

[aupmanyav]

Sama is equal. So, Samyak Drishti would be to see things similarly. Geeta details it. The best site that I can suggest is http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/ (My AVG detected a threat, it was not like that when I visited last, the threat could just be a cookie. I do not know, I have informed them. I hope your computer is suitably protected). But he discusses many things very ably.

Swami Krishnananda's guru was Swami Shivananda, very famous for his learning and works. He also discusses things nicely. Actually, I learnt my Upanishads from a small 150-page book by him for which I am indebted to him. His writings are available at http://www.dlshq.org/teachings/teachings.htm.

[aupmanyav]

Practicing mindfulness properly means staring at the basis of the mind and, eventually, recognizing it.
Those that can do that, have an express way to liberation/enlightment.When one realizes 'what is', then one is liberated from all doubts, all fears, all sorrows, all pleasures, life and death. (nice words, eh! Scholarly? I am trying to be. :))

[Hrvoje Butkovic]

Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana is an instruction manual. Starts with the Whys for meditation; goes on to what meditation is and isn’t; discusses the practice, what to do with your body and mind, how to deal with problems and distractions; addresses applying sati in everyday life. “In Plain English” is right... it’s a highly lucid, practical treatment of the topic.

Thich Nhat Hanh's The Miracle of Mindfulness also covers what you're asking for, in a slender book.

They're both high quality resources.
Thank you. :)

[Elohim]

Hrvoje Butkovic,

You might also find the selection of reading material on mindfulness (sati) and the foundations of mindfulness (satipatthana) from Access to Insight (http://www.accesstoinsight.org/index-subject.html#sati) helpful.

Best wishes,

Jason

[Hrvoje Butkovic]

Hrvoje Butkovic,

You might also find the selection of reading material on mindfulness (sati) and the foundations of mindfulness (satipatthana) from Access to Insight (http://www.accesstoinsight.org/index-subject.html#sati) helpful.

Best wishes,

Jason
Thanks. I will look through.

[Yeshi]

When one realizes 'what is', then one is liberated from all doubts, all fears, all sorrows, all pleasures, life and death. (nice words, eh! Scholarly? I am trying to be. :))

yes, yes, you learnt it by heart already. The question is, do you know it too?

there are 3 vajra verses left:

° recognize it
° have no doubts about it
° remain in it (forever)

..methinks most ppl are at stage 2, wandering and wondering..

[Yeshi]

Sama is equal.

that i think is the second meaning, which might be shifted in between our 2 languages. It would be "ista" as 'same'. I think it comes from "sama ta" for "that same", "that very". But linguistically, sama- is here to stress self-reliance .. as 'own-existing'.

(this prolly makes not much sense but to Hrvoje, aupmanyav and me :Cheeky: )

[aupmanyav]

° remain in it (forever)
..methinks most ppl are at stage 2, wandering and wondering..I am not wandering or wondering, but I may not be in it all the time. :redface:

ps - The virus at www.swami-krishnananda.org has been cleaned.