Who or what is being mindful?

[Rick O'Shez]

I've been practising satipatthana for some years. There is a sustained intention involved in practising mindfulness which doesn't sit too comfortably with the anatta doctrine.

So what do you think? This thread is open to anyone with experience of mindfulness practice.

 

[wizanda]

Mindfulness is to be conscious of all thought, both in meditation and in daily life....

Allowing both positive and negative thoughts to go to their full extent; so you can understand more about everything, and not fight thoughts by trying to control everything.

It is like catching buses, and looking at the journey; once you've tried all the bus routes, you can then sit in the station (state of awareness), and be conscious of all routes i.e. Mindfulness.

 

[Rick O'Shez]

Allowing both positive and negative thoughts to go to their full extent; so you can understand more about everything, and not fight thoughts by trying to control everything.

Sure, but who or what is doing the allowing?

 

[Aupmanyav]

The being who does not have any 'atta' and is 'anicca'.

 

[wizanda]

Sure, but who or what is doing the allowing?

It depends where we're looking from; why i tried here to redefine where different aspects of the inner being come from.

To be in an enlightened state the soul allows everything; yet depending how much arguing internally, the ego and self can deny it, which is why i went into questioning what all the different aspects were, after reading a book on mindfulness.

 

[buddhist]

I've been practising satipatthana for some years. There is a sustained intention involved in practising mindfulness which doesn't sit too comfortably with the anatta doctrine.

So what do you think? This thread is open to anyone with experience of mindfulness practice.

At its very root, the sankhara-khandha, the second nidana in paticcasamuppada, is that which produces mindfulness.

 

[allfoak]

When we were children we got scolded for being mindful when we should have been doing our homework.
We grew up and abandoned the idea of imagination because we had to many other things to be "mindful" of.
No wonder we don't know what it means to be mindful as adults.

Mindfulness is the proper use of imagination.
We often think of imagination as not being in control of our mind.
"We are just imagining things", we are told.
We imagine ourselves through life, unfortunately it is often not very constructive.
When it is controlled however, it becomes a very powerful tool that is called mindfulness.

I would say that our imagination is vital to the process of transformation.
It is through the imagination that new projects begin and grow.
I love this faculty of imagination, it allows me to be creative and constructive.
If i am not using my imagination properly then i am not mindful of the direction i am moving in or how it is that i am getting there.


Unfortunately mindfulness has become the idea of just observing things.
I propose it to be a tool of transformation like every other faculty we have.

 

[allfoak]

To better answer the question, "Who or What is Being Mindful?"

Our soul is ever mindful.
Our body consciousness is always mindful as well but often not in sync with the mindfulness of the soul.
Thus, the cause of discord in the mind and body.

 

[Quagmire]

***Thread Closed***​

 

[Laika]

*Thread Moved to Comparative Religion and Re-opened*​

 

[DanielR]

Atman

 

[Rick O'Shez]

I'm gone.

 

[Osal]

It depends where we're looking from; why i tried here to redefine where different aspects of the inner being come from.

To be in an enlightened state the soul allows everything; yet depending how much arguing internally, the ego and self can deny it, which is why i went into questioning what all the different aspects were, after reading a book on mindfulness.

Sure, but who or what is doing the allowing?

Easy. If you're speaking of relative reality, it's you. If it's ultimate, there is no you.

Itellectually, it's pointless to take it any farther.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Our soul is ever mindful.
Our body consciousness is always mindful as well but often not in sync with the mindfulness of the soul.
Thus, the cause of discord in the mind and body.

Being an atheist, don't know about soul, but nice idea.

 

[Papoon]

Unnecessary question.
'Being' is not a philosophical proposition.

 

[atanu]

Unnecessary question.
'Being' is not a philosophical proposition.

Yes. But I say yes probably for the opposite reason. The self needs no third party validation. Self is self validated in the present.

 

[atanu]

The being who does not have any 'atta' and is 'anicca'.

Ha. That is true. But what then? The anatta comes to know about anitya?

 

[atanu]

I've been practising satipatthana for some years. There is a sustained intention involved in practising mindfulness which doesn't sit too comfortably with the anatta doctrine.

So what do you think? This thread is open to anyone with experience of mindfulness practice.

Anything that one can be mindful about or anything that can be grasped physically or mentally, is anatta. When all such graspable objects are discarded as anatta, what further?

 

[Aupmanyav]

Ha. That is true. But what then? The anatta comes to know about anitya?

Sometimes, not always. It is a difficult broad jump, the chasm is wide. Some only touch the edge of the other side.

https://www.google.co.in/search?q=j...X&ved=0ahUKEwjdztbrxsnLAhUFkI4KHSy8Cg4QsAQIGg
One needs a 45 degree trajectory (or more effort).

When all such graspable objects are discarded as anatta, what further?

IMHO, Understanding.

 

[Papoon]

Anything that one can be mindful about or anything that can be grasped physically or mentally, is anatta. When all such graspable objects are discarded as anatta, what further?

Life is lived.
Pleasure is enjoyed.
Pain is accepted.
Skill is developed.
Compassion is free flowing.
Questioning ceases.