29 May 2018 12:58 am Views - 1720
Leading the holy life, eating, but a single meal a day;
Why is their complexion so serene”?
The Blessed One, the Tathagata gave a very crystal clear and profound answer as mentioned below:
“They do not sorrow over the past, Nor do they hanker for the future.
They maintain themselves with what is present.
Hence their complexion is so serene.
Through hankering for the future, Through sorrowing over the past, Fools dry up and wither away, Like a green reed cut down.”
The nature of the human mind is to constantly wander and persistently roam. Science of this unfathomable occurrence and incomprehensible phenomenon is indescribable and indefinable in words.
Once the Buddha said thus:
“ Bhikkhus, I do not see even one other thing that changes so quickly as the mind. It is not easy to give a simile for how quickly the mind changes”
In the teaching of the Buddha, MINDFULNESS is the paramount and eminent technique which tremendously helps people to train and tame their wandering mind.
Lack of mindfulness and lack of practice has drastically directed and horrendously led multitudes of individuals into the quagmire of unresolvable conflicts and psychological traumas.
Lack of mindfulness and lack of practice has drastically directed and horrendously led multitudes of individuals into the quagmire of unresolvable conflicts and psychological traumas
Some of them have created distresses and miseries by themselves. Some findings and records have revealed that some innocent and powerless people have been traumatized by cruel and atrocious people. What we daily encounter and experience is utterly shocking and unimaginable.
Mindfulness perfectly helps us to look within and scrutinize the true disposition and the temperament of the mind. Untrained and untamed minds, those who are not well cultured and well mannered, those who are intoxicated with egocentric tendencies very easily and promptly provoke to commit any cruel activity or traumatize any being.
This is the veracious and true nature of the untrained and untamed mind.
Once the Blessed One said:
“Bhikkhus, the mind is luminous, but it is defiled by adventitious and extrinsic defilements.”
The great Master, the Buddha has vividly emphasized and effulgently highlighted thus:
“ Bhikkhus, I do not see even one other thing that , when untamed, unguarded, unprotected, and unrestrained, leads to such great harm as the mind.”
Mindfulness creates clearer, more focused thinking and improves efficiency at work and home. Mindfulness improves confidence and emotional resilience
Not only negative facets, but also positive aspects have been disclosed by the Master thus:
“Bhikkhus, I do not see even one other thing that, when tamed, guarded, protected, and retrained, leads to such great good as the mind.”
Many scholars, professionals, experts and practitioners confidently recommend the practice of mindfulness for numerous common ailments such as insomnia, difficulty of falling asleep, chronic fatigue, frequent infection, anxiety, and depression and so on in the western countries at present.
Not putting it into practice
Unfortunately those who were born to this religion and those who are boasting about this teaching never put it into practice in their daily lives. I have personally encountered and counselled many individuals who have experienced indescribable emotional agonies and psychological traumas which have been caused by wicked and cruel perpetrators.
I have learned that most of them are not capable of managing and controlling their anger, lack of tolerance and mindfulness, incapability to cope with their own temperament and petulance have blindly led them to become wild and cruel. Psychologically they are the first victims of their own defilements and impurities.
This is why Gautama Buddha has advised his disciples to be mindful and careful of their own thoughts. Mindfulness is the well trained security guard who diligently and attentively monitors one’s thoughts. This is not a physical exercise. No need to sit and be still all the time, but one should be mindful of one’s act, speech and thought at the present moment.
Many people are very devoted and enthusiastic about their daily physical exercise and even for this purpose, mindfulness can be applied to achieve targets.
Though many individuals dedicate their time and energy to train themselves to be physically healthy, unfortunately most of them have overlooked their psychological well-being and mental health. Some people may think that patients, who are in psychiatric hospitals, are mentally sick, but the reality is contrary to what most people think. Those who aren’t capable of controlling their anger, jealousy, craving and hatred are more dangerous than patients who are in psychiatric hospitals. Those who are intoxicated with wealth, political power, academic achievements, money, social status, physical health, inferiority complex and ego are the worst and unreliable psychopaths.
Few professionals who serve in the domain of psychology and intellectuals who practice in the realm of psychiatry enlightened me that sometimes it is hard to identify and diagnose some psychopathic characters in psychopaths because they never disclose their true character in public. One of the scholars revealed to me that a classic example is domestic violence. He said that most offenders and perpetrators act and speak like saints, but realities are hidden.
Most people are stressed and depressed due to lack of mindfulness. When one is mindful the individual always dwells in the present moment and never concentrates on the past; which specially brings sorrow. When one is mindful, one does not waste time dreaming of the future which brings confusion, irritation and burden.
Being compassionate
Mindfulness is about observation without criticism and makes the individual compassionate.
Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing and not overly being reactive nor overwhelmed by what’s happening around us.
Mindfulness reminds us to concentrate on what we are doing at the present moment. Mindfulness guides us to be the present.
If we leave it to its own devices our mind habitually wanders from the present moment. It constantly engages in the replaying the past and the projecting of the future. In other words, we’re very rarely fully present in the moment.
Mindful attention, however, is completely engaged in the present moment– the here and now. We let go of the tension caused by wanting things to be different, the tension of constantly wanting more, and instead we accept the present moment as it is.
Mindfulness reminds us to concentrate on what we are doing at the present moment. Mindfulness guides us to be the present
It’s now being taught in schools, in workplaces, in hospitals and in homes around the world. As people discover themselves the incredible benefits of living mindfully, the interest continues to grow.
There is now a huge body of research on the benefits of mindfulness.
Mindfulness reduces stress, anxiety and other destructive emotions. (Mindfulness actually shrinks the brain’s ‘fight or flight’ centre and the amygdala. This primal region of the brain, associated with fear and emotion, is involved in the initiation of the body’s response to stress.This is the part of the brain responsible for so many destructive emotions like fear, unhappiness and anger.)
Mindfulness reduces depression (clinical trials are showing that mindfulness is as effective as medication and has no side effects!).
Mindfulness reduces insomnia, increases your sense of well-being , reduces lethargy and increases energy both mentally and physically.
Mindfulness is also very effective for pain management.
Mindfulness sharpens your memory and increases your focus and attention.
Mindfulness improves your emotional and social intelligence and develops your empathy and compassion. It is also shown to improve relationships.
Mindfulness improves health and boosts immunity. In fact, mindfulness is shown to have beneficial effects on many serious illnesses such as cancer and heart disease.
Mindfulness creates clearer, more focused thinking and improves efficiency at work and home.
Mindfulness improves confidence and emotional resilience.
Mindfulness reduces compulsive and addictive tendencies and also works better than any diet for effective long-term weight loss.
These are the certain outcomes and positive and benefits, if one honestly practises mindfulness.
May All Beings Be Well and Happy !