mindfulness

Gautam Buddha urges us to be mindful of what we are doing. This is a very simple teaching, and all the more beautiful for its simplicity. In a way though, its simplicity is deceptive, for it is remarkably difficult to remain mindful.

By mindfulness, Gautam Buddha means we should not be thinking about something else other than what we are doing. So if I am walking, I should be mindful just of the walking. My awareness should be on the feeling of the ground beneath my feet, the movement of my body. I should not be daydreaming about what I am going to eat for lunch. Similarly, if I am brushing my teeth, my full awareness should be on this simple act of brushing my teeth, and I should not be thinking of other things.

It sounds simple. It is remarkably difficult to maintain this level of mindfulness throughout the day. But it is a beautiful teaching, for the more mindful we can be of what we are doing and experiencing in the moment, the less our mind creates trouble. Our problems are never in the moment. Our problems are always to do with the future. The unknown future is like a fantasy world, and when our mind is busy with it, it creates all sorts of trouble, difficulties that may or may not come into reality: worries, anxieties, tension. These feelings in the mind are not pleasant. They detract from life. And by remaining mindful of the present moment, these negative feelings cease to arise, and we can enjoy the present moment in a very simple way: a feeling of the breeze on the cheek, the smell of the flowers, the delightful flight of the bird. All these simple gifts of sensation in the present moment we can enjoy, as long as we remain mindful of the present moment.

For me this is one of Gautam Buddha’s most beautiful teachings: remain mindful. If we can maintain this awareness of the present moment – what is happening, what we are sensing in this moment, now – if all our energy is focused here and now, then we come to live in reality, and our illusions are no longer fed. And all our anguish is born of those illusions, of our ignorance, our misconceptions of the world.

So, along with Gautam Buddha, I also urge you to remain mindful, to keep your awareness in the present moment. And practising this, initially it takes some effort, and it can be frustrating as the mind wanders off once more into its fantasies. But with practice, it can come more naturally, and life becomes simple, easy, relaxed and enjoyable, lived in the moment, with mindfulness.