Mindfulness: It's not what you think

What mindfulness really is

Mindfulness and meditation is not about cutting yourself off from the world, sitting quietly in a little corner looking at a buddha statue, being still and in the 'present moment'.

The present moment is far from still.  It is far from being just a quiet little corner.

The present moment is continually changing and dynamic.  It is eternal and enormous, beyond what one can experience, or even imagine, from just a single body or mind.

The present moment is an infinite cloth being woven thread by thread, a complex symphony of experiences.

Don't get me wrong, though.  Sometimes it is useful to pause and look at one thread and to be aware of the detail; to listen to a single sound in its purity.  But don't let it begin and end there.

If all we do is look at one thread, we cannot see the beautiful and intricate pattern in the cloth as it unfolds.

If all we do is listen to one note, we cannot hear the symphony.

You cannot cling to that one thread or note.  It does not last.  Without it being part of the cloth or the symphony, what is its purpose?  What use is there in clinging to it?

If that is all we do, we are not truly aware; not truly mindful.