January 05, 2021

Buddhist Practice: Day 7 - Right Mindfulness (Special Episode & Series)

29 minutes

Day 7: Right Mindfulness

"Constantly contemplative on the body, mindful, and alert they block out all the influences." ~ The Buddha (Dhammapada 293)

Mindfulness often gets a generic view in western culture; however, it is a core part of the Buddhist practice. When you are truly practicing mindfulness, you are a Buddha! We sometimes look at the Buddha as becoming enlightened, and that was the end of his effort. However, he was practicing every day, and every moment, of his life.

True contemplation (another term for right mindfulness) is to develop your mind so it is “pure, aware, and does not give rise to unwholesome thoughts.”. As we learned so far, Mara would love for you to be unmindful so the three fires can burn hotter and longer. So, in every moment of your life, the more you are mindful of what is occurring and how your mind is ‘interpreting’ it (and thus controlling your actions), you will be walking the path of the Buddha.

Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh once said that if he learned that, while on an airplane, that it was going to crash, he would essentially practice mindfulness and practice mindful breathing. Mindfulness is a choice you can practice at any time.

Focus

The four applications of right mindfulness are to contemplate: 1) the impurities of the body, 2) suffering of feelings, 3) impermanence of the mind, and 4) non-selfhood of phenomena.

Are you being mindful in every moment, or do you often seem to go on ‘autopilot’ with your actions (or ‘reactions’)? Are you mindful of: Where you put your hands? (face, door handles, etc.) Washing your hands? What people say or do?

The Noble Eightfold Path is the right path. It allows you to navigate life’s troubles that affect your mind, such as pandemics. This is the guide the Buddha gave to all of us.

Practice

Continue to recite the Five Remembrances.

Continue to Meditate, at least once a day, starting with being mindful of the breath. For today, contemplate the ‘right path’, which is all the parts of the Noble Eightfold Path. When understood, and practiced, you make the wheel ‘round’ and ‘perfect’. Thus, a life lived correctly is following this path.

New Practice: Be mindful in every moment, and every situation. To help with this, review the Noble Eightfold Path at least once a day (refer to page 34), and review whenever you encounter a situation so you can see how you can improve next time. For instance, if you were not nice to a family member or a grocery store clerk, reviewing will help you next time.

Learn more about the Eightfold Path: https://alanpeto.com/buddhism/understanding-eightfold-path/

Free 14 Day Buddhist Planner for Buddhists: https://gum.co/BuddhistPlannerCOVID

View all 14 days on YouTube: https://youtu.be/BxlqwF6P6GE

More on Alan Peto: https://alanpeto.com/about

More on Sanathavihari Bhikkhu: https://www.casadebhavana.com/

#Buddhism #BuddhistTeachings #Dharma #Buddhist #COVID #COVID19 #buddhistwisdom #Buddhists #buddhismteachings

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By Alan Peto

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