What does mindfulness really mean in early Buddhism?

In this episode of Awake in Daily Life, we explore how the Āgamas presents mindfulness as more than present-moment awareness. It is recollection, training, and right direction—part of a path shaped by ethics, concentration, wisdom, and liberation.

Drawing on early Buddhist teachings and Master Dianwu’s walking meditation instructions, we look at how this older understanding differs from popular, New Age, and secular versions of mindfulness—and why serious practitioners keep returning to it.