Simple steps to practice mindfulness

When goal of meditation/ mindfulness is clear in the mind, every step can help reach, every condition is an opportunity to work for it, anytime can become a part of journey and every act become a step towards awakening. But when goal is not clear, departure point is unknown, and mind still is working on us, then years of practice fails us.

The reality behind body, mind, life is only one. It is our true nature or essential nature. The acquired nature works in the world of change i.e. people, place, objects, events and time. We are present in time, but time may change. We are present in the presence or absence of people, place and possession. It is this presence or real-self or consciousness.

 When mind is not clear about the goal, covered by veil of ignorance (incomplete knowledge about our real nature, world, existence), it identifies with millions of things and events. The identification causes desire to exist, the desire causes agitation. The agitation may become aspiration to know our own nature. In the case of mental impurity and clarity, many steps have been discovered and perfected by masters. Awareness of breath, sensation, thoughts, feelings, non-self, mantra, asana, pranayama, mudra, are few of the practices incorporated as step towards awakening. It is important to remember that these practices or steps are like means not the end like car is a mean to reach home. At some time, we must leave the car behind. We need not to remain attached to the car, otherwise, we will reach inside the home.

 Every master for 6000 years followed the same principles of eastern wisdom but gave different practices to their contemporary’s people. It is because of the temperament of people. We are living in an age of reason, the principles of eastern wisdom are much more relevant in today’s world because we can intellectually understand before starting the practice. This approach is common in all our activities in daily life.

The external factors like choosing the position of body (lying, sitting or any other depending on the condition of the body), place (private place or studio or office), fragrance, sound, etc.  are secondary, and may be important in the beginning but not essential.

The internal factors like level of awareness of the body, breath, thinking, sensations are much more important, still are left behind in mindfulness state because emptiness or objectless state is more important than these experiences.

The objectless state is the state where experience and experiencer meets together and separate from each other. The mindfulness is knowing the experiencer. That is why Buddha said, know-thyself, he did not say- know thy experiences.