The Psychology of Mindfulness

[Nameless]

Wrote a little article for the Elephant Journal. It's about how we are conditioned to attain incentives. These incentives come in many different forms, but really they all amount to satisfaction. Everything we do we do for satisfaction and peace. The trouble is that these incentives are often external and in the future, thus we end up running in circles. Really, we need to let motivation be the incentive. Let the means to an end be the end itself. Each step is the beginning and end of the journey.

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2014/02/mindfulness-makes-tasks-easy-john-pendall/

Gassho, Foolish John

[Myosha]

Thank you.


Gassho,
Myosha

[Mp]

Wonderful read John, thank you for sharing. =)

Gassho
Shingen

[Joyo]

John, this is a fantastic article!!! So well-written, easy to understand, and insightful. I know, just reading it, I realize how many things I do for an incentive---cleaning the house, clearing my kid's clutter, making tons and tons of food to feed my hungry kids, studying for my exam coming up, etc. etc. Thanks for sharing and keep up the good writing

Gassho,
Joyo

[Vincent]

Great article John. This conditioning of the mindset happens at an early age where success is at the top the pyramid.
It needs to be the other way round where feeling successful in all we do now will bring much more satisfaction than always
striving for success.

Gassho,
Vincent

[Jundo]

John,

Thank you for this article.

I am rather of two minds on this (or, better said, not two minds). I do not see this as an "either/or" proposition.

I like to say that I sweep the floor to get things clean and with the goal of getting the job done and feeling good about that ... all while simultaneously dropping the goal and all mental division of "clean vs. dirty".

I go to college to get a degree, pass the tests, build the future ... all while simultaneously realizing "nothing in need of getting", All Pass beyond pass or fail, not even past present or future.

It is a bit like seeing the world out of two eyes at once, All the Buddha Eye.

Gassho, Jundo

[Nameless]

Thank you thank you everyone. That's very true Jundo. They call this the Middle Way after all. The edge of the coin where all sides (including no side) are observed. Perhaps in the next article for the Journal it'd be appropriate to introduce the this and that thinking of non-thinking.

Mindfulness is a toughy for me too Joyo. It's very very very easy for me to get lost in thought without being aware that I am. As they say, practice makes imperfect. Wait, that's not how it goes...

Yep Vincent, it starts quite early. When we choose to view the self as something permanent and separate from everything else, and when the ultimate incentive called "praise," makes monkeys of us all. Then we begin to put on masks, and do things according to how others will react to them rather than cultivating natural expression. We come to depend on approval and success for our satisfaction, which is a valid way to go, but it causes a lot of suffering. Best to get right down to Buddha-nature and sail between the Eight Worldly Winds.

Gassho, Foolish John