Meditation program - Introduction to Mindfulness

Introduction to Mindfulness is an introduction to our true nature

Jijnasa Adhikarnam.

The inquiry into Brahman (our essential nature) and its prerequisites.

Athato Brahmajijnasa

Now begins the inquiry into our true nature

Any journey in life begins with inquiry. The mindfulness begins with working on a mind. the working on the mind , means understanding the nature and states of mind and clearing the impurities.  the objective of inquiry is to find the real-self hides behind the acquired self, created by the mind.

where we can find our true nature – here and now, within and behind the body, breath, brain, mind, intellect, and ego. The two famous verses from the texts of eastern wisdom begin the journey of meditation/mindfulness leads to awakening to our true nature.

We need to qualify for the written examination and skills to drive a car before we get a driving license. Whatever we learn from driving to cooking to flying, we need to have the right knowledge. We need to study them under the guidance of a teacher to qualify. The eastern wisdom explains the principles of mindfulness, prerequisites, and qualifications to undertake a journey.

Eastern Wisdom says that if we ready means, we are ready to keep aside our habits, opinions, judgments, and ideas of who we are. Buddha says – know thyself by thyself. self knows the self, not the mind. this is the meaning of transcending the mind and mindfulness.

The prerequisites for mindfulness are the person should understand his/her own mind, its natures, subjective, and objectives states. For example, a person cannot understand the atom, without knowing the basics of physics and chemistry. The branch of science i.e. physics helps us to know the physical properties of matter and chemistry helps us understand the electronic configuration of an atom. The same way eastern wisdom lays down principles to understand our minds.

The default setting of mind is seeking happiness in the world outside. The eastern wisdom guides, how to prepare the mind to discover the subjective reality i.e. happiness inside. The default setting enjoys pleasures, considering it as happiness. The eastern wisdom guides, how to separate pleasure from happiness. The default setting of mind considers constantly changing material world, body, and mind as real. The eastern wisdom changes the perception to find out what is really behind the changing world outside.

It is easy, yet too far as long as the mind is not ready for a change. Great masters say that there are prerequisites to prepare for the path. There are practices that help prepare the mind to tread the path.

It is a clever idea to sit for a few seconds a few times every day to stop chattering of mind and experience the state. We experience calm and freedom of mind.

Masters say that as long as the mind claims the self-created world as real, it is an impure mind. Because it perceives unreal as real. This impure mind needs to be purified.

The subject matter of mindfulness should be clear. It is neither vision of colors, deities, emptiness nor it is silence, sitting with eyes closed. Nor it is freaking out forcing to sit in a lotus posture to get nirvana. It is the discovery of who am I/; what is the world? what is existence? and how to live in peace and happiness 24X7?

The goal must be clear. It becomes clear only when we contemplate and reflect upon our life and focus on how to’ know thyself’, said Buddha.

The goal of life should be clear: the end of suffering and awakening to inner peace and happiness.

Until a person understands the three steps clearly, he may not succeed on the path. It needs the transition of a person from a student to a disciple to a seeker. A seeker has an intense desire, purity of mind, commitment to change the mind to change the brain to change attitudes, behaviors. During the journey, the seeker acquires some skillsets like relaxation state, tolerance to pressure from the impure mind, frequent withdrawal of mind scattered outside, indifference to likes, dislikes, right analysis of real and unreal at all times.

The journey is like sending satellites into space. It has to get out of the force of gravity before it is placed into the space. The mind must get out of the force of cravings, pleasures, and pains before we enter the mindfulness state.

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