Joseph shares The Buddha’s call to practice mindfulness and continues his exploration of The Satipatthāna Sutta.
Listen to the first part of this talk here: The Direct Path to Freedom
Show Notes
The Call to Mindfulness (Opening) – Mindfulness, sati in the Pali language, lies at the heart of all Buddhist traditions. It is mindfulness which makes any spiritual undertaking possible. Joseph reflects on The Buddha’s call to practice mindfulness and discusses its different functions.
“Mindfulness is the root of dharma. Mindfulness is the body of practice. Mindfulness is the fortress of the mind. Mindfulness is the aid to the wisdom of innate wakefulness. Lack of mindfulness will allow the negative forces to overcome you. Without mindfulness, you will be swept away by laziness. Lack of mindfulness is the creator of evil deeds. Without mindfulness, you are a walking corpse. Dear Dharma friends, please be mindful.” – Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche
What is mindfulness? Joseph answers this question in depth on Ep. 50 of the Insight Hour Podcast
Bare Attention (15:25) – One meaning of sati describes the presence of mind. This is the quality of bare attention, of non-interfering awareness. We learn more about how this quality allows us to see all experience without reacting to it.
“In this quality, this evenness of mind, there is not the avoidance of anything, not the suppression of anything. There is not the reaction to what is arising – simply the presence of mind. It is this quality of detached receptivity that allows for intuitive wisdom to arise. In this openness, we can begin to see all of our experience countless times.” – Joseph Goldstein
Balancing Faith and Wisdom (25:40) – Joesph looks at how mindfulness balances the other aspects of spirituality – faith, effort, concentration and wisdom.
Many Faces of Mindfulness (41:30) – We close with a reflection on the nuanced differences in how mindfulness is described and taught in the various Buddhist traditions.
“There is one thing we always need, that is the watchman named mindfulness. The guard who is on the lookout for when we get carried away in mindlessness.” – Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche