Uninterrupted motivation to practice mindfulness
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- Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2013 6:22 pm
Uninterrupted motivation to practice mindfulness
Hi,
One thing bothers me a lot lately & that is the lack of a continuous motivation to practice mindfulness.
It bothers me that I am distracted most of the day & too lazy to do anything about it.
I imagine that this is normal & motivation becomes more continuous as we continue to practice. On the other hand, I've experienced sudden rises in
determination as far as other things are concerned (e.g., finding a solution to a problem that remained unsolved for too long).
In the case of practicing mindfulness more consistently, it feels to me that a simple insight of some sort may be missing...
I'm curious have you ever had any breakthroughs or insights that helped you get into gear in the practice of mindfulness? Could you kindly share with your experience?
One thing bothers me a lot lately & that is the lack of a continuous motivation to practice mindfulness.
It bothers me that I am distracted most of the day & too lazy to do anything about it.
I imagine that this is normal & motivation becomes more continuous as we continue to practice. On the other hand, I've experienced sudden rises in
determination as far as other things are concerned (e.g., finding a solution to a problem that remained unsolved for too long).
In the case of practicing mindfulness more consistently, it feels to me that a simple insight of some sort may be missing...
I'm curious have you ever had any breakthroughs or insights that helped you get into gear in the practice of mindfulness? Could you kindly share with your experience?
- LastLegend
- Posts: 5408
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- Location: Northern Virginia
Re: Uninterrupted motivation to practice mindfulness
Sounds like you need to take of your problems first. When in fear and confused, try a mantra or recitation of a Buddha or Bodhisattva.
It’s eye blinking.
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- Posts: 222
- Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2013 6:22 pm
Re: Uninterrupted motivation to practice mindfulness
Thank you for the tips Last Legend!
I wonder if my message was misunderstood. When I was referring to a problem, I was not referring to a problem in the present time. I was just giving an example of a case in which motivation to act may suddenly rise and stay constant until the job gets done! Maybe this was a bad example. Maybe solving a random problem vs. training in mindfulness are two different things, too different in nature and experience to be compared.
So to clarify, I am wondering what increases one's motivation to practice mindfulness without interruption? Can such motivation and determination increase suddenly? Or is it only bound to increase gradually with practice?
If it can increase suddenly, then what would be the cause of that? Would it be an insight of some sort? Any ideas, experiences you could share?
By the way, your answer, Last Legend, was actually relevant in some ways to my situation. However, I could not believe that I could not practice well while dealing with various problems. Everybody's got problems, right? But that's not an excuse for a poor practice. Your answer was motivating in some ways, because I wanted to prove you wrong ! This worked only for a day or two, so I'm not satisfied. Otherwise, the answer does not really address my questions directly.
I wonder if my message was misunderstood. When I was referring to a problem, I was not referring to a problem in the present time. I was just giving an example of a case in which motivation to act may suddenly rise and stay constant until the job gets done! Maybe this was a bad example. Maybe solving a random problem vs. training in mindfulness are two different things, too different in nature and experience to be compared.
So to clarify, I am wondering what increases one's motivation to practice mindfulness without interruption? Can such motivation and determination increase suddenly? Or is it only bound to increase gradually with practice?
If it can increase suddenly, then what would be the cause of that? Would it be an insight of some sort? Any ideas, experiences you could share?
By the way, your answer, Last Legend, was actually relevant in some ways to my situation. However, I could not believe that I could not practice well while dealing with various problems. Everybody's got problems, right? But that's not an excuse for a poor practice. Your answer was motivating in some ways, because I wanted to prove you wrong ! This worked only for a day or two, so I'm not satisfied. Otherwise, the answer does not really address my questions directly.
Re: Uninterrupted motivation to practice mindfulness
Sometimes it is the motivation that is lacking.
If you love doing something then you will make time and space for that thing in your life.
If you have no desire then time will pass and it will not get done
If you love doing something then you will make time and space for that thing in your life.
If you have no desire then time will pass and it will not get done
Re: Uninterrupted motivation to practice mindfulness
To paraphrase a thai monk when asked about how he can sit and meditate for hours on end, you have to genuinely see the value in what you are doing.
Re: Uninterrupted motivation to practice mindfulness
Hello SeekerSeekerNo1000003 wrote:Hi,
One thing bothers me a lot lately & that is the lack of a continuous motivation to practice mindfulness.
It bothers me that I am distracted most of the day & too lazy to do anything about it.
I imagine that this is normal & motivation becomes more continuous as we continue to practice. On the other hand, I've experienced sudden rises in
determination as far as other things are concerned (e.g., finding a solution to a problem that remained unsolved for too long).
In the case of practicing mindfulness more consistently, it feels to me that a simple insight of some sort may be missing...
I'm curious have you ever had any breakthroughs or insights that helped you get into gear in the practice of mindfulness? Could you kindly share with your experience?
More than a decade ago I came across the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh on anchoring your mindfulness in the breath, returning to the breath as often as we can and always keeping a little bit of breath awareness. This has been a very very valuable teaching for me and I practice it to this day. Staying mindful through difficult situations is of course hard and takes a bit of insight. For example, you might want to also practice the recollection of the Dhammapada verse "To all things, mind is the forerunner" and in the moment before a fight erupts say between your partner and yourself, realise that this disagreement is made by mind, relates to the self and easing up the hold of the self, you might succeed in finding a better way forward, rather than the habitual tug-of-war.
Of course there are other ways but the bottomline I guess is that mindfulness on its own may not be enough, as you said yourself, some insight is needed. Sometimes mindfulness can help bring it about, but sometimes other teachings and practices can be very helpful too.
All the best!
_/|\_
Dan
Re: Uninterrupted motivation to practice mindfulness
Mindfulness means not forgetting to put your pants on before you step out the door. It is really nothing more profound than this, but it is very useful to have.SeekerNo1000003 wrote:Hi,
One thing bothers me a lot lately & that is the lack of a continuous motivation to practice mindfulness.
It bothers me that I am distracted most of the day & too lazy to do anything about it.
I imagine that this is normal & motivation becomes more continuous as we continue to practice. On the other hand, I've experienced sudden rises in
determination as far as other things are concerned (e.g., finding a solution to a problem that remained unsolved for too long).
In the case of practicing mindfulness more consistently, it feels to me that a simple insight of some sort may be missing...
I'm curious have you ever had any breakthroughs or insights that helped you get into gear in the practice of mindfulness? Could you kindly share with your experience?
Re: Uninterrupted motivation to practice mindfulness
I have to disagree with your characterisation of mindfulness as being “nothing more profound” than “not forgetting to put your pants on” Malcolm. If you are just talking about common, everyday mindfulness in a non-Buddhist sense, then yes this is true. However, mindfulness in Buddhism (Right Mindfulness) is something much more than this and deals specifically with being mindful of greed, hatred and delusion (unwholesome mind states) arsing in the mind and then manifesting into our speech and actions.
SeekerNo1000003, unfortunately there are no real shortcuts to sustaining mindfulness. It requires diligence and effort. It may seem like a mammoth task, but with constant practice, on and off the cushion (they both reinforce each other), it is surprising how much more consistently mindful we become over time. You mention “motivation” for mindfulness, and what was a great boost for me was identifying the real purpose of mindfulness in a Buddhist context, and that is, as I mentioned above, being mindful of and ‘catching’ unwholesome mind states as they arise. If we can see mind states that arise out of the roots of greed, hatred and delusion and ‘nip them in the bud’, they gain no further momentum and we become less and less enmeshed in our own narratives. This is not to be underestimated as a practice – I.E. having much less disturbance in our mind-streams. Ultimately, Right Mindfulness is its own reward, seeing thoughts and emotions self-liberate in real time, is powerful, inspirational and “motivation” in and of itself.
SeekerNo1000003, unfortunately there are no real shortcuts to sustaining mindfulness. It requires diligence and effort. It may seem like a mammoth task, but with constant practice, on and off the cushion (they both reinforce each other), it is surprising how much more consistently mindful we become over time. You mention “motivation” for mindfulness, and what was a great boost for me was identifying the real purpose of mindfulness in a Buddhist context, and that is, as I mentioned above, being mindful of and ‘catching’ unwholesome mind states as they arise. If we can see mind states that arise out of the roots of greed, hatred and delusion and ‘nip them in the bud’, they gain no further momentum and we become less and less enmeshed in our own narratives. This is not to be underestimated as a practice – I.E. having much less disturbance in our mind-streams. Ultimately, Right Mindfulness is its own reward, seeing thoughts and emotions self-liberate in real time, is powerful, inspirational and “motivation” in and of itself.
Re: Uninterrupted motivation to practice mindfulness
Mindfulness is simply a mental factor.TRC wrote:I have to disagree with your characterisation of mindfulness as being “nothing more profound” than “not forgetting to put your pants on” Malcolm.
Of course there are different objects of mindfulness, but the act of being mindful is the same in so far as it is a mental factor associated with all positive minds. Mindfulness is always beneficial, since it is a kusalacaitta. This does not make mindfulness profound however.
The point here of course is to point out that we are always being mindful of something, unless of course we are distracted by the akusalacaittas,, etc.
Re: Uninterrupted motivation to practice mindfulness
Yes agreed it is a mental factor, and is closely related to memory and recall. But what is important is its application and its application in Buddhist practice is not concerned with mundanities like “not forgetting to put your pants on” but specifically works in conjunction with Right Effort and Right Effort is employed to:
- to prevent the arising of unarisen unwholesome states;
to abandon unwholesome states that have already arisen;
to arouse wholesome states that have not yet arisen;
to maintain and perfect wholesome states already arisen.
Re: Uninterrupted motivation to practice mindfulness
A good point. The trouble is, as I see it, that most of the time it is not so much akusalacittas, but habitual mental patterns that occupy our minds. The technique of mindfulness is to help us break out of these habits ans attend to the matter at hand with complete attention and a fresh seeing.
Re: Uninterrupted motivation to practice mindfulness
Yes true Dan. All it takes sometimes is a moment of mindfulness to break the cycle of our habits. But our detrimental habitual tendencies (negative karma) arise directly from the roots of greed, hatred and delusion, so this is why Right Mindfulness is paramount.Dan74 wrote:A good point. The trouble is, as I see it, that most of the time it is not so much akusalacittas, but habitual mental patterns that occupy our minds. The technique of mindfulness is to help us break out of these habits ans attend to the matter at hand with complete attention and a fresh seeing.
You can have the intention of being mindful of the washing-up, meanwhile negative thoughts have slipped through to the ‘keeper’.
Re: Uninterrupted motivation to practice mindfulness
I also think that it is important to distinguish between mindfulness practice as a means and mindfulness practice as an end.
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE
"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE
"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
Re: Uninterrupted motivation to practice mindfulness
To understand Mindfulness in the context of the Mahayana it is useful to consult the Abhisamayalamkara/ Ornament of Clear Realizations and the Madhyanta Vibangha/Distinguishing the Middle from Extremes. We see that what is explained here is rather different that what is commonly understood as mindfulness in the Western spiritual marketplace. Below are two excerpts from Mahayana scholars with verses of the Indian treatises with explanation, for a Mahayana perspective. Mindfulness in the Theravada tradition is more well-known but also quite different from what is commonly marketed as Mindfulness in the spiritual supermarket.
Kagyu scholar Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche
http://lirs.ru/lib/Madhyantavibhanga,Ma ... n,2000.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Gelug scholar resident in Singapore Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi
http://www.fpmtabc.org/...Ornament_of_Clear_Realization" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Kagyu scholar Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche
http://lirs.ru/lib/Madhyantavibhanga,Ma ... n,2000.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
(A) THE FOUR FOUNDATIONS
Because of taking up bad ways,
because of the causes of conditioned existence,
because of the foundation and
because of an obscured mind,
(one should) engage in the four truths,
which are the close-placement meditation of mindfulness.
As you know, the path of accumulation is divided into the lower,
middle and great parts. On the lower path of accumulation one
practices and cultivates the four founda-tions ofmindfulness.
The first foundation is mindfulness of body. The reason for
developing mindfulness of the body is that the body is the root of
true suffering. If one understands the body well, then one will
understand true suffering well.
The second foundation is mindfulness of feeling. Disturbing
emotions of craving are principally caused by feeling. If one
understands the nature of feeling properly, one will be able to
relinquish craving and thereby not give birth to the disturbing
emotions. This practice is related to the second noble truth of the
origin of suffering and understanding how this comes about.
The third foundation is mindfulness of mind in which one comes
to understand the third noble truth of cessation. Cessation refers
basically to understanding selflessness, and mind is the basis of
understanding selflessness. Therefore, by carefully paying attention
to the mind one can actualize true cessation.
The fourth foundation is mindfulness of phenomena which is
related to the fourth noble truth of the eight-fold path. If one
understands the phenomena of samsara and nirvana without
obscuration, one can generate the eight-fold path in the continuum of
one's being. For that reason, it is important to understand
phenomena by cultivating mindfulness.
Gelug scholar resident in Singapore Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi
http://www.fpmtabc.org/...Ornament_of_Clear_Realization" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
4. Entity
The definition of the close placements of mindfulness is: an exalted knower having entered a path which is included in either a meditative mindfulness or wisdom upon having examined both the general and specific characteristics of bodies, feelings, minds, and phenomena.
Compendium of Knowledge states: “What is the entity? It is wisdom and mindfulness.” And Treasury of Knowledge states: “The close placements of mindfulness are wisdom.”
5. Divisions
When close placements of mindfulness are divided, there are four: the close placements of mindfulness on bodies and so forth.
6. Boundaries
The close placements of mindfulness exist from the path of accumulation through the buddha ground.
7. Etymology
Through mindfulness an object of observation of wisdom is placed near, that is, it is not forgotten, therefore [this practice] is termed the close placements of mindfulness.
8. Demonstrating That the Close Placements of Mindfulness of the Mahayana Are Superior
The close placements of mindfulness of the Mahayana are superior to the close placements of mindfulness of the Hinayana because meditation on them is superior in fourteen ways:
1) Its aim is the Mahayana.
2) It relies upon wisdom.
3) It acts as an antidote to the sixteen mistaken views.
4) It engages you in meditating upon the four truths.
5) It observes bodies and so forth of yourself and others.
6) It mentally engages bodies and so forth as empty.
7) Having separated yourself from the contaminated body, an uncontaminated body is attained.
8) It accords with the practices of the six perfections.
9) It accords with leading hearers, solitary realizers, and so forth.
10) It understands bodies to be like illusions, feelings to be like dreams, minds to be like space, and phenomena to be like clouds.
11) In accordance with your intentions, you will be reborn in cyclic existence as a wheel-turning monarch and so forth.
12) If you meditate the close placements of mindfulness, you will naturally have sharp faculties.
13) Its meditation is not mixed with the aspiration and so forth of the Hinayana.
14) You will come to achieve a nirvana without remainder.
Re: Uninterrupted motivation to practice mindfulness
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE
"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE
"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
Re: Uninterrupted motivation to practice mindfulness
Dan,Dan74 wrote:A good point. The trouble is, as I see it, that most of the time it is not so much akusalacittas, but habitual mental patterns that occupy our minds. The technique of mindfulness is to help us break out of these habits ans attend to the matter at hand with complete attention and a fresh seeing.
One, we have to make a distinction between sṃṛtī and sṃṛtyupasthāna. The former is a mental factor, the latter is "Close placement of mindfulness", familiar to us as the four foundations of mindfulness.
Secondly, sṃṛtī is always accompanied by saṃprajāna, i.e. attentiveness. These two always work in a pair.
The point is that we cannot have a mind where kusalacaittas and akusalacaittas are present at the same time -- it's impossible
This is why even simple exercises of mindfulness, the mundane kind, are useful. For example, mindfulness it is often described by the Buddha means when eating one knows that one is eating, when walking, one knows that one is walking, when wearing pangs, one knows that one is wearing pants. Before you can have "right mindfulness" of the kind that TRC is describing, you have to develop mindfulness.
But more to the point, when you have the presence of the mental factor of sṃṛtī, the mental factor of vīrya, diligence, is automatically present. Why? Because the kusalacaittas always work in company, where one is found all the other nine are to be found as well.
Moreover, when the ten kusalacaittas are present, it is impossible for the akusalacaittas to arise in the mind, including the three afflictions referenced above. So therefore, as long as one is mindful and attentive even in an ordinary way, this eliminates the possibility for the akusalacaittas and the afflictive cittas to arise.
So the answer to the question is, uy understanding how mind and mental factors function the motivation to practice mindfulness arises merely by understanding how the mind works and taking opportunity of this knowledge. It does not have to be this formal, academic, intellectual trip.
Re: Uninterrupted motivation to practice mindfulness
Not sure what Buddhist tradition, if any, you are affliated with, but it is always very beneficial to remember life's situation to help motivate practice. Spend some serious time contemplating the four thoughts that turn the mind. There's lots on the internet about the four turnings.SeekerNo1000003 wrote:One thing bothers me a lot lately & that is the lack of a continuous motivation to practice mindfulness.
It bothers me that I am distracted most of the day & too lazy to do anything about it.
- 1. This free and well-favoured human form is difficult to obtain.
Now that you have the chance to realize the full human potential,
If you don’t make good use of this opportunity,
How could you possibly expect to have such a chance again?
2. This existence of ours is as transient as autumn clouds.
To watch the birth and death of beings is like looking at the movement of a dance.
A lifetime is like a flash of lightning in the sky,
Rushing by, like a torrent down a steep mountain.
3. When his time has come, even a king has to die,
And neither his friends nor his wealth can follow him.
So for us—wherever we stay, wherever we go—
Karma follows us like a shadow.
4. Because of craving, attachment and ignorance,
Men, gods, animals, hungry ghosts and hell-beings
Foolishly go round,
Like the turning of a potter’s wheel.
You might be interested in reading Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche's commentary on Padampa Sangye's The Hundred Verses of Advice. Here is Verse 33 with commentary.
Like lengthening shadows as the sun sinks low,
The demon of Death relentlessly draws nearer;
People of Tingri, quickly! Get away from him!
As the sun sets in the evening, the lengthening shadows of the western hills draw ever nearer until they engulf us in the twilight. So,
too, do the shadows of death approach as the sun of our life declines. But there is one important difference—death does not come at a predictable time and place. From the very moment of our birth, our lives are ever moving inexorably toward death, but the time of that encounter is anything but certain.
A hunted criminal never has a tranquil moment. He is always alert, urgently devising a thousand schemes to escape the punishment that awaits him. You will never find him drawing plans for his future house. How can you rest when death threatens to strike at any moment? From now on, your sole recourse must be the practice of Dharma. There is no other way to turn death into something favorable.
Re: Uninterrupted motivation to practice mindfulness
However Malcolm, as you have mentioned smṛtyupasthana (the four foundations of mindfulness) and rightly pointed out from the refrain that one needs mindfulness (smṛti) and attentiveness (saṃprajāna – also often referred to as ‘clear comprehension’) it is worth noting that in the very same instruction one also needs to put “aside greed & distress with reference to the world.” Here is the refrain, for contemplation of all four foundations, which includes the more mundane activities of the body - e.g. coming, going, sitting, standing or putting on ones pants.Malcolm wrote:One, we have to make a distinction between sṃṛtī and sṃṛtyupasthāna. The former is a mental factor, the latter is "Close placement of mindfulness", familiar to us as the four foundations of mindfulness.
Secondly, sṃṛtī is always accompanied by saṃprajāna, i.e. attentiveness. These two always work in a pair.
The point is that we cannot have a mind where kusalacaittas and akusalacaittas are present at the same time -- it's impossible
This is why even simple exercises of mindfulness, the mundane kind, are useful. For example, mindfulness it is often described by the Buddha means when eating one knows that one is eating, when walking, one knows that one is walking, when wearing pangs, one knows that one is wearing pants. Before you can have "right mindfulness" of the kind that TRC is describing, you have to develop mindfulness.
- "There is the case where a monk remains focused on the body in & of itself — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world. He remains focused on feelings... mind... mental qualities in & of themselves — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world.
So an intrinsic part of the instruction is “putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world.” How does on put aside “greed & distress”? One needs to apply effort (Right Effort) which relates to "ardent" in the instruction. It is the same instruction whether for body, feelings, mind or phenomena. To sustain and develop mindfulness effectively, even of bodily movements and postures, one needs to have less disturbance in the mind by “putting aside greed & distress.”
The arising of defilements need to be dealt with, hence my comment to Dan that one can be mindful of the washing-up, while due to lack mindfulness and attention, negative thoughts and mind states have ‘slipped through,’ which becomes a strong source of distraction and enmeshment in our narratives. This strong source of distraction needs a commensurate amount of mindfulness, attention and ardency (effort) applied.
Re: Uninterrupted motivation to practice mindfulness
Thank you for this, Malcolm, but something is missing for me.Malcolm wrote:Dan,Dan74 wrote:A good point. The trouble is, as I see it, that most of the time it is not so much akusalacittas, but habitual mental patterns that occupy our minds. The technique of mindfulness is to help us break out of these habits ans attend to the matter at hand with complete attention and a fresh seeing.
One, we have to make a distinction between sṃṛtī and sṃṛtyupasthāna. The former is a mental factor, the latter is "Close placement of mindfulness", familiar to us as the four foundations of mindfulness.
Secondly, sṃṛtī is always accompanied by saṃprajāna, i.e. attentiveness. These two always work in a pair.
The point is that we cannot have a mind where kusalacaittas and akusalacaittas are present at the same time -- it's impossible
This is why even simple exercises of mindfulness, the mundane kind, are useful. For example, mindfulness it is often described by the Buddha means when eating one knows that one is eating, when walking, one knows that one is walking, when wearing pangs, one knows that one is wearing pants. Before you can have "right mindfulness" of the kind that TRC is describing, you have to develop mindfulness.
But more to the point, when you have the presence of the mental factor of sṃṛtī, the mental factor of vīrya, diligence, is automatically present. Why? Because the kusalacaittas always work in company, where one is found all the other nine are to be found as well.
Moreover, when the ten kusalacaittas are present, it is impossible for the akusalacaittas to arise in the mind, including the three afflictions referenced above. So therefore, as long as one is mindful and attentive even in an ordinary way, this eliminates the possibility for the akusalacaittas and the afflictive cittas to arise.
So the answer to the question is, uy understanding how mind and mental factors function the motivation to practice mindfulness arises merely by understanding how the mind works and taking opportunity of this knowledge. It does not have to be this formal, academic, intellectual trip.
The way you tell it it's either there is mindfulness or there isn't. You say
. But in practice a killer may be mindful of the act of killing, a kamikaze instructed by those notorious Zen teachers may be mindful of his gruesome task, or indeed we may be mindful of our desire to eat a whole box of chocolates or have sex with the colleague who is happily attached. Not exactly akusalacaittas, though it is of course a wide spectrum. And they tend to damage or diminish mindfulness too, as we get swept up in the afflictive emotions, though some people may not be particularly conflicted as to their actions, even when they are very far from being Right.as long as one is mindful and attentive even in an ordinary way, this eliminates the possibility for the akusalacaittas and the afflictive cittas to arise.
Some try to avoid this by watching out for this afflictive mentation and turning away from them and turning towards the wholesome, as the Buddha suggested in Vitakkasaṇṭhāna Sutta, for example. Or one may perceive the purpose of such thoughts as undesirable, as leading to suffering, one naturally turns away from them (as per Māgandiya Sutta) . Even more effective is perceiving their arising as vibrations and dissolving into equanimous awareness (as for instance in the teachings of Hongzhi and many others). Lastly seeing into the root and removing it trumps all of course!
I guess what you speak of is deep mindfulness which takes a level of equanimity where such akusalacaittas don't arise, but this is over and above the ken of simple mindfulness as it is generally practiced.
This is just my simple observations, please correct me if I am wrong or left something out.
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Re: Uninterrupted motivation to practice mindfulness
Wow, thank you all so much for your answers. Read most of them. Very interesting. Will keep practicing.