Buddhism beliefs & self awareness

I have a small statue of Buddha to my office. It's not that visible: most visitors to my office do not notice it. On the other hand, now that you have heard about it, you will probably notice it right away if you come see me.

Some of the people who noticed it thought of it as a nice decoration. Others inquired whether I am a Buddhist. After all, Buddhism is a religion, and Buddha statues have been essentially used as religious artifacts.

But, while Buddhism is very much a religion, there is something to it that is very different from other religions. At least in some of its forms, Buddhism is more about a quest for mindfulness and a series of practices than about worshiping some divine beings. Hence, for many Westerners, a statue of Buddha sitting in meditation is not necessarily a religious symbol. For me, it is an invitation to practice mindfulness.

Believe nothing, no matter where you read it or who has said it, not even if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.

--Buddha

The practice of mindfulness is about becoming more and more familiar with how our minds work. It is about noticing the constant chatter of thoughts and feelings, and becoming more and more able to not drown in it. It is about developing an increasing ability to stay still, solid and centered while facing this chaotic flow, including at times when strong emotions are evoked in us.

The calm, poised posture of the Buddha in the statue appears as an embodiment of this ability to stay still and solid, but not rigid, while noticing the chaotic flow.

It takes discipline to keep at it. But this is not discipline in the sense that "discipline" is enforced in a prison, where you simply don't have the right to do certain things, and get punished if you do. The discipline of practicing mindfulness is one that comes from a deeper understanding of how we function, and an increasing sense of comfort with who we are (as opposed to censoring ourselves).

Meditation is not the only way to develop mindfulness. In fact, the kind of emotional self-regulation that we develop through therapy/coaching is a great vehicle to strengthen our natural abilities for mindfulness.

Mindfulness is a way of being that is conducive to dealing with problems more effectively. So, in my work, I put a priority in creating a more mindful mindset during sessions, whether I explicitly refer to this as mindfulness or not. Those "aha" moments you experience in a session are essentially something that happens in a state of mindfulness.

As you get insights, it helps you deal with the specific issues you are working on. At the same time, it helps you develop your ability to be mindful, which means your ability to deal more effectively with all sorts of challenges that will come your way in the future.

See: - Avalokiteshvara on the Shore: A meditation on the Heart Sutra - Twenty Mahayana Verses.

emptiness

heart sutra

mahayana verses

nirvana

zen

koans

See also:

- Turn insight into action

- Growth is a creative process