Who's Minding the Mind?

By Alan L. Pritz
January 25, 3004

At a recent dinner gathering, a friend and his wife heard I was writing about the nature of Mindfulness. Perhaps to be polite - or out of genuine curiosity - they asked for a brief explanation. Unfortunately, my explanations are seldom brief. Were I a vaudeville act, my wife would be the one to pull me from stage with a cane if I overstayed my welcome. However, the die was cast and I stepped into my pontificating role. What I relayed that evening served as the model for this article.

Many people have heard of Mindfulness but may not understand its various layers of meaning or diverse applications. Its initial popularity in the West arose after Bill Moyers interviewed Jon Kabat-Zinn for the TV special, "Healing and the Mind." Kabat-Zinn used classic Buddhist mindfulness techniques with select medical patients to help treat their chronic pain, or rather, patterns of perceiving only pain. With the help of specific breathing and concentration practices, he taught them how to pay attention to the moment. Rather than view life's drama as a pain-filled horror show, they learned to see that "the now" is a field of rich potential; a medley of perceptions fashioned by attentive, incremental awareness. This first level of mindfulness is most often associated with becoming alert and engaged in even the smallest of things. It produces an even-minded calmness unruffled by gusts of mental restlessness and frees one from anxiety about the past or worries for the future. When applied to activities it leads to a paradoxical state of active stillness.

As we go deeper into mindfulness, the mind becomes completely still. The breath can stop, thoughts cease, but perception continues. At this point the nature of awareness itself comes under scrutiny. A realization arises that consciousness exists apart from the body; that we are consciousness. From this experience the ego takes a beating. It/we can no longer fully identify with the body and all its nasty little habits. These are viewed more accurately as superficial decorations on a more enduring part of ourselves, the Self or Soul. This forms the second layer of mindfulness.

Progressing further, we observe a connection between our individual power of perception and the underlying consciousness that sponsors it. The boundaries of awareness become permeable. Rather than being limited to a single form - our body, we feel a subtle expansion of awareness extend outward in an increasingly inclusive manner. At this juncture people often experience an enlightening sense of connectedness to all life. This third level of mindfulness is not merely poetic metaphor, but reality on a grander scale.

These experiences all come from a root cause, stillness of mind. Such stillness can only arise from focused concentration. That focus, however, is achieved in many ways. Buddhists developed Zen and Vipassana meditation to induce such states. The modern work of Shunryu Suzuki, S.N. Goenka, and Thich Nat Han, are perhaps most notable in this arena. What is advantageous about these methods is their clarity of process and recognition of outcomes. That said other religions also tap into mindfulness albeit from different orientations.

In Catholic tradition saying the rosary is very similar to what's known in Hindu faiths as japa - repetition of a name of God. And "practicing the Presence" is akin to karma yoga. In the former, reciting a divine name or prayer leads the mind to inner states of increased focus and ultimately, stillness. In the latter, perceptions are oriented around feeling the presence of Christ or God…however termed, as constantly with you in thought, word, and deed. This enhances awareness of the mysterious consciousness that imbues and directs us all. There are Jewish and Muslim meditative practices that produce similar ends, but unfortunately I'm not sufficiently versed in these doctrines to do them justice.

Lastly comes what I deem the highest application of mindfulness, attunement to the cosmic intelligence of Spirit. Mindfulness is most valuable in context of uniting the individual mind with universal mind or Ultimate Truth. Through proper technique one is able to feel and identify with the subtle vibration called the "Word" or Om, the Prime Force of creation. When able to do this proficiently, individual awareness becomes linked to cosmic perception. At that juncture the tiny drop of personal awareness expands into the ocean of infinite consciousness. We reclaim identification with our Source and know ourselves as Its children. With this realization we gain release from the roller coaster drama of creation and unite in ecstasy with the Creator. Jelaluddin Rumi put it this way in "The Worms Waking":

"This is how a human being can change:
there's a worm addicted to eating grape leaves.
Suddenly, he wakes up, call it grace, whatever,
something wakes him, and he's no longer a worm.
He's the entire vineyard, and the orchard too, the fruit, the trunks,
a growing wisdom and joy that doesn't need to devour."

Such reunion is the mystical purpose of life. Instead of endlessly chasing bits of distracting desires - the illusory sensory mirage - we become eternally sated by drinking the "living waters" of liberating Truth. Such is the basis for Mindfulness and the pinnacle of its manifestation.

About the Author:
Alan L. Pritz, a disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda, has over 30 years experience training in and teaching Eastern disciplines. He recently formed the Center for Inner Awakening to provide classes in Meditation, Chanting, Spiritual Hatha Yoga, Energization Exercises, East-West Spiritual Philosophy, Applied Spirituality, Renewal Retreats, Workplace Enrichment, & Spiritual Coaching. Author of Pocket Guide to Meditation (Crossing Press: 1997) and a CD of devotional chants, Joy of the Soul: Cosmic Chants, he recently finished writing a second book, As I Awaken: Crafting a Spiritual Life. Alan can be reached at 612-721-4100 or apritz@pclink.com/ www.CSpiritAwake.com.