The Muddied Meaning of ‘Mindfulness’ @ nytimes.com
Read full article published on nytimes.com here An intelligent and provocative critique of the commodification of mindfulness - misapplied to bring about relaxation or boost productivity, when in fact its original Buddhist application is to tame the mind and enable us to see the mechanics that underlie the human condition. Mindfulness is meant to offer a clearer and more empathic understanding of our suffering in order to gradually (and lovingly) transform it. Mindfulness practice is a prelude to more elaborate meditations such as insight or analytical meditation, which draws on logic and reasoning to challenge our most fixed concepts and thus reveal the fundamental nature underlying all phenomena. Furthermore, in the Buddhist tradition, mindfulness is said to yield no significant results unless practiced in conjunction with ethics and wisdom.
To educate yourself on why mindfulness + ethics + wisdom are essential to our ultimate happiness, read this interview with my teacher Dr. Miles Neale: