Mayka, Let me see if I can find you again (I owe a debt here to Ken Wilber's talk on Dzogchen)! Mindfulness is one side of a duality because the other side is forgetfulness. Therefore you can practice mindfulness as a technique (as you can meditation). For example, by trying to be 'mindful' you pay attention to the present moment. Trying to "be here now" necessarily implies some future moment when you will then be mindful.
Instead, let's take a look at awareness. You can't practice awareness because there is only awareness (of 'I am'), whether you're in shikentaza or glued to the tv. Pure awareness is the present state of awareness before you try to do anything about it - it's this moment before you try anything. "You are already aware; you are already enlightened. You might not always be mindful, but you are always alread enlightened.". Mike ________________________________ From: Maria Lopez <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Thu, 3 March, 2011 5:21:21 Subject: Re: [Zen] Realization Mike: Are we talking about the same thing?. You lost me now. Mayka --- On Wed, 2/3/11, mike brown <[email protected]> wrote: >From: mike brown <[email protected]> >Subject: Re: [Zen] Realization >To: [email protected] >Date: Wednesday, 2 March, 2011, 17:27 > > > >Mayka, > >Not at all! But that also answers your question about it being one side of a >duality (mindful/not mindful). However, even if you forget to be mindful (!) - >you're always aware of 'I am'... > >Mike > > > > > ________________________________ From: Maria Lopez <[email protected]> >To: [email protected] >Sent: Thu, 3 March, 2011 1:38:50 >Subject: Re: [Zen] Realization > > >Mike: >No but I wish. Are you? >Mayka > > >--- On Wed, 2/3/11, mike brown <[email protected]> wrote: > > >>From: mike brown <[email protected]> >>Subject: Re: [Zen] Realization >>To: [email protected] >>Date: Wednesday, 2 March, 2011, 15:37 >> >> >> >>Mayka, >> >>Are you mindful 24/7? >> >>Mike >> >> >> >> ________________________________ From: Maria Lopez <[email protected]> >>To: [email protected] >>Sent: Thu, 3 March, 2011 0:20:44 >>Subject: Re: [Zen] Realization >> >> >>Mike: Even being 'mindful' is not 'it' as it has it's duality in >forgetfullness >>Mayka: I can't see the duality of being mindful. When there is pure >>mindfulness there is automatically "just this". Mindfulness is full >>attention >>and awareness in the present moment. >> >> >> >>--- On Wed, 2/3/11, mike brown <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> >>>From: mike brown <[email protected]> >>>Subject: Re: [Zen] Realization >>>To: [email protected] >>>Date: Wednesday, 2 March, 2011, 11:18 >>> >>> >>> >>>Hi JM, >>> >>>Thanks for the question. Meditation is the best practice that I know of, but >>>is >>>not essential. Even being 'mindful' is not 'it' as it has it's duality in >>>forgetfullness. If there is a way, then it has to be simple and everywhen (a >>>nod >>>to Steve). What do we know outside of concepts, thoughts, visualisations, >>>tools, >>>witnessing etc.? We are always beyond doubt existentially aware of 'I am' (a >>>further nod to Ramana Maharishi and Nisargadatta Maharal), so this is a >>>good >>>place to start. But ultimately, even awareness of 'I am' is a product of the >>>mind and so we need to go further beyond that to Pure Awareness ; ) where we >>>all >>>share the same (Buddha) Nature and nothing really needs to be done. >>> >>>Mike >>> >>> >>> >>> ________________________________ From: Jue Miao Jing Ming - 覺妙精明 <[email protected]> >>>To: [email protected] >>>Sent: Wed, 2 March, 2011 0:38:16 >>>Subject: [Zen] Realization >>> >>> >>>Hi Mike, >>> >>>According to your witness, is there a practice/way/how to "realize"? >>> >>>Thanks, >>>JM >>> >>>Be Enlightened In This Life - We ALL Can http://chanjmjm.blogspot.com >>>http://www.heartchan.org >>> >>>On 3/1/2011 2:16 AM, mike brown wrote: >>> >>>>ED, >>>> >>>>Maybe, maybe not. It still stands tho that meditation is not essential >>>>for enlightenment as it leads us away from Realisation. Therein lies the >>>>paradox >>>>- for most of us meditation was the way to Realisation. >>>> >>>>Mike >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> ________________________________ From: ED <[email protected]> >>>>To: [email protected] >>>>Sent: Tue, 1 March, 2011 18:20:57 >>>>Subject: Re: [Zen] Change >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>>I believe that there are relatively few cases of individuals who have >>>>claimed to >>>>have become spontaneously enlightened or were born enlightened. >>>>--ED >>>> >>>>--- In [email protected], mike brown <uerusuboyo@...> wrote: >>>>> >>>>> Steve, >>>>> >>>>> ... I empathise with the Dzogchen claim that meditation is not essential >>>>> for enlightenmentm but is useful for developing mindfullness, moral >>>>>development, >>>>> >>>>> concentration etc. Only after Realisation is meditation essential for >>>>> deepening >>>>> >>>>> the initial breakthrough. >>>>> >>>>> Mike >>>> >>> >> >
