Exploring 'Mind You': Insights into Mindfulness and Awareness

The phrase 'mind you' is often used to introduce a qualifying statement, a slight reservation, or to soften a conclusion. Its usage can be seen in everyday conversation, much like in the following example: 'Your words hurt me, mind you, it was a tough situation.'

From Mind You to Mindfulness: The Evolution of Awareness

The term 'mindfulness' now refers to a state of awareness, but its roots can be traced back to ancient Buddhist teachings. Many refer to ancient Buddhist texts where the term 'mind' was synonymous with 'awareness.' For instance, the historical Buddha claimed that all things are made of mind. This means that everything in existence is an expression of awareness, not just the thinking mind.

Therefore, mindfulness in this context involves the development of awareness beyond mere thoughts and circumstances. It's not just about being present in the moment; it's about recognizing the nature of thoughts and reality. Mindfulness is about seeing through the interpretations and assumptions that we project onto our experiences, leading to a deeper understanding of reality.

Understanding Mindfulness: Beyond Thoughts and Reality

Mindfulness can be developed as a practice that recognizes the nature of thoughts and reality. For example, someone might believe they live in certain circumstances. However, those circumstances are nothing more than a collection of thoughts that we mistake for reality. Mindfulness involves recognizing this and understanding that all interpretations and circumstances are simply thoughts, not facts.

When one develops the capacity to recognize and drop these mistaken interpretations, they arrive at a state of not knowing. It's a place where you cannot say what truth is, but you can experience reality beyond concepts. The key is recognizing that thoughts are only thoughts, not facts. This realization leads to a state of mental inaction, where you simply observe and experience without making choices.

The Path to Absolute Freedom: Self-Observation and Awareness

In the pursuit of mindfulness, self-observation is the key. You must observe the person doing the observing, not the mind. By shifting your attention to yourself, you can recognize when you are making choices based on thoughts rather than awareness. This practice allows you to experience absolute freedom from all choice.

To achieve this, you need to shift your attention from your current thoughts and feelings to the act of observing yourself. When you do this, you will notice that you do not know what to do with your thoughts and feelings. In not knowing what to do, you simply allow them to be, which is mindfulness. Words like 'mindfulness' and other descriptions become meaningless because they cannot touch reality. The objective is to drop all superfluous knowledge and experience your life as it actually is.

Raising Sails for Awareness

The path to raising the sails of awareness involves reminding yourself to include awareness of yourself as a subject in your daily life. This means keeping your attention on yourself as you experience thoughts and feelings. Once this becomes a natural habit, you no longer need your mind to understand. Instead, you are mindfulness awareness itself, not separate from anyone or anything.

This practice involves recognizing that to choose one thought over another, or one feeling over another, is a mistake. By observing and recognizing thoughts as thoughts, you can arrive at a state of absolute freedom from all choice. The winds of reality will carry you steadily to port, allowing you to experience life in a more profound and meaningful way.

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