This book presents mindfulness teachings via short insights or meditations. Unlike many other books on mindfulness, which provide a lot of theoretical explanation—they “tell” about the subject—this manuscript “shows” the reader with teaching stories how to put mindfulness into daily life.
Mindfulness simply means being alert, aware, attentive moment by moment. The simplest definition of mindfulness is mental scrutiny. The Buddha was consistently speaking about the practice and realization of mindfulness. When asked, “Who are you, my friend?” the Buddha replied directly and concisely: “I am awake!” Though that answer was an unusual way to define himself, it pointed to the essence of Buddha's teaching.
When we have that mind skill, the result of our living is positive, as the Buddha noted: “All wholesome words, deeds and thoughts have mindfulness as their root.” However, if the mind is not trained, the result of our living will show up much the opposite, marked by forgetfulness and neglect.
The readings in this book offer gentle reminders about how to be mindful in our daily thoughts, words and actions. All too often we “forget” to be present. We neglect to be mindful when eating, listening, speaking, working, studying, seeing the sunrise and the sunset, being with friends or sipping a cup of tea. As a result, we fail to live our lives to their fullest potential and experience the joy of living.
The Buddha, who was the planet's most prominent practitioner of mindfulness, taught this technique to others. This book, Think Like the Buddha, offers reflections for 108 days of mindfulness. The stories and lessons are brought together to provide insight, information, instruction and inspiration for the reader to cultivate this practice daily. The book is very “user friendly”—immediately applicable regardless of any background in Buddhism, and is thus useful to complete beginners.
Mindfulness is more than stress release, or mental focus. It cannot be separated it from the ethical framework of Buddhism. Think Like The Buddha retains this ethical component of Buddhism from which mindfulness is derived. The stories and teachings in this book cover a wide variety of specific topics, from divorce, to illness, to losing a job, to determining a course of action. All these meditations are infused with the message of compassion that all today are hungering for.
ISBN-13: 9781942493617
Media Type: Paperback
Publisher: Hohm Press
Publication Date: 10-15-2020
Pages: 232
Product Dimensions: 4.80(w) x 6.80(h) x 0.60(d)
Victor M. Parachin, M. Div., is Director of the Tulsa Yoga Meditation Center and is a certified ayurvedic wellness consultant, meditation teacher and Yoga instructor. He is the author of a dozen books about both Eastern and Western spiritual practices. He is a graduate from the University of Toronto School of Theology. Parachin has maintained a personal meditation practice for nearly 30 years, long before meditation and mindfulness became part of the popular vocabulary. Full time freelance journalist and author and conduct retreats and workshop regularly.
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ADJUSTING IS BETTER THAN COMPLAINING
Things are always changing, so nothing can be yours.
Shunryu Suzuki
Shunryu Suzuki immigrated from Japan to become one of the most influential Zen teachers to Americans. One of his foundational principles was that every routine moment is an opportunity to learn and grow if we pay attention. One day, a student asked him why the Japanese made their tea cups so thin and delicate that they broke easily. Suzuki's response was that of a true Zen master: “It's not that they're too delicate, but that you don't know how to handle them. You must adjust yourself to the environment and not vice versa.”
Too often most of us are like that student—it's someone else's fault that we're frustrated. In the case of the student who kept dropping and breaking tea cups, it's the fault of the Japanese who don't know how to make stronger cups. Suzuki is correct. The student is the source of his own frustration.
The next time you feel experience frustration, anger, irritation, it can help to offset those by reminding yourself that . . . No one makes me frustrated; I make myself frustrated. No one makes me angry; I make myself angry. No one is irritating me; I make myself irritated. In so doing, we adjust ourselves to the environment rather than demanding that life evolves the way we want it to.
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