Western Life Seems Loaded With Obstacles Obstructing Our Path To Enlightenment.

[rockyysdt]

It seems, no matter how many good intentions I have to get on with the practice of mindfulness, and regular meditative practice my western lifestyle is fraught with obstacles.

Practicing mindfulness in our daily lives is an excellent way of developing self awareness, but I'm finding the reality is that this is difficult to maintain. The pace and stress of modern life throws us into auto mode rendering self awareness a back seat passenger when it counts, and throwing us into negative self talk and regression into bad habits.

Only this morning I found myself under the pump with a huge workload and strict timetable. The mental image of my team leader quizzing me again for failing to meet my times further increased my pressure and placed me close to my limit, extinguishing any notion of mindfulness. I found myself uncharacteristically blowing my stack when this particular team leader refused to give me an answer on a question I had, prefering to publically humiliate me by broadcasting for all to hear the fact that I had already asked him the same question three times before.

Mindfulness seems fine in controlled conditions such as on retreat or during unencumbered periods in ones life, but sticking to such practice through our busy modern lives seems impossible.

How can we maintain mindfulness and regular silent practice with so many obstacles life appears to throw at us?

[IMA_FARANG]

It seems, no matter how many good intentions I have to get on with the practice of mindfulness, and regular meditative practice my western lifestyle is fraught with obstacles.

Practicing mindfulness in our daily lives is an excellent way of developing self awareness, but I'm finding the reality is that this is difficult to maintain. The pace and stress of modern life throws us into auto mode rendering self awareness a back seat passenger when it counts, and throwing us into negative self talk and regression into bad habits.

Only this morning I found myself under the pump with a huge workload and strict timetable. The mental image of my team leader quizzing me again for failing to meet my times further increased my pressure and placed me close to my limit, extinguishing any notion of mindfulness. I found myself uncharacteristically blowing my stack when this particular team leader refused to give me an answer on a question I had, prefering to publically humiliate me by broadcasting for all to hear the fact that I had already asked him the same question three times before.

Mindfulness seems fine in controlled conditions such as on retreat or during unencumbered periods in ones life, but sticking to such practice through our busy modern lives seems impossible.

How can we maintain mindfulness and regular silent practice with so many obstacles life appears to throw at us?

Perservere. Nothing comes easy.

Also are you making the mistake of thinking that meditation and what you call mindfulness is something that you have to do in place of other activities?

I realise you find it hard to meditate during your work day, but every now and then, just ask yourself...what am I doing, and why?

For everything you do, consider the purpose and the relationship of what you are doing then and the meaning of what you are doing.

At first that might seem difficult, but with practice it will become second nature to you.

Perhaps you are making compartments in your mind...work goes here...life goes here...this other place is for my Buddhisim.

Make your Buddhisim an everyday thing.

As for mindfulness consider this:

Mindfulness means to lovingly-accept what is happening in the present moment, without trying to control, resist or change it.

And this from Ahjan Chah

"Try to be mindful and let things take their natural course. Then your mind will become still in any surroundings, like a clear forest pool. All kinds of wonderful, rare animals will come to drink at the pool, and you will clearly see the nature of all things. You will see many strange and wonderful things come and go, but you will be still. This is the happiness of the Buddha."

There is no enlightenment outside of daily life.

Thich Nhat Hanh.

[whatsoever]

It is no easy task and relative. Most people I have ever met are far from being enlightend - infact quite the opposite.

First step is to have an open mind. A closed mind will never improve. Each small improvement is a step in the right direction - mindfullness and an open mind!

[garro]

I have found that a formal meditation practice and daily mindfulness go hand in hand. If my formal practice is slipping then my daily mindfulness goes out the window also. I have also found that there is times when my mind just doesn't seem open to maintaining mindfulness for any length of time, but when I'm aware of this and accept it then things improve.

I don't think that there has ever been a harder time to maintain mindfulness as the time we live in now. I was just watching a four-part documentary called ' The century of Self' (free on Goggle) and it just shows how we much we are absorbed now in the idea of self. It also seems that there has never been a time when we need mindfulness more

Jon Kabat-Zinn offers some practical advice on maintaining mindfulness in today's hectic world and you can also watch his videos for free on Google video.

[Brucenkhamen]

I think we all know that life now is much more complicated with more things demanding our attention than it was 2500 years ago when the Buddha setup his teaching. At the time the Buddha recognised that the householders life would have too many distractions and setup a monastic environment so that people could step away from the distractions and focus on practice. Considering that it's hardly surprising we find it harder today.

So I think if we choose to live a householders life we need to learn to be thankful for every little sign of progress rather than getting discouraged because enlightenment seems so far away.

Before you started practice were you aware how unmindful you were? I think not. If you are aware of it now then you've made progress.

A good few years of solid retreat experience is a good start if you can do it after that you may find retreats are less important. I've found that mindfulness follows me around now, not with the same clarity and intensity as on retreat, but it's always there. More often than not it's a few steps behind so I don't catch things as quickly as when on retreat but as long as it catches up eventually I'm applying what I've learned.

Mindfulness means wherever you are now at whatever level you're at that's where you start, that's where you practice.

[NotYetArahan]

Good advise from the previous people.

I started my practice of mindfulness in my work by doing my work properly using the next steps:

1 What is now the priority?

2 Do the action which is the priority

3 When you finish the activity ask yourself the question: is the result what I planned it to be?

4 If not: finish the activity properly and ask yourself the question again.

5 If yes: go to the next priority.

This also works with interuption by people and phone calls etc. Just ask yourself again: what is now the priority?

So, when you do an activity: do this activity. Don't think about the next one and the next. There is only one priority

When you properly finish an activity you are blameless: this reduces fear and increases inner peace. Properly finishing an activity can mean to do it only roughly AND properly communicate it to who needs to know or NOT do it and communicate this properly.

It is simple like this

[jumnien]

The gods put obstacles in the path of the spiritual pilgrims to test their resolve.

[rockyysdt]

Good advise from the previous people.

I started my practice of mindfulness in my work by doing my work properly using the next steps:

1 What is now the priority?

2 Do the action which is the priority

3 When you finish the activity ask yourself the question: is the result what I planned it to be?

4 If not: finish the activity properly and ask yourself the question again.

5 If yes: go to the next priority.

This also works with interuption by people and phone calls etc. Just ask yourself again: what is now the priority?

So, when you do an activity: do this activity. Don't think about the next one and the next. There is only one priority

When you properly finish an activity you are blameless: this reduces fear and increases inner peace. Properly finishing an activity can mean to do it only roughly AND properly communicate it to who needs to know or NOT do it and communicate this properly.

It is simple like this

I really appreciate everyones input and ideas.

Not only good advice but allows me to refocus and be inspired.

Performing the first priority until it's completed satisfactorily is difficult in my current job.

Due to the companies imperative of driving their costs down, after assessing the workload, they set each employee a daily time frame with which to complete their work. Each day differs depending on the load and time frames are calculated on pre set formulae.

In order to complete the days work I must perform 17 specific taks each dependent on the other.

Allocated times are achievable by elite performers but on heavier days 60% of staff must employ various techniques in order to meet their times.

Techniques include:

• Commence work earlier than rostered.
  
• Take 5 min instead of 10 min for morning break.
  
• Minimise toilet breaks.
  
• Forgo 30 min lunch break.
  
• Break the law.
  
• Fail to comply some guidelines.
  
• Risk your safety.
  

Even though it is made up of 17 specific tasks, the completion of the overall job is the priority.

Under these conditions mindfulness can be difficult and challenging.

These are just mywork issues.

Edited October 18, 2008 by rockyysdt

[Brucenkhamen]

These are just mywork issues.

Anybody would have difficulty keeping balanced at such a workplace, I'd think about changing employer if that's an option for you.

[rockyysdt]

These are just mywork issues.

Anybody would have difficulty keeping balanced at such a workplace, I'd think about changing employer if that's an option for you.

Apparently its becoming the norm in an attempt to be competitive against third world competition

[jts-khorat]

I think we all know that life now is much more complicated with more things demanding our attention than it was 2500 years ago when the Buddha setup his teaching. At the time the Buddha recognised that the householders life would have too many distractions and setup a monastic environment so that people could step away from the distractions and focus on practice.

I believe that is a common illusion many people seem to live in, that our lives are more stressful. While it is true that the amount of data we are bombarded with nowadays has increased dramaticallcy, it is not true that 'simple' lifestyles are less stressful, especially if life is happening in an environment close to subsistence only.

I would maintain that stress per se is harmful and hinders mindfulness, as one is rushed into decisions, the total opposite of holding back and thinking it through.

That is why the Buddha in his teachings made constant differentiations between laymen and monks, with only 5 very general rules to keep; he recognized the inherent problems of laypeoples lifestyles and understood unskillful acts and un-mindfulness to be inherent weaknesses that are associated with it.

[jts-khorat]

As addition to my post above, as I kept thinking about it and now read something which relates to it greatly; this is what the Buddha said on Non-entanglement:

I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Savatthi in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's monastery. Now at that time a certain lay follower from Icchanangalaka had arrived in Savatthi on some business affairs. Having settled his affairs in Savatthi, he went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side.

As he was sitting there, the Blessed One said to him, "At long last you have managed to come here."

"For a long time I have wanted to come see the Blessed One, lord, but being involved in one business affair after another, I haven't been able to do so."

Then, on realizing the significance of that, the Blessed One on that occasion exclaimed:

How blissful it is, for one who has nothing

who has mastered the Dhamma,

is learned.

See how they suffer, those who have something,

people bound in body

with people.

— Ud 2.5

More on it here: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/study/conversation.html

And an essay about rthe Buddhist Laymen, eg bringing up a family and daily life, can be read here: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors...s/wheel294.html

Edited November 16, 2008 by jts-khorat

[fabianfred]

Only an Arahant can keep perfect mindfulness all the time. We lesser beings have to be content to try our best. Five minutes of mindfulness, ten times a day, is better than an hour of formal meditation and then just letting go and being unmindful for the rest of the day. Just gradually try to extend those five minute periods to six, seven, eight minutes etc...until eventually we have filled in the gaps.

But we will have reached the safety of Sotapannahood well before then.