I enjoyed reading keyboardan on
mindfulness(1). I too find the
mind-full expression to be
unclear, and would tend to prefer
a mind-less living.

Where the mind goes, so the
energy. It's particularly evident
in dream practice. If you mind
slip toward something else, the
dream also slip in that
direction. Giving the dreamworld
this slippery, uncontrollable
feeling.

During the waking time, my mind
thinks about the future, thinks
about the past, thinks about the
other. My mind is everywhere but
here and now. It creates
imagination, emotions,
discussions with oneself,
sensations, memories of the
senses, it creates a world of
it's own. It's quite the
entertainment machine!

Then I shut it down, by filling
it with some media overload.
Watching one or two show at the
same time. Double fisting it with
phone in hand, watching another
screen for the main course. The
mind is somewhat replace with a
virtual reality, numbing myself
just enough so I can go to sleep
without much remorse.

So what would be the healthy way
to use my mind? The mindful way?

During the day, the idea of
mindlessness would be to calm the
mind, and focus on the here and
now. Focusing on what I feel in
the moment. How is my body? How
are my senses? What emotions are
lingering right now? How do I
want to deal with eating and
drinking? When the mind slip to
the future, to the past, to the
judgment, I would use that motion
to bring back presence. Using a
mantra, or an affirmation, or a
question like "Am I dreaming
now?" Something that is useful
when practicing lucid dreaming.

The mind wants more though. The
currents are strong, and it's
easy to loose presence for hours
and even days. So at first a
daily sitting is important, a
daily reflection on what happened
today, where was the mind during
the whole day and what are my
successes and failures.

The mind is a powerful tool. A
lot more powerful than anyone
ever told us. And we go about as
if it was nothing. We don't
really teach anything about it in
school, to our kids. We expect
everyone to know how to deal with
it. Literally giving nuclear
weapon to everyone, and hope for
the best. Most people don't use
much of it's power, but some do
and it can have a devastating
effect.

It takes time to get a handle on
the mind. I sometime forget that
I've been at it for over 30 years
now. Trying all kind of
meditations, yogas, shamanic
practices, dreams and all kind of
techniques. I still go 'Ho my
God, this is what I read about 20
years ago!' It's like practicing
a musical instrument, that is so
complex that it takes a few
lifetime to master.

And I really mean it when I say many
lifetimes. I'm starting to believe
more into the multiple life of
our soul lately. I am not sure
why, I was writing yesterday, and
realized that some people are
here on this planet to die young,
and it's part of their evolution,
their multiple life evolution.

Just one dream, out of multiple
incarnation, and in this dream,
they are to live fully, and die
as quickly as possible. That is
what they came for, no need to
convince them. And if you were to
meet them, and connect with them
on that level, you might see them
again in another life time.

Learning mindfulness might take a
few lifetimes indeed. The term
itself will change as you
practice it. There is no telling
where it will get you. Maybe a
happy place, a more focus place,
or maybe you'll start a
revolution! 

gopher://tilde.club/1/~keyboardan/