Awakening to Mindfullness: 10 Steps for Positive Change (Minestrone for the Mind) - Softcover

Fields, Richard

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0757306683 ISBN 13: 9780757306686

Publisher: Hci, 2008

Synopsis

Mindfulness is a state of consciousness that fosters heightened awareness of the self, of the senses, and of the outside world. It is a state of being 'aware.' Reaching and sustaining this state is what makes or breaks successful recovery, according to Dr. Richard Fields. In this highly engaging and highly practical book, Dr. Fields, an accomplished mental health and addictions counselor and speaker, 'awakens' the reader to new, positive, healthy life changes and possibilities. He clearly explains how mindfulness and meditation practices can help us all to a better, more enlightened life, a life of freedom from our addictions and delusions, a life with compassion for self and others.

About this title

About the Author

Richard Fields, Ph.D., is the founder/director of FACES, a leader in the delivery of mental health and alcohol/drug recovery conferences and home study programs. Dr. Fields brings an expertise to FACES based on his over twenty-five years of experience in conference development and private counseling. Formerly the assistant director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse's Western Regional Training Center, he has conducted training throughout the Western United States. As a consultant, Dr. Fields has worked to develop a number of university and college programs, creating educational classes, workshops and conferences.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction:

Understanding and Defining Mindfulness
'Listen with the third ear, and let the dharma rain fall.'
―The Buddha

The term 'mindfulness' is now being used quite liberally to mean a variety of things. There are different dimensions and levels of mindfulness, from basic 'awareness' to deeper and more meaningful senses of enlightenment. Mindfulness has different dimensions and impacts both the body and mind. This introduction will give you definitions and content to help clarify what I mean by mindfulness. Various quotes from leaders in the mindfulness field are included to help you better grasp its essence.

The Eightfold Path
The Eightfold Path is the foundation of Buddhist teachings. A brief summary of the path and the Four Noble Truths will help you better understand the underpinnings of mindfulness. Mindfulness is the seventh stage of the Eightfold Path. The eight stages are:

1. Right view
2. Right intention
3. Right speech
4. Right action
5. Right livelihood
6. Right effort
7. Right mindfulness
8. Right concentration

The term 'right' in the Eightfold Path is used not in the context of 'right' or 'wrong,' but instead as the preferred way or suggested way. 'Right' also means wholeheartedness and goodness.

The Eightfold Path has also been described as an eight-step training in 'fire management.' Fire is the ego. The Eightfold Path is a kind of shelter for the fire of the ego.

1. Right View
Right view involves not only seeing but also grasping the 'impermanence' and 'imperfection' of all things, ideas, and life in general. Right view sees things as they are with an open and accommodating attitude. There is joy in this simple, straightforward approach to life 'in the now,' moment to moment. Right view is described as a concept of wisdom, and it resides in all aspects of the mind, not just the intellect.
Right view also involves an openness to listen and consider what is right and wrong dispassionately. Opinionatedness is when one invests his or her ego in a view.

'You have to be alert when you are playing
with fire. To make a useful fire, we begin
by creating a sheltered fireplace, and
bringing together fuel and a spark.
All of these initial steps fall with the Right View. Our inner life
must be sheltered from the ego wind.'
―David Brazier, The Feeling Buddha

'It is attachment to opinions that leads
to the fire of our passion getting out of control.'
―David Brazier, The Feeling Buddha

Right view is further defined by the Four Noble Truths.

2. Right Intention
Intention is that mental energy that controls our actions. It involves volition (willpower) to commit to ethical and virtuous intentions, which lead to goodness in actions and self-improvement.

Buddha described three types of right intentions as follows:
1. The intention of renunciation, which means the resistance to the pull of desire
2. The intention of good will, which means resistance
to feelings of anger and aversion
3. The intention of harmlessness, which means not to think or act cruelly, violently, or aggressively and to develop compassion

Right intention is sometimes described as having right thought and using and developing all our intentions, thoughts, and skills to cultivate peace.
Right intention or right thought describes fifteen defilements or seeds of further suffering. The fifteen defilements are intentions/thoughts of:

1. Greed
2. Ill will
3. Hostility
4. Denigration
5. Dominance
6. Envy
7. Jealousy
8. Hypocrisy
9. Fraud
10. Obstinacy
11. Presumption
12. Conceit
13. Arrogance
14. Vanity
15. Negligence

3. Right Speech
Right speech is the first principle of ethical conduct in the Eightfold Path. Speech is powerful. Words can help ­create peace or wars, invoke compassion or hatred, heal or shame, join or divide, love or destroy. Right speech involves words of honesty, kindness, and nurturance. Right speech involves speaking only what is worthy and valuable for the moment. Buddha's guidelines for right speech involve telling the truth, speaking gently with warmth and ­friendliness, and talking only when necessary. Right speech involves a voice of truthfulness, compassion, and helpfulness. For a more complete description of right speech, see Mindful Step #1: Invoke Compassion.

4. Right Action
The underlying principle of right action is that wholesome acts lead to sound states of mind, while unwholesome acts lead to unsound states. Right action means to abstain from:

· Harming others
· Taking what is not given―theft, robbery, fraud, deceitfulness, and dishonesty
· Sexual misconduct

Right actions do good for others, for the good of the world. Being the best that we can be is right action.

5. Right Livelihood
Right livelihood is when one earns a living in a righteous and good way―in a way that makes a contribution to society, doing good work that benefits others. Money and wealth should be gained legally, ethically, and peacefully. Right livelihood should also be performed properly, with attention to detail. Any occupations that violate the principles of right speech and right action should be avoided.

6. Right Effort
'Right effort is the activity of
tending the fire once it is underway.'
―David Brazier, The Feeling Buddha
'Mental energy' is the force behind right effort. Wrong effort is struggle and aggression and is misguided when it distracts the mind from its task and causes confusion. Right effort is wholesome.
Wholesome Efforts   Unwholesome Efforts
Self-disciplined         Craving
Honest            Dishonest
Benevolent     Envious
Kind and gentle         Mean and aggressive
Compassionate        Uncaring

7. Right Mindfulness
A definition of mindfulness that is widely accepted is given by John Kabat-Zinn (1992):
'The ­awareness that merges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally to the unfolding of experience, moment by moment.'

Right mindfulness is described later in this chapter in more detail.

8. Right Concentration
Right concentration is a single-minded concentration on the path to peace (the Eightfold Path). It is wholesome concentration in which we are completely absorbed 'in the now,' totally present and aware. The result of right concentration is the development of a mental force that is present in everyday life, a natural consciousness. The practice of meditation is integral in the development of right concentration. The practice of meditation helps to intensify concentration step by step so that concentration can be applied to everyday situations.

Mindfulness Versus Mindlessness
One way to help define mindfulness is to first describe 'mindlessness.' In her book Mindfulness, Ellen Langer, Ph.D., a Harvard professor, researcher, and author, has several early chapters that ironically focus on 'mindlessness.' She describes this habitual and automatic mindlessness as a lack of orientation, concentration, focus, and awareness of what is going on 'in the now' (the present). She illustrates mindlessness with this comical story:
Once in a mall department store, I gave a cashier a new credit card. Noticing that I hadn't signed it, she handed it back to me to sign. Then she took my card, passed it through her machine, handed me the resulting form and asked me to sign it. I did as I was told. The cashier then held the form next to the newly signed card to see if the signature matched.

In defining mindfulness, Langer reminds us to be aware of the costs of 'mindlessness' and the benefits of 'mindfulness.'
Definitions of Mindfulness
'Mindfulness' can be defined many ways. It can be defined as attention, awareness, and remembering (remembering to pay attention). Mindfulness is also about remembering to experience (not escape from) all aspects of life, including the pain and sorrow and the simple things we do as well as the magnificent things in life.
'We could say that the word mindfulness
is pointing to being one with our experience,
not dissociating, being right there
when our hand touches the doorknob
or the telephone rings or feelings
of all kinds arise.'
―Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart
Enjoying the simple acts of walking, talking, listening, or any of our bodily senses (the smell and taste of food, the touch of a loved one) are all acts of mindfulness if we remember to enjoy and be present with them.

'Take my hand and we will walk together.
We will look at flowers and smile
at passers-by. Our walking will be like
a beautiful song, a melody that flows on
without haste. The point is not
to get somewhere. The point is
to enjoy something lovely and satisfying.
If we do so then we are fulfilling
the higher purpose.'
―David Brazier, The Feeling Buddha
Mindfulness: Experiencing
the Pleasant and Unpleasant

'Mindfulness has to do with
the quality of both awareness and participation
that a person brings to everyday life.'
―Steven Hayes, Victoria Follette, and
Marsha Linehan, Mindfulness and Acceptance
Mindfulness involves being present to experience the wonders of life, as well as the hardships. Mindfulness involves both the joy of the birth of a child as well as the sorrow of the death of a loved one. It is the ability to embrace life and living while having compassion for our own and others' suffering. It is being fully present.

'Awakening is found in our pleasure
and our pain, our confusion and our wisdom,
available in each moment of our weird,
unfathomable, ordinary everyday lives.'
―Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart
Instead of avoiding unpleasant feelings, you can learn to look at these feelings with awe, even surprise―not judging, but instead putting them at arm's length. You may even laugh at your vulnerability and how easily and quickly you can lose your way.
You can learn to embrace the fragile changing nature and cycles of your own life. Mindfulness is nonjudgmental, a taking in of what is, embracing the change moment to moment.

'Broadly conceptualized mindfulness
has been described as a nonelaborative,
nonjudgmental, present-centered awareness
in which each thought, feeling, or sensation
that arises in the attentional field is
acknowledged and accepted as it is. . . .'
―Mark Lau and Zindel Segal,
'Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
as a Relapse Prevention Approach to Depression'
Later in this chapter, I will show you how to best utilize this book and suggest a program and resources that can help guide you to a better understanding of mindfulness and the discovery of your Buddha nature. In her book Radical ­Acceptance, psychologist and Buddhist meditation teacher Tara Brach defines 'Buddha nature' as 'recognizing our essential goodness, our natural wisdom and compassion.'
Mindfulness: A Condition of
Compassion and Heart for Peace,
Tranquility, and Goodness
'Even the most exalted states and the most
exceptional spiritual accomplishmensts are unimportant
if we cannot be happy in the most basic and ordinary ways, if we cannot touch one another and the life
we have been given with our hearts.'
―Jack Kornfield, A Path with Heart
The word 'mind' has an association with the brain or the head. You might think of 'mindfulness' as residing in your head. Yet 'heart' is the pivotal and essential element of mindfulness.
A good minestrone soup, or for that matter any creation, requires a heartfelt involvement. The same holds true for mindfulness. In speaking of mindfulness, Jack Kornfield (A Path with Heart) reminds us that the mindful path must include heart: 'We must make certain that our path is connected with our heart.'
Having compassion for our own suffering and the suffering of others, we can apply mindfulness principles with a fullness and richness that benefits everyone. Mindfulness practice with heart creates a sense of well-being that is contagious. The energy created by our compassion leads to a community and world that is one of peace, tranquility, and goodness.
How to Effectively Use This Book
First Step: Quiet Western Cynicism
In order to allow yourself to experience the full impact and benefit of this book, you need to put your analytical, cognitive-solution-focused Western thinking aside. Being critical of the precepts and teachings of this book will distract you from the essence of mindfulness. When you find ­yourself doubting and critically saying to yourself, 'That won't work,' or 'That doesn't make sense,' try to wait, putting those thoughts at arm's length. Do not judge; instead, be present. Be gentle with yourself and let go, trying to assimilate to and accommodate mindfulness. I strongly suggest that you invoke the mantra given for each mindful step, complete the learning activities, and practice the meditations to gain a fuller and richer experience of mindfulness. I also encourage you to read more about mindfulness and Buddhism and attend a mindfulness retreat and dharma lectures as a follow-up to this book.
Read Each Mindful Step
with Gentle Concentration
I suggest you take your time reading each chapter. Read each mindful step slowly, allowing your mind to reflect on the content and message. I also suggest that you reread each step as often as you like to keep each one in consciousness. I have found it extremely beneficial to read a step out loud to a loved one as a bedtime ritual.
Start Journaling
After reading a mindful step chapter, journal your thoughts, feelings, even physical sensations. Note what comes up and write about it in your journal, without judging what comes into your consciousness. Especially note any resistance and any insights.

 

Make Each Mindful Step the Focus
To help keep each mindful step in consciousness, you can make one mindful step and its accompanying mantra the focus for the week. I encourage you to repeat the mantra to yourself for twenty minutes in the morning and twenty minutes in the late afternoon each day for one week. You can reread the chapter to regain the essence of the step. You can doodle or write the mantra for the step when you are on the phone or sitting in a meeting. I encourage you to do this for each mindful step.

Complete the Mindful Activities
Each mindful step also features suggested activities that help reinforce that step. These activities will greatly enhance your understanding and application of each mindful step. If you have difficulty completing the mindful activities, you might ask someone close to you to help you complete them.

Practice the Meditations
Each mindful step includes a meditation, an extremely valuable tool that can help you slow down, relax, and focus on being more c...

About this edition

• Publisher: Hci
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0757306683
• ISBN 13: 9780757306686
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 188