"The faculty of voluntarily bringing back a wandering attention, over and over again, is the very root of judgment, character, and will. No one is compos sui [master of himself] if he have it not. An education which should improve this faculty would be the education par excellence."

This quote is found in William James's work, particularly in the "Principles of Psychology"

Introduction to part 2

Transkript: Greetings to everyone, today is our second meeting, and today we will dive deeply into meditative practices and techniques. We will explore mindfulness and the cultivation of attention. Along the way, there will be some explanations on how meditation can help and benefit us in various areas, and how meditation contributes to greater functionality of our brains and the entire neurohormonal system.

In our first meeting, we discussed what meditation and meditative awareness actually are. Meditative awareness is a special form of awareness—Natural Presence in the moment—which in Zen is also called authenticity, when we are capable of being fully present in the here and now. It is a freely floating awareness in the moment, without unnecessary ideas or ideologies. To achieve this state of awareness, it is necessary to develop certain skills, which are aided by various meditative practices, such as the development of mindfulness and the practice of different forms of cultivating focused attention on this or that object.

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Vestibulum porttitor fringilla vestibulum. Maecenas eget tempor arcu. Etiam sodales nunc sit amet quam tincidunt, at fringilla nibh accumsan. Proin imperdiet euismod augue, eu viverra nunc auctor et. Sed finibus ultrices nibh, a venenatis risus pulvinar nec. Nam pulvinar a augue in consectetur. Aliquam sollicitudin porta mi eget rutrum. Sed luctus diam eget tortor suscipit, vitae aliquam lectus consequat. Aenean nec fermentum magna, sit amet congue nulla. Integer vitae ipsum sit amet lectus sagittis auctor non nec diam. Morbi faucibus dolor id lacinia suscipit. Donec leo orci, bibendum eu massa a, volutpat commodo lectus. Sed suscipit dolor turpis, eget congue neque dignissim a. Proin a nunc non elit venenatis sollicitudin.

Vestibulum porttitor fringilla vestibulum. Maecenas eget tempor arcu. Etiam sodales nunc sit amet quam tincidunt, at fringilla nibh accumsan. Proin imperdiet euismod augue, eu viverra nunc auctor et. Sed finibus ultrices nibh, a venenatis risus pulvinar nec. Nam pulvinar a augue in consectetur. Aliquam sollicitudin porta mi eget rutrum. Sed luctus diam eget tortor suscipit, vitae aliquam lectus consequat. Aenean nec fermentum magna, sit amet congue nulla. Integer vitae ipsum sit amet lectus sagittis auctor non nec diam. Morbi faucibus dolor id lacinia suscipit. Donec leo orci, bibendum eu massa a, volutpat commodo lectus. Sed suscipit dolor turpis, eget congue neque dignissim a. Proin a nunc non elit venenatis sollicitudin.

MINDFULNESS

The concepts of shizen (natural spontaneity), tathata (suchness), and the wholeness expressed by the Indra's Net from the Huayan doctrine, which are explained in detail below, are closely connected with the practice of mindfulness. Mindfulness involves being fully present in the moment, aware of your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings without judgment or the desire to change the current state.

1. Shizen and Mindfulness:

Shizen represents natural spontaneity and authenticity, which is essential to the practice of mindfulness. In mindfulness, we learn to accept the moment as it is, without the desire to control or manipulate. This natural spontaneity means allowing life to flow without interference from the ego or thoughts that seek to control or judge experiences. Like shizen, mindfulness encourages living in the moment, where thoughts and actions harmoniously adapt to the flow of life.

2. Tathata and Mindfulness:

Tathata, or "suchness," means recognizing reality as it is, without attempting to categorize or judge it. In mindfulness, this is crucial, as it involves being aware of the moment without being burdened by intellectualization or abstract concepts. Mindfulness teaches us to recognize and accept everything that arises in our consciousness as part of the natural flow of life, without getting caught up in judgments or interpretations.

3. Indra's Net and Mindfulness:

Indra's Net represents the idea of interconnectedness of everything in the universe. Every thing in the universe is interdependent and connected with all other things. In the context of mindfulness, this means that every experience, thought, or feeling is part of a larger whole that we accept with openness and without separating "self" and "other." Mindfulness emphasizes this interconnectedness by encouraging us to accept the moment as a whole, where each part of the experience is important and connected to the others.

4. Mindfulness as a Practice of Inner Freedom:

All these concepts are united by the practice of mindfulness as a path to inner freedom. Mindfulness allows us to free ourselves from identifying with egoistic thoughts and the self, which is also the essence of shizen and tathata. Instead of getting caught in mental patterns based on past experiences or future expectations, mindfulness brings us back to awareness of the present moment, where we can truly experience life without inner conflicts.

Mindfulness is thus a practice that leads us to natural spontaneity, acceptance of reality, and recognition of the interconnectedness of everything that exists. In doing so, it guides us on a path to inner peace, freedom, and harmony, which is the essence of these Zen concepts.

Vestibulum porttitor fringilla vestibulum. Maecenas eget tempor arcu. Etiam sodales nunc sit amet quam tincidunt, at fringilla nibh accumsan. Proin imperdiet euismod augue, eu viverra nunc auctor et. Sed finibus ultrices nibh, a venenatis risus pulvinar nec. Nam pulvinar a augue in consectetur. Aliquam sollicitudin porta mi eget rutrum. Sed luctus diam eget tortor suscipit, vitae aliquam lectus consequat. Aenean nec fermentum magna, sit amet congue nulla. Integer vitae ipsum sit amet lectus sagittis auctor non nec diam. Morbi faucibus dolor id lacinia suscipit. Donec leo orci, bibendum eu massa a, volutpat commodo lectus. Sed suscipit dolor turpis, eget congue neque dignissim a. Proin a nunc non elit venenatis sollicitudin.

Sed egestas fringilla ultricies.

Vestibulum porttitor fringilla vestibulum. Maecenas eget tempor arcu. Etiam sodales nunc sit amet quam tincidunt, at fringilla nibh accumsan. Proin imperdiet euismod augue, eu viverra nunc auctor et. Sed finibus ultrices nibh, a venenatis risus pulvinar nec. Nam pulvinar a augue in consectetur. Aliquam sollicitudin porta mi eget rutrum. Sed luctus diam eget tortor suscipit, vitae aliquam lectus consequat. Aenean nec fermentum magna, sit amet congue nulla. Integer vitae ipsum sit amet lectus sagittis auctor non nec diam. Morbi faucibus dolor id lacinia suscipit. Donec leo orci, bibendum eu massa a, volutpat commodo lectus. Sed suscipit dolor turpis, eget congue neque dignissim a. Proin a nunc non elit venenatis sollicitudin.

Sed egestas fringilla ultricies.

Vestibulum porttitor fringilla vestibulum. Maecenas eget tempor arcu. Etiam sodales nunc sit amet quam tincidunt, at fringilla nibh accumsan. Proin imperdiet euismod augue, eu viverra nunc auctor et. Sed finibus ultrices nibh, a venenatis risus pulvinar nec. Nam pulvinar a augue in consectetur. Aliquam sollicitudin porta mi eget rutrum. Sed luctus diam eget tortor suscipit, vitae aliquam lectus consequat. Aenean nec fermentum magna, sit amet congue nulla. Integer vitae ipsum sit amet lectus sagittis auctor non nec diam. Morbi faucibus dolor id lacinia suscipit. Donec leo orci, bibendum eu massa a, volutpat commodo lectus. Sed suscipit dolor turpis, eget congue neque dignissim a. Proin a nunc non elit venenatis sollicitudin.

Sed egestas fringilla ultricies.

Vestibulum porttitor fringilla vestibulum. Maecenas eget tempor arcu. Etiam sodales nunc sit amet quam tincidunt, at fringilla nibh accumsan. Proin imperdiet euismod augue, eu viverra nunc auctor et. Sed finibus ultrices nibh, a venenatis risus pulvinar nec. Nam pulvinar a augue in consectetur. Aliquam sollicitudin porta mi eget rutrum. Sed luctus diam eget tortor suscipit, vitae aliquam lectus consequat. Aenean nec fermentum magna, sit amet congue nulla. Integer vitae ipsum sit amet lectus sagittis auctor non nec diam. Morbi faucibus dolor id lacinia suscipit. Donec leo orci, bibendum eu massa a, volutpat commodo lectus. Sed suscipit dolor turpis, eget congue neque dignissim a. Proin a nunc non elit venenatis sollicitudin.

Sed egestas fringilla ultricies.

Vestibulum porttitor fringilla vestibulum. Maecenas eget tempor arcu. Etiam sodales nunc sit amet quam tincidunt, at fringilla nibh accumsan. Proin imperdiet euismod augue, eu viverra nunc auctor et. Sed finibus ultrices nibh, a venenatis risus pulvinar nec. Nam pulvinar a augue in consectetur. Aliquam sollicitudin porta mi eget rutrum. Sed luctus diam eget tortor suscipit, vitae aliquam lectus consequat. Aenean nec fermentum magna, sit amet congue nulla. Integer vitae ipsum sit amet lectus sagittis auctor non nec diam. Morbi faucibus dolor id lacinia suscipit. Donec leo orci, bibendum eu massa a, volutpat commodo lectus. Sed suscipit dolor turpis, eget congue neque dignissim a. Proin a nunc non elit venenatis sollicitudin.