Our Good Friend, Mindfulness
"Instead of turning the cultivation of mindfulness into a stressful and demanding chore, we see sati as a good friend to whom we return, with whom we like to spend as much of our time as possible."
– Bhikkhu Anālayo
Satipatthana Meditation: A Practice Guide
Why not pause for an easeful moment when noticing a lapse in mindfulness? (Be it after a few minutes of mind wandering during meditation practice or a few hours of the day spent like a floating head, lost in the busyness of thought.) Isn't it okay to smile a bit, seeing the humor in the fact that the mind has gone somewhere we didn't want it to go for the hundredth time today? And can't we take some time to experiment—even touching into Anālayo's imagery, imagining the return to mindfulness like coming home to the soft, welcoming presence of a good friend? Who says we need to yank the mind back to the present with superhuman speed and efficiency? Why can't the process be pleasant and infused with kindness?
The truth so easily forgotten is that no one is waiting to grade our performance for this day or this meditation session, subtracting a percentage point for every minute lacking mindfulness. So there's no reason not to get creative, to be playful, to give ourselves as much time and patience as we need, and to see what helps us deeply enjoy the experience of returning again and again to the present moment—to our good friend, mindfulness.
More From Bhikkhu Analayo
If I could only access teachings from a single teacher on formal meditation practice, I would absolutely choose Anālayo's. I expect his books Mindfulness of Breathing: A Practice Guide and Translations and Satipatthana Meditation: A Practice Guide will both be lifelong companions. They contain a sophisticated yet accessible way to practice with early foundational teachings of Buddhism, and each comes with skillfully crafted guided meditation recordings to practice with as you read.
I also enjoyed taking his eight-week Satipatthana meditation course through the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, covering the four foundations of mindfulness. I still meet weekly with some of the inspiring individuals I met through this course. Apply for the fall 2021 course starting on August 1st.
If you're interested in exploring how mindfulness can increase our capacity to address racism and other social justice challenges, check out this recorded conversation between Rhonda Magee and Bikkhu Anālayo: Mindfully Confronting Racism: Buddhism and the Inner Work of Racial Justice
Learn more about Bhikkhu Anālayo and access plenty of other freely offered resources through the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies.
Illustrations and notes by Devin O’Guin
