Today was the final day of the conference and as with the others it has gone incredibly quickly. Yesterday I was feeling slightly out of place among so many quantitative researchers and wondering if I was in the right place, but now I hear Paul Grossman (missed him as Tim and I were having lunch together!) was suggesting that we need more qualitative research into mindfulness as it is not necessarily something you can measure, and what is the worth of the questionnaires (to put it bluntly)? I'm not decrying all research as I realise it is important to be able to show the efficacy of mindfulness and for some people they only appreciate it through quantifiable means, I'm just glad it's not me doing it!
One thing I have really appreciated form the conference is the acknowledgement of science and dharma in the teaching of mindfulness, and that mindfulness cannot or should not be cut off from its source of the teachings of the Buddha. To emphasise this the conference began and ended with Buddhist monks speaking rather than scientists and I think this was a very good move. It has been suggested when Jon Kabat-Zinn started MBSR over 30 years ago it wouldn't have been taken seriously if it was rooted in buddhism, and also because he is from a scientific background it was easy for him to present it in a way that appealed to scientists and researchers. But now it is established the aspect of Dharma as the foundation for mindfulness can be acknowledged, and also acknowledged that mindfulness is one aspect of the Eightfold path and to separate mindfulness from this context means to reduce it to 1/8th of its fullness.
So it was good to hear Ajahn Chandapalo (who apparently is originally a Yorkshireman!) use the word heartfulness without being aware Jon Kabat-Zinn had also used the same word. And Dario Doshin Girolami question what is mindfulness. When we speak of the present moment how small or large is that moment? Are we aware of the infinity of the present moment? He even recounted one of Thich Nhat Hanh's stories (yay!) about what do we see when we look at a table? Are we aware of the wood the table is made from, the sun and rain that helped the wood to grow, the person who chopped down the tree, the carpenter who created the table? How small or large is our awareness?
It has been a very full and diverse conference, demonstrating many areas into which mindfulness is making a difference and the aspects that have particularly appealed to me personally are in the realms of parents and children, university students and creating calmer classrooms. What is very obvious is that mindfulness has to be a holistic practice that enters into all aspects of life (this is what Thay has been teaching all these years). Or as Dario Doshin Girolami put it where does mindfulness begin and end?
Sunday, 12 May 2013
The First International Conference on Mindfulness - days 3 & 4
Day 3
Again, lots to hear and learn about today. The day began with a meditation session led by Ajahn Amaro from Amaravati in the UK, a great way to start the day! Then we had Mark Williams keynote presentation on depression and suicidality and the positive effects mindfulness can have in reversing these processes. It was a very interesting talk, especially given that depression is by far the highest cause of people taking time off work according to the World Health Organisation. Then I heard presentations on experimental studies of mindfulness such as in reducing cognitive rigidity and enabling problem solving. The final session of the day was more presentations on using mindfulness with both children and adults with autism spectrum disorders and what is particularly beneficial in these studies with parents and children is that they are working with both the parents and the children and they are meditating together. Just the plain fact that parents are doing things with their children must be beneficial but when you realise they are meditating and practising mindfulness together, how much more beneficial that must be!
For myself the evening activity was mindful sightseeing (as my husband arrived today) and we went to visit the Vatican museums which culminates in the Sistine Chapel. The museums are vast and we had to be quite choosy about what to look and what to pass by in order to give ourselves time in the Cappella Sistina. It is such an amazing and powerful place dedicated to passion, hard work, artistic ability and love of God.
Day 4
Another morning meditation, this time led by an Italian monk, Dario Doshin Girolami. Followed by a keynote presentation from Susan Bogels who works in Amsterdam offering mindfulness courses to parents whose children suffer mainly from ADHD but also ASD, and again the programme runs complementary classes for the parents and the children and it is their joint participation that is effective. She spoke about recognising there is not just one role the parent plays in relating to their child, especially when stressed, but one can be affected by the way they were parented and can behave as a vulnerable child or revert to the way their parents were and become particularly punitive. There are many factors to consider.
Today was my turn to present some of my research on the mindfulness teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh, and this had been put into a Symposium entitled Foundations of Mindfulness as all the speakers were reflecting in some way on the foundation of mindfulness in the teachings of the Buddha (note I do not say Buddhism, as that is a western construct). As Jon Kabat-Zinn pointed out to us, the Buddha was not a Buddhist but a man teaching humanity.
The presentation went well despite problems with the projector and the computer and having to hold a mic (it's much easier when you don't have to rely on powerpoint presentations) and I am glad to have the opportunity to speak to people about Thich Nhat Hanh and the important work he is undertaking, and has been doing for many years. 70 years of practising mindfulness and 60 years of teaching it! I don't think any people can beat that!
Again, lots to hear and learn about today. The day began with a meditation session led by Ajahn Amaro from Amaravati in the UK, a great way to start the day! Then we had Mark Williams keynote presentation on depression and suicidality and the positive effects mindfulness can have in reversing these processes. It was a very interesting talk, especially given that depression is by far the highest cause of people taking time off work according to the World Health Organisation. Then I heard presentations on experimental studies of mindfulness such as in reducing cognitive rigidity and enabling problem solving. The final session of the day was more presentations on using mindfulness with both children and adults with autism spectrum disorders and what is particularly beneficial in these studies with parents and children is that they are working with both the parents and the children and they are meditating together. Just the plain fact that parents are doing things with their children must be beneficial but when you realise they are meditating and practising mindfulness together, how much more beneficial that must be!
For myself the evening activity was mindful sightseeing (as my husband arrived today) and we went to visit the Vatican museums which culminates in the Sistine Chapel. The museums are vast and we had to be quite choosy about what to look and what to pass by in order to give ourselves time in the Cappella Sistina. It is such an amazing and powerful place dedicated to passion, hard work, artistic ability and love of God.
Day 4
Another morning meditation, this time led by an Italian monk, Dario Doshin Girolami. Followed by a keynote presentation from Susan Bogels who works in Amsterdam offering mindfulness courses to parents whose children suffer mainly from ADHD but also ASD, and again the programme runs complementary classes for the parents and the children and it is their joint participation that is effective. She spoke about recognising there is not just one role the parent plays in relating to their child, especially when stressed, but one can be affected by the way they were parented and can behave as a vulnerable child or revert to the way their parents were and become particularly punitive. There are many factors to consider.
Today was my turn to present some of my research on the mindfulness teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh, and this had been put into a Symposium entitled Foundations of Mindfulness as all the speakers were reflecting in some way on the foundation of mindfulness in the teachings of the Buddha (note I do not say Buddhism, as that is a western construct). As Jon Kabat-Zinn pointed out to us, the Buddha was not a Buddhist but a man teaching humanity.
The presentation went well despite problems with the projector and the computer and having to hold a mic (it's much easier when you don't have to rely on powerpoint presentations) and I am glad to have the opportunity to speak to people about Thich Nhat Hanh and the important work he is undertaking, and has been doing for many years. 70 years of practising mindfulness and 60 years of teaching it! I don't think any people can beat that!
Thursday, 9 May 2013
The First International Conference on Mindfulness - day 2
Today I have heard many presentations on the application of mindfulness and how it is being changed slightly to meet the needs of many differing groups of people, that it is all quite amazing and overwhelming. There are people teaching mindfulness to parents who have children on the autism spectrum, adults with autism, university students, parents who cannot afford the time or money to attend an 8-week course and so are being offered 3 workshops instead, to name but a few. And that's just in one day! And to top it off we had the key note speech from Jon Kabat-Zinn, which was extremely delightful, reassuring and challenging.
Some of the questions he posed (which I intend to address for myself when I have more time) are;
what is our abiding vision? our passion? our love?
what is our dharma?
what are our intentions and motivations regarding this work (of mindfulness)?
how can we channel these energies if they are to be authentic?
where are we going, if anywhere?
what do we fear?
what do we cherish?
The main point he expressed was that he feels we are facing a potential renaissance, a confluence that could be vital to our survival as a species by connecting with the heart as well as the mind (in many Asian countries the word for heart and mind are the same). He uses the word heartfulness as well as mindfulness. And he concluded by saying 'we are at a very privileged moment on this planet together. Can we love it? live it? We need to cultivate non-dual wisdom'.
Non-dual wisdom, recognising the interconnectedness of all beings, that we all (plants, animals and human beings) need each other. Easy to say and more difficult to live! Yet when we bring mindfulness to be the central aspect of our lives we know this to be true.
Lots to think about!
Some of the questions he posed (which I intend to address for myself when I have more time) are;
what is our abiding vision? our passion? our love?
what is our dharma?
what are our intentions and motivations regarding this work (of mindfulness)?
how can we channel these energies if they are to be authentic?
where are we going, if anywhere?
what do we fear?
what do we cherish?
The main point he expressed was that he feels we are facing a potential renaissance, a confluence that could be vital to our survival as a species by connecting with the heart as well as the mind (in many Asian countries the word for heart and mind are the same). He uses the word heartfulness as well as mindfulness. And he concluded by saying 'we are at a very privileged moment on this planet together. Can we love it? live it? We need to cultivate non-dual wisdom'.
Non-dual wisdom, recognising the interconnectedness of all beings, that we all (plants, animals and human beings) need each other. Easy to say and more difficult to live! Yet when we bring mindfulness to be the central aspect of our lives we know this to be true.
Lots to think about!
Wednesday, 8 May 2013
The First International Conference on Mindfulness - day 1
Today, which was actually the pre-conference day, began with a public lecture (called Mindfulness and its Supportive Friends) by Ajahn Amaro, Abbott of the Amaravati Buddhist Monastery in the UK. It was a very entertaining and interesting lecture in which Ajahn Amaro detailed several analogies and stories from the Buddha pertaining to mindfulness and in particular holistic mindfulness, not just paying attention to a single object but taking in the whole context. One lovely story from the Buddha illustrated how easily we are distracted from being mindful.
Imagine 6 animals (which represent the 5 senses and the mind) a snake, a crocodile, a dog, a bird, a jackal and a monkey all tied together and all pulling in different directions. The snake wants to get to a hole in the ground, the crocodile to the river, the bird to fly up into the sky, the dog to the village, the jackal to the graveyard and the monkey to the forest. As each pulls against the others it creates chaos. Whichever is strongest at the time will drag the others with it, until it gets exhausted and another one takes over. Instead of letting this happen tie the animals to a pillar. They all pull in different directions but they can't move the pillar so in the end they tire and become more peaceful. The pillar is mindfulness.
He also spoke about the 5 distractions that keep us from being mindful, because it is not enough to decide 'I want to be mindful'. These are 1) greed or craving, 2) aversion or negativity, 3) dullness or indolence, 4) agitation and 5) anxiety, worry or doubt. (So familiar!!) The remedy for these is to replace them with positive thoughts such as generosity, patience, kindness and compassion.
I suspect there will be many more pearls of wisdom as the conference progresses. I hope to keep you informed.
Imagine 6 animals (which represent the 5 senses and the mind) a snake, a crocodile, a dog, a bird, a jackal and a monkey all tied together and all pulling in different directions. The snake wants to get to a hole in the ground, the crocodile to the river, the bird to fly up into the sky, the dog to the village, the jackal to the graveyard and the monkey to the forest. As each pulls against the others it creates chaos. Whichever is strongest at the time will drag the others with it, until it gets exhausted and another one takes over. Instead of letting this happen tie the animals to a pillar. They all pull in different directions but they can't move the pillar so in the end they tire and become more peaceful. The pillar is mindfulness.
He also spoke about the 5 distractions that keep us from being mindful, because it is not enough to decide 'I want to be mindful'. These are 1) greed or craving, 2) aversion or negativity, 3) dullness or indolence, 4) agitation and 5) anxiety, worry or doubt. (So familiar!!) The remedy for these is to replace them with positive thoughts such as generosity, patience, kindness and compassion.
I suspect there will be many more pearls of wisdom as the conference progresses. I hope to keep you informed.
Sunlight on the mountains
Flying over the Alps
snow gleaming in bright sunshine
light bouncing off many surfaces
shadows created by
crevices, depths and valleys
that the light does not penetrate.
Yet it is because of the light
the shadows appear.
Light and shade come together,
turn towards the light and
the shadows are behind you.
The snow becomes a beacon
creating more light
and this is what the eye is drawn to
rather than the shadows.
Be a light for yourself
and people are drawn to the light.
Be the mountain,
solid and rocklike in its presence,
grounded in the earth
its peaks rest in the sky, in space,
beyond the clouds of ignorance and illusion.
Be the light that shines
from the top of the mountain,
close to the sky,
one with the space.
© 8 May 2013
What does this mean for me? After many years of practice the knowledge is within, but needs to be accessed regularly through meditation, by coming away from the storms and turbulence of the mind and resting instead in the core stability just below the navel. The breathing is the portal to take you there. The mind cannot resolve the questions of the heart, so go beyond mind and come to rest in the ever-present, peaceful space that fills the cavern of the heart. You cannot think about peace, you can only be peace, and by openly demonstrating peace others will be attracted to it. There is nothing to do beyond accessing that peaceful parcel that dwells in the rhythm of the breath beyond mind; 'body, speech and mind in perfect oneness' as Thich Nhat Hanh would say. Go there often! When the mind is disturbed, uncertain, hesitant or fearful, especially when it is fearful. 'Have the courage, the wisdom, and the joy to practice' (as Thich Nhat Hanh also says).
What does it mean for you?
snow gleaming in bright sunshine
light bouncing off many surfaces
shadows created by
crevices, depths and valleys
that the light does not penetrate.
Yet it is because of the light
the shadows appear.
Light and shade come together,
turn towards the light and
the shadows are behind you.
The snow becomes a beacon
creating more light
and this is what the eye is drawn to
rather than the shadows.
Be a light for yourself
and people are drawn to the light.
Be the mountain,
solid and rocklike in its presence,
grounded in the earth
its peaks rest in the sky, in space,
beyond the clouds of ignorance and illusion.
Be the light that shines
from the top of the mountain,
close to the sky,
one with the space.
© 8 May 2013
What does this mean for me? After many years of practice the knowledge is within, but needs to be accessed regularly through meditation, by coming away from the storms and turbulence of the mind and resting instead in the core stability just below the navel. The breathing is the portal to take you there. The mind cannot resolve the questions of the heart, so go beyond mind and come to rest in the ever-present, peaceful space that fills the cavern of the heart. You cannot think about peace, you can only be peace, and by openly demonstrating peace others will be attracted to it. There is nothing to do beyond accessing that peaceful parcel that dwells in the rhythm of the breath beyond mind; 'body, speech and mind in perfect oneness' as Thich Nhat Hanh would say. Go there often! When the mind is disturbed, uncertain, hesitant or fearful, especially when it is fearful. 'Have the courage, the wisdom, and the joy to practice' (as Thich Nhat Hanh also says).
What does it mean for you?
Sunday, 5 May 2013
The Mindfulness Teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh
I am rather excited to say this week (from Wednesday) I will be in Rome at the first International Conference on Mindfulness mingling with the likes of Jon Kabat-Zinn and Mark Williams amongst many others!
http://ahwinstitute.com/first-international-conference-on-mindfulness
I am delivering a paper on The Mindfulness Teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh: 'being' peace in order to 'do' peace. On Wednesday night I had the chance of a practice run to a willing and friendly audience in York. Thanks to all who came for allowing themselves to be guinea pigs.
Last night I was looking through the conference programme trying to decide which Symposia to attend, there are 5 running concurrently in each session And I'll have to make time for some sightseeing as well, never having been to Rome before. My husband is joining me on the Friday and we'll have 3 days together in Rome. It is a very exciting thought to be with so many people who are practising and researching mindfulness in order to make people's lives better by viewing their suffering from a different viewpoint. In this instance 'suffering' can be chronic pain, illness or a dissatisfaction with life by trying to make the impermanent permanent. I am aware of not having too many ideas about what it will be like, what will happen, what I will do, and let things be the way they will be. Thich Nhat Hanh teaches that mindfulness is being aware of the present moment and by being here, now, we can awaken to the miracles life has to offer.
Have you tried to capture the wind?
Hold it in your hand or bottle it,
to keep it from spoiling your hair or tugging your clothes?
Have you tried to stop the sea?
Keep it in one place
instead of rolling and surfing and breaking down the sandcastle?
Have you tried to bring the rain forth at night,
instead of when you want to walk?
Have you tried to coax the sun to shine
just at that moment when you want to be outside?
Have you tried to make a person be a particular way,
say a particular thing, to fit in with your view of life?
Have you tried to make something happen?
Convinced that if only this were to be, everything would be fine.
Have you tried to stop thinking and planning and forcing,
and just let things be?
Have you tried to stop the earth from turning, gravity from pulling,
time from ticking?
Have you tried to be present,
and let the wind play, let the rain fall, let the clouds cover the sun
and still be happy?
Have you tried to stop the wind?
© 5 May 2013
http://ahwinstitute.com/first-international-conference-on-mindfulness
I am delivering a paper on The Mindfulness Teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh: 'being' peace in order to 'do' peace. On Wednesday night I had the chance of a practice run to a willing and friendly audience in York. Thanks to all who came for allowing themselves to be guinea pigs.
Last night I was looking through the conference programme trying to decide which Symposia to attend, there are 5 running concurrently in each session And I'll have to make time for some sightseeing as well, never having been to Rome before. My husband is joining me on the Friday and we'll have 3 days together in Rome. It is a very exciting thought to be with so many people who are practising and researching mindfulness in order to make people's lives better by viewing their suffering from a different viewpoint. In this instance 'suffering' can be chronic pain, illness or a dissatisfaction with life by trying to make the impermanent permanent. I am aware of not having too many ideas about what it will be like, what will happen, what I will do, and let things be the way they will be. Thich Nhat Hanh teaches that mindfulness is being aware of the present moment and by being here, now, we can awaken to the miracles life has to offer.
'when you become mindful, understanding and loving, you suffer much less, you
begin to feel happy, and the people around you begin to profit from your being
there’ .
This is a much more natural, pleasant way to live instead of trying to force things to be a particular way.Have you tried to capture the wind?
Hold it in your hand or bottle it,
to keep it from spoiling your hair or tugging your clothes?
Have you tried to stop the sea?
Keep it in one place
instead of rolling and surfing and breaking down the sandcastle?
Have you tried to bring the rain forth at night,
instead of when you want to walk?
Have you tried to coax the sun to shine
just at that moment when you want to be outside?
Have you tried to make a person be a particular way,
say a particular thing, to fit in with your view of life?
Have you tried to make something happen?
Convinced that if only this were to be, everything would be fine.
Have you tried to stop thinking and planning and forcing,
and just let things be?
Have you tried to stop the earth from turning, gravity from pulling,
time from ticking?
Have you tried to be present,
and let the wind play, let the rain fall, let the clouds cover the sun
and still be happy?
Have you tried to stop the wind?
© 5 May 2013
Thursday, 2 May 2013
Unexpected free time
Unexpected free time
sitting in a cafe
in the sun
by the sea.
Unexpected to find myself here,
nothing to do
nowhere to be
except here.
Unexpected space,
drinking hot chocolate,
listening in on
other people's conversations.
Unexpected to find myself here,
shopping for a
birthday present,
enjoying a sunny day.
Unexpected free time
unexpected space
welcome.
© 2 May 2013
sitting in a cafe
in the sun
by the sea.
Unexpected to find myself here,
nothing to do
nowhere to be
except here.
Unexpected space,
drinking hot chocolate,
listening in on
other people's conversations.
Unexpected to find myself here,
shopping for a
birthday present,
enjoying a sunny day.
Unexpected free time
unexpected space
welcome.
© 2 May 2013
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